Paris has a reputation for being an expensive city, but visiting the capital without spending a fortune is entirely possible. Between the free permanent collections at city museums, large parks open to everyone, and neighborhoods that reward walking just as much as a paid guided tour, a few simple habits go a long way toward keeping your trip affordable.
The Musée Carnavalet, free all year round
Housed in two historic mansions in the Marais, the Musée Carnavalet traces the entire history of Paris through its permanent collections, which are free to visit for everyone. It is one of the best examples of the city's municipal museums, whose permanent collections never charge for entry.
The Jardin du Luxembourg and Paris' great parks
This large park in the 6th arrondissement, like most public gardens in Paris, is free to enter from sunrise to sunset. Its lawns, ponds and hundreds of green metal chairs make it a perfect spot for a picnic or a quiet break, without spending a cent.
Free rooftop terraces at the department stores
The rooftop of Galeries Lafayette Haussmann is free to access and offers one of the best views over Paris, taking in the Eiffel Tower, the Opéra Garnier and the city's zinc rooftops. It makes a perfect free alternative to paid observation decks like the Eiffel Tower or the Tour Montparnasse.
Public transport instead of taxis
The metro, buses and RER trains reach every corner of Paris for a fixed fare, far cheaper than a taxi or a private ride-hailing car. For a multi-day stay, a transport pass caps your spending and lets you hop on and off without counting every trip.
Picnicking, the easiest way to eat well for less
A sandwich or a slice of quiche from a bakery, topped off with fruit or cheese from a neighborhood market, costs a fraction of a restaurant meal. Eating along a canal, in a square or on the steps of a monument is also part of the Parisian experience.
Free permanent collections, a Paris exception
Beyond Carnavalet, the permanent collections of several city museums, such as the Petit Palais, are free year round, while only their temporary exhibitions charge for entry. In national museums and monuments, visitors under 26 who are EU residents also get in for free, and some venues additionally offer free admission on the first Sunday of the month.
Walking instead of booking a paid tour
The Marais, the Latin Quarter and Montmartre all reward simple wandering, no guided tour required. Following a street at random, stepping into a courtyard or pausing in front of an old shopfront costs nothing more than a comfortable pair of shoes.
Tips
For getting around, choose a transport pass suited to the length of your stay rather than buying single tickets, and fill in the gaps with walking or a shared bike for shorter distances, widely available across the city. Metro lines 1, 4 and 14 serve most of the major sights, and the bus network is also a good way to see the city while you travel, for the same price as a metro ride. Avoid restaurants sitting right in front of major monuments, which are often pricier for the same quality, and look instead a street or two away. Traveling outside peak season and school holidays also means gentler accommodation prices and quieter museums, while every free activity described here stays free all year round.
