Saving yourself from sightseeing overload

General tips, hints, and recommended photo and video gear

Sights and experiences you can get for free in France

12 travel photography tips for capturing great shots on the road

Be a sightseeing V.I.P.—Sightseeing passes grant admission to dozens of sights, avoiding the lines and saving money

Release your inner Scorsese and shoot better holiday videos to take YouTube by storm

Online ticket prices can be cheaper than buying them on-site (and will also save you time waiting in line)

A guide to getting the most out of visiting France's museums

Tips and advice for how to get the most out of seeing the sights, museums, and monuments during your France vacation

A great picture is worth a thousand travel miles—Tips, hints, and recommended photo and video gear

From hotel savings to better booking engines, alternative accommodations to lodging rip-offs, here is the best lodging advice around

Don't use the most famous booking engines; use the ones with the largest selection and lowest rates

Hotels' official star ratings have nothing to do with how clean, central, comfortable, or charming a hotel is—just how many (often pointless) amenities it offers

Avoid the scandalously high prices of the hotel minbar

Comparison-shop dozens of booking engines at once

Hostels, B&B's, apartments, farm stays, castles, university dorms, campgrounds...there are so many of these budget options I needed to create a whole separate section on this website just to fit them all in

Avoid the scandalously high cost of making a phone call from your hotel room

How far in advance do you need to reserve a hotel room in France?

Hotel sites often feature special sales and promotions you won't find on the booking engines and aggregators

Shop around, ask lots of questions, even haggle, and you can often get a room for much less

Breakfast at a B&B can be lovely—but at a standard hotel, you probably won't be getting your money's worth

A dozen ways to lower your hotel costs in France

User review sites are handy, but take their advice with a grain (make that a shaker) of salt

Hotel laundry services are obscenely overpriced

All the steps you can take to find the lowest price on the perfect place to stay in France

I don't mean don't eat breakfast—just try to avoid overpaying the hotel for it

A room with "external facilities" (shared bath down the hall) always costs less for this minor inconvenience

Crowd the clan into one room rather than renting two

Get a hotel in the suburbs or next town over to save money

Opaque rates can save you up to 60% if you book a bit blindly

Offer euros rather than Visa, and sometimes you can get a slight discount

Ways to sleep for free in France

A quick guide to French hotels and what to expect from them

How French hotels differ from American ones

A few notes on bathrooms in French hotels

Picnic like a king on the budget of a pauper

Tips for finding great restaurants in France

Prix-fisse, tourist menu, lunch menu—a fixed-price or set tourist menu may not be the best meal you could have at that restaurant, but it's certainly often the best budget option

Tips to save money on dining in France and eat better for it

Do not leave 15% when the gratuity is already included

If you cannot avoid the breakfast charge, make the most of it

Be your own chef and you can save money and add an extra cultural experience to your trip

Lunch at a fancy restaurant will often cost less than dinner

Become a street food gourmet

From crèpes to quiches, there are many excellent (and inexpensive) French versions of fast food to try

Skip the big slab of meat and order two starters instead—more variety, lower cost

Eat less; save more

Bottled water costs $2–$10. Eau de robinet (tap water) does not.

Pick the Château My-Brother-In-Law, last-year's vintage

Advice, resources, & tours for families traveling in France

Advice, resources, & tours for female travelers to France

Advice, resources, & tours for mature travelers in France

Advice, resources, & tours for student travelers in France

The hotel garage will often be far costlier than a nearby public garage or other parking option

Advice, resources, & tours for gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and queer travelers in France

Advice, resources, & tours for handicapped travelers in France

Sightseeing discounts for children, students, seniors, families, and teachers

Advice and tips for single travelers in France

Advice, resources, & tours for pilgrims, Christians, and spiritual travelers in France