Best of Paris on any budget

FROM the best shops to the hottest entertainment - these tips will help you discover all the charms of Paris in style.

Be sure to take in the sights of the Louvre while you're in the City of Love. Picture: AFP

WHETHER you're on a budget or want to really have a blow-out, it's easy to discover the charms of Paris.

From entertainment hotspots to the best places to eat and shop, these tips have your trip covered.

ENTERTAIN ME
Budget
Au Lapin Agile (the nimble rabbit) Cabaret: Duck your head or you'll hit it as you enter the tiny doorway of this dimly lit but lively turn-of-the-century venue. Leave your inhibitions outside, pull up a wooden stool, try the lethal house brew of cherry brandy and get stuck into a night of bawdy French ballads, Parisian love songs (think Piaf) and sea shanties in the city's oldest bar-cabaret. Don't expect any English translations because you're here for the authentic glimpse of Paris past, and the bonhomie will have you belting out the songs in a language all your own. Cheesy? Sure. But for j24 ($A35) including a brew, it's the best fun to be had once night falls.
Where: Rue des Saules, Montmartre.
More: www.au-lapinagile.com

Blow-out
Lido de Paris: If you're after all the razzle-dazzle of a big-city show, the Lido is like Las Vegas in Paris. Billed as the most famous cabaret on Earth, the Lido was famous for its once risqué Bluebell girls. The near nudity is no longer shocking but the Bluebells are still bigger than ever judging by the nightly queues around the block to get into the mind-blowing venue with tiered seating for 1150. Elton John, Shirley Maclaine and even Laurel and Hardy have graced the stage since it opened in 1946, but now the Champs-Elysees institution boasts 23 sets, 600 costumes, an ice rink and 70 performers giving their high-kicking all every day of the year. It's not cheap, with a daytime performance costing upwards of j80 ($A115). For dinner and the show (there are two a night) you'll pay j140 ($A200) to j280 ($A405).
Where: 116 bis avenue des Champs-Elysees
More: www.lido.fr

STAY
Budget
Mama Shelter: It's a world away from the charms of the city's more upmarket hotels but Mama Shelter, a former multi-storey carpark overlooking a disused railway yard, has style in spades. The 172-room hotel opened in 2008 in the gritty 20th arrondissement, near the Pere Lachaise cemetery whose residents include famous faces such as Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and Oscar Wilde. Great beds and linen combine with free wi-fi internet access, televisions, mini bars and microwaves in all rooms. Concrete walls and bedside lights made from masks add to its charm, with a fantastic rooftop barbecue area high above the ethnically diverse streets. It's a 10 to 15-minute walk to the nearest metro but a bus stop right below takes you straight to Rue du Rivoli and the Louvre.
Where: 109 rue de Banolet. Book a Mama Luxe double or twin for two before August 28 for only j99 ($A133) and get the breakfast buffet free plus two metro bus day passes and a disposable camera.
More: www.mamashelter.com

Blow-out
Hotel Plaza Athenee: Since a 2000 renovation and a new audience when Sex and the City filmed its final episode here, the drop-dead sexy Hotel Plaza Athenee has attracted a new breed of hip young fashionistas and Hollywood elite. Those famous red awnings hang in the heart of fashionable Paris, on the Avenue Montaigne alongside biglabel boutiques and fashion houses. Your view from one of the 191 rooms and suites will look along the chestnut trees that line Avenue Montaigne, the charming La Cour Jardin (courtyard garden) or will offer a panoramic view of the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the classic Parisian rooftops. Rooms start from j650 ($A950).
Where: Hotel Plaza Athenee, 25 Avenue Montaigne.
More: www.kiwicollection.com

Hotel Le Meurice: Rumour has it that surrealist painter Salvador Dali would open his window and dangle a lobster from a fishing pole into the stream of very fashionable passers-by on the Rue du Rivoli when he stayed at Hotel Le Meurice. A complete revamp a few years ago breathed new life into this grand old dame, fusing contemporary chic with Louis XVI glamour. Directly opposite the Tuileries gardens and with views of the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, the sumptuous pile is all elegance and style. Take a seat in the foyer Restaurant Le Dali or snare a table at Michelin-starred Yannick Alleno's stunning Le Meurice restaurant (where even your handbag gets its own Hermes stool) to do some serious star-spotting. Rooms start at j640 ($A935).
Where: Le Meurice, 228 rue de Rivoli. Hotel Le Meurice and the Hotel Plaza Athenee are part of the Dorchester Group of hotels.
More: www.kiwicollection.com

