European hotels are quite different than their American counterparts. The rooms are much smaller, there are fewer amenities, and prices are much higher than comparable hotels in America.

This is especially true for popular tourist destinations such as Paris. With over 70 million visitors every year, it can be hard to find decent accommodations when you are visiting the City of Light. Most people have to decide whether to splurge on a luxury hotel or find more modest accommodations that fit within their budget.

But as you have hopefully learned by now, travel hackers are able to find ways around the conventional rules of travel. Just as I did with my flight, I set out to find a solution that allowed me to have the best of both worlds.