The value of the dollar these days can be ultra depressing. I am determined not to let it ruin my trip. Here%26#39;s my plan:
When I go to an amusement park I have a certain dollar amount in mind that I will spend. I buy tickets with that amount then I spend those tickets for as far as they will go. I don%26#39;t count how much each ticket is worth, it%26#39;s just a ticket and an amusement might cost 1 ticket or 5 tickets. So, that is what I will do in Europe. I will %26quot;buy%26quot; a certain amount of Euros with my dollars and spend them like tickets trying not to think how much each Euro cost. Maybe it will help ease the pain!
Nana
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We talked about canceling our trip but are forging ahead... 17 days across Switzerland, Venice and Paris... and even the basics are painful.. air, train, must see admissions.
We are looking very carefully at museum passes to weigh costs and convenience, and will avoid impulse spending.
The main area for discretionary spending for us is food... so there won%26#39;t be many lavish meals but we%26#39;ve taken it as a challenge to leverage TripAdvisor and other sources to find good food at low prices... we will have to avoid the tired tourist syndrome of sitting down wherever we are tired and hungry and make sure we plan to be where the food is cheaper. And we will buy food at groceries for picnic lunches and low cost %26quot;to go%26quot; breakfasts of coffee and pastries.
In Paris we will decide whether a day or two of L%26#39;Open bus is worthwhile or if we should just walk more and limit the areas we see. We won%26#39;t splurge on the easy to use metro passes but will buy carnets and use the metro wisely. We will use the metro and not taxis. May still buy a museum pass, still working on my analysis but if anywhere close to break even or better it could be worth the time savings.
Any other ideas to manage costs in Paris?
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My friend and I are heading back in 10 days (yay!) We have decided to make it a contest to get the best food for the best prices. We are going to go our favorites (cheap and good already) but will be hitting L%26#39;A%26#39;s for a falafel (out side of course to save the 2 euro) as well as Cuisine de Bar next to Poilane...we%26#39;ve already decided to get the tartines to-go if we could save buy buying a bottle of wine and having a picnic. Also, will be stopping by the market close to Bastille for the poulet rosti and the yummy potatoes!
With the April weather kind of dicey we may be spending more to get inside some cafe to warm up, but that is not a bad thing either... :)
Good luck to everyone on stretching their travel dollars!
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Hi;
For good food, good selection and a great view of Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame and the church of Saint Gervais, try the buffet style eatery on the top floor of BHV.
Food is always fresh, lots of variety and it%26#39;s warm...
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Craigmore,
What is the BHV??
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Don%26#39;t know its acronoym, but it is a department store (like Au Printemp and Le Bon Marche) but not as pricey. It is known for being the one-stop shop for do-it-yourself home renovations. Someone once said on this forum that it is a combo of Home Depot and Macy%26#39;s (I%26#39;m 100% sure about the Home Depot part, but not absolutely sure that Macy%26#39;s was the second part of the analogy; if not Macy%26#39;s, something similar).
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BHV is a large department store directly on the north corner of Hotel de Ville.
I second L%26#39;As du Falafel on Rue des Rosiers in the Marais. Fabulous. Much cheaper if you get a falafel at the walk-up window. The line moves very fast.
Crepes at the stand next to the ferris wheel on the Place de la Concorde.
I suggest picnicking. There are so many large and small parks to sit in and enjoy a picnic. You can go to boulangeries/patisseries/cheese shops/supermarches and purchase sandwiches, quiche, pizza slices, great bread, cheese, tomatoes, yogurt (is fabulous in France), fruit, etc.
Patisseries. I think it is a crime to limit the number of pastries you eat while in Paris. Pastries are incredibly cheap and sooooooooooooo good!
Angelina%26#39;s is a famous restaurant across from the Tuilleries. I suggest going there for L%26#39;Africain (hot chocolate) with whipped cream (chantilly) or a Mont Blanc for dessert. I usually have lunch there and order something like quiche. I think it is quite good and not that expensive.
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BHV = Bazaar de l%26#39;Hotel de Ville
The BHV basement is much better than Home Depot. It is full of fascinating gizmos and essentinal gadgets.
Men who send their wives to Angelina%26#39;s can stay here and make better use of their time.
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Hi;
Last year I was in the basement of BHV(Bazaar Hotel de Ville) looking for a small turnbuckle for a curtain I was putting up in my garret, when I was interrupted from my reverie by a conversation between an American gentleman in a cream colored suit and his Polish chauffeur.
I could see that they were trying to make sense of the hardware department and were failing miserably.
Though I don%26#39;t claim a full understanding of the arcane organization of the place, I can usually find what I%26#39;m looking for.
I offered my assistance and proceeded to lead the two of them to the electrical department for a replacement switch for a lamp.
I recognized the gentleman as Francis Ford Coppola since I had the pleasure of meeting him years before in his house in the Napa Valley of California while on a wine tour.
Beware the basement of BHV... full of strange and wonderful things
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There%26#39;s a sying withing the French youth, which might be a little outdated now that punk is history, but which was %26quot;Tu t%26#39;habilles au sous-sol du BHV%26quot; = Are you buying your clothes from the basement of the BHV?
There isn%26#39;t a single bolt, nut, or screw that you wouldn%26#39;t find there, even in the weirdest English measurements. If you have a century-old lock for which you need a new key, they%26#39;ll know how to make it, maybe on order but they%26#39;ll make it.
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Craigmore, what a wonderful story! Thanks for sharing.
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