SHOPPING
Budget markets
Marche au Puces: With 3000 openair stalls, the Marche au Puces (also known as Clignancourt market) on the northern fringes of Paris is the city's most famous and largest flea market, with everything from baroque mirrors and art deco pieces to cookware and vintage lace and clothing. Open Sat- Mon, 10am-6pm.
Where: Avenue de la Porte de Clignancourt; nearest metro is Porte de Clignancourt.

Le Marche D'Aligre/Marche Beauveau is fast becoming a meeting ground for the young uber-cool Parisian fashion victims in the city's east. Pick up some fabulous fashion as you breath in the aromas of North African spices from the surrounding produce on sale. Open Tue-Sat 8am-1pm and 4pm-7.30pm. Sun 8am-1pm.
Where: Place D'Aligre; nearest metro is Ledru-Rollin,

Department stores
Tati: Even Sonia Rykiel and Catherine Deneuve have been spotted carrying their chic and cheap Tati bargains in the store's famous pink gingham bags. You'll need to muscle up against the crowds for some of the best bargains in Paris, from cheap and chic lingerie right through to limited-edition wedding gowns.
Where: 5 Rue Belhomme; nearest metro is Barbes Rochechouart.

Blow-out
Department stores
The great beacons of Parisian shopping are Galeries Lafayette and Printemps but your first visit can be daunting. These stores are big and crowded and bursting with designer labels such as YSL, Dolce&Gabbana, Gucci and French labels such as Voltaire and Kenzo. The beautiful flagship stores are nestled alongside each other on the Boulevard Haussmann. Printemps boasts the largest beauty department in the world, so you may need to catch your breath at its sixth-floor Brasserie Printemps, under a jaw-dropping coloured-glass dome.
Where: Printemps: 64 Boulevard Haussmann; Galeries Lafayette: 40 Boulevard Haussmann. Nearest metro is Havre-Caumartin or Opera
More: www.printemps.com; www.galerieslafayette.com

Le Bon Marche: More fashionable and intimate - and far less touristy - than its rivals, Le Bon Marche is all soft carpets and hushed tones of well-heeled Parisians. It also offers a styliste prive personal-shopping service: a two-hour consultation costs about j120 ($A170), a half-day makeover j275 ($A400), plus the cost of the clothes. The grand epicurie (food hall) is a must-see.
Where: 38 Rue de Sevres; nearest metro is Sevres-Babylone.
More: www.lebonmarche.com

Merci Paris: The city's newest concept store provides a breathtaking space where visitors can shop with a conscience, with all of the proceeds (after breaking even) going to a co-op for women in Africa. Opened in 2009, the store is set up more like a home on the edge of the fashionable Marais in a vast former wallpaper factory. Buyers scour the globe for hard-to-find items such as 1930s Bakelite light switches and power sockets still made in Europe.
Where: 111 boulevard Beaumarchais; nearest metro is Saint-Sebastien - Froissart.
More: www.mercimerci.com

ART
Budget
Beware the crowds but if you're cash-strapped and still want to absorb the French culture of centuries past, a Paris museum pass gives you unlimited visits to more than 60 museums and monuments, including the Louvre. It's worth looking at the two (j32/$A46), four (j48/$A70) and six-day (j64/$A95) options, but it's only a cheap deal if you visit many on consecutive days. It also saves queuing. Order your pass online at
www.parismuseumpass.fr so you'll have it before you leave home. Or time your visit for the first Sunday of the month, when all the national museums are free.
More: www.newparis-idf.com

Blow-out
If, like most visitors to Paris for the first time, the Louvre is on the list, my tip is get a guide. It is vast and you could lose days trying - and failing - to see all of its treasures. Dominique Atkins, a French and British national with a passion for art and history, will give you an in-depth tour of the Louvre and other museums for about $150. The museum is closed Tuesdays and stays open until10pm Wednesdays and Fridays.
More: www.louvre.fr, www.dominiqueatkins.com

