Part 2-Paris Travel Tips - Where to eat?

There are literally thousands of books written about French cuisine, but I'm sharing how to enjoy eating in Paris on a budget.  Why?  Because you will pay a lot of money to fly and stay there, but you can save money on the food.  

Here's my travel tips for eating on a budget:

1. When booking the hotel, find one that gives you a free breakfast.  Most Europeans are NOT early risers, so getting a good breakfast in you is pretty critical.  You won't find a lot of restaurants open at 6 AM.  Plus, you'll probably want to get an early start in the Museums or Churches.  Having breakfast before you leave the hotel ensures that you don't have to leave to find a bite to eat mid morning.

1. Eat a BIG lunch.  Find a great cafe' in the neighborhood you're enjoying and catch them before they close for dinner.  Usually around 2 -3 PM.  Service will be faster because they will be trying to close for dinner service.  Most restaurants close between 4 - 7 PM.  Some meals can take 2 - 3 hours to eat.

1. When looking for my lunch Cafe', I observe what the customers are eating on the sidewalk seating.  If they are enjoying it, you probably will too.  When the waiter comes up to you, you can point and say, "I'll have what he's having."  I personally try to get the plat du jour (the special of the day).  It's usually a lot of food for a terrific price.

1. I tend to skip dinner to save money, now hear me out.  After I leave the cafe' from lunch, I swing by the Monoprix (grocery store) to get a baguette, fresh fruit, soft French cheese and a bottle of wine.  It's all I really need - well, maybe some dessert from Bon Marche too.  :)  We rest or feet, usually with a good soak in the tub, take a power nap and then we're ready to eat and talk about the days adventures.  What did we love, what do you want to do tomorrow and review photos.  After we're done enjoying our snacks we take a beautiful walk along the Seine to see the city at night.  Simply breathtaking!!

Grocery stores:  One of my best travel tips for Paris is to stop in at the grocery stores:  Monoprix or Bon Marche.  Europeans tend of only buy what they can eat that day or the next day so food is SUPER fresh.  Instead of spending $5 for a baguette, I buy one at the grocery store for $1.  Instead of spending $100 - $200 on dinner, I save that money for souvenirs.

In one of the many travel books that I've read about Paris, they shared that not only is Bon Marche a department store for clothing, perfume, make up and accessories, they have a separate building which the first floor is a grocery store.  Not only for packaged foods, but GREAT desserts, cheeses, meats, etc.  We will load up with goodies and then walk to park to rediscover what each purchased.  So much fun!

Next blog is Part 3 of Paris Travel Tips - what to do while in Paris?

Happy Traveling!