Paris - the city of lights

I wish I could write a post about Paris and its free museums, but this is not going to happen anytime soon, as the museum would probably get mobbed. Nevertheless, there are cheap finds in this city of tourists, even among hotels, according to NY Times article Affordable Europe: Paris by Elaine Sciolino. The article goes on to recommend some hidden gems of restaurants and hotels, as well as some well hidden and small museums for free. Read the whole article >>>.

Ms. Sciolino also warns us that budget hotels in Paris are pretty much "Damp in winter, stuffy in summer, dark all year round" (this has become my favorite quote).

As far as her hotel recommendation goes, the pick in the NY Times matches the positive reviews in tripadvisor. However, I would go on and recommend more than one budget hotel (with surprisingly fair reviews from travelers):

- Amarys Simart
- Anjou
- Aquarelle
- Beaugrenelle
- Bellevue
- Best Western Derby Alma- Eiffel Seine
- Paris 18
- Villa des Ambassadeurs

Of course, for extra peace of mind, do not expect luxury when all you are going is for budget. Budget hotels in large cities in Europe tend to have less space available to visitors than budget hotels in the US.