39Vaugirard

I was skeptical, but this calculator is pretty dead on for a tax trip from CDG to our apartment – about 55E. They even ask what time you’ll be traveling so they can factor in waiting in traffic time.

[From Taxi fare in Paris from Aeroport de Paris Orly France to hote mercure tour eiffel - worldtaximeter]

Worth a look so you can prepare your Euros and your shocked face ahead of time.

It works for other major cities as well.

There are some great suggestions in this article on how to save money in the City of Light. Many are the obvious with lots of picnics and cheap enjoyment of the outdoor museum that surrounds you. However, the issue isn’t whether it’s possible as a parlor stunt, but how could you have a fulfilling Paris experience while skipping most of the things around you.

It’s hard to imagine a once in a lifetime Paris vacation spent entirely outside while trying to avoid museum fees, but there is a free Sunday of the Louvre. There are plenty of places to go (Tuilleries, Jardin de Luxembourg, Notre Dame, Sacré Coeur) that don’t cost a dime.

Best advice if you really want to stick to this budget: get a hotel outside the city on the RER line and zip in in the morning and go back out to sleep. Basic hotel rates will eat the majority of your budget if you stay within the city limits.

Paris on Less Than $100 Per Day

[From Paris on Less Than $100 Per Day: Enjoy the City Without Breaking the Bank | BootsnAll Travel Articles]

Worth a look if you’re trying to maximize your eating while minimizing the costs. Strangely enough, they recommend the $70 (!) prix fixe menu at Le Comptoire!

Delightfully local in Paris
On a no-frills budget? Drop the tourist routine and savor the City of Light’s simpler luxuries

[From On a budget? Live like a local in Paris - The Boston Globe]

Paris Greeter was set up just so locals can share the Parisian experience. Local guides take you on tours of 2-3 hours and welcome children.

You are coming to Paris and want to live an unusual and exciting experience?
A Paris Greeter will make sure you discover the true Paris, the way Parisians live it and love it!
Paris Greeters are volunteers willing to share their knowledge of Paris in general and a specific neighbourhood in particular. They will take you to unusual and often hidden places, will tell you their history (and story!) and will give you tips on good places to go.

All our volunteers are Paris lovers who like to share the art, tradition and culture of this fascinating city. At the end of the walk, we really want you to have the feeling that you have not only discovered the city but also had an insight into what we call the “Parisian way of life.”

[From ParisianGreeter.org]

This sounds like a wonderful idea since who knows a neighborhood better than someone who lives there. We’ll definitely try it out on our next trip to Paris.