Money in Paris

How long is a piece of string? In other words, impossible to answer without more information. What sights do you have in mind? Do the sights you have in mind charge entry fees? Do you not plan to have any proper meals, just "light snacks"? How would you define a light snack? Will you be drinking any wine? Will you stop at a café for a coffee or a hot chocolate? How often in a day do you think you would use the metro or buses?

Norma has asked GREAT questions. :-) What I would add is - in Paris, it's always more expensive than you think it will be. I am a Big Bad Bargain seeker, and can make a twenty dollar bill cry in pain as I streeeeeeeeeetch it out. And I am always just a tad shocked by how fast money goes in Paris. I would budget based on Norma's questions - that is, figure out how many metros/buses you will take, how many times you will likely want to sit down and have food/drink, how many sights you want to see and how much they will cost, do the math, and then add 25%.

Julie, you could probably get by on 25 Euro per day if you really watch your pennies and don't include meals, just light snacks, like a slice of pizza, a grilled cheese and ham sandwich, a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone with one tiny scoop. Obviously, more is better. You can save some money by buying a carnet of metro/bus tickets (a group of ten). Breakfast alone can cost you about 10 Euro. It's rarely included in the price of your room.

Yes - I didn't specify - but you can save by buying the carnet of tickets for transportation - and you can save even more by walking! Paris is an extremely walkable city, and if you "clump" your sightseeing, you can even pare down the walking to the bare minimum! Something else to consider - don't go to cafes or restaurants - stick to places like Monoprix and get basics, then picnic! You can get a decent drinkable red for under 3 Euros, a baguette for 80 cents to 1 Euro, some cheese for a couple of Euros... cheap and cheerful!

We never eat a proper breakfast while in Paris. There is always a nearby patisserie with pain du chocolat, brioche suisse, or an escargot, not actual snails but a delightful sweet roll. Ummmmm....... I'm still trying to lose those extra pounds from last month's "breakfasts". We often do picnics in the parks or grab a crepe or sandwich for lunch, and it won't cost you over 10 Euros/day, depending on what you drink at meals. There are shops around that sell sodas, sandwiches, chips, wine, cheeses, etc. You won't go hungry. We like to frequent street markets and buy snacks there--cheese, bread, summer sausage. It's all good and not too costly.

Julie, Julie, Julie, where are you? Were our responses at all helpful? Can you add any details to your post so we can come up with better advice? (I do hate it when someone posts a question, gets lots of replies and never acknowledges them. It's like talking to a wall. Oh, well.)

Thank you for all your responses. Sorry it has taken me so long to answer back... I have been crazy busy. Monoprix sounds like a perfect option for me. As does Kira's idea of adding up the food, sights, etc, and then adding an extra 25%. I will usually only need to use the metro twice a day, but never more than 4 times/day. So, I think I will use the carnet .
Thank you all very much!

Yeah, I am also agree with Norma Its all depend on your needs, though you are talking about basics, everybody's needs are different. Julie, please add your updates.

Monoprix is a really good resource, as are the small shops that sell baquette sandwiches. These are just plain delicious and reasonable. A carnet of Metro tix is a good idea. Dinner can also be reasonable if you look for plain, homey little bar/bistros that look as though a lot of locals are sitting in.

Julie, I recommend the open air markets for fresh fruit, sausages, cheese, bread. Also market streets serve the same purpose. Find small parks for picnicing. Many locals eat their sandwich baguette on their lunch hour there, great people watching. I agree with other posters to walk, buy the 10 tix for transportation. Enjoy Paris.