Budget Paris City Tour

Life is more and more expensive but everyone needs vacation... Here is some tip if you want to spend romantic gateaway in Paris without ruining your wallet. The most important thing is to arrive in Paris by whatever your means of transportation, I give some suggestion only when you arrive in Paris :

1. TIME,  travel only at low season as the hotels are cheaper and it's more convenient to do your city tour as there are not many people around. Avoid July-August and the period of Christmas.
2. ACCOMODATION, hotel is very expensive in Paris, especially those in tourism area such as Eiffel Tower or Champs Elysée. Considering  less crowded area, as long as there is bus stop or subway station nearby. Try a studio apartement if you travel by two or apartment if you travel with family. It will save more money cause you can  prepare your own meal during your vacation. Check out this Homeaway
3. MEAL, for breakfast you can go to the viennoiserie or sandwicherie, try franchise one for cheaper price, such as: Mie Caline, La Croissanterie, Paul or even Mccafé. You can simply buy sandwiches & water at supermarket for lunch which is cheaper than ham sandwich at tourism spot . You prepare your own French Dinner at the apartement too, all you need is  French Baguette about 1€ from closest Boulangerie and prepared French food at  supermarket at about 3€ per portion for good quality meal like Beef Bourguignon. Buy the quality one, you can tell by the price, put them in  microwave, serve with red wine at about 3€ a bottle. Total of 10€ for dinner for two !  The leftover you can gril for breakfast the next morning. Tips : there are many scams in Paris just like in other cities, some restaurants serve microwaved meal for their client, so you'd better prepare them yourself and pay half price.
4. TRANSPORT, the cheapest way to go around Paris is by METRO. The package MOBILIS (validity one day), you can get in and out as many time as you want, I recommend take three zones from 1-3 at 8.55€. The other package is PARIS VISITE (validity 1-5 days depending on price) at 15.85€ for two days pass. There is a site of interactive map of Paris Subway. How to use this map? First : click on FIND ON MAP, type the name of the station you want to take, click on it & move the Green Flag on top. Second : click again FIND ON MAP, type the name of station you want to stop, click on it & move the Red Flag on top. Then under on the left side, you see the tab ROUTE is blinking, click on it. Copy everything : the top is the name of STATION you will stop, under is Line Number from M1 to M16 be careful as there are 16 lines ! and below is the name of TERMINUS Station. It's easy if you follow all this. Do not follow the people who seemed always in rush, follow your NOTES !!  Beware always with pickpockets and scams... Most of destinations in Paris put the name of metro station nearby on their website. 
5. CITY TOUR, when travelling I buy a ticket of Sightseeing Bus for 2 days. It's very useful cause the buses are clean, practise and have auto-guide in several languages. You can hop on & off the bus wherever you want and whenever you want. Just check out the schedule, route and rate depending on your availability. There are many operators such as : Cars Rouges, Paris Open Tour, or Bato Bus (for more unique experience, boat bus along Seine River). All trips above are not included  entry tickets to each tourism attraction. Otherwise (I've never tried this one) buy PARIS PASS at 99€ per person, that you can get access to 55 Parisian Monuments & Museums (except Eiffel Tower), free subway & bus fee and Sightseeing Bus operated by 'Car Rouge' which could be a good bargain and avoiding you to take a queue to buy entry ticket.

Here  I will give a simulation if you travel to Paris for 3 days during low season with your love one :

1. Accomodations reserved from  Homeaway : 2 nights at an apartement in Montmartre area only 3 minutes from subway station at 132€ for two nights
2. Paris Pass Visit 104€ per person : includes City Tour & certain entrance (not including Eiffel Tower entrance)  2 days hop on Double Decker Red Bus 208€ for two
3. Meals : 75€ for two during three days

Total of 415€ for three days two nights in Paris !

Paris Je t'aime....