Cheap Paris
Enjoy the capital for less - low-cost and free things to do and see
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Cheap eats
The best restaurants in Paris for those with big appetites but small budgets
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Art that's free to see
The capital is saturated with easily accessible art. Dig out the masterpieces that won't cost you a cent...
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Museums that don't charge
A museum dedicated to perfume, a former Paris mint, an aerospace showcase at Le Bourget Airport and Victor Hugo's old house - discover the wealth of collected Parisian heritage...
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Paris' best cheap bars...
Check this list of bars, where beer, wine and cocktails won't ruin your wallet - as for your liver, that's another matter...
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Wallet-friendly sights and attractions
Many of Paris's most iconic buildings and gardens are mercifully free of charge. Peruse more than 50 thrifty sightseeing highlights...
Museums: Free 1st Sunday of the Month...
The Centre Pompidou
The primary colours, exposed pipes and air ducts make the Centre Pompidou one of the best-known sights in Paris. The then-unknown Italo-British architectural duo of Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers won the competition with their 'inside-out' boilerhouse approach, which put air-conditioning, pipes, lifts and the escalators on the outside, leaving an adaptable space within. The multi-disciplinary...
Musée du Quai Branly
Surrounded by trees on the banks of the Seine, this museum, housed in an extraordinary building by Jean Nouvel, is a vast showcase for non-European cultures. Dedicated to the ethnic art of Africa, Oceania, Asia and the Americas, it joins together the collections of the Musée des Arts d'Afrique et d'Océanie and the Laboratoire d'Ethnologie du Musée de l'Homme, as well as contemporary indigenous...
Musée National Gustave Moreau
This wonderful museum combines the small private apartment of Symbolist painter Gustave Moreau (1826-98) with the vast gallery he built to display his work - set out as a museum by the painter himself, and opened in 1903. Downstairs shows his obsessive collector's nature with family portraits, Grand Tour souvenirs and a boudoir devoted to the object of his unrequited love, Alexandrine...
Musée National Rodin
The Rodin museum occupies the hôtel particulier where the sculptor lived in the final years of his life. The Kiss, the Cathedral, the Walking Man, portrait busts and early terracottas are exhibited indoors, as are many of the individual figures or small groups that also appear on the Gates of Hell.Rodin's works are accompanied by several pieces by his mistress and pupil, Camille Claudel. The...
Theatre: Finding the cheap seats...
La Loge
In a hidden courtyard (reminiscent of Swiss chalets) off rue de Charonne, the 100-seater La Loge offers performances that merge theatre, dance and music. Every summer, the “Summer of Loge” festival invites eight theatre companies for performances, followed by post-show festivities that have previously included pyjama parties and concerts. The rest of the year, from Tuesday to Thursday, there are...
Essaïon Théâtre
Situated in the medieval cellars of an old hotel, l’Essaion takes you deep into Paris’ underbelly for cabaret and theatre productions. There are a few classics on the bill, but the programme mostly leans towards contemporary creations – from comedy to tragedy. L’Essaion also caters well for children, with a selection of quality shows for the younger audience (in French).
Ménagerie de Verre
La Ménagerie de Verre is an edgy multidisciplinary arts centre (set in a former printing works), rooted in the avant-garde, with performances that mix theatre, dance, video and contemporary art. Director, Marie-Therese Allier, calls this ‘the research laboratory’, so you get the gist: the more experimental the better. There are regular workshops too, taught by a stream of respected international...
Kiosque Théâtre
Whether you're broke, or just fancy letting serendipty decide which show you'll see, the Kiosque Théâtre is a half-price ticket office for same-day performances in comedy, stand-up, cabaret and highbrow theatre. The main Kiosque is at Madeleine (opposite n° 15 place de la Madeleine), but you'll also find stands at Ternes (middle of the square by the Métro exit) and Montparnasse, in front of the...
Film: Cinema tickets under €7.20...
More cinemas...
Free fun for all the family...
More free family fun...
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Free tickets, exclusive offers and the best of what's on in Paris – from the Time Out team