Honeymoon in Paris on a budget
November 29, 2010 5:24 PM Subscribe
What should we realistically budget for a honeymoon in Paris? How low can we go and still have a good time?
My fiancee and I are planning our wedding (it's next September). We want to go to Paris for our honeymoon, but her father (who has been to Paris) has told us that to do it right, we really should budget $50,000 or so for a two-week trip including some activities elsewhere in France.
This presents a problem. While we will have some money (the deal my Father-In-Law-to-be is giving us is, anything from our wedding budget that we don't spend on the actual wedding we can spend on our honeymoon) but we will certainly not have $50,000. Maybe $10,000 to $15,000, including what we can save up in the next ten months. From what I understand, this will barely cover first-class airfare to Paris, which is desirable given the length of the flight and the fact that it's a special trip; we don't want to spend 12-16 hours crammed into a coach seat.
Of course, future FIL's idea of "doing it right" includes first-class airfare, five-star hotels and restaurants, personal tour guides that get you around waiting in line, a prime seat at the Moulin Rouge, and so on. To hear him tell it, anything less than the best of everything and you might as well not even bother going!
However, I am aware that some people do go to Paris on much smaller budgets, and they seem to enjoy themselves anyway. What did you spend the last time you went, and on a scale of zero to a metric crapton, how much fun did you have? Any tips for doing it on a budget without sacrificing too much of the pleasure? I have found some Web sites offering Paris honeymoon packages that seem more reasonably priced; does anyone have any experience with any such vendors?
Finally, if we have to give up Paris, are there other European destinations equally enjoyable and romantic but more affordable?
My fiancee and I are planning our wedding (it's next September). We want to go to Paris for our honeymoon, but her father (who has been to Paris) has told us that to do it right, we really should budget $50,000 or so for a two-week trip including some activities elsewhere in France.
This presents a problem. While we will have some money (the deal my Father-In-Law-to-be is giving us is, anything from our wedding budget that we don't spend on the actual wedding we can spend on our honeymoon) but we will certainly not have $50,000. Maybe $10,000 to $15,000, including what we can save up in the next ten months. From what I understand, this will barely cover first-class airfare to Paris, which is desirable given the length of the flight and the fact that it's a special trip; we don't want to spend 12-16 hours crammed into a coach seat.
Of course, future FIL's idea of "doing it right" includes first-class airfare, five-star hotels and restaurants, personal tour guides that get you around waiting in line, a prime seat at the Moulin Rouge, and so on. To hear him tell it, anything less than the best of everything and you might as well not even bother going!
However, I am aware that some people do go to Paris on much smaller budgets, and they seem to enjoy themselves anyway. What did you spend the last time you went, and on a scale of zero to a metric crapton, how much fun did you have? Any tips for doing it on a budget without sacrificing too much of the pleasure? I have found some Web sites offering Paris honeymoon packages that seem more reasonably priced; does anyone have any experience with any such vendors?
Finally, if we have to give up Paris, are there other European destinations equally enjoyable and romantic but more affordable?
Maybe $10,000 to $15,000, including what we can save up in the next ten months. From what I understand, this will barely cover first-class airfare to Paris, which is desirable given the length of the flight and the fact that it's a special trip; we don't want to spend 12-16 hours crammed into a coach seat.
What? I was just looking up flights to Paris for this December and they were less than a $1,000 each in economy. I've never flown first-class -- certainly not to Europe -- but if first-class really costs that much I think I can tell you the first thing to cut out to save money. The extra $10,000 will be worth a day of cramped legs.
posted by unannihilated at 5:41 PM on November 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
What? I was just looking up flights to Paris for this December and they were less than a $1,000 each in economy. I've never flown first-class -- certainly not to Europe -- but if first-class really costs that much I think I can tell you the first thing to cut out to save money. The extra $10,000 will be worth a day of cramped legs.
posted by unannihilated at 5:41 PM on November 29, 2010 [2 favorites]
You can do it easily on your budget! Go your way, not your FILs. Rather than giving you our itinerary last time we went to Paris (which was to go to Paris for a few days, take the high speed train to Dijon, pick up a rental and drive our way around France for 2 weeks, ending in Chartres, then take the train back to Paris for some more days there), I'd suggest the following:
1. Think about when you will go. There is something to be said for a delayed honeymoon until April. Paris really is stunning in the spring. But fall is nice too, if a bit nippy. Avoid summers, esp. August when the majority of people in the city seem to be tourists, like the plague.
2. Check out Rick Steves. He has a lot of affordable and wonderful ideas for Paris/greater France.
3. Look hard at Fodors and Frommers. Both are excellent guides for Paris and France as a whole.
4. Take a look at the Michelin guides. Their itineraries are insane -- no human being can do what Michelin suggests in terms of pace of sight seeing -- but they hit the highlights you should see and the Michelin star system for restaurants is VERY reliable.
5. Be aware there are so many wonderful things to do in Paris that are affordable -- eating, because the cheaper restaurants are still often very good, and the city markets and food stores are fabulous, art viewing, park visiting, church exploration, concert going, and strolling the Seine, to name a few. Metro is a cheap and reliable way to get around everywhere. Cheaper hotels are often absolutely charming.
Congratulations, by the way.
posted by bearwife at 5:43 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
1. Think about when you will go. There is something to be said for a delayed honeymoon until April. Paris really is stunning in the spring. But fall is nice too, if a bit nippy. Avoid summers, esp. August when the majority of people in the city seem to be tourists, like the plague.
2. Check out Rick Steves. He has a lot of affordable and wonderful ideas for Paris/greater France.
3. Look hard at Fodors and Frommers. Both are excellent guides for Paris and France as a whole.
4. Take a look at the Michelin guides. Their itineraries are insane -- no human being can do what Michelin suggests in terms of pace of sight seeing -- but they hit the highlights you should see and the Michelin star system for restaurants is VERY reliable.
