Earlier we wrote a post about the cost of visiting different countries that ranged from 7€ a day in Laos up to 300€ and more in the Caribbean. Western European vacations fell somewhere in the middle and blog reader Rich took on the challenge when he saw that in France the price would be 178€ for food and a place to sleep. His enthusiasm inspired today’s subject that revolves around finding a good deal or making them ourselves. Because all of our US to France vacations always started and ended with nights in Paris, that’s where we got our introduction to the words “good value”. 

It was the book, “Insider Paris Guide for Good Value Restaurants” that got us realizing that quality food didn’t have to come with an outrageous price, even in the nation’s capital. Author Adrian Leeds emphasised that her choices weren’t necessarily cheap but would always offer tasty meals at an affordable price. While the book doesn’t seem to be available any longer, we now have a do-it-yourself version thanks to Google maps. In a few seconds Bill can designate the city we’re going to visit, zoom in on the neighborhood where we’ll be staying, display all of the restaurants in that area, and then narrow the choices by price, customer reviews, type of cuisine, and even opening hours. If there’s a “restaurant row” we can go there in-person and compare the daily specials and prix-fixe menus on display from one to another, always verifying the customer reviews before booking.

Understanding the hotel star rating system in Europe, which can vary from one country to another, helps to make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth based on your budget. It’s a progressive scale where a 1-star hotel will provide basic necessities, while a 5-star hotel will offer a comprehensive range of luxury amenities and services. Travel writer Rick Steves typically suggests that a 2-star accommodation (booking site Kayak gives Comfort Inn or La Quinta as examples) will give you a pleasant stay at a good price. I’ll attach a pdf with more details of what to expect in France within each category.

Now with a place to stay, let’s go back to that city map to look for nearby bakeries, markets, and grocery stores. Fresh breads and pastries make great hotel room or early morning train breakfasts. Since we’re usually sightseeing during the day, we like to eat lunch at a restaurant while we’re out and just relax for the evening once we get back to the hotel or apartment. Fresh fruits and vegetables and a bottle of wine make a great end to the day. As a bonus in France, in an effort to avoid throwing away perfectly good food, stores often reduce the price of items approaching their sell-by date.

Let’s take one more glance at that city map, this time to plot out a walking itinerary. Once we decide on a city to explore, I start with an internet search that includes “Top 10…city name” that generates a list of the most popular attractions plus plenty of ideas from other bloggers who have already planned out a route. We often find that museums have a free entry day or hours and might be included on a “city tourist pass” combined with other sites that can pay off if you plan to visit several on the list.

We’re not campers but a few items that we’ve found in sporting goods stores have made a difference. A collapsible silicone filter holder means that we can brew our favorite coffee directly into a thermos to enjoy in the hotel or on an early morning train. With sturdy acrylic glasses we can drink water and wine with no breakage concerns. Lightweight metal plates and cutlery expand our dining choices far beyond sandwiches and chips. Travel laundry detergent sheets and an equally small clothes line take care of any spills and stains.

So, do we adhere to all of these tips on every trip? No. Sometimes there’s a splurge but even then it’s also while looking for a good value given the added expense. We might opt for a larger room or book a guided walking tour, for instance, if we think it’s worth the price. The one thing that we always do, however, is plan in advance where we’re going, what we want to see, and the restaurants we want to enjoy. That’s half the fun of the trip!

Photo note: While on our own self-guided walking tour in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris, Bill took today’s featured photo of artists in Place du Tetre and then the windmill at Moulin Rouge in the first paragraph.

Hotel star rating system in France (6 pages) pdf