Paris on a budget sounds like a contradiction, but the maths works better than most UK travellers expect once you separate the free city from the priced-up bits. The Seine, Montmartre’s streets, and Notre-Dame’s reopened nave cost nothing to see, and Eurostar reaches central Paris from central London in two hours fifteen without an airport in the way. This guide covers getting there, where to stay and eat, and what a realistic daily budget looks like. Flight Tribe’s destination guides also cover comparable trips to Berlin and Amsterdam.
Paris on a budget at a glance
- Flight time~1h15 by air, 2h15 by Eurostar from London
- AirportCharles de Gaulle (CDG), Orly (ORY), Beauvais (BVA)
- CurrencyEuro (€)
- Time zone1 hour ahead of the UK (CET/CEST)
- LanguageFrench
- VisaNot required for UK travellers, up to 90 days
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How much does a Paris holiday cost
Paris on a budget from the UK is realistic outside July and August. Return Eurostar fares from £80-100 booked well ahead and a budget hotel from around £70-110 a night keep costs low. Free sightseeing across most of the city’s best-known sights keeps a short trip well under £500 per person. Most of the spend goes on accommodation and food, not attractions: Sacré-Cœur, Notre-Dame’s nave, the Seine embankments, and Père Lachaise cemetery all cost nothing to visit, while the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower’s upper levels are where a day trip’s budget actually gets spent.
When is the cheapest time to visit Paris
Late January to March and again in November are the cheapest windows, once the Christmas markets clear and before half-term pushes fares up. Hotel rates in this guide reflect low-season pricing and run 30-50% higher in July, August, and over Christmas. Flight Tribe’s guide to the best time to book a UK holiday applies here too. December has its own logic: fares and hotel rates dip in early December before the Christmas markets around Hôtel de Ville and the Champs-Élysées light up, and the cold keeps Eiffel Tower queues shorter than any other time of year.
Eurostar is the fastest and simplest way in for most of the UK, running direct from London to central Paris with no airport transfer at either end.
Cheap flights and Eurostar to Paris from the UK
Getting to Paris on a budget means choosing between two genuinely different routes. Which one is cheaper depends on where you live and how far ahead you book. Eurostar goes centre to centre with no airport transfer. Flying is usually the only option outside London and the South East.
| Route | UK departure points | Journey time | Approx cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurostar | London St Pancras | 2h15, city centre to city centre | From £39 one way, booked ~6 months ahead |
| Charles de Gaulle (CDG) | Most UK airports | ~1h15 flight, plus RER transfer | Flights from around £25-45 one way |
| Beauvais (BVA) | Regional UK airports | Flight ~1h15, plus 75-90 min shuttle | Flights often under £30 one way |
Beauvais is the furthest airport from central Paris of the three and only worth it when the flight saving clearly beats the extra shuttle time and €16.90 fare. For a short trip, Eurostar or CDG usually work out simpler once the whole journey, not just the ticket price, is weighed up.
Where to stay in Paris on a budget
Where you stay makes a real difference to your daily spend. The Marais, Le Marais’s northern edge around the Gare du Nord and Gare de l’Est, and the Latin Quarter all put you within walking distance of the river and on top of several Metro lines. Staying near Gare du Nord specifically makes sense if you’re arriving by Eurostar and want to drop bags before exploring.
Three hotels to book on Expedia
| Hotel | Tier | Location | Why book it | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ibis Paris Gare Du Nord TGV | 3-star Budget | Gare du Nord | Straight off the Eurostar with no transfer needed | |
| Hotel Panache | 4-star boutique Mid-range | 9th arrondissement | Neo-Art Deco rooms, quiet terrace and library | |
| Miiro Le Grand Hôtel Cayré | 4-star Worth it | Saint-Germain-des-Prés | Some rooms have direct Eiffel Tower views |
Eating and drinking cheaply in Paris
The formule (a fixed two or three-course lunch menu) is the single best tool for keeping Paris on a budget at mealtimes. Most bistros offer one from around €18-22, available roughly midday to 3pm, and it is usually better value than ordering the same dishes à la carte at dinner.
Three restaurants to know
| Restaurant | Tier | Area | What to order | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miznon | Under €15 Budget | Le Marais | Israeli-style pita, €9.50-13.50 | |
| Chez Janou | €18-40 Mid-range | Le Marais | €18 lunch formule, or the chocolate mousse served from the bowl at dinner | |
| Bofinger | €45-55 Worth it | Bastille | Choucroute or the seafood platter |
Free and cheap things to do in Paris
Free and cheap sightseeing does most of the heavy lifting for Paris on a budget. Sacré-Cœur Basilica is free to enter, and its terrace is one of the city’s best free viewpoints. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024, free to enter, though booking a timed slot online avoids long queues. The Jardin du Luxembourg and the Tuileries are free and good for a slow afternoon. A Seine-side walk between the Musée d’Orsay and Notre-Dame takes in most postcard views, and Père Lachaise cemetery, resting place of Jim Morrison, Édith Piaf, and Oscar Wilde, costs nothing either.
