How to see the best of paris for under $1,500

Few places stir my senses more than the sidewalks of Paris, crowded with cafe tables and crates of used books. That’s why I return year after year. Staying in love with the city is easy.

Staying on a budget is less so, as travelers know, especially when Paris is warm and in bloom. But it can be done — and in style, _bien sûr_. Rentals in the heart of the city get you more

for your money than hotels do. For instance, I recently searched for an apartment that was available from May 31 to June 6 and found hundreds on Airbnb, some with little balconies or

gardens, for less than $100 a night. If a hotel is a must, consider visiting in the off-season (November through March) and head farther afield to, say, the 20th arrondissement, near the

Père Lachaise Cemetery, where visitors pay homage to Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. The lively Mama Shelter Paris East has rooms by designer Philippe Starck for around $113 a night. To save

on meals, make like a Parisian and shop the markets, where you’ll discover some of France’s best cheese, yogurt, meat and fruit. At the Marché des Enfants Rouges covered market in the

historic Marais district, you can sit and savor a galette or buy the makings for a picnic in nearby Square du Temple. Meticulously arranged shop windows and stalls are so dreamy that you

won’t feel as if you’re pinching pennies if you shop for groceries or graze rather than make a reservation. Before you go, download the 99-cent Marchés de Paris app to have the locations and

opening times of all Parisian food markets at your fingertips. SPLURGE: Spend a night at the opera or ballet amid the gilded statues of the Palais Garnier, the opulent stomping grounds of

Gaston Leroux’s _The Phantom of the Opera_. Prices vary depending on the event, but a couple of mid-level seats can be had for around $200. You might also head to the Marais for crepes or

for falafel sandwiches from L’As du Fallafel. Or for affordable and surprisingly good packaged meals, stop in at a Monoprix store (it’s like a Target). Alamy Stock Photo Boat rides on the

Seine are a delightful way to soak up the architecture. A one-day Batobus boat pass ($19 per person) allows you to hop on and off in various neighborhoods. There’s no cost to walk into

cathedrals or the Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Heart) Basilica. You can visit museums for free, too, if you time it right: the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and Centre Pompidou are among those that waive

admission fees at particular times.