The City of Light needs no marketing ploy to entice visitors, in fact the French capital frequently tops the most visited destinations on an annual basis. With that in mind here are 3 steals, 2 spends and 1 splurge for those on their way to Paris.

3 Steals

Sleep: Hôtel Eldorado

Located on Rue des Dames near Montmatre the Hôtel Eldorado is a reasonably priced gem of a hotel situated in a beautiful garden on a picturesque Parisian street. Single rooms cost 60 euros and breakfast is an additional 9 euros, there’s free WiFi and if you’re lucky enough to get a garden view room you’ll feel like you’re deep in the French countryside. The hotel has it’s own restaurant and is only a stone’s throw away from the Moulin Rouge and the Sacre Coeur – perhaps best of all, the reception has it’s very own lucky black cat to greet you!

Eat: Café des Deux Moulins

Remember that film Amélie? And remember the café in that film? Well this is it. Not only will your inner film buff have a field day but your tastebuds will be treated too and without breaking the bank either. Apart from posters of the movie and pictures of Audrey Tatou adorning most of the walls the rest of the interior has changed little since it’s inception in the 1950s. The menu features classic French and Parisian items such as baked Camembert with honey and thyme – yum.

Shop: Tati

Okay, so Tati isn’t unique to Paris, in fact, it can be found up and down the whole of France as it’s the country’s cheapest department store. It may not offer bespoke items or expensive souvenirs like many of the city’s finer stores but there’s something for everyone hidden inside and the iconic pink and white carrier bag has become something of a souvenir in itself.

 

2 Spends

Sleep: Hôtel du Petit Moulin

This hotel may be a little on the pricey side but the hotel is so unique that exploring it alone is a day well spent. It’s situated in what was once the first bakery in Paris, Victor Hugo himself bought baguettes there – these days it’s a quirky, artsy, fun house of a hotel with each room uniquely designed.

Eat: Ladurée

Part café, part cake shop, Ladurée serves some of the best macarons Paris has to offer. The tea room on rue Royale has made little change to it’s interior since 1862 and sitting inside will transport you through time. The macarons can be eaten in or as a take-away and you can order boxes of them as a treat too with flavors ranging from salted butter caramel to rose petal.

1 Splurge

Shop: Chanel

Paris is home to some of the world’s top designer stores; Louis Vuitton, Come des Garçons, Hermès, but a real trip to Paris would be incomplete without visiting the Chanel flagship store on rue Cambon. Even the exterior screams luxury and anything you buy will be a splurge of epic proportions. Just remember; ‘fashion comes and goes. Style stays.’