Best areas to stay and visit in Paris
Here’s the lowdown on how much 3 nights in Paris from London cost 2 people, including transport, accommodation, spending money and everything else!
All ticketed activities are included in this cost, and we always have a bit of a buffer for each trip [around £50] for contingency. For transparency, I have a 12 month #travelinsurance policy with Puffin Insurance, and so I do not include this cost in any of my trip budgets as it was paid for separately. Some other things that can help bring the cost down can be found here. [Add affiliate links or reference to Wise card etc]
Keep in mind that we visited Paris in July [peak summer], and so these costs could absolutely be brought down if you travelled during shoulder season.
“Most of my 'best time to visit' recommendations are not only based on the weather, but also cost, and so take a look at these in my city guides!”
Travel - £321
We got the Eurostar from London to Paris, and the train from Paris to Amsterdam as this was part of a bigger trip. However the cost to Amsterdam was very similar to what a return train back to London would cost. For my full Paris and Amsterdam #itinerary, you can keep reading over HERE.
Accommodation - £336
Our hotel in Paris was perfect. Paris is really spread out and so it’s tricky to know where to stay. You might think you want to stay near the Eiffel Tower, but really nothing else is out there. We stayed at Best Western Premier Hotel Littéraire Le Swann and we could either walk or get public transport everwhere, and very easily! They have cute little balconies as well which is a must when staying in Paris!
It’s worth remembering that lots of European cities have a ‘city tax’ that is usually payable upon arrival, and this is typically €2 per person per night. Book it for yourself if you'd like [insert affiliate link].
Daily spend - £324
The daily spend includes food, drinks, miscellaneous items such as sun cream, plasters, souvenirs etc. For reference, we ate out for lunch and dinner everyday, and grabbed a pastry and coffee to-go each morning. The places we went to ranged from cheap ‘grab and go’ eateries to boujie restaurants. You could also cut costs down by taking a packed lunch to Disneyland, but we chose to eat there! For the full rundown of everything we ate, check out my Paris Food Guide. We usually allocate £108 per day for the 2 of us on average, and so far we have not gone over! We could absolutely manage on less, however this is the sweet spot for us with seeing, eating and experiencing whatever we want. This might be different for you depending on your priorities.
Activities - £409
I always like to book my #activities in advance so I can relax during the trip knowing I don’t have to faff around booking things. This also usually means that I get the cheapest rate for all tickets and activities as things typically get more expensive closer to the time or when paying on the door. Most things are always flexible should I need to cancel or change them, and it just means I can really maximise my time in each place. [Add Affiliate links for Get Your Guide/Viator].
We decide not to pay to go up the Eiffel Tower, or go in the Louvre as we didn’t have too many days and didn’t want to eat into that by queuing. Our priorities were going to Disneyland and seeing the Moulin Rouge, and so these were the 2 activities that we paid for in Paris. You absolutely have to book both of these things in advance as they will sell out.
Total Cost - £1,390
Average cost per day: £463 // pp £231
Paris is probably one of the more expensive European cities, however there are many factors that could increase or decrease the total cost, of which a few are:
- The time of year you visit
- What your priorities are for your trip [eating out, sightseeing etc]
- Your travel style [hostel, hotel, villa etc]
- How far in advance you book
- What sites you use to book
Here are some tools that I always use to ensure I'm getting the best value for my trips and that there are no hidden costs. List affiliate links