Cheap trip to France: how to save movey while traveling

France is a country of romance, delicious wine, incredible delicacies, small hotel rooms and interesting institutions. Many people refuse to travel in this country because of the high prices on almost everything from food to entertainment. However, knowing a few tips, you can have a budget vacation in Paris, Provence or any other region of the state.

Think carefully about the route

Most tourists, in order to get to France, buy tickets for flights to the country's largest airport named after Charles de Gaulle. And here's your first mistake, which will cost you more than a hundred euros.

It is better to opt for other airports. For example, there are budget options in Marseille, Nice and even Paris. You just need to spend a little more time to build an itinerary.

It will be even cheaper to get here by bus or train. Fortunately, Europe has a well-developed infrastructure, so this option will be an excellent analogue to an expensive flight.

Travel in the off-season

It is believed that the best time to travel to France is summer. But this is absolute nonsense. During this period, the country is filled with thousands of tourists. There are kilometer-long lines everywhere, the streets are always loud, and pickpockets watch the crowd. Also in the warmer months the cost of travel increases several times.

We advise to choose for a trip in May or September. The weather at this time is almost summer, there is almost no rain, as well as tourists. This will save you a significant part of the budget and allow you to enjoy your vacation to the fullest.

Opt for fixed-price, ready-to-eat lunches

Most French eateries offer fixed-price lunches. In a country where you can easily pay half your salary for one meal, a set of first, second and a glass of wine can cost you as little as 25-30 euros. The same offers exist for dinner.

If this is not your option, you can safely enter the local bistros. Some of them have a very good selection of dishes: from light salads to meat and seafood.

Take a walk through the local markets

Markets in France are a special kind of love. They sell organic fruits and vegetables, fresh (and even cooked) seafood, meats from small farmers, homemade sweets, delicious pastries, and more.

We recommend grabbing a bottle of local wine, buying grapes, chocolate and cheese and heading out for a picnic. By the way, you can arrange it almost anywhere. While vacationing in France, you will see hundreds of people sitting on the lawns of parks and near the famous attractions. It's commonplace here.

Don't buy wine in stores

Only tourists do this, because locals know that the most delicious and cheapest wines should be bought directly from wineries. Their list with exact addresses can be found on the Internet. All you need to do is to come to the place, taste several kinds of this drink and choose the one you like best. And if you take your own bottle with you, you will pay little. So a liter of wine will cost you about 2-4 euros.

Choose your lodgings carefully

It's no secret that hotels (and apartments) in France are very small and expensive. So the choice of housing should be taken seriously in order not to overpay. Thus, a family of 2-3 people can stay in a double room and ask for two separate beds or an extra bed for a child.

Large families are better to choose apartments with its own kitchen, it turns out much more budget-friendly and comfortable.

Buy a tourist pass

If you plan to visit many sights and museums, you should go to the tourist office of the city where you are staying and buy a season ticket. Such services are available in almost every region of France. This will allow you to save significantly on tickets, especially if you are traveling in a large group.

Also, do not forget that some museums have open days, when you can visit them for free. Do not miss this opportunity.

For students and seniors there are permanent discounts. The main thing is to have a certificate confirming this status.

Move around the country by train

You can get to any city in France by train. This is the cheapest and most comfortable option, especially for those who know about the current system of discounts. So from Friday evening to Monday morning you can get tickets with discounts of up to 90%. And that's not all! There are season tickets for travel, discounts for large companies, promotional offers that will allow you to save a lot of money.

The average cost of a vacation in France:

• Hostel room: €18-30
• Budget double room: €60-90
• prepared lunches: €20-40
• Dinner at a mid-range restaurant: €65-150
• Public transport ticket: €1-7.50
• Glass of wine: €3-17

OBOZREVATEL previously told about the best routes in Europe for road travel.

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