In Germany, it seemed easy to get rolls of fairly inexpensive paper meant for tracing patterns, probably because it's more usual to trace patterns out of magazines in Europe. That paper is close to tissue-weight, but shiny, and it can be folded up easily and compactly. I didn't bring a substantial amount back with me — I pretty much ran out and didn't buy more before the move. It'd be nice if it were available here, but I don't think it is. The one downside I remember was that it was easy to tear it by erasing, if you weren't careful.
I know there's a wide variety of things people use for tracing and making patterns. The following are just types I found easily. I'm sure there are cheaper options if you're willing to order online, go to a hardware store, use something narrower, etc.
Newsprint can be found in large, wide rolls and is relatively inexpensive compared to other art-supply papers in similar widths. That's the main reason I bought this. It isn't transparent, of course, so it isn't great for tracing, but it's useful for big pattern pieces. It's a substantial weight and doesn't fold all that nicely, but what're you gonna do?
This paper works well for tracing. I've used both the white and the canary versions in the past. It's heavier and feels crunchier than the European pattern tracing paper. You can erase pretty carelessly with no problem. I bought the 24" width; that's already relatively expensive and the wider it gets, the pricier it is. I think half of your widest body circumference plus a few extra inches (for ease and seam allowance) is a good minimum width. That way you stand some chance of making complete pattern pieces without taping.
You can also find rolls of gridded drafting vellum, which can be really nice for drafting patterns from scratch, but that's a whole other price point. Incidentally, I did see alpha dot pattern paper for sale at Fabricana, but by that time I already had these two rolls and didn't feel the need for more.
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