France on a Budget

Travel on the Cheap in France is Still Possible

By Kelby Hartson Carr
Updated by Transitions Abroad 5/6/2019

Creating a home base in an apartment on the grounds of a castle winery in Provence, during the off-season, is easy on the budget and offers great pleasure and freedom. Photo © Transitions Abroad.

People tend to assume a vacation in France must be expensive, but that is far from the truth with so many ways to plan a budget trip to France. There are quality lodging options that are dramatically cheaper than you might expect. You can find excellent food for pocket change. You can get around sometimes on a few euros. Now, with the dollar almost reaching par with the euro, there are many more affordable options than in recent years.

We are not here going to provide you exact suggested itineraries, "must-sees," or costs, as those are covered in so very many guidebooks, articles, "Top 10" listicles, and posts elsewhere. Check Numbeo.com if you seek exact costs. We wish to highlight the many great options that are often overlooked when traveling slowly on a reasonable budget to immerse yourself in a country so rich in beautiful landscapes often off-the-beaten-path, an inspiring and evocative culture, layers of history, and pleasures for all the senses.

Not only can you see France on a budget, but you will most likely leave the country with a more authentic and unique experience than people who stay at four-star chain hotels in Paris.

Tips for a Cheaper Trip in France

Many people make a few costly mistakes when planning their travel in France, and this has led to the myth that the country must be expensive. Where you go is probably the biggest factor. If you go to Paris, expect Paris prices. It’s just the same as anywhere else. A vacation in New York City or San Francisco will cost dramatically more than one in Charlotte or Indianapolis.

Even if you want the true urban experience, there are ways to save. Stay in Paris, but in a less tourist-ridden neighborhood. Stay in an apartment in Paris by the week or month rather than in a hotel. Stay in Paris for a few days before moving on to a cheaper destination. You can visit one of numerous other fascinating and bustling cities in France that save you money without sacrificing a memorable trip.

When you go is another primary factor that affects numerous costs ranging from airfare (which can cost five times as much in summer as it does even in late fall or early spring) and lodging rates (which drop significantly in the off-season).

How you travel is key. The main credo is to go against the tourist grain. Go to different cities, or different places in cities, and go at different times. Not only will you save money, but you will also experience greater immersion in the daily life of the locals. In fact, you will receive far better treatment from locals who aren’t experiencing an onslaught of gawking tourists.

Cheap Accommodations in France

There is no need to stay at a pricey hotel when visiting France. One of the greatest qualities of traveling in France is the wildly diverse range of low-cost lodging options, including:

• Gîtes de France is an organization that features listings of several types of low-cost accommodations in France. Chambres d’hotes are the French version of the bed and breakfast. Self-catering gîtes allow visitors to rent an apartment, villa or house (which includes bonus savings as you can cook for yourself).
  
  
• Logis represents over 2,300 hotel-restaurants in France. Logis stays are typically at smaller inns and they are inexpensive. Most are located in smaller cities and villages. This is the ideal stay for food-lovers, as Logis accommodations are well known for their delectable cuisine. In fact, you could pay almost as much for food as the stay itself (although it’s probably worth it), so check first on their prices for half-board rates that include breakfast, lunch or dinner, and the stay.
  
  
• Vacation Home and Apartment Rentals in France are like Gîtes de France, but now available through many worldwide and countrywide websites such as the ubiquitous Airbnb, Homeaway, and other such agencies. Rentals are a great way to see one region of the country or experience the daily life of a city. Rent a place for one week or more, often with an equipped kitchen, and this will allow you to use it as a base for explorations, a place to relax, and an alternative to going out to eat each and every meal. With all the great markets in cities and towns throughout France, buying a fresh baguette, cheeses, wine, fresh produce, pastries, or cooking your own meal can be a joy and very relaxing if not outright romantic. And if you are bringing along kids, by renting a house in the country they can run around to their heart's content, see castles read about only in fairy tales, and bring back lifelong memories. All within a reasonable budget, especially off-season. It is possible to rent whole houses for $500-600 a week in some of the most beautiful regions of France in late September/October, after peak season and while the weather is still pleasant.
  
  
• Camping in France, which has an English language option on its site, can be much more upscale than many people unexposed to French camping might expect. The French government regulates star ratings for campgrounds, just like it does for hotels. Four-star campgrounds often offer far more amenities than their more-expensive three-star hotel counterparts do. Camping is also quite commonplace in France, and it’s a much more social form of accommodation than a hotel.
  
  
• Bienvenue à la Ferme is a French government-sanctioned program in which participating farms provide various accommodations ranging from no-electricity camping to stays at a farmhouse bed and breakfast. This is another great choice for foodies, as some of the members provide incredible meals of cuisine cooked fresh from their own farms.
  
  
• Hostelling International (France). For those traveling alone and using rail passes, buses, or the relatively cheap flights available to get around the country or Europe in general, you can book inexpensive hostels online.

