Free and Inexpensive Paris Activities

20 October 2011 by Karen Fawcett    1818  
Free and Inexpensive Paris Activities
Hey, no one likes feeling poor but if you are, or simply want to save your euros for wonderful wines and dinners out, there’s no better place than Paris, where there are so many things to do that won’t bankrupt you. Explore Paris with an unlimited public transit pass One of the easiest and least expensive ways to spend a day is by exploring the city. If you’ll arrive Thursday or later in the week, or are only visiting for a day or two, consider buying a one-day Mobilis Pass so you can hop on and off métros and buses to your heart’s delight. For €6.30 you can traverse the city and not have to count tickets. If you’ll be in Paris for 4 days or more and expect to use the Métro, bus or RER as your main form of transportation, a weekly Navigo Carte (formerly the Carte Orange) is the way to go BUT it must be purchased on Friday through Thursday for a Monday through Sunday week. Buy Zones 1-2 for central Paris at a cost of €18.85 plus €5 for the plastic Navigo Carte with smart chip and you’ll have unlimited access for a week. Individual one-way tickets cost €1.70 and it’s not unusual for a busy traveler to make 4 or more transit runs in a single day. Bring a 1″ x 1″ photo of yourself (computer print quality is fine) and when you arrive in Paris, buy the plastic Navigo Carte at the airport or any Métro station. Always save and carry your receipt for the weekly fare plus the small ticket just in case your card is demagnetized, as happens. In this case, present all, explain and ask the cashier to issue a replacement card. For the cost of bus fare, hop the #69 bus at the Eiffel Tower and take a slow cruise through the city all the way to the last stop at Père-Lachaise Cemetery. Along the way you’ll pass Les Invalides, Musée d’Orsay and, after crossing the Seine, the Pyramid before the Louvre Museum and the Tuileries royal gardens. Then Notre-Dame and Sainte-Chapelle before you enter le Marais and its mix of historical sites and a hip shopping district before you see the modern Opera Bastille and, eventually, the end of the line. Opéra Garnier If you like architecture, order the book Five Hundred Buildings in Paris and select 20 buildings you want to see. They should be in different quartiers and bets are you won’t have time to see them all in one day. This is a great way to learn the city and discover places you never knew existed. When I first arrived in Paris, I’d climb on and off métros, walk into hidden alleys, passageways and stop in churches, not to pray (except possibly for my feet) but to rest and look at the building’s architecture. Many were magnificent and occasionally, the organist would be practicing. There’s nothing like an impromptu concert for inspiration. Neighborhoods Even if you’ve been living here forever, you’ll always encounter new finds because Paris is changing so quickly. Some places you remembered will have disappeared and been replaced with something wonderful—or in the event of a tabac, a fast-food outlet. In the past 25 years, the city of Paris has gone the way of gentrification. If you don’t recognize a building, take a photo of it with your smartphone, note its address, hit the Internet and research its history. Check the monthly BonjourParis Paris Events section for the monthly calendar and stories about major events. Most community festivals are free and they happen throughout the year. Markets, Fairs and Salons Barely a weekend goes by without a scheduled fair or salon. Admission is minimal (and sometimes) nothing. They can be a lot of fun and if there are wine expositions, you’ll drink the price of admission as you pass by the vendors’ booths. There is something such as too many samples. Author readings and book-signings Again, check the BonjourParis monthly events column for our list of scheduled author appearances and events at bookstores. Readings take place in bookstores, wine bars and at the American Library in the Paris 7th and are listed and, guess what, they’re free. You can’t do better than that even though it would be nice if you’d buy a book. Iconic Paris park chairs. Photo: Anna Bykova Parks It really doesn’t matter what the Paris weather is like (be prepared for all types), Paris parks are extraordinary and you don’t need to pay admission. Even if you’re not a horticulturalist, at the very least, many of the statues are worth noting. And parks (these are some favorites) are places for relaxing, people watching, enjoying children doing what they do and just being. Don’t forget to take a picnic (it can be a sandwich bought at a neighborhood bakery) or something far more elaborate and enjoy the scenery. Cemeteries Cemeteries are fascinating—and free. Don’t confine your visit to Père-Lachaise (although if you have time to…
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By Karen Fawcett