French holiday: A dream trip, but a costly splurge

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Thinking of a budget holiday in France? Think again.

France is stunning, but it comes with a hefty price tag. Paris and the French Riviera, in particular, have an uncanny ability to drain your wallet before you even realize it. By the end of your trip, you’ll likely be left staring at your credit card statement, realizing that the airfare from India was the least of your expenses.

But every euro spent in this stunning country—home to castles, vineyards, and the Eiffel Tower—is worth it. At least, it was for me during my 10-day September holiday. And that’s not just because it was my first European trip.

The chance came up when my husband, Akshay Pant, had a four-day business trip to Paris, and I seized the opportunity to finally step into Europe. Instead of cramming multiple countries into one itinerary, as many travellers do, we decided to stick to France and explore it thoroughly. Paris, the Loire Valley, and the South of France were our destinations of choice.

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Here's a personal account of how we navigated through the expenses during our trip, what worked, what didn’t, and how you can avoid costly mistakes.

We spent three nights in Paris—two at the start of the trip and the final night before flying back. Our choice of hotels was purely practical; they were centrally located and within walking distance of the main train stations, from where we took trains to the South of France, Mont Saint-Michel, and the airport.

Akshay was eager to book a hotel with an Eiffel Tower view, but the excitement quickly faded when we saw the rates—€250 or more per night. Still, we decided to splurge for our last night, because why not?

For the first two days,