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Bonjour!
Paris is to date my favourite place I’ve been, there is so much I love about it… the food, the people, the culture, gosh I could move here next week if I was given the opportunity, though I might have to work on my French a bit. There is so much of Paris you need to experience; there is obviously all of the touristy things that you need to do and I’d personally recommend getting them out of the way first. We had five days in this fantastic city and I’m so glad we got all of the main tourist attractions done and over with on the first day. The Arc de Triumph, The Bridge of Locks, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and another extremely touristy things can all be seen in day. The real beauty is when you get to really experience what Paris has to offer!
1. Bask in the sun under the Eiffel tower with Prossecco in hand. This was probably one of my favourite things to do in Paris and it was so simple. We would stop by a fresh market, pick up some cheese, fresh fruit, bread and Prossecco and head over to the Eiffel tower. We would lay in the sunshine, eat, drink and be as merry as we possibly could!
2. Take a day trip to Reims. I feel like this is something that not enough people do. We headed out to Reims which is in the Champagne region and we toured around the small town trying out many of the different Champagne houses. It was a 40 minute train ride out to Reims and we spent majority of the day walking around. It was definitely something I’d do again, who doesn’t want to drink actual Champagne in Champagne?
3. Eat as many pastries as you possibly can. I think this one takes the cake, literally. There are SO MANY TREATS IN PARIS… and I ate them all. I tried every bakery we walked by… or so it seemed. I indulged in beautifully crafted treats that I could never even dream of making. At $5 a pop it could definitely turn into an expensive habit but since I was only there for five days I didn’t feel so bad… you know what the say, when in Rome!
A frugal tip from yours truly would be to make sure you stay in an apartment or hostel and not a hotel. The hotels are so grossly over-priced. I stayed in an apartment I found on Airbnb which was absolutely perfect it was central enough that we could walk almost anywhere we needed to go and it was only a couple blocks from a train station!
Which brings me to my second frugal tip, stay somewhere near a train station. The metro in Paris is absolutely fantastic and will get you anywhere in the city. The metro is extremely reasonably priced, if you are there for more than a couple days I recommend getting a day pass which allows you to ride the metro as many times per day as you like. Definitely the best bang for your buck!
Enjoy Paris!
Photos courtesy Janine Eccleston. Photos cannot be used or reproduced without express permission from the owner.
About the Author
Janine is a tax specialist and personal finance blogger for Calgary, AB. She is actively pursuing her CPA designation while fighting her way to financial freedom. She is the Vice-President External for the not-for-profit Her Success and enjoys sharing her financial knowledge with her peers. When she is not at work or studying Janine enjoys traveling, baking, yoga and ending off the day with a glass of wine.
Website: mypenniesmythoughts.com