Paris: The city of light budgets

PARIS — A recent survey put Paris second only to Oslo, Norway, among the world's costliest cities. But even with the value of the dollar sinking to record lows (currently $1.35) against the euro, there are still ways to enjoy Paris on a budget. Here are a few tips:

Getting around

A taxi into central Paris costs about $60 from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport and about $40 from Orly.

Cheaper options are the RER trains ($10-$12), the Orlybus ($8) or Rossybus ($11.25) or one of the airport shuttle services to various drop-off points in the city.

Traveling around Paris is easy and inexpensive. Walk, or ride the Metro or buses. A single Metro or bus ticket is 1.40 euros ($1.90). Buy a carnet, a packet of 10 tickets, for 10.9 euros ($14.70).

Culture on the cheap

• Major museums, including the Louvre, the Musée d'Orsay and Centre Georges Pompidou, are free on the first Sunday of the month and free anytime to those under 18.

The Louvre offers reduced ($8 per ticket) prices Wednesday and Friday nights and free admission to those under 26 on Fridays between 6 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.

The d'Orsay drops its prices on Sundays and Thursday evenings.

• Stop by a newsstand for a 55-cent copy of a weekly publication called Pariscope. It lists dozens of free cultural events, gallery exhibits and church concerts. It's all in French, but easy to decipher.

• Check out the free readings by English-speaking authors at the Anglo-American Village Voice bookshop at 6 rue Princesse in St. Germain des Près. See www.villagevoicebookshop.com for upcoming events.

• Take in an art or photo exhibit with a Paris theme at the Hôtel de Ville (city hall), 29 rue de Rivoli. Exhibits change often, but they're always free.

Sightseeing

• Skip the pricey private guides and bus tours and go for a group walk with Paris Walks (www.paris-walks.com). Year-round morning and afternoon strolls through the Latin Quarter, the Marais, Montmartre and other neighborhoods are 10 euro ($13.50).

• Visit a baker, a chocolate maker, a jeweler or a designer as part of a program called "Meeting the French at Work" sponsored by the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau. See www.meetingthefrench.com for details. Most visits are 5 euros ($6.75).

• See Paris on rollerblades. Experienced skaters meet at 10 p.m. at Place Raoul Dautry in Montparnasse. See www.pari-roller.com. Beginners meet Sundays at 2 p.m. at Boulevard Bourdon, next to Place de la Bastille. See www.rollers-coquillages.org. Nearby shops rent skates.

Eating

• Cruise street markets for free samples. The merchants at the Place Maubert in the Latin Quarter offer sliced apples, cheeses and country pâté. Market days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

• Grab lunch-on-the-go from a sidewalk vendor. A "crepe du fromage," a thin pancake filled with melted cheese, makes a filling snack for about $3. The Lebanese falafel makers often throw in a drink and dessert with a $6 pita sandwich.

• Watch for happy-hour specials at cafés and bars. They tend to start later than in the U.S. and extend into early evening

• Invest $29.95 for downloadable copy of Adrian Leeds' "Good Value Guide to Paris Restaurants." It lists 200 places where you can have a three-course meal with wine and coffee for $15-$40, including tax and tip.

"You don't need to be rich to dine well in Paris — you just need to know how," says Leeds, an American ex-pat with a free online newsletter called Parler Paris (www.parlerparis.com).

• Window-shop in the gourmet sections of the big department stores for edible souvenirs, but stretch your euros at Monoprix, the French equivalent of Fred Meyer. I found jars of fruit and herbed mustards for $1.50, containers of fleur de sel — sea salt from Brittany — with cork tops for $4 and large bars of dark chocolate for $2.25.

Staying wired

Many cafés and restaurants offer free Wi-Fi, but the easiest place to find "Wee-Fee," as the French pronounce it, is at most McDonald's restaurants. The one on the high-rent Boulevard des Capucines near the Paris Opéra has cozy booths and the French version of MTV at the tables. Starbucks charges $2.70 per half-hour.

Carol Pucci: 206-464-3701 or cpucci@seattletimes.com