How to travel to Paris and NOT fight with your spouse about money

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I am happy to report that we are spending less than we budgeted–it looks like we won’t have to whip out our credit card even once while we’re in Paris. However, quitting our jobs and moving here, as we are currently inspired to do, would certainly be a budget-buster. Don’t worry, mom, it probably won’t happen, but the cheese alone is almost enough to inspire a trans-Atlantic relocation.

So how do you travel in Europe when the dollar is sinking as quickly as Barack Obama’s lead in the polls? Here are a few money-related lessons we’ve learned so far:

Don’t scrimp on laundry. It’s probably worth paying someone to do your laundry for you. Yesterday we tried to do laundry in the little washing machine in the apartment we’re staying in. We ended up running the load three times because we couldn’t figure out how the rinse and spin cycles worked. Now our clothes have been hanging up to dry for almost 24 hours. They’re still wet, and still a little soapy. But we were lucky; when my dad was in France, his laundry got stuck in the machine and he didn’t get it back for three months. Savings: maybe $20. Clean underwear supply: dangerously low.

DEFINITELY do a home exchange. Doing a home exchange was probably the smartest travel decision we ever made. We met a nice couple on Craig’s List. Risky? Yes. We feared we would end up sleeping on the streets. But they came through and met us at their front door just like they said they would. They have a small but perfectly nice studio. It’s much nicer than a hotel and it’s completely free. Savings: about $800.

Take it slow. Don’t walk so much that you’re so tired you have to take a cab home. On our first day, we went to Sacre Coeur. I think we must have walked 8 hours, which is good, fitness-wise (see above re: cheese). But I felt like I had just biked 50 miles. We couldn’t face the train and took a cab back to the Latin Quarter, where we’re staying. Cost: about $30.   

Don’t fall for the fixed-price menu. It seems like such a good deal. But remember, it’s 10 o’clock at night. You don’t really need an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert. The steak and bernaise sauce will sit in your stomach until 4 a.m. The creme brulee will keep them company. They will be having a good time, laughing at you.

Buy an updated travel guide. You think we’d have learned this last year in Greece, when the prices were all twice as high as our three-year-old Lonely Planet suggested. This time, we bought an updated Lonely Planet guide to Paris. But we also brought a borrowed copy of A Food Lover’s Guide To Paris. It’s so old that the prices are listed in Francs. We’ve trekked to a number of restaurants that aren’t even there anymore. Savings: $20. Wasted hours: at least two.  

Don’t keep your budget too tight. Last year, we went to Greece; it cost twice as much as we expected, and we spent the whole time stressed and fighting about money. We didn’t want to do that here, so we saved enough money to have a good time. And we haven’t fought once.

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Tags: budget travel, budgeting, Europe, Paris, saving, spending, travel