Paris To Do List With Children

[Anonymous]

Can you give me recommendations of places to visit or things that you did in Paris that was a big hit with your children. My children are ages 12 and 9. I want to have recommendations for restaurants, cafes, etc. that your family like as well. We are staying in the 1st Arrondissement near the Louvre. What were favorites with your children in Paris? Also, is visiting Versailles worth it? I read the reviews on Trip Advisor that the wait times to enter can take hours due to the long lines.

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you give me recommendations of places to visit or things that you did in Paris that was a big hit with your children. My children are ages 12 and 9. I want to have recommendations for restaurants, cafes, etc. that your family like as well. We are staying in the 1st Arrondissement near the Louvre. What were favorites with your children in Paris? Also, is visiting Versailles worth it? I read the reviews on Trip Advisor that the wait times to enter can take hours due to the long lines.

Thanks in advance!

Friend who went said the kids liked the Eiffel Tower more than they expected, and were totally fine with saving time (in line) and money by walking up the first section instead of taking the elevator.

Re: Versailles- not sure about it, never been there, partially because of the crowds and lines. Take a look at Vaux le Vicomte. Predecessor property to Versailles (same architect and landscape designer), much much less crowded and manageable than Versailles. Just a beautiful place.

[Anonymous]

We were in Paris recently and I would say for 12 and 9, the arch de triumph is pretty neat, and at that age, they will be fine to hike the stairs (sort of a long hike); think similar to the statute of liberty. Will be a very memorable experience. Very cool view of the city and architecture. Cool pictures, etc..

Eiffel Tower is also cool, and I would think they would like that at night. We did not go up, and really just sort of did a walk/drive by.

They might like Notre Dame. Was not that crowded when we were there, but it is not that close to the metro stop as I recall.

Regarding Versailles - I am not sure I would have found it that interesting at 12 or 9, or have appreciated its scale and what it meant. The lines even when we were there in late October were horrendous, and we did not enter the actual Palace until well into the afternoon. Instead, we did a guided tour of the still-running vegetable gardens, which I am not sure would be kid friendly. If you do Versailles, strongly suggest arriving like 1.5 hours before it closes and trying to go in at that time. Be aware, and this is not meant to be offensive, Chinese tour groups are a thing and they suck and clog up the works.

Depending on time of year, and if your kids like soccer, a PSG home game would be really fun and extremely memorable. Tickets will be outrageously expensive second hand through a place like viagogo.com, but home premier league level team games are awesome. Wife and I went to a Bayern Munich game that cost me a fortune, but it was a top 10 sporting event in my life, and I have been to some good ones.

Catacombs might be cool. If you decide to do that, get the advance tickets, and that too is extremely crowded. They are very close to metro.

Lastly, regarding metro, if you have not been to Paris before note that is very good. Similar to London and NYC. But, if you have not been to Paris in some time, be aware it is far dirtier and un-kept than it was even 10 years ago.

That said, I had no concerns regarding safety while we were there. My wife, who doesn't travel like I do, loved it.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

My kids are into the French street artist INVADER so we walked all over Paris hunting down his work. Saw an amazing amount of the city.

Do not recommend Versailles. Kids were very bored.

Do recommend a PSG football match. The stadium is quite compact and a great atmosphere.

[Anonymous]

My son loved the War Museum (which is in Les Invalides, where Napoleon's tomb is). He also really enjoyed Pere Lachaise (which surprised me a bit). I recommend the Rick Steve's guide for the best path through the cemetery. I think it's fun for kids because it's a bit of a treasure hunt.

If you have enough time, I would highly recommend a day trip to the Normandy beaches. You can take the train and arrange for a tour guide to pick you up and drop you off. in Bayeux or Caen. If you have a day and half, you can see the beaches and visit Mont St. Michel the next day, which is amazing and fun for kids. My DS and husband (although initially very skeptical) loved the Bayeaux Tapestry, which is just a short walk from the train station in Bayeaux.

We didn't go to Versaille, as the guides all said that you had to get there first thing in the morning, and to expect massive lines, and we didn't want to spend an entire day there.

