Budget — France

Travelling in France is affordable on a Western European budget, but the gap between Paris/Riviera and the regions is significant. The reference budget of €120/day/person assumes comfortable travel in the regions (outside Paris): a three-star hotel or characterful guesthouse (€70-130/night for two), bistro lunch (€15-25/person) and traditional restaurant dinner (€30-50/person), with museums and transport included.

In Paris and on the Riviera, allow €150-200/day for the same standard: three-star hotel at €110-180/night, lunch €20-30/person, dinner €40-65/person. A backpacker can manage on €70-80/day in the regions and €100-120/day in Paris: hostel or simple B&B (€30-60/night), popular restaurants and bakeries, public transport. Luxury travel (Parisian palaces, starred restaurants, Provence villas) easily climbs past €500-800/day.

By category: accommodation (35-45% of budget) — hostel €25-50/bed, B&B €60-100/night, three-star hotel €90-180, boutique hotel €150-300, Parisian palace €800-2,000. Food and drink (25-30%) — bakery €5-10, brasserie €18-30/person, traditional restaurant €30-55, Michelin-starred €80-200. Museums (10-15%) — Louvre €22, Orsay €16, Versailles €19.50, Eiffel Tower €14-30 depending on level, Sainte-Chapelle €11.50. Internal transport (15-20%) — TGV Paris-Marseille €50-130, Paris metro (10-ticket carnet) €16.90, car rental €35-70/day.

A few practical pointers. Tipping is not mandatory (service is included in displayed prices) but 5-10% at restaurants if satisfied is appreciated. A local SIM is unnecessary for European travellers (free EU roaming since 2017); for others, Orange, Bouygues and Free offer prepaid bundles from €20. Museum passes such as the Paris Museum Pass (€52 for 2 days, €70 for 4 days) pay off from three museums and grant skip-the-line access to 50 Parisian sites. EU under-26s enter all French national museums free — bring ID.