Budget
Metro: A carnet (book) of 10 tickets is the easiest way to navigate the underground rail system in Paris, with each trip costing just j1 ($A1.50). But you can buy one, two, three and five day passes for varying zones and buying the right one can mean big savings.
More: www.ratp.fr

Cycling: Seeing Paris on two wheels may seem like madness but since the introduction of its hugely popular Velib bicycles and now 371km of bicycle lanes, it's a fantastic way to beat traffic and keep the kilos at bay while you're at it. There are now 20,000 bikes at 1450 stations around the city. Simply swipe your credit card into the machine, follow the multilingual instructions and you're off. You pay just j1 ($A1.50) to sign up for the scheme for a day or j5 ($A8) for a week. But the clever thing about it is that the first half hour is free, so a 20-minute ride to the Eiffel Tower from the Louvre costs. Get the free map Paris A Velo (Paris by bike) from tourist offices and bike shops.
More: www.velib.paris.fr

Blow-out
Limousines: If you want to arrive in - or leave - Paris in style, all high-end hotels will organise a limousine. Pads such as the Hotel Plaza Athenee provide their own luxury Mercedes for an airport pick-up at about $A400. If you want a car with a driver (minimum three hours) it will cost you j75 ($A110) an hour. A ride from the airport to Paris central is j110 ($A160) for as many passengers as the car legally can take. To hire a car for an eight-hour sightseeing package, it's j60 ($A88) an hour.
More: www.mustlimousines.com have luxury cars and drivers available

EAT
Budget
In restaurants, the prixe-fixe offers are usually inexpensive and the plat du jour is good value. If you want to road-test some top French chefs, lunchtime is usually cheaper. And don't forget standing at the bar for a drink is cheaper than sitting down, while sitting outside is more expensive than indoors.

Le Comptoir du Relais: Yves Camdebord's food is described a bistronomique and while a more refined gastronomic menu is available in the evenings (a set j45/$A65 menu that changes daily), a much cheaper option is to dine at lunch when it operates as a small but perfectly formed Art Deco Parisian bistro on the Left Bank. Bookings for dinner are essential - often months in advance - but for lunch, it's a matter of trying your luck among the locals from noon to 3pm. A culinary midday test drive for three of us included some awesome terrines, a variety of salads accompanied by crusty bread, cheese and a bottle of white for not much more than j70 ($A100) which we declared incredible value. Walk off their generous serves in the exquisite Luxembourg gardens nearby. Lunch and dinner daily.
Where: 9 Carrefour de l'Odeon; nearest metro is Odeon Boulevards
More: www.hotel-paris-relais-saintgermain.com 

Le Baron Rouge: A working-class wine bar with snacks is about the order of things at Le Baron Rouge. With ambience in spades, plenty of decent affordable wines to choose from and bites that include pates, oysters (heaped in baskets outside) freshly shucked to order and excellent charcuterie and cheeses, it always attracts a hefty crowd that spills out on to the footpath through summer and winter. Sundays are a favourite after the nearby markets draw to a close. Closed Monday.
Where: 1 Rue Theophile Roussell; nearest metro is Ledru-Rollin.

Blow-out
L'Avenue: Grab a coveted outside table at L'Avenue in between visits to nearby Prada and Louis Vuitton. During Paris fashion week, this restaurant is bursting with a sea of A-list faces, including Kate Moss and Ashley Olsen. Recently Beyonce and her beau Jay Z were spotted here. Expect to pay about j70 ($A100) without wine. Open every day 8am-2pm.
Where: 41 Avenue Montaigne; nearest metro is Franklin D. Roosevelt.
More: www.avenue-restaurant.com.

Le Cour Jardin: If you want to really treat yourself, the fairytale that is the Hotel Plaza Athenee's open-air garden restaurant is a must in the warmer months. In this little oasis of calm, you'll sit among the beetroot and tomatoes that will end up on your plate in Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse's seasonal Riveria-style cuisine. Expect to pay about $A150 a person without drinks. Open May through September.
Where: 25 Avenue Montaigne; nearest metro is Franklin D. Roosevelt
More: www.plaza-athenee-paris.com

Etihad flies to Paris 10 times a week from Sydney from $1913 return including tax and surcharges. (This price is for travel between September 20 and November 25)
More: www.etihadairways.com

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