Cheap things to do in Paris
Markets, free museums and good local bars without touching your savings.
This is Paris on a tight budget without any sacrifice of quality: neighbourhood coffee, covered markets, free palaces and bistros that locals actually eat at. It suits anyone who'd rather spend money on a second glass of wine than a coat-check fee, and who doesn't mind walking a lot because the city rewards it.
Day 1: Montmartre, Pigalle, New Athens
Babka at Mamiche, free views from Sacré-Coeur and a long evening arc from an honest bistro to a proper neighbourhood bar.
- 9:30 AM
Mamiche
Start the day with their famous babka and croissant, cheap, swear-by-worthy, right in the neighbourhood.
Map - 10:15 AM
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Montmartre
Free to enter the basilica and the esplanade, sweeping views over Paris, zero cost.
Map - 12:30 PM
Tanguy
A cheap French lunch near Porte Saint-Denis; take the formule of the day and you are out for little.
Map - 2:15 PM
Marché Couvert Saint-Quentin
Covered market a short walk away, browse cheap local produce, cheese and street food stalls.
Map - 7:30 PM
Les Arlots
A tiny bistro behind Gare du Nord; order the house sausage with mash, the dish everyone comes for.
Map - 9:15 PM
Le Mansart
Le Mansart is a classic New Athens bar, good wine, local crowd, well before the midnight cutoff.
Map
Day 2: Saint-Germain, the Louvre, Odéon
An early Louvre run, pintxos on your feet at L'Avant Comptoir and a great-value ramen dinner to finish.
- 9:30 AM
Le Buci
Neighbourhood café right in Saint-Germain, grab a cheap espresso and a croissant on the terrace to start the day.
Map - 10:30 AM
Louvre Museum
Book a timed slot and go straight to the Denon wing; free for under-26 EU residents, and closed on Tuesdays.
Map - 12:30 PM
L'Avant Comptoir du Marché
Standing Basque bar with pintxos and jambon, cheap, quick and one of the most-loved spots in Odéon.
Map - 2:30 PM
Jardin des Tuileries
Free stroll through the Tuileries, shady gravel paths, fountains and sculpture without spending a cent.
Map - 7:30 PM
Kodawari Ramen - Yokochō
Ramen in a mock Tokyo back alley off Rue Mazarine; arrive early, the queue builds fast after eight.
Map - 9:15 PM
La Balle au Bond
Low-key local bar a short walk away, cheap drinks, no fuss, done well before midnight.
Map
Day 3: Le Marais, Saint-Gervais, République
A baroque palace for free, falafel on the cheap and Bouillon République for a three-course dinner that costs almost nothing.
- 9:30 AM
Café des Phares
The corner café on Place de la Bastille that started the Sunday philosophy debates; an espresso at the bar is cheap.
Map - 10:15 AM
Hôtel de Soubise
Walk the horseshoe courtyard for free; the rococo rooms inside are ticketed and open weekends only from 14:00.
Map - 12:30 PM
Chez Hanna
Cheap and beloved Middle Eastern spot in Saint-Gervais, falafel and mezze without wrecking the budget.
Map - 2:00 PM
Marché couvert des Enfants Rouges
Wander Paris's oldest covered market, free to browse, great street-food stalls and local atmosphere.
Map - 7:30 PM
Bouillon République
Cheap French classics in a Belle Époque-style room: oeuf mayo, a main and profiteroles; expect a queue.
Map - 9:30 PM
Le Mary Celeste
Le Mary Celeste is a go-to local bar in the Marais, lively, no attitude, easy walk back to here.
Map
Where to stay
Grands Boulevards Experimental
Sits right between Pigalle and the Grands Boulevards, close to all three days' routes and priced fairly for what you get.
Solly Hotel Paris
A solid mid-range pick in the 3rd, a short walk to Le Marais and République without the tourist-district markup.
Make Paris your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Musée d'Orsay: a few days ahead
- Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris: a few days ahead
- Sainte-Chapelle: a few days ahead
- Musée de l'Orangerie: a few days ahead
- Musée du Louvre: weeks ahead
- Eiffel Tower: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Restaurants within sight of a major sight, with touts, photo menus in six languages or frozen food at triple prices. Walk two streets away.
- Moulin Rouge dinner show packages are overcrowded and overpriced, and the dinner is the worst part.
- Seine dinner cruises: take the cruise, skip the dinner, and eat properly before or after.
- Champs-Élysées as a destination: walk it once, buy nothing, eat nothing.
The full Paris travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around