France captivates visitors with its iconic landmarks, world-renowned cuisine, and rich cultural heritage spanning millennia. From the romantic streets of Paris to the lavender fields of Provence, sun-soaked beaches of the Riviera to the snow-capped Alps, France offers diverse experiences for every traveler. Discover medieval villages, Gothic cathedrals, Renaissance châteaux, and contemporary art while savoring exceptional wines and cheeses.
Local currency: Euro (€) - France uses the Euro as part of the Eurozone.
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in France.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- €15-25 dorm bed
- Budget
- €50-80 budget hotel
- Midrange
- €100-180 3-star hotel
- Luxury
- €250-600+ 4-5 star hotel
Food
- Street
- €3-6 crêpe, baguette sandwich, or panini
- Local
- €12-20 café meal or bistro lunch formule
- Midrange
- €25-45 dinner at a good bistro with wine
- Fine
- €80-300+ Michelin-starred restaurant
Transport
- Bus
- €2.15 single Paris Metro/bus ticket
- Taxi
- €10-20 typical city taxi ride
- Airport
- €11-60 airport transfer to Paris
- Daytrip
- €20-50 TGV or day trip by train
Activities
- Museum
- €15-22 major Paris museums (Louvre, Musée d'Orsay)
- Sites
- €12-22 historical sites (Versailles, Mont-Saint-Michel)
- Tour
- €35-75 guided walking or food tour
- Excursion
- €80-150 full-day excursion (D-Day, Loire châteaux)
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to France costs end-to-end.
Budget traveller
€350-490/week (hostel + street food + free activities + basic transport)
Midrange traveller
€900-1,400/week (3-star hotel + restaurant lunches and dinners + museums + train travel)
Luxury traveller
€3,500-7,000+/week (5-star hotel + fine dining + private tours + business/first class travel)
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Buy a Paris Visite or Navigo Découverte weekly transport pass (€30) if visiting 3+ days — covers unlimited metro, bus, and RER travel and saves significantly on daily tickets
The Paris Museum Pass (€55/2 days, €70/4 days) covers 60+ museums and monuments with skip-the-line access — worthwhile if visiting 3+ paid museums
Eat the formule déjeuner (set lunch menu) at restaurants — typically €14-25 for two or three courses including wine, the same quality as dinner at half the price
Use Ouigo TGV trains (from €10) for budget inter-city travel — book 3 months ahead for the cheapest fares on Paris-Lyon, Paris-Marseille, and Paris-Nice routes
Stay in an apartment via Airbnb or Abritel (French equivalent) for longer stays — a kitchen allows breakfast and some meals at home, saving €20-40/day
Many French national museums are free for all visitors under 18 and EU citizens under 26 — always carry ID
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Musée du Louvre (First Sunday of month)
Entry to the world's greatest art museum is free on the first Sunday of every month, and every Friday evening for visitors under 26 from the EU.
Musée d'Orsay (First Sunday of month)
France's most beloved Impressionist collection is free the first Sunday of each month — arrive at opening to avoid queues that can reach 2 hours.
Centre Pompidou Permanent Collection (First Sunday)
Europe's largest modern art museum offers free entry to its permanent collection on the first Sunday of each month.
Jardin du Luxembourg and Tuileries
Paris's most beloved public gardens — Jardin du Luxembourg with its famous toy sailboats and Tuileries adjacent to the Louvre — are free and always open.
Walking the Seine River Banks (Paris)
The UNESCO-listed riverbanks of the Seine with Notre-Dame, Sainte-Chapelle, and the Île Saint-Louis are free to explore on foot and constitute one of the world's great urban walks.
Sacré-Cœur Basilica and Montmartre
Entry to the Sacré-Cœur basilica and the Montmartre neighborhood itself is free — climb the steps for one of Paris's best panoramas.
Père Lachaise Cemetery
Paris's most famous cemetery is free to visit and contains the graves of Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Édith Piaf, Molière, and hundreds of historic figures — fascinating for history buffs.
Beach Access (French Riviera and Atlantic Coast)
All public beaches in France are free — only private beach club sections charge fees. The Nice Promenade des Anglais is entirely free public beach.
Fête de la Musique (June 21)
France's national music day features thousands of free outdoor concerts across every town on June 21st — the best free event on the French calendar.
Village Markets (Most Towns)
Weekly markets are free to browse and ideal for sampling regional foods. Saturday morning in Nice, Lyon, Aix-en-Provence, or any French town provides authentic cultural immersion.