5 Days in Paris Itinerary and Expenses

Paris on a Budget sounds impossible that I, myself, was shocked when I laid out all the possible itinerary and expenses to my husband. We were both in disbelief when we realized that traveling to one of the most romantic cities in the world could only cost a little more than our expenses in the Golden Triangle of India!

Yeah, I know I have been talking about this budget trip for quite awhile now and a lot have been waiting for me to spill the beans. So, here we go!

How much can one budget traveler spend for a 5-day trip to Paris? Roughly 3,500 AED or even less! 

The 5-Day Paris Trip Budget

For our 5-day anniversary trip to Paris, Ed and I had a total spending of more or less 7,000 AED, all-in! 

A huge chunk of the travel budget went to the air tickets, next to the food, then the accommodation. Hence, if you get the chance to stumble upon a seat sale, if you can survive Paris without being tempted to indulge in a lavish French meal, and if you are cool with sleeping in a dorm-type accommodation, you will surely spend lesser than we did!

Yes, you can see the Eiffel Tower up close on a budget! :)  

Paris Travel Expenses Breakdown

Visa application: 372 AED each
Visa Fee: 245 AED + VFS processing fee: 92 AED + SMS fee: 5 AED + Courier fee: 30 AED
Read: How we got our Schengen Visa in Dubai

Travel Insurance: 63 AED each
We got our Travel Easy Elite 1 week insurance plan from Oman Insurance through a travel agency.

Flight: 1,600 AED each
We flew from DXB to CDG via Gulf Air; one of the cheapest flights with the shortest lay-over during our travel date.

Hotel: around 1000 AED for 4 nights for 2 people
We stayed in Paris 17 Clichy-Batignolles, a sleek budget hotel in the 17th arrondissement.
Read: Where to stay in Paris?

Paris Public Transportation: 34.10 EUR = 135 AED each
We explored Paris by train. From the airport to the city and back, we took the RER B (10 EUR one-way). And while in the city, we purchased metro tickets in bulk to save 20%. One ticket costs 1.80 EUR, whereas a Carnet - a set of 10 metro tickets - only costs 14.10 EUR.

Food: around 160 EUR = 600 AED each

Paris is a foodie destination; hence it's no surprise that we spent a lot on food during the trip. A basic meal (croissant with coffee, or croque monsieur with a drink) costs less than 10 EUR. Lunch set meals typically cost 15 to 20 EUR each. Dinner in mid-range restaurants like the famous Le Relais de l'Entrecote costs 30 EUR. For a fine French dinner, the husband took me to La Fermette Marbeuf where a 5-course meal cost him 51 EUR each. 

Read: Eating my way around Paris

Attractions: 81 EUR = 315 AED each

5 days is never enough to visit all attractions in Paris, so plan your trip well and prioritize the spots you want to see. Here are the entrance fees (as of October 2016) of the attractions we visited:

Arc de Triomphe: 12 EUR
Louvre: 15 EUR
Notre Dame: 10 EUR
Saint Chapelle: 10 EUR
Sacre Couer: 6 EUR
Palais Garnier: 11 EUR
Eiffel Tower: 17 EUR

One of the awesome FREE things to do in Paris: See the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero

Our 5-Day Paris Itinerary

Day 1: Bonjour, Paris!
07:30 - Arrival at CDG. Take the RER B train to the city and the Paris Metro to the hotel.
09:00 - Check-in at Ibis Paris 17 Clichy-Batignolles
09:30 - Breakfast and rest
13:00 - Take the metro to the Eiffel Tower
14:00 - Lunch near Eiffel Tower
15:00 - Eiffel Tower to Trocadero sightseeing
17:00 - Arc de Triomphe
18:00 - Champs Elysees
19:00 - Dinner: Le Relais de l’entrecote
21:00 - Back to the hotel

Arc de Triomphe

Day 2: Left Bank to Right Bank
07:30 - Breakfast
09:00 - Take the metro to the St. Michel
09:30 - DIY walking tour in Shakespeare and Co bookstore, Latin Quarter, Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens
12:00 - Lunch
13:00 - DIY walking tour along Seine River, Pont Alexander III bridge, Grand Palais, Place de la Concorde, Tuileries Garden
18:00 - Louvre
19:30 - Dinner
21:00 - Back to the hotel

Luxembourg Gardens

Day 3: Islands in the Seine and more!
05:30 - Take the metro to Trocadero
06:30 - Sunrise at Trocadero
07:30 - Breakfast
09:00 - take the metro to Ile de la Cite
09:30 - Visit the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral and towers
11:00 - Visit Saint Chapelle
12:00 - Walk to Ile Saint Louis
12:30 - Lunch and Berthillon ice cream
14:00 - DIY Walking Tour at Le Marais
15:00 - Take the metro to Place de l’Opera
16:30 - Palais Garnier
17:30 - Galeries Lafayette
18:00 - Dinner
20:00 - Back to the hotel

Saint Chapelle

Day 4: Montmartre and Parisian Picnic
07:30 - Breakfast
09:00 - DIY Walking Tour in Montmartre (Basilique du Sacre Coeur, Place du Tertre, Le mur des je t'aime, Moulin Rouge, Café des Deux Moulins - Amelie’s Café)
13:00 - Take the picnic basket at Secret Food Tour office
13:30 - Take the train to Champ de Mars
14:00 - Parisian Picnic
16:00 - visit the Eiffel Tower
18:00 - Dinner
20:00 - Back to the hotel

Sacre Coeur

Day 5: Au revoir, Paris!
6:00 - Take the Paris Metro and RER B train to the airport
8:00 - Breakfast in the airport
11:00 - Flight to Dubai

It's time to make that Paris trip happen! :)

Planning to go? Read about our Schengen Visa Application in Dubai.

Traveling with your special someone? Here are 10 romantic things to do in Paris.
Here are more tips on how to save time and money in Paris.