5. Be aware there are so many wonderful things to do in Paris that are affordable -- eating, because the cheaper restaurants are still often very good, and the city markets and food stores are fabulous, art viewing, park visiting, church exploration, concert going, and strolling the Seine, to name a few. Metro is a cheap and reliable way to get around everywhere. Cheaper hotels are often absolutely charming.
Congratulations, by the way.
posted by bearwife at 5:43 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh, and I agree that you definitely need not go first class to have a comfortable flight to Paris! You may want to take the first day easy to get your internal clock in gear, but that's true no matter what class you fly. We always go coach, it is just fine.
posted by bearwife at 5:44 PM on November 29, 2010
posted by bearwife at 5:44 PM on November 29, 2010
You can live for months in Paris for $50,000. Doing all the things FIL suggests you do in Paris is, in my opinion, the worst way to enjoy Paris. The best way to enjoy your time there is to just have some idea of where you want to explore on any given day and just wander.
You'll discover beautiful restaurants, great architecture and amazing little things. Paris is one of the best walking cities in the world. You can spend weeks wandering around and getting hopelessly and beautifully lost. You can have a great, magical trip on the budget you are thinking of as long as you stop listening to FIL's terrible advice on how to enjoy Paris.
And first class is a waste of money.
posted by milarepa at 5:58 PM on November 29, 2010 [6 favorites]
You'll discover beautiful restaurants, great architecture and amazing little things. Paris is one of the best walking cities in the world. You can spend weeks wandering around and getting hopelessly and beautifully lost. You can have a great, magical trip on the budget you are thinking of as long as you stop listening to FIL's terrible advice on how to enjoy Paris.
And first class is a waste of money.
posted by milarepa at 5:58 PM on November 29, 2010 [6 favorites]
This past spring my Significant Other and I spent eight days in Paris and probably spent two grand. This includes renting a small but wonderful apartment. Our tickets from San Francisco were another $1100 but they were multi-stop tickets so a bit more than if we'd gone straight there.
We didn't eat fancy or go clubbing, but we went to lots of museums and took a side trip to Chartres to see the cathedral and even bought some old prints at the antique market. We did eat out every night and had coffee and pastries every morning.
For what it's worth the best and most memorable "thing" we did was buy some Kronenbourgs and a bag of peanuts and sit out on the Quai to watch the boats and people go by as the sun set. Some guys were playing accordion and fiddle down the way, the tourists on the boats waved to us over and over, we got to see Notre Dame lit up by the golden hour of sunset... this probably "cost" us less than ten Euros.
I do not mean to be rude, but the idea that fun or pleasure is proportional to how much money you spend is absurd - bordering on insulting. If you spend "only" $15k for two weeks and can't manage to have fun, it's not because you didn't spend enough.
posted by gyusan at 6:14 PM on November 29, 2010 [9 favorites]
We didn't eat fancy or go clubbing, but we went to lots of museums and took a side trip to Chartres to see the cathedral and even bought some old prints at the antique market. We did eat out every night and had coffee and pastries every morning.
For what it's worth the best and most memorable "thing" we did was buy some Kronenbourgs and a bag of peanuts and sit out on the Quai to watch the boats and people go by as the sun set. Some guys were playing accordion and fiddle down the way, the tourists on the boats waved to us over and over, we got to see Notre Dame lit up by the golden hour of sunset... this probably "cost" us less than ten Euros.
I do not mean to be rude, but the idea that fun or pleasure is proportional to how much money you spend is absurd - bordering on insulting. If you spend "only" $15k for two weeks and can't manage to have fun, it's not because you didn't spend enough.
posted by gyusan at 6:14 PM on November 29, 2010 [9 favorites]
Not sure where you're flying from, but if you're open to connecting in New York or DC, check out OpenSkies. It's an all business class airline, and my wife and I had a great experience with it on our honeymoon. You can do biz class roundtrip for around $1500 per person. And yes, it was worth it. You're going to want to feel special on your honeymoon.
posted by BobbyVan at 6:26 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by BobbyVan at 6:26 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've flown to Europe in coach/economy about half a dozen times (a dozen, if you count flying back.) I can't see anything First Class could offer that would be worth the money, honestly. Pack a thick, fun book, throw a film or two on your iPod and you'll be fine.
posted by griphus at 6:28 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by griphus at 6:28 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
One of the best things about Paris is walking around and feeling the city. You can do that pretty cheaply. Also, waiting in line with your new bride gives you more time to enjoy her. I had a lovely time waiting in line alone for an hour, in the cold rain, to go up into the Eiffel Tower. The people were all there on holiday, and everyone was friendly. Of course, speaking French may have helped a little, but I was in line with English speakers.
I think flying first class, and not standing in line, may become more important the older you are.
I had an awesome time staying in the suburbs with a family I found through Craigslist. Got to play with their cute baby, got to use their kitchen -- this is probably not for you, but it illustrates the range of options.
My over-three-week stay in Paris was less than $5k.
Find a good travel agent, maybe.
posted by amtho at 6:32 PM on November 29, 2010
I think flying first class, and not standing in line, may become more important the older you are.
I had an awesome time staying in the suburbs with a family I found through Craigslist. Got to play with their cute baby, got to use their kitchen -- this is probably not for you, but it illustrates the range of options.
My over-three-week stay in Paris was less than $5k.
Find a good travel agent, maybe.
posted by amtho at 6:32 PM on November 29, 2010
Response by poster: First class is desirable because I'm 6'3" and we're both a bit wide for comfortable seating in economy class. Is international economy class less of a cattle car situation than domestic economy class?
posted by kindall at 7:02 PM on November 29, 2010
posted by kindall at 7:02 PM on November 29, 2010
Of course, future FIL's idea of "doing it right" includes first-class airfare, five-star hotels and restaurants, personal tour guides that get you around waiting in line, a prime seat at the Moulin Rouge, and so on. To hear him tell it, anything less than the best of everything and you might as well not even bother going!
