Paris is an expensive city. As the lap of luxury in France, it's only natural that living here will cost a lot of money. Even simply visiting Paris will have you spending more than you probably realized. What more when it's the holiday season? How much do you think you'll spend when you spend the 'season of giving' here? Most likely quite a lot, right? Possibly even enough to empty your
bank account! That is if you only focus on the luxury side of Paris. It's actually possible to spend Christmas in the French capital in a cheap and affordable way. Here's how!
Shop at Christmas Flea Markets
Every year, Paris hosts a ton of Christmas markets for locals and tourists alike. They offer delicious food, all sorts of knick-knacks, great goodies to use as gifts, and some rare finds too. Typically opening around mid-
November or early
December, they often herald the holiday season here in the French capital. Once you see the twinkling lights, charming stalls, and smell the scrumptious snacks, you'll know that it's finally the most wonderful time of the year. And the best part? They're all pretty cheap. You can get a lot for only a couple of Euros and you can come back for more too!
Visit The Park
Got nothing to do on this fine Christmas day? You can always go to the park! If you don't have that much money to spare but you still want to do something fun for the holidays, why not go on a picnic in Paris? Sure, it'll likely be cold—possibly even freezing!—but as long as you’ve
dressed appropriately, you have nothing to worry about. You also have nothing to pay for as admission to many of
Paris's best parks are free. You can simply head on over to any one of them, lay out your blanket and food, cozy up to your loved ones, and have a good time!
Skate Beside The Eiffel Tower
What if you want to do something more fun? Having a picnic at a park in Paris is all well and good, but you can do that at any other time, right? But what about doing something that you can only do during the holiday season? Say, like skating beside the Eiffel Tower, perhaps? Seeing the iconic monument is already pretty great, no matter how many times you've been
in this area, but skating here? You can only do that during the holiday and winter season in Paris. Come December, the area right beneath the Eiffel Tower becomes a skating rink and to rent a pair of skates will cost you nothing at all!
See The Christmas Lights and Displays
The
living costs in Paris can get so high that the only thing you can do to celebrate Christmas here is practically nothing at all. With monthly rent and daily food to look after, you can only do so much in saving your money during the holiday season. Sounds pretty boring, right? Well, if this is your situation, why not go out? If you want to be dazzled in Paris this Christmas, you can simply go out and see the lights all over the city. Various places throughout Paris put up extravagant decorations, opulent displays, and the like to celebrate the holidays. They're worth the effort of stepping out even when you don't have anything in your wallet right now.
Prepare Your Traditional Feast at Home
Speaking of food expenses, surely you can get a holiday bonus from work, right? And when you do, instead of spending it on presents and the like, why not focus all your money and effort on making a holiday feast instead? If you truly want a budget-friendly Christmas in Paris, eating at home is your best bet. Don't even try going out to eat at this time because even the usually cheap places can get either a bit price or more crowded during the holidays. By buying affordable ingredients in Christmas markets, you can serve a delicious homemade feast within the comforts of your own home!
Go to A Holiday Concert
Who says that you can't enjoy listening to good music whilst having a cheap Christmas in Paris? Chrismas carols and holiday songs are what make this season so festive. Without them, your ears wouldn't know that it's already the happiest time of the year. But then again, you probably don't have enough cash to buy CDs, records, and the like, right? And you don't know how to sing or play any instrument so what do you do? Go to church! Many churches in Paris hold special holiday concerts free of charge. Not only will they get you feeling the holiday spirit, but you also don't have to spend a single penny to enjoy them!
Just because you're celebrating Christmas in Paris, it doesn't mean you have to blow your whole budget over. There are actually many ways can spend the holiday season in the French capital without emptying your bank account!
Though not exactly cheap, staying in a
luxury home in Paris for Christmas is worth every penny you spend!