Montmartre’s steepest streets cost nothing to walk, and the funicular up to Sacré-Cœur is covered by a standard Metro ticket rather than a separate fare.
Where you do need to pay, look for the cheaper option first. The Eiffel Tower’s stairs to the second floor cost around €11, against roughly €28 for the lift to the summit, and the view from the second floor is arguably the better one anyway, since it still has the tower itself in the frame.
Getting around Paris cheaply
Getting around cheaply matters as much as anything else for Paris on a budget. Central Paris is compact enough that most sights within the Périphérique ring road are a Metro ride or a long walk apart. The city’s paper carnet of tickets was discontinued in 2025, so tickets now load onto a Navigo Easy card or the Paris transport app instead.
Walking the Seine’s embankments between bridges is free, and the RATP network covers everywhere else on a single ticket type.
| Option | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Single Metro/RER ticket | €2.55 | Valid on Metro, bus, and RER within central zones. Load onto Navigo Easy or the app. |
| 10-ticket digital pack | €17.35 | Cheaper per journey than singles for a trip of three days or more. |
| Vélib’ bike share | From €5/day pass | Docking stations across the city, useful for covering the Seine’s length quickly. |
| Walking | Free | Most of central Paris, from the Marais to Saint-Germain, is walkable in under 45 minutes end to end. |
Sample 3-day budget for Paris
A traveller who picnics or grabs a formule for lunch, eats one proper restaurant meal a day, and sticks mostly to free sights can manage Paris on a budget comfortably. Hostel-dorm living isn’t required to keep costs down.
| Traveller type | Per day estimate | What that covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | €75-100 (~£64-86) | Budget hotel, bakery breakfast, a Miznon-style lunch, free sights, Metro tickets. |
| Mid-range | €150-210 (~£128-180) | Mid-tier hotel, a bistro dinner such as Chez Janou, one paid museum, Metro pass. |
| Comfortable | €280-400+ (~£240-340) | Upscale hotel, dinner at Bofinger or similar, the Eiffel Tower summit, a Seine dinner cruise. |
If you’d rather book a flight or Eurostar journey and a hotel together, Flight Tribe’s guide to comparing holiday companies can help. It explains how the package operators compare on price for a Paris on a budget break like this one.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paris expensive to visit?
It can be, but Paris on a budget is realistic outside July and August. Free sights, a Eurostar or budget flight booked well ahead, and a mid-tier hotel keep a short trip well under £500 per person.
How do I get from the UK to Paris?
Two main options exist. Eurostar runs from London St Pancras direct to Gare du Nord in 2h15. Or fly to Charles de Gaulle, Orly, or Beauvais from most UK airports, then transfer into the city.
Is the Eurostar cheaper than flying to Paris?
Often, once the whole journey is counted. Eurostar fares from £39 one way go centre to centre with no transfer, while a similarly priced flight usually adds an airport transfer and extra time at both ends.
Is Notre-Dame free to visit now it’s reopened?
Yes. Notre-Dame reopened in December 2024 after its post-fire restoration and remains free to enter, though booking a timed entry slot online is worth doing to avoid the longest queues.
How much does the Metro cost in Paris?
A single ticket costs €2.55, or €17.35 for a digital 10-ticket pack loaded onto a Navigo Easy card or the Paris transport app. The paper carnet of tickets was discontinued in 2025.
Is Paris worth visiting in winter?
Yes, and it’s when Paris on a budget works best. Late November through February brings the year’s cheapest flights and hotel rates, plus the Christmas markets in early December, though lake-style outdoor activities aren’t part of Paris’s draw regardless of season.
Is Paris good for a weekend break from the UK?
Yes, Paris on a budget works well as a weekend trip. Eurostar takes 2h15 from central London. Two nights covers the Seine, Montmartre, and one major museum. Three nights adds time for the Marais and a day trip such as Versailles.
Kate Acaster is Chief Editor at Flight Tribe. She writes about practical travel planning, budget airlines, baggage rules, city breaks, beach holidays and good hotels that do not cost daft money.
Kate has travelled through Europe, South America and beyond, usually with a notebook, a half-formed plan and a strong opinion on airport snacks. At Flight Tribe, her work focuses on helping UK travellers understand what is included, what costs extra, and whether a trip is worth booking at the price shown.
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