Travel enthusiasts everywhere are asking one another the same question lately – where are you going this summer? It’s a question that tends to lead to fun conversations, but this year it’s leading to more sad faces than usual. Travel this year, as you may already know, is expensive.

Most of us know that traveling to France during the summer is always going to cost more than a trip planned in the off-season, but if you’ve looked up the cost of air tickets to Paris lately you know that prices this summer are higher than they’ve been in a few years. Airfare has gone up primarily because of the high cost of fuel, but it’s also partly becaues it’s the summer high season and airlines know demand is greater, too.

For some trips, it’s easy to adjust your plans in light of airfare costs and say, “I’ll just go at another time, then” – but for others, the summer is the only time that trip will work out. That may be because you’re a cycling fan who’s planning to chase the 2011 Tour de France around the country, or because the summer is the only time your whole family can get the time off that’s required for a long vacation. Whatever it is that might be keeping you from switching your travel plans to a cheaper time of year, your first order of business to make sure you don’t spend a fortune on your trip is finding cheap tickets – or at least as cheap as possible.

Your best bet is to keep your travel dates as flexible as possible from the outset, checking the prices on a range of dates and times to see if there’s a certain day where the cost of a ticket is significantly lower. The cheapest days to travel are usually mid-week – Tuesday and Wednesday – so don’t limit yourself to flying only on weekends. Another tip is to consider package deals – when airfare is at its highest, that’s when a package that includes airfare, hotel, and perhaps some in-country transportation is an even better value.

Unfortunately, since you’re unlikely to find a serious bargain on airfare alone during the summer, you may need to look for other ways to save money during your trip. If you’re traveling with a group, consider doing a road trip in France instead of buying train tickets or a Eurail pass – splitting the cost of a car rental and fuel is a great way to make the overall cost of a trip lower for everyone. And don’t forget the simple pleasures of a picnic – shopping in France’s food markets or at the roadside stands you sometimes find in rural areas is an excellent way to eat like kings for a fraction of what it costs to eat in restaurants.

In the end, if you’re searching only for summer travel deals and less fixated on a trip to Paris or elsewhere in France this year, then chances are good you’ll pick a different time to visit France based on the cost alone. If nothing but France will do, however, then you’d be smart to be diligent about researching your travel options to make sure you don’t get stuck with a sky-high bill for your flight.

photo by Pazit Polak

There’s certainly no shortage of things to do in Paris – you’re not likely to get bored very quickly or need to go elsewhere to entertain yourself – but if you can’t resist the pull of a day trip to London during your stay, that’s okay, too. After all, can you imagine how fun it will be to tell your friends later about your vacation to Paris that included a quick spin around London?

Of the many ways to get to London from Paris, the best option for those looking to make a quick day trip is the Eurostar. Of course, this is a popular method for connecting the two cities whether you’re going just for the day or transferring between the capitals for a longer stay. The trip takes just under 2.5 hours one-way, so although it’s a long day if you’re there and back in one day, it’s definitely do-able as a day trip.

Eurostar tickets can seem expensive if you just decide on a whim to head down to Gare du Nord one morning for the next Eurostar to London, leading to the question posed by the title of this article – when is the best time to buy Eurostar tickets, anyway? Here’s what you need to know.

>> Find cheap Eurostar tickets online

Should I buy Eurostar tickets at the station, or online?

You can, of course, buy tickets for the Eurostar at any Eurostar station before you board the train. If it’s busy, you run the risk of the line being too long and running out of time before the train leaves – not to mention the risk that your train will be sold out by the time you get to a ticket window.

Generally speaking, then, it’s a far better idea to book your Eurostar tickets online. This gives you as much time as you need to make the necessary transactions, and you’ll know right away when a train is sold out.

You can also book Eurostar tickets in advance by phone, if you prefer to do that rather than book online.

Should I buy Eurostar tickets way in advance, or wait?

Again, buying Eurostar tickets right before you want to travel and buying them well in advance of your trip are both viable options – and for a couple of reasons, it’s better to book well in advance whenever possible.

First of all, booking Eurostar tickets online in advance means you have more choices on the tickets available. There are different categories of tickets, and the cheaper ones tend to sell more quickly, so the earlier you can get online and book your tickets the more likely you are to get one of the cheaper tickets.

Second, prices on Eurostar tickets always go up as a travel date gets closer, so the longer you wait to buy the more you’ll end up paying for your ticket anyway. When discounts are to be had, they’re for advance purchases.

How far in advance can I buy Eurostar tickets?

You can book tickets on the Eurostar between London and Paris as many as 90 days before your travel date – that’s three full months before you’re going to ride the Eurostar.

Now, not everyone plans that far ahead, but the best deals on tickets are nearly always going to be available in that timeframe. In other words, the sooner you can determine your itinerary and which day you’ll want to take the Eurostar, the more money you’ll save on your ticket.

Bonus Money-Saving Tip for the Eurostar:
Even if you’re only riding the Eurostar one way, check the prices on round-trip tickets anyway – sometimes they’re cheaper than a one-way ticket, whether or not you use the return leg of the ticket.

photos, top to bottom, by: austinevan, stevecadman, Bryce Edwards

Train travel is so common throughout Europe, and the term “Eurail Pass” is so familiar to most people, that you may not realize exactly what such a pass is – or understand that you can’t get just buy such a pass at any train station in Europe once you get there.

Here’s some information to help you learn a little bit more about train tickets vs. rail passes for your Paris trip.

Further reading: Train Travel in France

What’s the difference between a rail pass and a train ticket in France?

