Free Paris: all the ways to save money

Museums and exhibitions

Without knowing a few tricks, the desire to see the greatest works of art in France's most popular museums can cost you a fortune. Admission to museums such as the Louvre or d'Orsay costs an average of €17-20 euros for an adult, and for those planning a museum tour, these tickets can add up to a hefty sum.

However, there is some good news: if you pick the right day, you can visit almost any Parisian museum for free. Every first Sunday of the month is such a magical day. Do not forget about the famous Night of Museums, when most European museums open their doors to all visitors - in France this event is usually held in May.

Also, Parisian museums are free on the following occasions:

• Every first Sunday of the month from October through April;
• some museums (e.g. the Louvre) are free on Bastille Day (July 14), Museum Night (third Saturday in May) and White Night (first Saturday in October);
• most museums are free for children under 12, and the Louvre is free until 18;
• national museums are free for students up to 26 years of age (with an ISIC card or European university student card);
• city museums are free for everyone, just find out which museums are city museums. This is the Museum of Paris, for example.

In addition, there are many very interesting (though maybe not as popular as the Louvre) museums and installations in Paris that are free of charge on a permanent basis. These include, for example, the Museum of the History of Paris (Carnavalet), the Museum of Modern Art, the Balzac and Hugo museums.

Events

There are a number of bright and exciting events in Paris, which you can witness or participate in for free. So, for those interested in world fashion, a great option may be to visit the annual fashion shows. They are held once a week (on Friday) from the end of spring and almost to the end of summer (check the exact dates for a particular year) in the premises of the Galeries Lafayette. If you would like to take one of the seats right by the stage, it also does not require any additional investment - just register in advance by phone.

And in principle, planning a trip to Paris for the warm season, you almost immediately together with the ticket you get a guarantee of a fun time. When the weather permits, the whole city turns into a large-scale platform for a variety of cultural events and festivals, all or almost all of which are free to visit.

Among the most famous are Bastille Day, the Summer Arts Festival, and the Jazz Festival in Parc Floral. A pleasant surprise awaits those who, on the contrary, choose winter for their visit to Paris - all of the city's outdoor skating rinks are not only extremely picturesque, but also completely free of charge.

Excursions

Also for those who speak foreign languages at a sufficient level, nowadays there is an option to get your own free guide. A lot of creative young people in Paris are happy to give standardized sightseeing or thematic tours of the city to visitors. From them you will also learn about some tricks that allow you to save money here, or about places where you can have fun without spending a lot of money - for example, in the Tino Rossi Park you can take a couple of Latin American dance lessons for free.

Plus, as in most European capitals, you can take a free tour in Paris. A large selection of excursions to suit all tastes is available at freetour.com/paris. Choose the option to your liking, the appropriate language, register and go! And at neweuropetours.eu you can find 3-hour tours from local guides.

Other free plushies

There are also a few small but nice features in Paris. For example, saving money on buying water: the water that flows from French taps is incredibly clean and drinkable.

You can also try water in one of the many street drinking fountains, and any café or restaurant will serve it to you for free, if you just ask.

The most famous drinking water fountain, which is also one of the symbols of Paris, is the Wallace Fountain, which is located on the Place Saint-Sulpice in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.

Also, free internet hotspots are quite common in Paris: even if you're not in an establishment, chances are there will be an establishment nearby giving out Wi-Fi. Click on the WI-FI ORANGE that appears, do a quick registration and use it as much as you like.

The network of free public toilets is also well organized here. There are a lot of such "smart booths" just where they are needed most of all - in the vicinity of key city attractions.

Remember that bread and water in Parisian establishments are served for free. But be aware that often by default waiters take orders for mineral water, it's chargeable. To order plain water, use the phrase "Carafe d'eau s'il vous plaît". This means that you are ordering exactly free water.

Public restrooms in Paris are free and there are plenty of them around the city. So if you see a gray stall on the street, that's it. Important point: you can only go in after the green light is on, otherwise you risk getting a little more swimming.