No, that’s not a printing error. And if you’re going to Paris any time soon, please pay (excuse the pun) attention, because it’s not the world’s cheapest city and all tips on saving cash during your visit should be committed to memory. Here is a particularly good source of them from CCN.com. Read it, or be sorry!
Anyway, enough of the scaremongering. Don’t let price put you off a place like Paris. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or the fifth, you’ll almost certainly fork out more money than you bargained for, but you’ll probably find that your best memories are the free ones – things like the Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe; the sights and sounds of the Left Bank; the incredibly picturesque streets of Montmartre, the rooftops, the bridges, the city at night – priceless, in every sense of the word.
Photo by boulanger.IE
Here are a few more freebies to add to your list:
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A visit to Notre Dame. The awe-inspiring interior is free, but if you want to climb the tower, there’s a small charge. Walk to Notre Dame via the Pont Neuf and spend a few moments admiring the view from the oldest and most beautiful of Paris's many bridges. When you leave Notre Dame, don't forget to explore the Ile de la Cite, the ancient island on which it stands.
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Free fashion shows: 3pm on Fridays at
Galleries Lafayette and 10am Tuesdays at
Printemps. The stores themselves are visitor attractions, as is the beautiful and
trés elegant Bon Marché near St-Germain-des-Prés. It costs nothing to look and yearn, but prepare to be tempted! That's Printemps pictured on the right.
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Pere Lachaise Cemetery. An astonishing place, and if you think you don’t know anyone buried there, think again: you certainly do.
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Place de la Concorde; quintessential Paris.
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Gorgeous gardens – especially Luxembourg and Tuilleries.
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A walk by the Seine, day or night (preferably both). It won't cost a cent, but it will stay in your mind forever. And remember to cross the Pont Neuf.
Photo by Omar Omar
Perhaps the best tip of all – as noted on the CNN story – is the fact that the Louvre and Musee d’Orsay are free on the first Sunday of every month. Don’t skip either of these, and don’t shed any tears if you miss the first Sunday and have to pay entry fees. They’re certainly worth it. The Musee d’Orsay, pictured on the right, houses (among other things) the stunning work of the French impressionists; the Louvre has some of the world’s greatest treasures. Allow plenty of time for both, and note that the Musee d’Orsay is closed on Mondays, and the Louvre on Tuesdays. One last tip: if you pay at the d’Orsay, hold on to your ticket. It entitles you to reduced rates for the Gustave Moreau National Museum and for unguided tours of the Palais Garnier (Paris National Opera - fascinating).
Photo by Carlton Browne