Free Things to do in Paris
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Paris is an expensive city. That is all I ever hear when talking about traveling there. “You don’t want to spend too many days in Paris, it is too much money.”
But did you know that there are many free things to do in Paris?
Not only are there many things to do in Paris that are free, they are actually some of the most famous sites in the entire city. What we love about Paris is that the architecture and history is so rich and interesting, that you don’t have to spend a penny to have a great time there.
Here is a list of free things that we found to do in Paris. Our friend Marie Louise that lives in Paris contributed some great ideas on free things that we didn’t get a chance to do, but they are excellent recommendations.
Free Things in Paris
- Visit Notre Dame – Entering Notre Dame is free. You can walk around and enjoy its enormous Gothic Splendor.
- See Basilique du Sacre Coeur – You get two activities in one for free here. You can enjoy the beauty of Sacre Coeur Basilica both inside and out for free and you can enjoy an amazing view of Paris from the highest point in the city for free.
- Take a free walking tour – Every day at St. Michel in the Latin Quarter and in Montmartre you can join a free walking tour of Paris.
- Go on a pub crawl – In Montmartre you can join a free pub crawl of the bars in the area. A great way to go where the locals go.
- Walk along the Champes Elysees – This is one amazing street filled with fine dining, cafés, shopping and people. It is easy to spend some time window shopping and people watching.
- Explore the famous cemeteries – The Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise is the famous resting place of Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. The Cimetiere de Montmartre is the famous resting place of Alexandre Dumas and Edgar Degas. These cemeteries are both free and very interesting.
- Jardin du Luxombourg – This amazing garden in the Mont Parnasse area is a beautiful place for a picnic. It is filled with sculptures, gardens and greenery. It is a work of art and a wonderful place to spend the afternoon.
- Free Art - Along the fence of the Jardin du Luxombourg near the Senat there are free exhibits that in another city would not be free. But this is Paris and they have world class photography right on the sidewalk!
- Go to every major site and enjoy it from the outside. The city of Paris is a work of art. Every building is breathtaking and walking around the city and enjoying the sites like The Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe and the outside of the Louvre is a very fulfilling experience.
- Go Dancing – On Sundays on the Left Bank there is free Dancing to old French music. Watch and learn from the older couples that are dancing their hearts out.
There are many free museums and art galleries in Paris and we have heard that there is free rollerblading and skateboarding that has become very popular in Paris. They close several km of City Blocks for people to merrily roll through the city.
There you have it, 10 Free things to do in Paris brought to you by Dave and Deb.
Do you have any suggestions of more free things to do in Paris? Leave a comment below with some advice. Everyone in the world can use more free things in their life.
For other tips and advice on saving money in Paris, check out our other posts below.
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Great list! Paris is indeed a rare gem among cities where anyone can enjoy it without paying a dime.
Another great place to visit that is free is the Bois de Boulogne. For some reason it was chosen for shady activity at night, but in the day time it is a paradise. The lake is beautiful – a wonderful place to spend a sunny afternoon or go for a brisk walk or run in the early morning. It’s in the 16th arrondissement, which is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in Paris.
Another great way to enjoy Paris for free is to find a host. A great resource for finding a host is Tripping.com. Through the site, you can find a host to meet you for coffee and give you the inside scoop on which of the many beautiful parks to visit, where to shop for clothes, etc. Or you can find a host who will offer you a spare room, a sofa or floor space.
Lastly, I wanted to mention that the Trocadero is beautifully lit up at night. It’s better to go with another person, as one can find shady characters there. But mostly you’ll see lots of smiling tourists and the mesmerizing beauty lighting up the night.
If you want to check out that resource website I mentioned, here is the link:
http://www.tripping.com
This was a great article, and I can’t wait to see other reader tips!
Paris, je t’aime. Tu es mon coeur.
Anis, thank you for adding some great suggestions for free things to do in Paris, we are developing a great list here that we are goign to use for reference when we go back.
The first Sunday of every month, the Louvre and other major museums are open and Free! This Saturday, all Museums in Paris are open at night and are free. All towns in France with a museum of note are also open at night and are free. This free, night opening is a once a year event. There are free Poetry readings at many of the English bookstores as well as events of meeting current authors. The American Library has a monthly program of free events with a variety of speakers, free wine, fruit juice and small snacks. At the American Cathedrale and also the American Church there are weekly music programs of all styles of music performed. These programs are also free however its kind to put in 1 Euro as a donation, but not necessary.In the summer there are free Tango classes once a week on the Quay of the Seine. Several major parks, in the summer, have Film Festivals with space to bring a blanket or chairs and a picnic lunch to enjoy. Can you just imagine watching “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and looking across the city of Paris and seeing the spires of Notre Dame? There are the Flea Markets, weekly in Paris where you can glimpse items of history that are of France. Books, Dolls, Stamps,China, cookware, vintage clothes…an endless list of fascinating objects to have an insight into the life in La Belle France!
Thanks for the great information Marie Louise, it is great for people to learn more about free stuff to do in Paris!
Thanks so much for the list. We are actually planning our trip to Europe next year. And this is the first time I’ve been to your site. I’m so bookmarking this, and I hope to see more FREE lists of things to do around England, Scotland, and Greece,
Keep up the great work!
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Hey CanadianFreeStuff. Glad this helped. We are not going to England, Scotland or Greece this trip. But we are considering coming back in late summer to cycle our way south through Europe possibly starting in the UK. We are just in the planning stages, but we will keep you posted and we will definitely keep an eye out for free stuff!
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Thanks for the tips! Paris is such a great walking city… it seems every corner has a new surprise
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Excellent suggestions. These activities seem like a great time.
Thank for the free tips. Actually that’s what I always hear about Paris too, that it’s way too expensive. Everyone always seems to really like it though.
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Try even more free things! The museums in Paris are free on the first Sunday of every month, and the jardin de Luxembourg isn’t the only great Parisian park to discover.
http://www.best5everything.com/best5ListPages/freethingsparis26546.php
Thanks for the tip Athena. And yes, there are incredible parks all over Paris. What an amazing city to hang out in.
Le Petit Palais, built for the 1900 World Fair and conveniently located by the Champs Elysees is free to the public. The building itself serves as an architectural museum, but it houses various changing collections as well as a few permanent ones, including the history of the construction of the building with great photos and sketches of Paris in 1900. There’s a great little cafe inside that overlooks the courtyard gardens. Been to France almost a dozen times and only visited for the first time in June 2011. Definitely worth a free visit!
Great blog…we are going to Paris for three days. I had been as a singleton four years previously and did exactly the same as you….this time however, my new hubby is accompanying me so i wanted to make sure we were making the best use of the time. Thank you for reminding me that most can be done free and on a budget…it is the ideal break for us before we start our trek across West Africa!
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I love these posts about finding free things to do. I have visited Paris several times and I swear the best things there are free.
Specifically, I like your opinion about just walking to the attractions and viewing them from the outside. To be honest, most of the fun is just getting there and seeing the people on the way.
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I agree, I always love finding the free things. It can be just as exciting to see the outside of the Louvre as going inside. It is such a masterpiece! and I agree, half the fun is getting there. People watching, strolling along the water, discovering a statue, eating ice cream…it makes for a lovely day.