Is this your idea of a trip to Paris? Me, I read the above description and think, "if you're going to do nothing but stay in protective bubble of tours and wealth akin to an all-inclusive resort, you may as well not even bother going!"
There's tens of thousands of dollars of middle ground between backpacking/hostels and the deeeeluxe first-class extravaganza. We generally spend $2000-$4000, but I've been a number of times and therefore likely have a somewhat different set of priorities. But I would say that $5000-$7000 can get you a very comfortable vacation.
There are a LOT of hotels in Paris, which means that you can very easily stay in a terrific hotel for about $200/night. Those I know who fly first class would never, ever pay the ticket price in cash to do so, they're cashing in miles and laying out some extra cash for the upgrade.
I have found some Web sites offering Paris honeymoon packages that seem more reasonably priced; does anyone have any experience with any such vendors?
In my (secondhand) experience they're utter crap. Shitty tourist hotel in a commercial neighborhood near the Tour Eiffel with comped meals of steak haché and pommes frites, because that's what Americans eat.
posted by desuetude at 7:15 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is this your idea of a trip to Paris? Me, I read the above description and think, "if you're going to do nothing but stay in protective bubble of tours and wealth akin to an all-inclusive resort, you may as well not even bother going!"
There's tens of thousands of dollars of middle ground between backpacking/hostels and the deeeeluxe first-class extravaganza. We generally spend $2000-$4000, but I've been a number of times and therefore likely have a somewhat different set of priorities. But I would say that $5000-$7000 can get you a very comfortable vacation.
There are a LOT of hotels in Paris, which means that you can very easily stay in a terrific hotel for about $200/night. Those I know who fly first class would never, ever pay the ticket price in cash to do so, they're cashing in miles and laying out some extra cash for the upgrade.
I have found some Web sites offering Paris honeymoon packages that seem more reasonably priced; does anyone have any experience with any such vendors?
In my (secondhand) experience they're utter crap. Shitty tourist hotel in a commercial neighborhood near the Tour Eiffel with comped meals of steak haché and pommes frites, because that's what Americans eat.
posted by desuetude at 7:15 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Is international economy class less of a cattle car situation than domestic economy class?
It's slightly better, but not loads better. You'll want to book your flights on a plane that has two seats on the outside of the aisles, so you can sit together and not have to deal with a stranger. Also, you can get up and walk around on an international flight, and there are always people who seem to mill about for hours at a time without sitting.
Depending upon the airline, you could also pay more (say, $1500 a ticket instead of $900) to get premium economy seats, which have more legroom. It's less that First or Business class, at least.
posted by cabingirl at 7:23 PM on November 29, 2010
It's slightly better, but not loads better. You'll want to book your flights on a plane that has two seats on the outside of the aisles, so you can sit together and not have to deal with a stranger. Also, you can get up and walk around on an international flight, and there are always people who seem to mill about for hours at a time without sitting.
Depending upon the airline, you could also pay more (say, $1500 a ticket instead of $900) to get premium economy seats, which have more legroom. It's less that First or Business class, at least.
posted by cabingirl at 7:23 PM on November 29, 2010
Response by poster: Shitty tourist hotel in a commercial neighborhood near the Tour Eiffel with comped meals of steak haché and pommes frites, because that's what Americans eat.
Eww. Food is of course one of our main motivations to go to Paris, so we will steer clear of that.
posted by kindall at 7:26 PM on November 29, 2010
Eww. Food is of course one of our main motivations to go to Paris, so we will steer clear of that.
posted by kindall at 7:26 PM on November 29, 2010
I agree that 50k is utterly insane. You can have a marvelous and luxurious time in Paris for far less than a tenth of that.
Rent a fabulous apartment with maid service - cheaper than a hotel, more private and more relaxing.
My advice is suck up the horrible cattle car flight and spend your money on fantastic restaurants. I'm assuming you are flying from the United States: you will almost certainly have to take a red eye and it will suck. It would suck somewhat less in first class, but it would still suck, and the price difference for 7 hours of cramped hell is not, in my opinion, worth it. Would you rather spend a couple of grand on legroom or half that on a meal at Taillevent that you will never forget?
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:41 PM on November 29, 2010
Rent a fabulous apartment with maid service - cheaper than a hotel, more private and more relaxing.
My advice is suck up the horrible cattle car flight and spend your money on fantastic restaurants. I'm assuming you are flying from the United States: you will almost certainly have to take a red eye and it will suck. It would suck somewhat less in first class, but it would still suck, and the price difference for 7 hours of cramped hell is not, in my opinion, worth it. Would you rather spend a couple of grand on legroom or half that on a meal at Taillevent that you will never forget?
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:41 PM on November 29, 2010
Wow, I'm all for people who have the discretionary income to spend it however they like, but I can't even conceive of spending that much money on a one or two week vacation in Paris (unless it entailed a lot of high end shopping). However just out of curiosity, I looked up room rates for Hotel George V, which is what I would consider a high end hotel (although I'm sure there are even more exclusive boutique hotels in Paris) and a premier room is currently 1,095 Euros ($1450) per night. OK, that's roughly $20,000 for two weeks, so I guess if you also go to expensive restaurants for most meals, and arrange a couple equally luxurious short trips elsewhere in France you could blow throw $50,000. But frankly, I have to believe that there are boatloads of really nice hotel rooms in Paris that are somewhere in between the safe, clean, comfortable, funky (but in a good way) places that I've stayed in Paris that are in the $100/night range and a $1500/night room at the Georges V. As others have noted you could rent a really nice apartment.
