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We have already told you 40 things to do in Paris but of course, now you have doubts: how do I get to the center of Paris from the airport? And where am I going to sleep? And what will I eat? Oh la la… how many questions! If you are among the lucky ones who schedule a trip to the French capital, do not worry that we will give you all the information you need about accommodation, transport and food so that your stay in the most visited city in Europe is unforgettable (and in good meaning huh!)… here you have our super Paris backpacking guides (or not)

If you want more information, visit our GUIDE TO A JOURNEY TO PARIS

| ACCOMMODATION |

There is accommodation for each type of traveler (and wallets of course!). If you are looking for a chic, elegant and central environment, your ideal area will be the Champs Elysees, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, the Opera and the Place de la Concorde.

However, if your pocket asks for mercy, do not worry that you will not need to sell smuggled tortilla sandwiches to be able to sleep under a roof: there are charming little hotels and hostels in the Latin Quarter area and in the vicinity of Montmatre (calculates about € 20 or € 30 per person).

If you don't travel alone, a good idea may be Rent a floor. There are beautiful apartments and if you book early you can find good deals. Also think that having a kitchen you can save on food without having to give up good food (but make sure you have a good chef in your group of friends!). Good options are Airbnb (€ 35 discount if you register here) or even do Couchsurfing to save on accommodation but especially to live the most authentic Paris: at the hands of its inhabitants.

More information about accommodation in these articles:

→ Cheap accommodation in Paris I: hotels

→ Cheap accommodation in Paris II: hostels

| FOOD |

French cuisine, one of the most appreciated in the world, is delicious and varied ... the only problem is that it is not always within reach of backpacker pockets. Obviously, once or twice we can eat in restaurants but if we do not want to spend the trip budget on the Parisian tables we will have to play some trick:

1. Live the bread! The boulangeries Y pastisseries French women have nothing to envy to the best restaurant in the city. Baguette, pain au chocolat, quiche lorraine and much more ... Besides the saying "good as bread" exists for something right?

2. Markets and Supermarkets.An idea to make meals cheaper is to take advantage of sunny days to have a picnic in one of the city's parks: some cheese, a bottle of wine and voila!

3. Fast Food.We already know that McDonalds & CO are not the most romantic and authentic option, but they have not taken us out of trouble on more than one occasion, especially with the € 1 promotions (which never end!). In addition, in some sites you can use the student card! The fast food made in France is the Quick, not bad at all.

4. Tourist menus. Ok, many times the tourist menus are without quality and tailored to the ignorant guiri, but looking a bit, and especially looking at where the locals eat, we can take advantage of good dishes for about € 10. Eye to Additional features: make sure the drink is included or at least cheap (we during the first trip we pretended and we had to pay a € 6 bottle of water and it hurts, go if it hurts!).

5. Free water. We have read that many ask for tap water, which is free. A good idea not to pretend like backpacking (look up, ayyy still hurts!). So you know ask "Une carafe de l'eau, s'il vous plait”And that's it!

6. Crepes Crepes belong to our favorite trilogy ... they are good, beautiful and cheap. Salty or sweet, street or creperies, there are many and they are very, very appetizing! And if you get tired of crepe (can you really get tired of something so perfect?) You can try waffles or waffles ... the chocolate cream is our favorite (although my ass seems to suffer all the consequences).

7. Appetizers. Restaurants such as Le Grenier, Le Tais and Les Fontaines offer something to snack and free cous cous to customers who have a drink ... why not take advantage of it?

We leave you a list with the traditional dishes richest and loved by the French:

Foie gras: duck liver.
Escargot: snails.
quiche Lorraine: Salty cake of different ingredients (my favorite is ham and cheese).
Coq Au Vin: chicken with vegetables cooked in wine.
Ratatouille: zucchini ratatouille, peppers, tomato, eggplant and basil.
Boeuf Bourguignon: beef stew with red wine.
Crepes: the queens of French desserts (although my downfall is salty!).
Pot au feu: beef stew with vegetables.

