Travel planning
- The first thing is to find out when and how to visit the city of love the cheapest. According to the momondo travel metasearch, the best time to plan your trip to Paris is in early June or November.
- The cost of the flight is influenced not only by the season, but also by the air carrier. So, it is most profitable to fly to Paris with Ukrainian, Italian and Swiss airlines. True, this will probably be a connecting flight, but you will have a chance to see another city. The most expensive trip will be with Aeroflot and AirFrance.
- According to the already mentioned momondo, it is best to plan your flight on a Tuesday and book your flight 30 or 18 days in advance.
Smile at Mona Lisa (and other masterpieces)
The Louvre is completely free to visit. Free admission is guaranteed for all travelers on the first Sunday of any month from October to March. The Pompidou Center works in the same way. In addition, taking the elevator in this museum, you will see an amazing panorama of the city, no worse than the one that is visible from the Eiffel Tower.
In general, there are surprisingly many free galleries in Paris. Among them are the Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of Forgeries, the Victor Hugo House and the Balzac House. Numerous churches and cathedrals of the city are also free to visit, including the greatest Notre Dame Cathedral. And don't forget to visit the Sacré Coeur Basilica, a snow-white marble church in the Montmarthe area. Here you can not only admire the luxurious building, but also hear the ringing of one of the heaviest bells in the world.
Explore Parisian Fashion
The Seine is connected to the Parc La Vuille by the beautiful Canal Saint-Martin. Its construction was proposed by Leonardo da Vinci in order to improve navigation. Admire the surroundings right from the water on a boat ride, or go for a walk along the waterfront.
The shores attract not only tourists, but also the entire Parisian bohemia. This is the most popular meeting place for couples in love, students, philosophers and fashionistas. There are trendy shops, cafes and bars along the canal. In the Ourcq restaurant you can not only drink coffee or something stronger, but also rent a petanque set. This fun is very popular among the French. For simple throwing of metal balls, you will not only have great fun, but also make new friends.
With the first spring sun, the park regularly hosts exhibitions, concerts and city holidays. Despite the crowds, the atmosphere on the waterfront is invariably calm and peaceful.
Pay homage to the geniuses of the past
The Pere Lachaise cemetery is located on the right bank of the Seine. Honore de Balzac, Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Chopin, Moliere, Isadora Duncan, Jim Morrison and other celebrities of the past found their last refuge here. Some graves come not only to lay flowers, but also to ask otherworldly forces for the fulfillment of desires or the cure of an illness.
For example, the tombstone of Oscar Wilde is decorated with numerous traces of lipstick: he is kissed in the hope of finding eternal love. Among others, the mausoleum of the Russian Countess Demidova stands out. According to legend, her ghost leaves the crypt at full moon and foretells the future for night visitors. It is comforting that in the evening the entrance to the cemetery is closed and the eccentric lady has no one to scare.
In general, Père Lachaise is in many ways reminiscent of a park, immersed in the greenery of majestic maples, cedars, chestnuts and other trees. Locals often walk here, children play and even have picnics.
The central entrance to the cemetery is located next to the Philippe Auguste metro. You can also get to the site from the Pere Lashaise and Gambetta stations. Visits are possible every day from 8:00 to 18:00.
Take a roller-skate ride
They say that there is no way to get to know Paris faster than to go around it on roller skates. You can join a group check-in every Friday for free. The meeting takes place at 22:00 on the Raoul Daughtry square, near the Montparnasse metro station. You can ride around the French capital in daylight every Sunday at 14:00 from the Bastille metro station. The group is led by experienced guides, with whom you will travel to the most secret places of the city. For such a roller race, the authorities specifically block the streets along the route, so there is no need to worry about safety.
Dine for free
Many bars and restaurants periodically organize various tastings in a buffet format for free. For example, on Thursdays at the Moroccan restaurant Les 3 Freres at 14 Rue Léon, next to the Château Rouge metro station, every drink you buy is served with a plate of mergues sausages garnished with couscous. At Le Tribal Café, near the Jacques Bonserjean station at 3 Cour des Petites Écuries, mussels and fries are served with every cocktail ordered on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The chic Lockwood Bar (Metro Santier, 73 Rue d'Aboukir) offers complimentary treats every day. In the evening, when ordering a Negroni cocktail there, you are automatically invited to a free buffet and wine tasting.
Experience the local flavor
For shopping in Paris, there are not only famous boutiques, but also original flea markets. For example, Saint-Ouen (Marché St Ouen) is the largest and most famous market in Europe. There are over 2500 kiosks for true connoisseurs of art and beauty, where you can buy upholstered furniture, paintings, books, music records, clothes, jewelry and many different interesting trinkets. Finding a market is easy - from the Porte de Clignancourt metro station, bright signs point the way.
Another eccentric market, Marché aux Puces de lPorte de Vanves, is located at Avenue Georges Lafenestre and Avenue Marc Sangnier, 14th arrondissement, near Porte de Vanves station.
Second-hand paradise is located at 104, rue Brancion, Parc Georges Brassens, 15th arrondissement, metro "Convancion" or "Port de Vanves".
Please note that the fairs are open on weekends only.
Dance until you drop
End your evening at one of the nightclubs in Paris. Most dance venues are completely free to enter. The city's most popular nightlife spots are Le Silencio, Le Baron, Social Club, Sunset, Chez Raspoutine, Elysée Montmartre and others.
Photo source: Getty Images