Honeymoon in Paris Aug 2012

Tania, you didn't say, so I will assume you are not including airfare in that budget,, is this correct. You can find perfectly decent accomadation in central Paris for about 100 euros a night,, sometimes less,, but the trick is BOOK SOONER rather then later. Same with a train ticket to Nice, its too early to book those now, you have to book 90 days in advance. I saw train fares for as low as 35 euros one way. Check out these hotels Hotel College Du France Hotel Diana Hotel St Pierre( the one in the 5th) Hotel Eugenie( may be bit over 100 but look for stpecials) Hotel Tourisme
Look on hotel websites directly. Food should run about 50 euros a day each, you can go cheaper, and of course you could spend 5 times that if going for fancy. If you rent an apartment you can make some food at home, look at Parisbestlodge,, they have some cute places in good areas,, and the kitchen as I said will save money... I am renting from them this summer, like that you don't have to pay up front, just a post dated check for deposit, and they have an excellant reputation( just google reviews for -----) on any of these recommendations. Good luck.

Is airfare included in the $6,500? If so, figure about $3000 for that. On the $3500 remaining, if you are frugal and keep all expenses to $250 a day or less, you could enjoy France for 12-14 days. If you want a little more luxury, make it a week to 10 days. Study guidebooks, make advance train reservations, research inexpensive lodgings, and see what you can work out. The Rick Steves guidebooks are good for this. I'm looking into renting a room/studio in Paris through airbnb.com. You might look there for places to stay inexpensively.

August is the busiest month of the year on the Riviera. If you want to go there, you need to reserve as soon as possible.

Tania, August is often one of the busiest times in Europe, as it's "peak tourist season". There will be crowds at the major sights, and often long queues! I'd suggest getting Hotels booked as soon as possible! I would highly recommend picking up a copy of the France or Paris Guidebooks, as those are a fantastic resource for not only planning Hotels and restaurants, but also sightseeing and transportation. I have the same question as others have mentioned - does your $6500 budget include the airfares??? If you're only left with $3500 for expenses, that's only about €2680 so you'll need to plan carefully. I'd suggest buying a Paris Museum Pass (perhaps the two-day version) as that will save a lot of time in queues. You might also want to pre-book your trip up the Eiffel Tower (I'm assuming you're planning to visit that?). Good luck with your planning!

It you're looking at Paris (which I think is one of the most romantic cities in Europe) you can save a bundle if you do a rental apartment, instead of hotels. You then buy wonderful local food (much better than restaurants) and have the privacy of a private home, all for less than a hotel. VacationsinParis.com rents great apartments across the City. Many start at $100 a night, and I've shopped for food for two people at $40 a day. Best of luck on your wedding and honeymoon trip!

i really second everyone's suggestions that renting an apartment is really going to be the best way to do it on a budget. eating cheaply in paris is possible but it's a real challenge, and doesn't always work out. when it's hot and you're tired and you've been walking all day and the only thing around you are expensive places...it's easy to just say "screw it" and end up eating at the place with the 17 euro lunch plates and 7 euro beer. before you know it, you've spent more on lunch than you were planning on for dinner. obviously they are affordable places to eat but they're just not always convenient to where you will be. planning in advance and sticking to picnicking, getting sandwiches at bakeries, that sort of thing will help you save money but an apartment will help offset food costs and be cheaper than a hotel in most cases. but in general your money won't go as far in france as it would in some other places - like spain, greece, germany. if you're set on france though you can make it work with your budget, careful planning will be key.

Thanks everyone for all your advice! While renting seems like a great idea, I am not a very good cook so I think its better that we go out to eat ! I would love to take a cooking class though so if anyone has any suggestions id love to hear about it. Has anyone been to a perfumerie in paris? Is it worth it?

Tania,, there are lots of good affordable places to eat, and frankly , although I have rented an apartment for the first time for this summer( I actually prefer hotels but won't go into my changed venue for this year) I love eating out, and I am not a better cook then what I can usually get dining out, plus food shopping, cooking and doing dishes on a honeymoon, yech.. I will do breakfast in , and use the fridge for wine and cheese though! But, many hotels have mini fridges anyways.

Actually, renting an apartment doesn't mean you have to cook but it is nice to have a fridge, coffee maker, etc. I ate a number of great meals in the apartment that involved no cooking. Bought roast chicken and potatoes at the market one night. Had several lunches of baguette and cheese and wine. Got croissants or quiche at the bakery, and so on. There are lots of great prepared French foods that require no cooking and can help you keep to the budget.

I love staying in apartments in Europe. For the same price (or less), you get much more room. European hotel rooms can be pretty small. When traveling, that extra space can be very nice. And as others have noted, you can have coffee and a light breakfast in the apartment while getting ready for the day. You can eat your "big meal" at lunch when you are out and about. Then have a light dinner from a local market back at the apartment. I think it makes for a very relaxing trip.