For your data on what other's spend, I'm probably at the lower end of the scale, but a tier or two above someone who couchsurfs or goes the backpack and hostel route and I've never spent more than $1000-2000 for a week or so in Paris (splitting expenses with one other person). It's hard to estimates since my last trip there was in 2001 and I had enough miles for a free trip. I may have spent a little more, but I honestly think that it was well within that range. Granted neither of us are big foodies, so we didn't have any multi-course meals at expensive restaurants, but we also weren't on a super strict budget and did everything that we wanted to do and saw everything that we wanted to see.
So much of what is wonderful about Paris costs next to nothing. The city itself is so beautiful that I spent most of my time there walking around revisiting favorite places from past visits and discovering new and unfamiliar neighborhoods that quickly become new favorites to revisit on (hopefully) future visits.
Where else you go in France, how you get there, how long and where you stay, will all determine how much it will costs. I love Paris so much, I'd be tempted to just spend the whole two weeks there, but I've heard that Lyon is a really great two or three day trip, especially if you like good food and interesting architecture.
posted by kaybdc at 7:47 PM on November 29, 2010
For your data on what other's spend, I'm probably at the lower end of the scale, but a tier or two above someone who couchsurfs or goes the backpack and hostel route and I've never spent more than $1000-2000 for a week or so in Paris (splitting expenses with one other person). It's hard to estimates since my last trip there was in 2001 and I had enough miles for a free trip. I may have spent a little more, but I honestly think that it was well within that range. Granted neither of us are big foodies, so we didn't have any multi-course meals at expensive restaurants, but we also weren't on a super strict budget and did everything that we wanted to do and saw everything that we wanted to see.
So much of what is wonderful about Paris costs next to nothing. The city itself is so beautiful that I spent most of my time there walking around revisiting favorite places from past visits and discovering new and unfamiliar neighborhoods that quickly become new favorites to revisit on (hopefully) future visits.
Where else you go in France, how you get there, how long and where you stay, will all determine how much it will costs. I love Paris so much, I'd be tempted to just spend the whole two weeks there, but I've heard that Lyon is a really great two or three day trip, especially if you like good food and interesting architecture.
posted by kaybdc at 7:47 PM on November 29, 2010
Your father in law is being a snob. Tens of thousands of couples go to Paris each year and are enchanted for vastly less than that.
Things I would spend money on: premium economy airfare. A larger room in a mid-range hotel; something French, and not a tourist or US hotel chain. A guide book.
The other stuff that's there? Isn't better when you spend more money on it.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:01 PM on November 29, 2010
Things I would spend money on: premium economy airfare. A larger room in a mid-range hotel; something French, and not a tourist or US hotel chain. A guide book.
The other stuff that's there? Isn't better when you spend more money on it.
posted by DarlingBri at 8:01 PM on November 29, 2010
I was in coach on an overnight flight on Air France from Boston to Paris last year, and it was awesome.
I agree. If you're flying from the US East Coast and neither of you is seven feet tall, you will be fine in economy to Paris. The flight is, what, six hours? I've taken longer car trips crammed into the hump seat, and without food or a bathroom to boot. Every time I've flown to or from Europe (on Air France, SwissAir, Alitalia, and Austrian Air), the flight has also been well timed in terms of meals, movies, lights turned down, etc, which can make it feel a lot shorter.
You will probably also be fine scaling back in other ways. Unless you are used to life with a full staff, staying in a small modest hotel would probably be fine - you'll have so much fun at the Louvre and Eiffel Tower you won't even notice the difference. I have to admit I'd spend as much money on food as I could afford, but I'm sure even the biggest foodie could keep it below five figures.
Paris is expensive, but $50,000? $10,000 even? You can definitely do it for cheaper.
posted by Sara C. at 8:35 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
I agree. If you're flying from the US East Coast and neither of you is seven feet tall, you will be fine in economy to Paris. The flight is, what, six hours? I've taken longer car trips crammed into the hump seat, and without food or a bathroom to boot. Every time I've flown to or from Europe (on Air France, SwissAir, Alitalia, and Austrian Air), the flight has also been well timed in terms of meals, movies, lights turned down, etc, which can make it feel a lot shorter.
You will probably also be fine scaling back in other ways. Unless you are used to life with a full staff, staying in a small modest hotel would probably be fine - you'll have so much fun at the Louvre and Eiffel Tower you won't even notice the difference. I have to admit I'd spend as much money on food as I could afford, but I'm sure even the biggest foodie could keep it below five figures.
Paris is expensive, but $50,000? $10,000 even? You can definitely do it for cheaper.
posted by Sara C. at 8:35 PM on November 29, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yeah look, I am a fucking princess when I travel but two weeks at 25k a week is like, Beyonce money. Nobody is mentioning business class for int'l travel which is not nearly as expensive as first, plus gives you the ability to actually sit next to your new spouse during the flight instead of apart in first class pods. I would seriously consider first transpacific, but trust me, you'll feel like you wasted the $16k on airfare over the pond.
I've been around the world (my baby's fine, found him) and it is preposterous to spend that kind of money in one place. I find Europe is very doable, fun, and non-sacrificey on around $300 a day not including hotel (I figure around $200 a night on cities in Europe). I would, however, be miserable spending two weeks in any one place and would keep thinking "man I could have spent 5 days here and five days eating street food in Vietnam" but that's just me.
Invariably, your best experiences in any place will never be the expensive ones (oh, 50 cent cucumber guy in front of the Blue Mosque, thank you for allowing me to understand delicious). Especially if you're into food. The good shit is cheap cause that's what the locals eat.
posted by mckenney at 8:41 PM on November 29, 2010 [3 favorites]
I've been around the world (my baby's fine, found him) and it is preposterous to spend that kind of money in one place. I find Europe is very doable, fun, and non-sacrificey on around $300 a day not including hotel (I figure around $200 a night on cities in Europe). I would, however, be miserable spending two weeks in any one place and would keep thinking "man I could have spent 5 days here and five days eating street food in Vietnam" but that's just me.