A rail pass, such as a Eurail Pass, is something you purchase before leaving home and it essentially acts as your ticket for the trains in France. The only time you’ll pay an additional fee for a train trip if you already have a rail pass is if you want to ride the high-speed TGV train.

You can buy individual city-to-city train tickets as you travel through France, or you can buy a rail pass beforehand that has a certain number of travel days on it. If you’re using individual tickets, you have to validate each one before you board your train. If you’re using a rail pass, you need to get it validated before your first train trip – after that, you just need to write in the date yourself before the conductor stamps it.

Where can I buy a rail pass in Paris?

Although there are some train stations in Paris (and elsewhere in Europe) with what are called “Eurail Aid Offices” to provide assistance with Eurail Passes, most of the Eurail Passes available for sale in Europe don’t include France. Some Eurail Passes can be purchased in Europe at some Eurail Aid Offices, but the only ones that include France are the “Global” passes, which cover all Eurail countries, or “Select” passes, which cover 3-5 bordering countries. In other words, if you’re only traveling through France you’ll be getting much more rail pass than you really need.

Buying a rail pass in Paris will also typically cost more than if you purchase a pass before you leave home, so it’s definitely worth checking out the prices of the various pass options that suit your trip to see if a pass will save you money over individual tickets.

What if I’m a resident of Europe, can I still get a Eurail Pass?

European residents aren’t eligible to get a Eurail Pass, but there’s another pass you can use – it’s called an InterRail Pass. InterRail Passes are very similar to Eurail Passes – there are several options depending on where and for how long you’ll be traveling.

The biggest difference between the InterRail and Eurail Passes is the number of countries in which each is valid (InterRail is valid in 30, while the Eurail is only valid in 22). France is included in both.

So, just where are those Eurail Aid Offices in Paris?

Not surprisingly, Eurail Aid Offices are almost always in train stations. Here are the locations for the Paris offices, including one at Charles de Gaulle Airport:

• Gare de Paris-Lyon
  Mon-Fri: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
• Gare de Paris-Nord
  Mon-Fri: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm
  Sat-Sun: 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
• Gare de Paris-St. Lazare
  Mon-Fri: 7:30 am – 8:00 pm
  Sat-Sun: 9:30 am – 7:30 pm
• Aéroport Charles de Gaulle (Paris CDG Airport)
  Terminal 1 RER Station Bureau SNCF
  Mon-Fri: 6:30 am – 8:00 pm
  Sat: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm
  Sun: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

photo by jean-louis zimmermann

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Famously romantic but notoriously expensive if you don’t watch your pennies, Paris can be a challenge for travellers on a measly budget. However, once you’ve completed your search of cheap Paris hotels and found somewhere to stay, you can continue your budget break by visiting several sights that won’t cost you a cent…

Explore the Centre Georges Pompidou

If you time your visit to coincide with the first Sunday of the month, you can visit the Pompidou Centre for free. The design of this art complex, with its garish external tubes, was considered outlandish and controversial when it was completed in 1977, but over the years it has become a familiar landmark in the city’s urban landscape. Inside you can look around the Musée National d’Art Moderne, while outside in Place Georges Pompidou you can often enjoy some free street entertainment.
Where: Place Georges Pompidou, 4th arrondissement. Nearest Metro: Rambuteau or Les Halles.

Climb up to Basilique du Sacré-Coeur

It costs nothing to visit the gleaming, white-domed Basilique du Sacré-Coeur, a famous Parisian landmark perched on a hill at the highest point in the city above the bohemian district of Montmartre. The impressive interior of this Catholic basilica contains neo-Byzantine mosaics, while the dome itself offers fantastic views over the city. Outside, a park leads you downhill past seats from which you can enjoy the Paris skyline, and in charming Montmartre you can watch artists at work.
Where: Parvis du Sacré-Coeur, 18th arrondissement. Nearest Metro: Abbesses.

Take some time out in Parc Monceau

To escape the city crowds, Paris offers a wide choice of parks, but Parc Monceau with its beautiful flower gardens, grotto and waterfall is one of its most beautiful of all. Dating back to 1769, it has been the subject of several famous Monet paintings.
Where: Boulevard de Courcelles, 8th arrondissement . Nearest Metro: Monceau.

Sunbathe on Paris-Plages

If you visit Paris in late July or early August, a string of palm tree-lined artificial beaches springs up along the river Seine, hosting a range of outdoor activities. While many Parisians flee the city during these hottest months of the year, for those that must stay behind the beaches offer some respite. Although you can’t swim in the Seine, recently a floating swimming pool was created, and every year new features are added to the scene. The beaches are usually open on or around 20 July for four months each year.
Where: various locations each year.

Pay your respects at the city’s most famous cemetery

Said to be the world’s most visited cemetery, the Père-Lachaise soon became the most prestigious burial ground in Paris thanks to its royal connections, and today it contains the graves of many interesting characters. Take a stroll through the grounds spotting the graves of singers Edith Piaf, Maria Callas, and Jim Morrison or The Doors; writers such as Oscar Wilde, Molière, La Fontaine and Balzac; impressionist painter Camille Pissarro; and composer Frédéric Chopin ? amongst many other famous figures.
Where: Boulevard de Ménilmontant, 20th arrondissement. Nearest Metro: Philippe Auguste.

Other top free attractions in Paris include the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Curie Museum; and Friday fashion shows at Galeries Lafayette (although you need to reserve a free place by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

What’s your favorite free attraction in Paris?

Photo by: Panoramas