Travel on a Budget websites
Today we have this websites first ever guest post contributor and i’m lucky to have such an awesome person to claim that title. Elena from Elena’s Travelgram will be taking us through how to travel through France and save a boat load of money so we can spend what we save on delicious wine and cheese! Please be sure to check out her website for tips, advice, city guides and more! Enter Elena.
France – the gorgeous land of Art, cheese, wine, insanely narrow crooked lanes and stylish ladies walking down the streets in a beret with a baguette.
Bet at least once in your life you had thoughts about visiting Paris. Quoting endlessly chic Audrey Hepburn “Paris is always a good idea”…till you see the average hotel price tag and the cost of going up the Eiffel tower.
I may not be Audrey, but I do have a few good ideas for you too. So, here’s how you can make an epic grand voyage around France without breaking the bank.
Reducing Transportation Costs:
Traveling around France is super easy and takes way less time than you think! You can cross the country from North to South for around 8 hours on a high-speed TGV train.
I find French railroad to be super-efficient (unless they are on strike) with numerous routes, allowing you to get to the tiniest villages and remote alpine towns. TGV trains are fast (up to 300 km per hour), so a trip from Paris to Lyon will take just 2 hours!
Now the thing is, train tickets are pretty expensive.
Unless you know a few tricks:
- If you are under 27, get Carte Jeune
It costs 50 euros (ouch!), but believe me it will save you hundreds!
A quick example: one-way ticket Paris to Lyon on Dec, 22th w/o card 64.00 euro. With card – 48€. Return tickets with card – around 40€ in savings.
Carte Jeune is valid for a year, so it’s a great value for money deal if you plan visiting France a few times or seriously roaming around for quite a while.
Discounts also apply to foreign destinations operated by SNCF: Switzerland Eurostar to/from London, The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
To get the card: locate the nearest SNCF boutique, bring your passport and a passport-sized photo, plus be ready to answer a few simple questions in French like your name, surname and date of birth.
- Opt for low-cost train service
A few years ago SNCF introduced Ouigo – French low-cost, high-speed railway. Now the trains are not as comfy as TGV and you have to pay extra for your big luggage, or a seat near the socket….but who cares?!
You can get from Paris to Marseille for just 10 euros one way!
The only drawback is that Ouigo operates a limited amount of destinations.
Sharing car rides:
You register an account, find a driver going to your destination at a suitable time, make all the arrangements and travel together from point A to point B for a really lucrative price.
Say a trip from Paris to Dijon will cost you from 11€ to 20€. That’s 4 euro cents for one kilometer!
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