Invariably, your best experiences in any place will never be the expensive ones (oh, 50 cent cucumber guy in front of the Blue Mosque, thank you for allowing me to understand delicious). Especially if you're into food. The good shit is cheap cause that's what the locals eat.
posted by mckenney at 8:41 PM on November 29, 2010 [3 favorites]
First class is desirable because I'm 6'3" and we're both a bit wide for comfortable seating in economy class. Is international economy class less of a cattle car situation than domestic economy class?
I'm 6'5" and weigh 240 and have actually managed to enjoy flying economy class over the Atlantic. The trick is to get an emergency exit seat - then you'll have all the legroom you need.
posted by MighstAllCruckingFighty at 1:32 AM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm 6'5" and weigh 240 and have actually managed to enjoy flying economy class over the Atlantic. The trick is to get an emergency exit seat - then you'll have all the legroom you need.
posted by MighstAllCruckingFighty at 1:32 AM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
As someone currently living in Paris, and who has been here for about three months living off around $2000 - OH MY FUCKING GOD.
You could buy Paris for $50,000. That's insane.
Still, I completely understand the desire to have a wonderful time on your honeymoon, so here are my suggestions.
- You've got a lot of time before you fly. If you fly domestically lots, start trying to to fly on the carrier you will go transatlantic with (if possible) to rack up loyalty points or whatever.
- Business (or economy plus) is great for space. You get fully flat beds in business, and I would definitely spring for that over coach.
- Definitely tell everyone involved in flying that it's your honeymoon. Check-in girl, hostesses, everyone. Pick a non-busy day to fly (Tuesday or Wednesday, in my experience), and who knows - you might get a free upgrade to first if you're well dressed and polite.
- If you're spending two weeks, you could rent a really nice little flat somewhere. You'll probably want to look around Montmartre or St Germain. Alternatively, you could stay in the Ile de St Louis, which is super-central. You could even get an apartment off the Champs Elyssee.
- Personal feeling is that blowing so much money on a hotel is silly. For the cost of one night in the Georges V you could get a month in an apartment. And with the amount of money you've got to spend, you could be really picky about apartments. You could even organise a maid service (I'm sure the rental company would be happy to do this), and just eat out for every meal. How much nicer would it be to find a café for breakfast which becomes "your" café, rather than sitting in the (no doubt lovely) restaurant in a hotel?
- I would completely try and learn some French now. Being able to order in French, or even try to do so, wins you so many friends as long as you don't completely butcher it. And especially since I'm hoping you'll research restaurants other than those primed for tourists.
I know that it's appealing to fly first and stay in a 5* hotel, but in my opinion that's a complete waste. Would you rather have an incredible eight hour journey and a room in a 'name' hotel, or an incredible two week stay overall?
posted by djgh at 2:24 AM on November 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
You could buy Paris for $50,000. That's insane.
Still, I completely understand the desire to have a wonderful time on your honeymoon, so here are my suggestions.
- You've got a lot of time before you fly. If you fly domestically lots, start trying to to fly on the carrier you will go transatlantic with (if possible) to rack up loyalty points or whatever.
- Business (or economy plus) is great for space. You get fully flat beds in business, and I would definitely spring for that over coach.
- Definitely tell everyone involved in flying that it's your honeymoon. Check-in girl, hostesses, everyone. Pick a non-busy day to fly (Tuesday or Wednesday, in my experience), and who knows - you might get a free upgrade to first if you're well dressed and polite.
- If you're spending two weeks, you could rent a really nice little flat somewhere. You'll probably want to look around Montmartre or St Germain. Alternatively, you could stay in the Ile de St Louis, which is super-central. You could even get an apartment off the Champs Elyssee.
- Personal feeling is that blowing so much money on a hotel is silly. For the cost of one night in the Georges V you could get a month in an apartment. And with the amount of money you've got to spend, you could be really picky about apartments. You could even organise a maid service (I'm sure the rental company would be happy to do this), and just eat out for every meal. How much nicer would it be to find a café for breakfast which becomes "your" café, rather than sitting in the (no doubt lovely) restaurant in a hotel?
- I would completely try and learn some French now. Being able to order in French, or even try to do so, wins you so many friends as long as you don't completely butcher it. And especially since I'm hoping you'll research restaurants other than those primed for tourists.
I know that it's appealing to fly first and stay in a 5* hotel, but in my opinion that's a complete waste. Would you rather have an incredible eight hour journey and a room in a 'name' hotel, or an incredible two week stay overall?
posted by djgh at 2:24 AM on November 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
kindall: "First class is desirable because I'm 6'3" and we're both a bit wide for comfortable seating in economy class. Is international economy class less of a cattle car situation than domestic economy class?"
Yes. British Airways or Air France economy is completely reasonable from the US. I see you're in Seattle, so you're looking at about ten hours. If you fly overnight (recommended), you'll be asleep. Also, you can normally pay for 'Economy Plus' and get everything you'd get in Business Class bar the fawning service.
Accomodation-wise, rent an apartment. In September, you'd be looking at paying high season rates, but even then you'd be getting a stunning apartment somewhere central for not a lot, compared to hotels. I mean, look at this place. Then you can take your cash, get yourself on Chowhound Paris for some incredible restuarant recommendations and get all the slick service, pampering and delightful food you can stomach.
However, I am aware that some people do go to Paris on much smaller budgets, and they seem to enjoy themselves anyway. What did you spend the last time you went, and on a scale of zero to a metric crapton, how much fun did you have? Any tips for doing it on a budget without sacrificing too much of the pleasure?
Absolutely. My wife and I go to Paris every couple of years for a few days (we're in the UK so it's a lot easier for us). We're both fairly backpackery by sentiment, so we tend to go for pretty cheap lodgings, either a Residence family-run hotel or a rented apartment. You can get a clean, pleasant-enough room for a weekend away in Paris for 50-70 EUR a night if you really want to, but for a honeymoon you're going to want a little more luxury. Accomodation-excluded, we probably budget about $120 - 160 a day for general wandering about, eating at brasseries, transport and wine (don't drink beers in France unless you're a light drinker or want to pay the premium, it's a nation of wine drinkers). For a honeymoon and a two or three week trip, you'd probably want to double that budget at least and add a couple of chunks of change for souvenir shopping and specific cultural things you're interested in.