Also if you are a lover of cheeses Here you will find your paradise: in France more than 400 different types of cheese are produced, some must be tried ... BON APPETIT!

→ Here you have a post with 5 places to eat cheaply and well (spending less than € 10) in Paris.

| TRANSPORTATION |

♣ HOW TO GET TO PARIS?

Train and car

The least fast and most expensive option to get to Paris is the train (from Madrid or Barcelona). The trip lasts more than 13 hours and the price is almost always higher than that of airline tickets (€ 150), it is only interesting for those who are afraid of flying or for the romantic lovers of the train. Also if you plan to travel by car we would tell you to think twice ... from Madrid / Barcelona they are more than 1,000 kilometers away and if you consider spending on gas / tolls you almost have the fear of flying!

Plane

The most normal thing is that you arrive flying ... and if you do not have the umbrella of Mary Poppins or the magic carpet of Aladin, you will most likely arrive at one of the 3 airports near the city: Charles de Gaulle, Orly and Beauvis.

1. Charles de Gaulle Airport

TRAIN (RER). Trains depart approximately every 15 minutes and stop at the stations of Gare du Nord, Châtelet-Les-Halles, Denfert-Rochereau. It takes 30 minutes and the ticket costs about € 9 (the same ticket will help you to change in the subway).

PRIVATE BUSES. Roissybus buses take about 50-60 minutes and arrive at the Opera Square and leave every 15-30 minutes from 5.45 to 23.00. The ticket costs € 10. Avoid those of the company "Les Cairs" of Air France as they are much more expensive (about € 15).

URBAN BUSES. Bus 350 arrives at Gare de l'Est station and bus 351 arrives at Place Nation. They circulate from 5.30 to 21.30. They take about an hour and cost € 3 with the t + ticket (then we explain it).

NIGHT BUSES. If you arrive at night it is best to take one of buses 140 or 143 to the Gare de l'est station. The ticket costs about € 6.

CAB. They are expensive, calculate about € 50

2. Orly Airport

TRAIN + BUS. We will have to travel with the “Paris par le train” bus to the Pont de Rungis station where we can take the RER line C (train) that will leave us in the center in 35 minutes. The combined ticket costs € 6 approx.

PRIVATE BUS The best company is "Orlybus". The bus will leave us in 30 minutes at Denfert-Roncherau station where we can take RER and metro. It costs € 7.

URBAN BUSES. It is the cheapest way to arrive. There are 2 lines: the 183 that arrives at the Porte de Choisy station (50 min) and the 285 that arrives at the Louis Aragon metro station (15 minutes). The ticket costs € 1.80.

3. Beauvis Airport

BUS. It is the best option, the journey takes about 70 minutes and reaches Porte Maillot (metro line 1 and RER line C), very close to the Arc de Triomphe. The ticket costs € 15. To make the opposite route be sure to check the schedules! There are not many buses ... we almost stayed in Paris!

CAB. It costs about € 120 so if you are a backpacker ... you better forget!

♣ HOW TO GET AROUND PARIS?

We are of the philosophy that cities know each other by walking, but of course ... Paris is a lot of Paris and sometimes a bus or a subway can save your life!

TICKET T + 1. The t + 1 ticket is the name of the tickets used in the Paris transport network (metro, bus, tram, rer, funicular ...). The single ticket costs € 1.70. The 10 bonus costs € 12.70.

METER. There are 16 lines that link the main points of the city. The schedule is from 05:30 to 01:15 (Friday and Saturday until 2:15) and you travel with the T + 1 ticket.

BUS There are more than 60 bus lines, so wherever you go you can go on 4 wheels and enjoy the panorama. You travel with the T + 1 ticket.

SHIP. An original way to visit Paris is with the tourist boats “batobus”. The ticket for 1 day costs € 15, for 2 days € 18, for 5 days € 23 (there are discounts for students). The ship makes 8 stops along the Seine: Eiffel Tower, Orsay Museum, Saint Germain des Pres, Notre Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hotel de Ville, Louvre, Champs Elysees.