Where to stay in Paris on a budget
As with every big city, Paris is not a cheap place to stay. The central, more touristy areas are pricey and eating out can do some damage to your wallet.
If you head to the outer districts of Paris and the less touristy areas, the 10th, 18th and 20th, you’ll discover areas a bit off the beaten track, but which are up and coming and interesting in their own right.
The 10th arrondissement
The 10th district is very much up and coming. There’s a big regeneration project going on all around the Gare du Nord and trendy shops like the Antoine et Lili concept store, on the quays of the Canal St Martin, are popping up all around the quartier.
Proximity to the station makes this a great area to stay in if you’re on a short break in Paris as you can drop off and pick up your bags quickly, without wasting valuable time going back and forth to your hotel.
If you're on a tight budget, head to the Marché St Quentin covered food market on Boulevard de Magenta and pick up some delicious nibbles to eat on the go or back at your hotel.
The 18th arrondissement
The 18th district is mainly known for the touristy, winding streets of Montmartre and the red light district around Pigalle, but there’s more to explore than the guide book addresses. It can still feel a little rough in parts, but the area is definitely going up in the world.
The up and coming area of La Goute d’Or, to the east of Sacre Coeur, is blossoming into the new cool area for bars, restaurants and nightlife. It's also within walking distance of the Gare du Nord, so no transport costs.
Sacré-Cœur
It’s no surprise this pretty basilica has captured the hearts of die-hard romantics. Squint and you might just see echoes of the Taj Mahal in its whitewashed dome. The Byzantine interiors are certainly impressive, but a trip up the Butte Montmartre is just as much about the views from its terraced gardens. For a cinematic spin, hop on the traditional carousel made famous by Amélie.
The 20th arrondissement
Previously an industrial part of Paris, the 20th is going through a bit of a rebranding with trendy art galleries and music venues springing up around Belleville and Menilmontant. Though still a little rough around the edges, now the arty crowd have discovered it, prices are going up and gentrification is happening fast.
One of the nicest parts of this area is around Pere Lachaise cemetery, where winding cobblestone streets seem like they'd be more at home in a country village than in the centre of Paris. Music lovers can make a pilgrimage to Jim Morrison's grave in the cemetery, but they won't get too close as it's now been fenced off to stop crowding and graffiti.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Jim Morrison may be this cemetery’s most famous resident, but there’s a lot more to this leafy sanctuary than his graffiti-strewn tomb. A walk around its cobbled avenues sweeps through much of France’s illustrious literary and sombre political pasts. Pay your respects at Balzac’s imposing bronze bust, Oscar Wilde’s stone sarcophagus or the surprisingly poignant Communards’ wall.
Book your city break
Eat well for less in Paris
Chef Clément Chicard on the capital’s affordable eats
Paris’s coolest districts on a shoestring
You can have a city break in Paris on a shoestring budget with these great addresses.
Shop like a savvy Parisian
A shopping spree in Paris doesn't have to break the bank with these insider addresses for great deals.
Du Pain et des Idées
34 rue Yves Toudic, 75010Christophe Vasseur opened the place of his dreams in a shuttered 19th-century boulangerie with fancy painted-glass ceilings and huge gilded mirrors. The Belle Époque décor also inspired his dedication to selling only traditional bread and pâtisserie.
Locals flock here for signature products like the poppy-seed rye bread and chocolate-and-pistachio escargot pastries.
Restaurant Da Graziella
43 rue des Petites Écuries, 75010The owner and wood-burning oven here are genuinely Neapolitan, as is the recipe for typical street snack, fried pizza.
Warning, it’s addictive! Graziella herself will feed you, if you ask nicely. The glorious tiles are from its former incarnation as an exotic-bird store.
Chez Jeannette
47 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 10eThis bar isn’t stylish, chic or modern – it doesn’t jump on bandwagons.
Instead, this charming, old-school waterhole proudly displays its formica tables, PVC benches and dated wallpaper. It feels like a fixture in the very fabric of Paris, with other bars sprouting up around it, but Chez Jeannette remaining the same since the 1960s. There’s every type of liquor behind the bar for a pre-dinner snifter, but with the cheese and charcuterie plates as generous as they are, you may not make it to dinner.
Le Comptoir Général
80 quai de Jemmapes, 75010This artfully crumbling bar, doused in the lively spirit of France’s old colonies, is entirely made up of bric-à-brac.
Inside, a colourful clientele beats to the rhythm of rousing music from sub-Saharan Africa and the Caribbean.
There’s even a life-size replica pirate ship, from which exotic rum-based cocktails are served.
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Eat well for less in Paris
Chef Clément Chicard on the capital’s affordable eats
Paris’s coolest districts on a shoestring
You can have a city break in Paris on a shoestring budget with these great addresses.
Shop like a savvy Parisian
A shopping spree in Paris doesn't have to break the bank with these insider addresses for great deals.
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