So, say you go for two weeks and you've got $15,000 to spend.
Economy Plus tickets in mid-September next year on Air France are $2,360 right now, for both of you. Business is $3,425 and First is $4,043 for the same flight. Personally I'd save the $1 or $2k and spend it on fabulous meals, but that's your decision.
You could rent that apartment by the Sacre Couer for around $3,000.
So, you've got flights and accomodation covered for two weeks and you've still got ten grand to play with. That's $715 a day. You can live like a king in Paris on that kind of money, no-foolin'.
I guess the most important thing is what you want, as a couple, from this experience. Have a read of this article, which is a lovely evocation of some of the simple and affordable pleasures available in Paris. If that sounds lovely to you, then make your holiday a week longer (cutting your budget to $500 a day) and go bask in the City of Light. On the other hand, if your future Father In Law's fifty grand paris sounds more appealing, go for a week and go crazy.
However, I'd say one thing to you - Paris is a city built for strolling, for intimate conversations and riotous nights out. You'll find a pale imitation of many of these things in the more touristy quarters and you'll pay dearly for it. The budget you're talking about is lavish by many people's standards, while your FIL's budget is verging into 'more money than sense' for many. I'm sure he's a perfectly lovely person, but I think you'll be absolutely dandy on the budget you have in mind.
Do your research with the resources presented here and I predict you'll have a fantastic time.
So, with airfare and
posted by Happy Dave at 3:59 AM on November 30, 2010
Yes. British Airways or Air France economy is completely reasonable from the US. I see you're in Seattle, so you're looking at about ten hours. If you fly overnight (recommended), you'll be asleep. Also, you can normally pay for 'Economy Plus' and get everything you'd get in Business Class bar the fawning service.
Accomodation-wise, rent an apartment. In September, you'd be looking at paying high season rates, but even then you'd be getting a stunning apartment somewhere central for not a lot, compared to hotels. I mean, look at this place. Then you can take your cash, get yourself on Chowhound Paris for some incredible restuarant recommendations and get all the slick service, pampering and delightful food you can stomach.
However, I am aware that some people do go to Paris on much smaller budgets, and they seem to enjoy themselves anyway. What did you spend the last time you went, and on a scale of zero to a metric crapton, how much fun did you have? Any tips for doing it on a budget without sacrificing too much of the pleasure?
Absolutely. My wife and I go to Paris every couple of years for a few days (we're in the UK so it's a lot easier for us). We're both fairly backpackery by sentiment, so we tend to go for pretty cheap lodgings, either a Residence family-run hotel or a rented apartment. You can get a clean, pleasant-enough room for a weekend away in Paris for 50-70 EUR a night if you really want to, but for a honeymoon you're going to want a little more luxury. Accomodation-excluded, we probably budget about $120 - 160 a day for general wandering about, eating at brasseries, transport and wine (don't drink beers in France unless you're a light drinker or want to pay the premium, it's a nation of wine drinkers). For a honeymoon and a two or three week trip, you'd probably want to double that budget at least and add a couple of chunks of change for souvenir shopping and specific cultural things you're interested in.
So, say you go for two weeks and you've got $15,000 to spend.
Economy Plus tickets in mid-September next year on Air France are $2,360 right now, for both of you. Business is $3,425 and First is $4,043 for the same flight. Personally I'd save the $1 or $2k and spend it on fabulous meals, but that's your decision.
You could rent that apartment by the Sacre Couer for around $3,000.
So, you've got flights and accomodation covered for two weeks and you've still got ten grand to play with. That's $715 a day. You can live like a king in Paris on that kind of money, no-foolin'.
I guess the most important thing is what you want, as a couple, from this experience. Have a read of this article, which is a lovely evocation of some of the simple and affordable pleasures available in Paris. If that sounds lovely to you, then make your holiday a week longer (cutting your budget to $500 a day) and go bask in the City of Light. On the other hand, if your future Father In Law's fifty grand paris sounds more appealing, go for a week and go crazy.
However, I'd say one thing to you - Paris is a city built for strolling, for intimate conversations and riotous nights out. You'll find a pale imitation of many of these things in the more touristy quarters and you'll pay dearly for it. The budget you're talking about is lavish by many people's standards, while your FIL's budget is verging into 'more money than sense' for many. I'm sure he's a perfectly lovely person, but I think you'll be absolutely dandy on the budget you have in mind.
Do your research with the resources presented here and I predict you'll have a fantastic time.
So, with airfare and
posted by Happy Dave at 3:59 AM on November 30, 2010
Ugh, ignore that partial sentence. That'll teach me to edit on the fly.
posted by Happy Dave at 3:59 AM on November 30, 2010
posted by Happy Dave at 3:59 AM on November 30, 2010
We Antipodeans who want to go to Paris have to fly for 24 hours at least - and the vast majority of us do it in economy class, even on honeymoons. In my view, 12 hours is worth the pain for the extra money it will give you for some really awesome Michelin-starred meals and a better hotel.
International economy is much better than domestic, but if it really matters to you then Premium Economy or Business class might be a good compromise given your height.
You can also eat really well on the cheap in Paris by going to markets, buying some good bread, cheese and sausage, and setting up a picnic in a park. Far more fun than most restaurants (and way better food than the tourist-type restaurants) - I'd recommend this even if you're not trying to save money.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 4:43 AM on November 30, 2010
International economy is much better than domestic, but if it really matters to you then Premium Economy or Business class might be a good compromise given your height.
