Plenty of Inexpensive Rooms Available for Paris Visitors

There are more than 11,000 beds available in Paris at economical rates for young visitors. A free service, Accueil des Jeunes en France (AJF), helps locate them.

The beds are in youth hostels, student dormitories and small hotels that have shared-room facilities (similar to youth hostels, but fewer rules).

Beds in shared rooms are about $15 to $19 U.S. per night. Singles from $28 per night.

In France, the nightly rate sometimes includes breakfast.

In a budget hotel, breakfast will probably consist of coffee or hot chocolate, bread and jam or cheese.

Easy to find is the AJF facility at Gare du Nord (north railway station) in the suburban rail station. It is open year-round: weekdays until 10 p.m., seven days a week in summer.

Two offices are in the vicinity of the Hotel de Ville Metro stop. One at 16 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe is open Monday to Friday till September, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The office at 119 Rue St. Martin (opposite the Georges Pompidou Centre) is open Monday to Saturday, year-round. A fourth office, open from March to October, is in the Latin Quarter near the Port Royal Metro stop at 139 Boulevard St. Michel. Hours: Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Students visiting Ireland can get discounted student standby tickets 15 minutes before performances at most theaters. Also, the Irish student travel service, USIT, offers students and young travelers information about other special discounts and travel services.

USIT offices are in most major cities. In Dublin they’re at Aston Quay, O’Connell Bridge, Dublin 2.

In many countries, only an International Student Identity Card is needed for most reductions. For some discounts in Ireland, however, you’ll need to have a special Travelsave Stamp, which costs 10 cents, added to your student identity card.

USIT offices sell the Travelsave Stamp. If you visit London first, the stamp can be purchased at Campus Travel, 52 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W 1AG.

Cards get students a 50% discount on regular single-adult fares for mainline trains, provincial (long trips) buses, and B&I; Line ferries between Great Britain and Ireland.

It’s also valid for a discount on the CIE ferry service from Galway to the Aran Islands.