Paris and Beyond for the Eras tour- How much it cost and how to make the most of it
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How much did I spend to see Taylor Swift in Paris? I think the real question is how much did I make *girl math!
Planning to catch Taylor Swift on her Eras tour in Europe without breaking the bank? Learn how to make the most of your trip with this budget-friendly guide, covering everything from tickets to travel tips.
How to get Eras Tour Tickets
Seeing Taylor Swift locally in Florida was both out of budget and would still require a short trip. When I saw the list of the European cities on the next leg of her tour, I was hopeful. Shortly after the tickets initially went on sale, I managed to snap up two floor tickets on StubHub for Taylor Swift’s last night in Paris. By using the Capital One Shopping Portal, I reduced the cost to $376 per ticket after taxes and cash back, making it a budget-friendly alternative to pricey U.S. shows. You might want to keep an eye on last minute tickets to the shows though, as I saw some upcoming Taylor Swift dates in Europe for as low at $80. Meanwhile, they want $2500 for nosebleeds in Miami for the Eras tour.
Finding Affordable Flights to Europe
Planning the journey involved strategic booking: from using Virgin points for a discounted MIA to LHR flight during a sale, to securing a reasonable fare on British Airways to CDG.
For the outbound flights we booked MIA to LHR for 6,000 virgin points + $150 (economy, during a 50% award sale). Then, LHR to CDG on British Airways for $182.
This was not our first time in Paris and while in France we might as well spend some time in the South. We considered that it should be warming up by mid May and the Cannes Film Festival was taking place, ideal for celebrity spotting (easier said than done).
So we planned a return flight from Nice, on a connecting itinerary (NCE-LHR-MIA) on Air France and Virgin Atlantic using for 22,000 virgin points + 205 euros for premium economy. I really enjoyed the service and seat on this flight. Check out my review of Virgin Atlantic’s premium economy on the Airbus 330 here.
Use Points Strategically for Hotels
For the three nights in Paris, Astotel hotels was comfortable enough in central locations, averaging $173 a night (4 nights). This was another last minute booking and hotel prices were a bit high due to the French holiday that week.
Then we took the train to Marseille ($70) where I used my annual free night (with this card) and 5,900 IHG points to cover the one night stay at the Intercontinental Marseille. We were upgraded to a spacious suite with a balcony along with other perks like welcome drinks, due to my platinum elite status with IHG. The cocktails were inventive on the gorgeous terrace, the spa was the perfect way to relax after the train journey, and the room made us never want to leave. This hotel was phenomenal in every way with incredible service. This is the point we regretted even booking return flights.
Peak Pricing Workarounds
Getting a hotel in Cannes during the Film festival was a much more difficult task. After booking a few airbnbs that canceled on me, I went with the Hilton Canopy Cannes. This is a nice location, with old town, shopping, and restaurants flanking it on one side of the harbor, and beach clubs on the other. We did not get to try the spa (an additional fee applies), which looked very nice. The restaurant, Marea, was excellent along with stunning views (do make a reservation). This hotel we best acquired by using Hilton points. I used some from my stash to cover the first night, and purchased $400 (80k points) to cover the next night. There was a two night minimum due to the festival. This was a significant savings over the nearly $700/night cash rate.
Then we moved on to Nice, where we stayed at the Holiday Inn Nice. While rates were quite reasonable, I used points to get the fourth night free, paying a total of 81,000 points for the stay. IHG points can regularly be bought at $0.005 each, so the value for the stay could be put at $405. Here, thanks to my platinum elite status, we were upgraded to a larger room with a nice view towards the old town and glasses of wine at the restaurant as the welcome drinks.
For hotel perks that mirror or are even better than having status, contact me to help you book your upcoming stays.
Balance Guided Tours with Public Transportation for Activities
From exploring Loire Valley castles on a guided tour to mastering croissants in Paris, find out how to enrich your trip with memorable experiences without overspending.
Paris tours before the Concert
We did an organized tour to the Loire Valley Castles through GetYourGuide from Paris which was a wonderful but long day. This tour was an easy way to get out of the city and see the fairytale castles that inspired Disney. The cost was $160 per person and was another opportunity to get cash back via Capital One Shopping, which bought the net cost down to $112 per person. To get in a culinary experience we booked croissant class ($118 pp) in Paris via Airbnb experiences. I would not recommend this tour, as you can see from our burnt flat looking croissants below. Do book your pastry class well in advance, because the best ones fill up quick!
Exploring the South of France
Once in Nice, we were happy to have the flexibility to plan day trips on our own schedule. We found it pretty easy to use public transportation to zip around the South of France from Nice, which I cover in another article. Our day trips included Monaco, Eze, and Villefranche-sur-Mer. Train tickets for these short trips ranges from 2 to 6 euros each way. There were other areas we wanted to visit, like Saint-Paul de Vence and the Calanques National park, but we ran out of time and were not having the best weather.
Cheaper Tickets and More Experiences
I did not cover food costs in this post, since we generally survived on a coffee, croissant, and quick sandwich till dinner. Generally the costs for food were significantly less than comparable meals in Florida, so this is where would one could girl math that either way we have to eat, so we saved money by going out in France over being home.
All in all, points and planning made seeing Taylor Swift in concert feasible, and a way better value than the Eras tour stateside. We didn’t get to everything, but c’est la vie! It’s another excuse to visit la belle France again.
This is a great itinerary for any trip to Paris and the South of France if you have limited time. As a travel advisor, I’m happy to help you make the most of your trips, so feel free to reach out.