You can also eat really well on the cheap in Paris by going to markets, buying some good bread, cheese and sausage, and setting up a picnic in a park. Far more fun than most restaurants (and way better food than the tourist-type restaurants) - I'd recommend this even if you're not trying to save money.
posted by une_heure_pleine at 4:43 AM on November 30, 2010
Have you or your fiancee ever been to Europe? Or anywhere outside North America.? Knowing that would help.
I agree with what everyone else has been saying here, and then some. An over-the-top Parisian honeymoon a la your father-in-law sounds ... a bit cliche, actually. But if you want five-star luxury AND to stay for a while, you should really look at Asia. Flights from Seattle are quite manageable and you can have something interesting and memorable to look back upon.
posted by cyndigo at 10:26 AM on November 30, 2010
I agree with what everyone else has been saying here, and then some. An over-the-top Parisian honeymoon a la your father-in-law sounds ... a bit cliche, actually. But if you want five-star luxury AND to stay for a while, you should really look at Asia. Flights from Seattle are quite manageable and you can have something interesting and memorable to look back upon.
posted by cyndigo at 10:26 AM on November 30, 2010
Response by poster: This would be our first trip outside North America. Well, she's been to the Bahamas, but not anywhere else.
Thanks for all the input so far. It's been very helpful. We're thrilled to see that we can probably still make Paris happen!
posted by kindall at 12:51 PM on November 30, 2010
Thanks for all the input so far. It's been very helpful. We're thrilled to see that we can probably still make Paris happen!
posted by kindall at 12:51 PM on November 30, 2010
I've had a further thought. You could definitely rent a room in a swanky hotel for the first and/or last night in Paris - one's a "we just want everything to be super easy after our flight" and the other's more turn-on-the-Barry-White-before-we-leave-town. Might be a nice compromise - you get a taste of the 5* experience, but don't spend inordinate amounts of money on it. I would however only recommend this if you have plenty of money left over after you've planned your two weeks, with accommodation; food; tickets etc.
One other thing - you said that you wanted to skip queues etc. You can buy tickets for exhibitions and museums from Fnac (I've directed you to the find-a-store page, as it might be easier in person for you than to try and buy online), and then skip a lot of queues. For example, there's a back entrance to the Louvre only open to those who have already bought tickets. Musée d'Art Moderne also has a "I have tickets already" queue, which is generally empty.
posted by djgh at 12:57 PM on November 30, 2010
One other thing - you said that you wanted to skip queues etc. You can buy tickets for exhibitions and museums from Fnac (I've directed you to the find-a-store page, as it might be easier in person for you than to try and buy online), and then skip a lot of queues. For example, there's a back entrance to the Louvre only open to those who have already bought tickets. Musée d'Art Moderne also has a "I have tickets already" queue, which is generally empty.
posted by djgh at 12:57 PM on November 30, 2010
You can DEFINITELY make Paris happen on your budget, no worries about that. A nice hotel first and last night is a great idea, and if you want to break the bank I suggest the George V.
Renting an apartment will make you feel so chic and Parisian ... have a few cozy dinners in with things bought from the markets. Top restaurants are much more affordable for lunch than at dinner.
I stay at a friend's place now but always had good luck with RentParis.com
posted by cyndigo at 1:53 PM on November 30, 2010
Renting an apartment will make you feel so chic and Parisian ... have a few cozy dinners in with things bought from the markets. Top restaurants are much more affordable for lunch than at dinner.
I stay at a friend's place now but always had good luck with RentParis.com
posted by cyndigo at 1:53 PM on November 30, 2010
As others have said, the notion that you need anything even close to 50 grand to have an absolute ball in Paris for two weeks is so mad I not only fell out of my chair reading the suggestion, I fell out of my chair writing it down again just there. With 10 - 15 K you can live like lords there for two weeks - assuming your idea of a good time doesn't involve dining at L'Arpège every night and making regular purchases at Cartier. And if you have to sacrifice anything, sacrifice the first-class airfare. Use your money on the holiday, on Paris. The plane bit is just boring stuff to get through in order to get there.
For me, a huge part of the joy of Paris is eating at the little corner bistros where you sit outside at a ridiculously undersized table and the waiter hangs a metal ring-frame-thing on the side of said table so that he can stick your huge dish of mussels there, and you order the house wine which will be robust and punchy and delicious and incredibly inexpensive. You can get absolutely delicious three-course prix-fixe meals at these places which will cost far less than you'd pay for similar deals in New York or London.
Use the Metro. It's cheap, fast and easy to understand. But walk, too. Paris isn't that big - or at least, the central bit where most of the fun stuff is, isn't. But if you still want to spend a bit on your accommodation and get a classy, old-fashioned hotel that certainly isn't cheap (but is well within your budget) and is in a great central location (between St Michel and the river), I can tell you that idest and I have stayed at Hotel D'Aubusson twice and it's been a delight on both occasions. And if you're going for a fortnight they may very well be open to negotiating a nice cut-price deal for you. Especially if you mention it's a honeymoon.
Congratulations. And don't worry. With 10K you can have a simply tremendous holiday in Paris. Easily. Comfortably. And then some.
posted by Decani at 2:53 PM on November 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
For me, a huge part of the joy of Paris is eating at the little corner bistros where you sit outside at a ridiculously undersized table and the waiter hangs a metal ring-frame-thing on the side of said table so that he can stick your huge dish of mussels there, and you order the house wine which will be robust and punchy and delicious and incredibly inexpensive. You can get absolutely delicious three-course prix-fixe meals at these places which will cost far less than you'd pay for similar deals in New York or London.
Use the Metro. It's cheap, fast and easy to understand. But walk, too. Paris isn't that big - or at least, the central bit where most of the fun stuff is, isn't. But if you still want to spend a bit on your accommodation and get a classy, old-fashioned hotel that certainly isn't cheap (but is well within your budget) and is in a great central location (between St Michel and the river), I can tell you that idest and I have stayed at Hotel D'Aubusson twice and it's been a delight on both occasions. And if you're going for a fortnight they may very well be open to negotiating a nice cut-price deal for you. Especially if you mention it's a honeymoon.
