Kimber Chin, one half of the blogging duo at NoLimitsLadies.com dishes some great budget travel tips to Paris.

  Paris is the Holy land for Fashionistas.  On its own, Paris makes jaws drop, but tied in with catching a couture show....it doesn’t get any better than that.

So how to fulfill this dream without burning a hole in the budget the size of the city of lights?

If you’re not seeing a fashion show, being flexible with your schedule is the biggest place for savings.  Believe me, there’s plenty to see without the shows (what French women can do with a simple scarf).  The off season for Paris is between November and April.  Sometimes the cheapie flights are extended.  (I went to London in May for less than a LAX to NYC flight.  To get that fare, the hubby haunted lastminute.com and once you’re in Europe, look at the low cost European carriers like http://www.ryanair.com/ and http://www.easyjet.com/ for flights between cities) .   

Hotels can also be costly.  The transit system is pretty darn good in Paris so consider a hotel in the burbs of Paris and taking public transportation in.  This gives you the benefits of seeing the fashions in action, what the regular gals wear everyday (drooling). A little nervous about your possible hotel?  Check out Tripadvisor.com and read the reviews.

The next biggest expense is meals.  I splurge on one great meal a day and usually visit the grocery store (hypermarket or supermarche) for breakfast and lunch supplies (ask your hotel reception staff for directions to the closest one).  What is more Parisian than eating a baguette with brie cheese and some grape juice (or wine) under the Eiffel Tower (beware of the pickpockets, the ones operating at the base of the Tower are some of the best in the world)?  How about starting the day off with a croissant or my fave pain du chocolat?  For pennies?  The grocery store is a great source of inexpensive and practical souvenirs for friends and family.

Some other tips…

Currency: I withdraw most of my cash from ATM’s for a more favorable exchange.  I look for branches that…well…look familiar to me.  The big names like Barclay’s or HSBC.

Sweetening Up Locals:  We’ve all heard tales about snotty French people.  I’ve been lucky not to have had any negative experiences but that’s because I start all conversations in French.  I know basically three phrases.  Bonjour (hi), Parlez-vous Anglais (Do you speak English)? and Merci (Thank you).  I learn these phrases for the mother tongue of any country I visit and combined with a smile, they never fail.

Shopping:  Girlfriends that wouldn’t place one foot in a Salvation Army in North America rush to the thrift stores in Paris.  These are so…so…well, so, that they’re called designer depots. 

Major links:

For Flights:
http://www.lastminute.com/
http://www.ryanair.com/
http://www.easyjet.com/

For Hotels:
http://www.octopustravel.com/
http://www.easyjethotels.co.uk/
http://www.laterooms.com/
http://www.hotelclub.net/

Other:
http://budgettravel.about.com/od/destinationsavings/tp/free_europe.htm
http://budgettravel.about.com/cs/planningyourtrip/p/cheap_paris.htm
http://www.bugeurope.com/paris/index.html
http://gofrance.about.com/cs/travelplanning/a/savingstips.htm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/paris+budget

Kimber Chin is one half of the blogging duo at NoLimitsLadies.com.  Her hobbies are making money grow and traveling, not necessarily in that order of priority.