The 2009-10 edition of Paris €0 ( www.paris0euro.fr; €9.90 from www.amazon.fr, or available at most Parisian newsagents) catalogues more than 900 ways to revel in France's favourite city for free.
Although little-known outside the capital, this invaluable little guidebook details everything from theatre performances and open-air concerts to wine-tastings, all gloriously accessible without the need to whip out your wallet.
Bear in mind that both the book and the website are only available in French, albeit relatively basic. To pick your way through the listings, you may need a hand from a French-speaking friend or a basic French dictionary. Alternatively, follow our lead, as we offer up our pick of Paris's finest freebies.
They may not be a patch on Bondi Beach, but these temporary beaches are still the city's best summer spots to strip off, cool down and build castles in the sand. You'll also find deckchairs, mist sprays, volleyball courts and beach bars in which to flirt with the locals.
Located along the Rive Droite of the river Seine, between quai Henri IV and quai des Tuileries, and on the shores of Bassin de la Villette, for four weeks from July 20, 2009. See www.paris.fr for more information.
This year the city will hold its 19th annual open-air film festival. Stake out a place and take in one of the 31 international films on show, each selected to fit this year's theme, Les Traversées — travelling through the unknown into a new reality. (Parc de la Villette;
www.villette.com; July 15-August 16, 2009.)
Le Tribal Café
Free food? Bring it on: snag a table, order a drink (okay it's not totally free) and dig in. Every Wednesday and Thursday Le Tribal serves up buckets of
moules-frites (mussels and chips), while on Friday and Saturday visitors can help themselves to couscous, chicken and vegies. (3 cour des Petites Ecuries, from 9pm Wednesdays and Thursdays.)
Popular since the 1950s, this original "zinc" bar (named after its zinc-lined countertops) stages free concerts — genres range from hip-hop to jazz — every Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Get there before 8pm to take advantage of the half-price happy-hour drinks. (15 rue de Bagnolet;
www.pistonpelican.com; concerts from 8.30pm Thursday-Saturday.)
Les kiosques Paris-jeunes
If you're under 29, have time to queue and fancy an evening of live theatre, opera or ballet, pop along to one of the city's two
Paris-jeunes kiosks. Same-day tickets are distributed at hugely reduced rates or for free. (Kiosque Marais, 14 rue Francois Mignon, 10am-7pm Monday-Friday; Kiosque du Champ de Mars, 101 quai Branly, 10am-6pm Monday-Wednesday and Friday, 10am-1pm Thursday.)
Constructed for the Paris World's Fair in 1900, the impressive Petit Palais now houses more than a thousand 18th- and 19th-century artworks, including works by Cézanne and Gauguin. Entrance is always free, but on Thursdays Radio France sponsors additional free classical and jazz concerts in the on-site auditorium. (Avenue Winston Churchill;
www.petitpalais.paris.fr; open 10am-6pm Tuesday-Sunday, concerts at 12.30pm Thursday.)
On Wednesday evenings only, the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson flings open its doors for free. Drop by for a peek at some of world's most famous photographs, as well as exhibits that highlight the artist's other skills: painting, drawing and sculpture. (2 impasse Lebouis;
www.henricartierbresson.org; 6.30-8.30pm Wednesday.)
Paris Roller is one of the city's most famous freebie activities. Every Friday night for close to a decade, more than 15,000 in-line skating enthusiasts hit the city, a river on wheels, stopping traffic and flashing by onlookers. Participants should be fit, capable bladers with a minimum of intermediate experience. Beginners, as well as parents and children, can get a feel for the streets by attending the Sunday afternoon "rando" first. (Paris Roller: starting point at the foot of the Montparnasse Tower,
www.pariroller.com, 9.30pm Friday; Rando: esplanade des Invalides in front of the pont Alexandre III;
www.rsi.asso.fr, 2.45pm Sunday; clear weather only.)
Although it may be the last day out you'd expect in the French capital, the Bois de Vincennes is home to a five-hectare functioning farm. Parents and children are welcome to pick fruits and vegetables or feed the farm animals: expect to see sheep, cows, geese, chickens, rabbits and goats. (1 route du Pesage,
Bois de Vincennes; 1.30-6pm Tuesday-Sunday)
Three bargain spots to bed down
Best for: dedicated sightseers
Petite, slightly dated spotless rooms — some with shared bathrooms — close to the Centre Pompidou's artworks and the alternative alleys of the Marais. (36 rue Grenier Saint Lazare, 3rd arrondissement; ph: +33 1 4887 4036;
www.hoteldusejour.com; doubles from €48)
Best for: shopaholics
Pastoral wallpaper, recessed beds and an honesty bar in the communal sitting room, just steps from the neighbourhood's streets of boutiques. (92 rue du Cherche Midi, 6th arrondissement; ph: +33 1 4222 9740;
www.hotel-ferrandi-paris.com; doubles from €74)
Best for: design gurus
An urban haven of trendiness by Philippe Starck, located in a renovated car park northeast of the city centre. (109 rue de Bagnolet, 20th arrondissement; ph: +33 1 4348 4848;
www.mamashelter.com; doubles from €89)
*Rates valid July-August 2009.