Congratulations. And don't worry. With 10K you can have a simply tremendous holiday in Paris. Easily. Comfortably. And then some.
posted by Decani at 2:53 PM on November 30, 2010 [2 favorites]
I don't have much to add about Paris itself, but did want to mention that airfare will be less expensive if you're willing to fly to London first (have a great day and evening in London and then take the Eurostar to Paris).
As well, you can probably find reasonably priced Business First tickets to London if you're willing to connect from New York (or some other east coast city). For instance, Continental often has Business First sales at about 1800. to Heathrow, and guarantees their new flatbeds on that run (from EWR).
Finally, Hotel D'Aubusson is lovely. It's pretty, romantic and in a great area.
posted by idest at 4:01 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
As well, you can probably find reasonably priced Business First tickets to London if you're willing to connect from New York (or some other east coast city). For instance, Continental often has Business First sales at about 1800. to Heathrow, and guarantees their new flatbeds on that run (from EWR).
Finally, Hotel D'Aubusson is lovely. It's pretty, romantic and in a great area.
posted by idest at 4:01 PM on November 30, 2010 [1 favorite]
This would be our first trip outside North America
Yeah, I kind of figured something like this, given the premise of your question. Seriously, as politely as you can, stop listening to your almost-father-in-law.
The truth of the matter is, Paris is a truly magical city, the city of lights, so romantic it's a cliche.
No matter what luxe places you go, or shows you see, I guarantee the strongest memory you have is will be strolling along the Seine with your new bride wondering at the soft air and the lights. And strolling is free.
I always recommend spending a large portion of your day in cafes, watching the world go by. Don't get roped into a lot of tours.
Also, this:
For me, a huge part of the joy of Paris is eating at the little corner bistros where you sit outside at a ridiculously undersized table and the waiter hangs a metal ring-frame-thing on the side of said table so that he can stick your huge dish of mussels there, and you order the house wine which will be robust and punchy and delicious and incredibly inexpensive. You can get absolutely delicious three-course prix-fixe meals at these places which will cost far less than you'd pay for similar deals in New York or London.
I've spent a scary amount of money at some of Paris' best restaurants, but I'd want my last meal to be in one of those bistros.
You should also, if you have two weeks, try to get to Provence or the Cote D'Azur.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:48 PM on November 30, 2010
Yeah, I kind of figured something like this, given the premise of your question. Seriously, as politely as you can, stop listening to your almost-father-in-law.
The truth of the matter is, Paris is a truly magical city, the city of lights, so romantic it's a cliche.
No matter what luxe places you go, or shows you see, I guarantee the strongest memory you have is will be strolling along the Seine with your new bride wondering at the soft air and the lights. And strolling is free.
I always recommend spending a large portion of your day in cafes, watching the world go by. Don't get roped into a lot of tours.
Also, this:
For me, a huge part of the joy of Paris is eating at the little corner bistros where you sit outside at a ridiculously undersized table and the waiter hangs a metal ring-frame-thing on the side of said table so that he can stick your huge dish of mussels there, and you order the house wine which will be robust and punchy and delicious and incredibly inexpensive. You can get absolutely delicious three-course prix-fixe meals at these places which will cost far less than you'd pay for similar deals in New York or London.
I've spent a scary amount of money at some of Paris' best restaurants, but I'd want my last meal to be in one of those bistros.
You should also, if you have two weeks, try to get to Provence or the Cote D'Azur.
posted by CunningLinguist at 4:48 PM on November 30, 2010
Flying into London is brilliant! The ex and I flew into um, not Heathrow, the other one, and took a train to the train station, parked (or checked, I can't remember) our bags. We had about four hours before the Eurostar left (first class, thankyouverymuch) and hired a taxi to take us around on a quick ride. He dropped us at the pub where Dickens used to drink and we had proper fish-and-chips and a few beers. Then cabbed back to the station and trained in luxury to Paris. Our flights were MUCH cheaper than flying directly into Paris, it covered the cost of the train. Also Charles de Gaulle is a miserable airport.
posted by cyndigo at 6:01 PM on November 30, 2010
posted by cyndigo at 6:01 PM on November 30, 2010
cyndigo: "Flying into London is brilliant! The ex and I flew into um, not Heathrow, the other one, and took a train to the train station, parked (or checked, I can't remember) our bags. We had about four hours before the Eurostar left (first class, thankyouverymuch) and hired a taxi to take us around on a quick ride. He dropped us at the pub where Dickens used to drink and we had proper fish-and-chips and a few beers. Then cabbed back to the station and trained in luxury to Paris. Our flights were MUCH cheaper than flying directly into Paris, it covered the cost of the train. Also Charles de Gaulle is a miserable airport."
Yes, actually, now I think about it this makes a tremendous amount of sense. Plus taking the Eurostar is a great experience. I heartily second this notion.
Try to fly into Heathrow if you can, there's a direct 15 minute train service called the Heathrow Express which will deliver you straight into Paddington. From there it's a quick cab ride to St Pancras (I'm assuming you don't want to brave the Tube if you're doing the luxury thang, and a cab will cost about a tenner between the two stations).
posted by Happy Dave at 2:58 AM on December 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Yes, actually, now I think about it this makes a tremendous amount of sense. Plus taking the Eurostar is a great experience. I heartily second this notion.
Try to fly into Heathrow if you can, there's a direct 15 minute train service called the Heathrow Express which will deliver you straight into Paddington. From there it's a quick cab ride to St Pancras (I'm assuming you don't want to brave the Tube if you're doing the luxury thang, and a cab will cost about a tenner between the two stations).
posted by Happy Dave at 2:58 AM on December 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Corduroy at 5:40 PM on November 29, 2010