Who can resist the miles of treasures inside the Louvre? The chic, winding streets of boutiques? The treasures of Paris are relentless: the Eiffel Tower, Moulin Rouge, the gargoyles of Notre Dame, the quaint cafés of Ile St-Louis, and the Tuileries and Luxembourg Gardens are only the most obvious.

The Paris Tourism Office boasts that the city’s hotels are less expensive than those in New York and London, and it certainly seems easier to secure budget sleeps in Paris than in either of those other cities, despite the proliferation of trendy designer boutique hotels and luxury palaces.

We love Paris. We love classical concerts and operas. And we love saving money. Thus, we combined our loves and put together a list of five ways to do culture in Paris à la cheapo.

Judith Mahoney Pasternak is the author of A Parent's Guide to Washington, D.C. (Mars 2002), A Parent's Guide to New York City (2001), and Timeless Places: Paris (MetroBooks 2000) a coffee-table book. Additionally, she's published books on country music, jazz, Dolly Parton, and Beethoven.

EuroCheapo Paris Correspondent Mike spent much of the fall of 2006 visiting hotels in Paris for EuroCheapo. Read about Mike's take on his adopted hometown (as well as his two favorite Paris hotels) right here.