Breakfast in Paris

Typical pan aux chocolat will be about 1.20, croissant about the same, A cafe will be about 2.50 and cafe creme 3.80. (this varies by cafe typically)

You can sometimes get an omelette as well - about 4 to 5 euros

I would suggest venturing beyond your hotel because there is a vast difference in the quality of a good croissant.

Thank you Jona :)

That does sound much more atmospheric and tastier than croissants, butter, and jam, unlimited though it may be! Thank you :)

I guess the key word is "condiments". A five euro breakfast is not a bad deal folks, especially if it has unlimited coffee, as I have NEVERT seen a cafe offer that,, and at 2-3 euros a coffee that alone is worth it.

I would not be unhappy with two cups of coffee and two or three croisants or assorted breads( tartines or pain au chocolat) for 5 euros.

i can't disagree 5 euros for unlimited is a good deal, but I'm with the poster about testing the quality of all the boulangeries you encounter. For the time and money spent travelling to Paris, we aren't really looking for a bargain breakfast, but looking for bargain experiences.

My best tip for finding good food in Paris is follow the locals. Look for the pattisserie (sp?) with a bunch of locals and a staff that only speaks French. You may pay slightly more (although you'll often pay the same or less) but the quality of really good French pastries is out of this world to say the least. As for coffee, learn to love Caffe au Lait (what we might call a Latte) and recognize that much of what they call straight espresso in France is stronger than that in the US, even to someone from the Pacific NW.

"Typical" French breakfast is a croissant and either jam or cheese with coffee (black)....the hotel will be your better deal. McDonalds on the Champs Elysees also serves a mean scrambled ham and eggs with a english muffin, for a quart of blood and the birthrights of your first born child.

The McDoanalds on St Michel sold egg McMuffins for one euro three years ago.. I thought that was a great price. My teenage son would have two or three and a hot chocolate, all for under 5 euros!

Hi Andrea,

Doesn't sound like too bad a deal, especially if you want to head out early in the morning to the museums and don't want to spend too much time searching for the nearest café and/or pâtisserie (pastry shop) or boulangerie (bakery shop).

If you decide to go to a café instead, however, you might be rewarded with a much more intimate experience with the locals.

Enjoy your stay! Shawn

I have never paid extra for a continental breakfast at places I've stayed in Paris, it has usually been included in the price of where I have stayed.

If you do pay for the breakfast or get it free at your hotel, my advice would be to wrap up a couple pieces of bread or croissants in a napkin and put them in your daypack (sometimes they provide jam packets or small nutella packets also). That way as you are walking around later you can maybe stop at a cheese shop or a supermarket or fruit stand and voila- you have a snack.
Perfect for waiting in line somewhere or an impromptu meal in a park or riding the metro.

If you don't chose to get the breakfast at your hotel, I would opt to stop and get a pastry or croissant aux chocolat at a pastry shop or bakery.
Mmmm or even crepes in the street! The best crepes I've had were near the Eiffel tower- bananas and nutella...

Our was included with the hotel, but I found we didn't like it much. We like to get going early and they didn't open until later than we liked (as what the times are). Even with a serve yourself, it was time consuming waiting for coffee, etc. Their breakfast room was nice, but in the basement of the hotel and very gloomy. There were much better croissants down the street. Even though we'll have an apartment this trip, we still plan to get pastries to go on our way to the sites (the kids will love picking them out-I'll just give them a budget and let them decide)!

http://troi.cc.rochester.edu/~tdip/tomsguidetoparis.htm

Hi Andrea,

... the above is the URL for Tom's Guide to Paris. It has a section called "Eating!". (Click on it.) For me, a big part of a vacation is experimenting with the various offerings at local restaurants. Hotels seldom compare with that.
Bon Voyage / bon appétit!
... P