France Travel Budget: How Much Does France Actually Cost?
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France has a reputation for being expensive, and Paris can be. But the country as a whole offers enormous value if you know where to look — regional France, in particular, is significantly cheaper than the capital and arguably more rewarding.
Quick Summary
| Style | Daily Budget (per person) |
|---|---|
| Budget backpacker | €55–80/day |
| Mid-range traveller | €120–170/day |
| Comfort/flexible | €220–320/day |
Includes accommodation, food, local transport, and entry fees. Paris adds 20–30% to these figures.
Accommodation
Hostels: €28–45/night in dorms (Paris); €18–30 in provincial cities. Private rooms in Paris hostels run €80–120.
Hotels (2-star): €80–120/night in Paris, €55–90 in provincial cities. Basic but clean.
Mid-range hotels (3-star): €130–200/night in Paris; €80–140 in Provence, Lyon, Bordeaux.
Boutique hotels: €180–280/night in Paris. Excellent options in Marais, Saint-Germain, and Montmartre.
Chambres d’hôtes (French B&Bs): €70–120/night — often in beautiful rural properties with excellent breakfasts. One of France’s great travel pleasures and significantly cheaper than hotels.
Gîtes (self-catering cottages): €500–1,200/week for rural properties sleeping 4–6. The best value for groups and families.
Food & Drink
France’s food culture is one of the world’s great pleasures — and eating well doesn’t require spending a fortune.
Coffee (un café/espresso): €1.80–3. Good quality at pavement café terraces.
Croissant at a boulangerie: €1.20–2. The most important food purchase in France — buy fresh, eat immediately.
Boulangerie lunch: A sandwich jambon-beurre (ham and butter on a baguette) costs €3.50–5. The best lunch in France.
Café/brasserie lunch (plat du jour): €12–18 for a main course. Many include wine or coffee.
Restaurant dinner (mid-range): €30–50/person with wine. French restaurants of this calibre offer exceptional quality.
Michelin-star lunch menu: €45–90 for the cheapest set menu at a starred restaurant — and the quality is transformative. Worth budgeting for once.
Wine: House wine at a bistro: €4–6/glass. A decent bottle at a restaurant: €20–35. In a supermarket (Carrefour, Monoprix): €5–15 for a very good bottle. French supermarket wine is extraordinary value.
Beer: €4–7 at a bar. French beer culture is less developed than wine — a demi (half pint) of local lager is the standard order.
Transport
Paris CDG Airport to city: RER B train (€11.80, 35 min to Gare du Nord), Orlybus/Le Bus Direct from Orly. Taxis: €50–55 fixed rate to right bank, €60–65 to left bank.
Paris Métro: Single ticket €2.15; Navigo Easy card with a 10-trip carnet €16.90; weekly Navigo pass €30 (unlimited metro, bus, RER within Paris zones 1–5).
TGV high-speed trains: Paris–Lyon 2h (€30–100), Paris–Marseille 3h (€40–120), Paris–Nice 5.5h (€50–140), Paris–Bordeaux 2h (€30–90). Book on SNCF Connect 2–6 weeks ahead for lowest prices. Last-minute fares spike dramatically.
Intercity buses (BlaBlaBus, Flixbus): €10–25 for major routes. Much slower than TGV but significantly cheaper.
Car rental: €30–55/day. Essential for Provence, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, and Alsace. Petrol runs €1.80–2.00/litre.
Toll roads (autoroutes): French motorways are excellent but expensive. Paris–Nice by autoroute costs approximately €60 in tolls.
Attractions
| Attraction | Price |
|---|---|
| Louvre | €22 (free under 18 EU, free 1st Fri evening/month) |
| Eiffel Tower (summit) | €32 |
| Musée d’Orsay | €16 |
| Palace of Versailles | €21 + €9.50 for gardens |
| Musée Rodin | €14 |
| Sainte-Chapelle | €15 |
| Château de Chambord | €15 |
| Château de Chenonceau | €17 |
| Mont Saint-Michel | Free (abbey €13) |
| Pont du Gard | €9.50 |
| Palais des Papes (Avignon) | €15 |
Free: Most permanent collections at municipal museums are free. Beaches, national parks, and most cathedrals are free.
Sample 7-Day Budget (Paris + Provence)
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range | Comfort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | €315 | €840 | €1,540 |
| Food | €280 | €490 | €770 |
| Transport (TGV + local) | €150 | €200 | €280 |
| Attractions | €70 | €120 | €180 |
| Extras/wine | €100 | €200 | €350 |
| Total (per person) | €915 | €1,850 | €3,120 |
Money-Saving Tips
- Boulangerie lunches are France’s best travel hack — a €4 sandwich from a good bakery beats a €20 tourist café lunch
- Picnic culture is real — buy wine, cheese, charcuterie, and bread from a supermarket and eat on a park bench like a Parisian
- Free museum Fridays: Louvre is free the first Friday evening of each month (6–9:45pm) — very busy but free
- Book TGV in advance — prices double or triple in the final week before travel
- Regional France (Brittany, Alsace, Auvergne) is 30–50% cheaper than Paris for accommodation and food
- Paris Museum Pass: Covers 50+ museums including the Louvre, Orsay, and Versailles for €55 (2 days), €70 (4 days), €85 (6 days). Worth it if you plan to visit 3+ museums
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