What I Spent in a Weekend: Paris

This year, a majority of my spending will be on travel experiences as we live in Europe. At the same time, I have big saving goals this year and want to make sure I travel without compromising those goals. I have always prided myself in being a budget traveler without sacrificing the things I really want to do. Last weekend we went to Paris, and I managed to keep the spending there under $300! Keep in mind some things like the hotel and restaurant totals were split between me and my husband. Here is what we did:

Day 1

We flew from Barcelona to Paris, and our flight was $122 round trip with Vueling. I purchased basic fare which meant I could only bring a personal item on board, but with some thoughtful packing I managed to fit everything I needed into a backpack for the weekend. We had coffee and breakfast in the airport ($10) and filled my reusable water so I didn’t need to buy bottled water. Once we landed in Paris we took the metro from the airport to our hotel ($22 for an unlimited 2-day pass). Our hotel for two nights was Hotel Mogador and cost $440. It was in a prime location close to the Louvre and had everything we needed.

We took the metro to Notre Dame and walked along the Seine, stopping at Shakespeare and Company ($15 for a tote) and grabbing a glass of champagne at a piano bar ($7). We had dinner at Relais de l’Entrectote, which was a steak and frites restaurant with a set menu ($40). Grabbed a crepe for dessert ($7) and enjoyed some wine at a local bar close to our hotel ($14).

Total of Flight and Hotel: $342 (split the hotel with my husband)

Day 1 Total: $83

Day 2

Woke up early this morning and took the metro to the Louvre, where we had breakfast at Cafe Marley which has the most stunning views of the Louvre courtyard ($18). After dinner we spent more than five hours in the Louvre enjoying the art ($25 for ticket and audio guide) and having lunch in the cafeteria ($20). Afterwards we went home and changed for dinner, then went to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset and see the tower sparkle for the first time that evening. We enjoyed some wine before dinner ($15) then went to Les Cocottes which had the most amazing food ($75). I split a bottle of wine with my husband and I had escargot, beef tartare, and tiramisu. Then we went back to the hotel and fell asleep after a full day.

Day 2 Total: $153

Day 3

This morning we were going to take the metro to the airport to save money, but there was a strike so we ended up calling a taxi ($18). We had some macarons with our coffee in the airport ($23) and then flew back to Barcelona.