Family of 5 in Paris for 106 Euros Per Person Per Day
Our Three Teens in Paris
My family of 5 went to Paris in June of 2012. We are 2 adults (hubby and me), and three teenage boys: 17, 13, 13 (twins).
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We travel frugal-ish. We stay in nice but budget-friendly hotels, and we eat at restaurants that offer good food at a reasonable price. We use public transportation, and we don’t really shop.
Here are our actual expenses for 4 days in Paris. Note this summary does NOT include airfare or the taxi rides to and from the airport.
Numbers are presented in Euros.
€1080 — Four nights at Hotel Eiffel Kennedy, two separate rooms, each with a bathroom, connected by a private, locking hallway.
Day 1, Sunday June 24
55.9 — Café Central on Rue Cler
free — Walked around Eiffel Tower
4.5 — Nutella crepe near Eiffel Tower
120.5 — Dinner at La Firenze
Day 2, Monday June 25
50 — Hotel breakfast
25.4 — 2 carnets (each a pack of 10 Metro tickets)
free — Walked in Tuileries Gardens
free — Walked Champs-Elysees
40.7 — Lunch at Brioche Duree on Champs-Elysees
155 — L’Open bus tour
50.5 — Montparnasse Tower
52.3 — Dinner at Creperie Plougastel, near Montparnasse
Day 3, Tuesday, June 26
50 — Hotel breakfast
20 — RER train to Le Bourget Airport
18.1 — Snacks from small grocery
15 — Audioguides at Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace
22 — Lunch at museum
9.5 — Bus to RER train station
76.7 — Dinner at Café la Fontaine
Day 4, Wednesday, June 27
25.4 — 2 carnets (each a pack of 10 Metro tickets)
free — Notre Dame
74.05 — Lunch at Breakfast in America
free — Walked through Luxembourg Gardens
18 — Beverages at Luxembourg Gardens
18 — Musee de l’Armee
24 — iPod video and audio guides at museum
11.4 — Snacks at small grocery
107.4 — Dinner at Paris Passy
5 — Snacks 5
€2129.35 — Total for 4 days, including hotel, food, activities
€106.47 — Total Per Person Per Day
Note: On Day 2 we only somewhat enjoyed the Open bus tour. It was expensive, got stuck in traffic, not very informative, and without it, our total would have been UNDER €100 per person per day. Darn.
Summary of our expenses:
€1080 — TOTAL of 4 hotel nights
€342.8 — TOTAL of activities, bus, subway (=$428.5 with June 2012 exchange rates)
€706.55 — TOTAL of food (=$883 with June 2012 exchange rates)
Paris Travel Per Person Per Day Budget Estimates from Around the Web:
These five other websites indicate daily averages of €60 for backpackers to €138 for typical travelers, though even Rick Steves advises to plan on €149.
- How Much Should I Budget for a Trip to Paris? On Paris Escapes, states an average of €126, not including a hotel!
- Paris Practical Information on Lonely Planet, states backpackers can do Paris for €60, midrangers at €120 per day.
- Paris on Less than $100 Per Day: Enjoy the City Without Breaking the Bank on Bootsnall, a 2009 article by Julie Blakley. Describes ways to stay on a tight budget.
- Daily 3-star Traveler Index gives estimated expenses of €138.50, or US$184.67/day.
Sandy Nielsen
Sleeps5