1. All of Paris at your feet
A view from the Eiffel Tower will cost you a long wait in line, plus 42 francs for the elevator ride to the second level, or 57 francs to go all the way to the top, or several hundred dollars to have your wallet lifted by one of the numerous pickpockets who work the crowds at this most popular tourist destination. Lunch at Le Jules Verne restaurant, assuming you made your reservations some time ago, starts at 300 francs.
The view from the top of Le Samaritaine department store at 19, rue de la Monnaie is just as good, and free. A 360-degree map around the perimeter of the lookout platform helps you pick out the sights, from Sacre-Coeur to the Eiffel itself. At the open air La Terrasse cafeteria, 27 francs buys a great ham sandwich and a seat at the railing.
2. A good meal with wine
Is it possible to get a bad meal in France? It is if you insist on English language menus. The proprietors of restaurants boasting “English spoken here” signs know their customers are just passing through, so they don’t have to produce meals that keep customers coming back. And a Parisian restaurant meal, good or poor, can cost a fortune.
For good, reasonably priced meals, look for restaurants in residential or business districts that cater to a local clientele rather than tourists. Family-owned places are good bets (look for a dog on the front steps, always a good sign). Don’t worry about not speaking the language. If you’re adventurous, just point to something on the menu. Chance are it’ll be delicious even if it is calves’ brains. If you’re not quite that adventurous, use a pocket guide such as Marling Menu Master to look up key words. Or point to tasty-looking dishes ordered by other diners. Your server, who in a family restaurant is often also the owner, will likely be willing to work with you and your pigeon French because, unlike the server in a tourist joint, he’s not sick of the sight of foreigners.
Wine is usually the most expensive part of your meal. Try a “pichet” of the house wine, which is usually good and sometimes superb, for many francs less than a bottle. Bottled water can be nearly as expensive as wine, so ask for the “pichet d’eau ” of (perfectly safe) tap water.
3. Cruising the Seine
The Bateaux-Mouche cruise boats that ply the Seine are famous, featured in every film or book set in Paris, and correspondingly expensive. The Batobus, a comfortable public transport, plies those very same waters and affords the very same views. Sixty francs buys a full-day pass complete with one of the best pocket guides available in Paris. Hop on and off these water buses at the Eiffel Tower, Musee D’Orsay, St-Germain des-Pres, Hotel-de-Ville, Notre Dame, and the Louvre.
4. Doing the museums
The tour buses are lined up three deep in front of the Musee D’Orsay. The queue to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre could take you hours to get through. And how much will you enjoy the Old Masters as you press through the crowds, overwhelmed by the sheer number of famous works of art?
A metro or bus ride to the edge of the city brings you to the Cite de la Musique, where you’ll find something to suit every age and interest. You don’t have to be a great music buff to enjoy the new Musee de la Musique, a unique experience of sound far from the tourist crowds. The audiotour included with your 35 franc admission (10 francs for children under 17) provides an overview of various periods in the development of musical techniques and styles, and allows you to hear the music of different types of instrument as you approach them on display.
Or stroll down to the nearby Cite des Sciences et de l’Industrie, where admission at various prices could include a tour of the decommissioned submarine Argonaut, 3-D film in the 370-seat geodesic dome theater, or age-differentiated adventure playgrounds for the kids.