Cheap Dining in France

Decide what type of food you wish to eat.

France remains the ultimate destination for lovers of fine cuisine, in my view. Some of the world’s finest chefs serve up fare at Michelin-starred restaurants throughout the country. The refined meals come with the expected exorbitant check in most cases, but that doesn’t mean you can’t indulge occasionally in fabulous French cuisine on a budget as you do while at home on special occasions.

A key way to save is simply to say no to included breakfasts at your accommodation. Many automatically include this in the price, so mention it when you book. These breakfasts, which are usually simply coffee, breads and pastries, can cost upwards of 20 euros per person.

You could have a breakfast that is just as good, if not better, by visiting the local boulangerie (bakery) or patisserie (pastry shop) for the same or better food at a fraction of the cost. Actually, your hotel likely got their breakfast from the same neighborhood spot, but venturing off-the-beaten-path may lead your nose to even better bakeries and to displays that are a feast for the eyes and often even better in actual taste. Afterwards, visit a local café for a cafe-au-lait that will cost maybe 3-4 euros. All told, you will have better selection, and your breakfast of croissant and coffee will run maybe 5 euros. In Nice, the coffee is often as good as the best Italian. Another great option for inexpensive morning meals is a visit to the local produce market, which usually features a wide variety of great locally-grown finds. Wild strawberries full of taste, and other just-picked berries, as well as other fruits are often found and need little to no preparation to take you to places your taste buds have never been.

Since the French often turn simple meals into extensive feasts, you can have a large lunch or dinner and simply snack for the other meal without feeling deprived in the least. Although a late lunch can be difficult, as most French restaurants close between lunch and dinner, just plan accordingly. If you want to eat at an upscale restaurant, try to do so at lunch instead of dinner to avoid any potential tourist crowds and to enjoy the atmosphere with locals, while saving on similar (or the same) dishes that are served in the evening hours.

Also, always look for a prix fixe menu, which typically provides a small selection of starters, main dishes, and desserts for a fixed price. This can provide tremendous savings over ordering a la carte, or off the menu. Order a carafe of house wine, which is cheap and sometimes of better quality than bottled wines found in other countries. A glass of house wine will probably cost you less than a Coca Cola in France, tastes better with a meal composed of dishes often cooked or served with a wine sauce, and is far better for your health.

Cheap Transportation in France

There are three transportation methods in France that are expensive: a traditional rental car, taxi rides, and long-distance point-to-point tickets. Fortunately, there are many wonderful alternatives that are relatively cheap and convenient.

Rail passes are still a great deal if you will cross great distances. Instead of paying, say, 250 euros to get from Paris to Nice, you could get a rail pass for a similar price and have a couple more days of rail travel that can be used for other long-distance jaunts. Rail passes are not a good deal if you will travel short distances or take day trips from a major city. The train will also not get you to some of the smaller villages in France.

Buses are a convenient and inexpensive alternative. France’s bus transportation system is extensive. It’s the rare place you can’t reach by a local or regional bus, usually for just a few euros. The bus systems can be confusing, however, and each region and town has its own network. The best way to handle this is to contact the tourism office for the region or town you plan to visit ahead of time and ask for details, a map and a schedule for the local bus system.

If you will stay in France for a month or more and have a busy itinerary, your best bet could be a lease buyback program. Autoeurope, in a partnership with Peugeot, provides short-term car leases as well as their own long-term relatively inexpensive car rentals, and are provided brand new. (Editor's note: One of the main advantages of driving in France is discovering villages where tourists do not venture and visiting destinations at your own leisurely pace, making for a far more adventurous experience in what is an extraordinarily varied country in so many ways. We cannot count the times we have been told that we are the only Americans to have visited a fine, cheap family-run restaurant in a tiny medieval village, and the hospitality and curiosity of the locals is often endless. In addition, cheap lodgings or home base vacation rentals are far more accessible with a car in most cases. For those who are not comfortable with using maps or being overly spontaneous, English-speaking GPS devices are generally available for car rentals or leases. This is by far our preferred way of experiencing France when not traveling alone, and is a great way to travel as a family or as a couple.)

If you plan to visit another city in France, a large added expense will be getting to those other cities. That cost alone could counteract any savings in other areas. To save cash getting around France, consider using one of the many discount airlines that also serve France, such as Ryanair and easyJet. Many times, a discount round-trip airfare to a southern France city from Paris is cheaper than a rail-pass or train ticket.

Obviously, France is not nearly as cheap as Guatemala, Ecuador, Cambodia, Slovakia, etc. But France is generally no more expensive than Italy, England, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Australia, Sweden, Singapore, or Japan. Why you go to visit a country is highly personal and circumstantial. If you must travel with very tight budget considerations, there are many other incredible places in the world you can explore having a far lower cost of living, and we cover these destinations in the budget travel section of our site.

Kelby Hartson Carr is a travel writer and social media expert. She lived in France, and traveled extensively around Europe.