Hotel Petit Rouge

THE SIGHTS: The Eiffel Tower may be impossible to miss for any self-respecting tourist, but it costs 12 euros ($ A24.50) to reach the top and long lines leave you exhausted when you reach the celebrated view.

Instead, do as the Parisians do: come in the evening, a picnic, and sit on the sprawling lawns surrounding it to watch the sunset and admire the fire in the tower at night, sparkling every hour for 10 minutes.

For a beautiful view of Paris, trek to the summit of Montmartre and sit on the steps of the Sacre-Coeur, overlooking the city.

Museums: If you plan to spend most of your time in museums - which, granted, is possible among the dozens of great museums in Paris - the museum passes (two, four or six days) may not save you much . Better Compare prices at first parismuseumpass.com.

Try to time your visit to include the first Sunday of the month, when the Louvre and all major museums are free. And students, always have your ID card with you.

Do not forget a couple of smaller free museums. The Musee Carnavalet has lots to offer: located in the beautiful Marais district, it traces the rich history of Paris from the Revolution to today. Meanwhile the Petit Palais, an architectural beauty in the heart of Paris, showcases collections from Paris in the 1900s all the way back to antiquity.

For photography fans, the gates of the Luxembourg gardens host free open-air exhibits featuring stunning large-scale photography worldwide. And do not forget to go to the park, where Parisians hang by the fountain, get a tan, and listen to free music on summer weekends.

Sound: Paris offers not one but two opera houses world-renowned. proper seating remains prohibitively high, but if you book early and do not mind craning his neck a little, there is seating for seven euros ($ A14.30) and 10 euros ($ A20.40).

For the crowd-28, last minute tickets - sometimes for coveted seats - can also reach low prices. They are sold 15 minutes before the show. The Opera Bastille reserves 62 standing-room tickets to fill five euros ($ A10.20), on sale as soon as the doors open, generally 90 minutes before departure time.

And for a musical Notre Dame, drop in on Sunday afternoon starting at 4.30pm, when free organ concerts of sacred atmosphere out of the cathedral.

Wandering: the cheapest and most satisfying way to see the city is on your own. A year ago, Paris has begun an extensive system of rental bikes that you can help you for only one euro ($ A2) credit card, only one day at numerous spots around the city. Velib ', as they are called, are a great way to walk around the city independently. However, Paris traffic can get pretty hairy, and bikes do not come with helmets, so stay alert.

If the bike is not your thing, hop on a bus and see where it goes. Weekly passes, which also work in the metro, are well worth investing in. Some scenic bus lines include numbers 24 (goes the Seine, the Louvre, Notre Dame, several bridges, the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees) and 30 (the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees, the Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur).

And there is always the Seine. Try Batobus - it is 12 euros ($ A24.50), but unlike his other flyboats tickets are valid for a whole day, and you can get on and off with ease at eight top attractions.

Food: Food and beverages are difficult to budget for in cuisine capital Paris, but if you leave the tourist streets, there are cheap eats to have it.

For a typical French cuisine, no need to go to expensive restaurants, either. Try Le Bouillon Chartier (7 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, metro Grands Boulevards), not only for its magnificent Art Deco interior, but for its simp.