Most museums in Paris are free for children. However, be aware that if you get a Paris Pass to try to skip the lines, the children's pass doesn't come with a museum card and you may have to stand in line to get the free pass (thereby defeating the purpose). However, as I recall, at the Louvre, we were able to get in the shorter line with my son with our passes and they just waved him on in with us.

As for restaurants, most cafes are very welcoming to children at any time. Fancier restaurants will not be so friendly in the evening. I even sensed a bit of edge when we'd go in with our teenager (who is very mature and an adventurous eater). I get the impression that Parisians don't take kids to the nicer restaurants. They won't throw you out or anything, but don't expect a warm welcome. I know the food snobs will turn up their noses, but Nos Ancetres les Gauloise is fun with kids, particularly after you've been eating heavily sauced food for a week. DS also enjoyed eating on the riverboat. There are the big Bateaux Mouches, which are fine, but there are smaller boats that are more intimate and have better food. Trip Advisor has recommendations, but we went on Le Calife, and it was lovely. My other recommendation on restaurants is to avoid eating directly adjacent to a major tourist attraction. The quality of the food and atmosphere did seem to improve markedly with even a block or so distance. For example, there was a lovely small cafe in the place Dauphine called Ma Salle a Manger. It was tiny, but the owner was very friendly and the food was excellent.

You didn't say what time of year you were going. We went in March, and there were lines, but they weren't bad at all. You could tell from the rope lines set up that the lines can be much worse.

[Anonymous]

Op when are you going? That makes a big difference. Post the answer and I can give better suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Restaurant Angelina for hot chocolate and breakfast.

Seine river cruise (a shorter length cruise)

[Anonymous]

There are ways to skip the lines at Versailles, but it involves signing up for a tour (so you spend a couple hours on seeing rooms not usually open to the public, and then they drop you at the front of the line), so that may not be helpful. If you go in summer, you might look into whether they are doing a nighttime fireworks and fountains festival-- kids would probably like the way they dress up the gardens and fountains with lights, but it is a late night if you stay for the fireworks (leaving Versailles around midnight).

If they like steak, then le Relais de l'Entrecote would be worth considering-- they only serve steak and fries (and salad and dessert), but they do it well (don't be put off by long lines-- they don't take reservations and since the menu is so simple the line tends to move fairly quickly).

The Eiffel Tour has lines for security now that can take a long time, plus lines to go up the elevators, but you can get timed tickets which help a little. Sacre Coeur is another place where you can hike up some steps to get a wonderful view of the city.

We were never asked to get free museum tickets for our children, fwiw.

The bateaubus is another way to take a boat on the Seine.

And don't forget ice cream-- Berthillon, but others as well-- and pastry.

I have heard that the Paris Muse walking tours that are geared to families are great, but I haven't tried them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op when are you going? That makes a big difference. Post the answer and I can give better suggestions.

OP here. I will be there during the second and third weeks of July. We're staying near the Louvre. We will be in Paris on Bastille Day which is also my oldest child birthday.

[Anonymous]

My kids, same age, say they liked the Eiffel Tower, Arc, Luxembourg Garden (steering the toy boats), Orangerie. Didn't like the Louvre. Didn't try Versailles.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op when are you going? That makes a big difference. Post the answer and I can give better suggestions.

OP here. I will be there during the second and third weeks of July. We're staying near the Louvre. We will be in Paris on Bastille Day which is also my oldest child birthday.

That is high tourist season, so there will be crowds. We are a Franco-American family that splits our time between here and Paris, so here are my recs for what it’s worth.

Versailles: we were just there last month, there were no lines. Perhaps it was because it was cold and it involves lots of walking outdoors. In summer it could be a zoo. We bought our tickets online and walked right in. We also took an Uber from Paris, we did not take the train. Was super easy. It’s closed on Tuesdays FYI

Eiffel Tower: you have to go through security just to get to the ticket window. And then you have to go through security a second time whether you take the elevator or walk. If you buy tickets for the elevator in advance, that just means you skip ticket window line, you will still wait in line for all security and for the elevator. What we always do is buy a ticket to walk, you can walk all the way to the second level (it’s around 1000 steps). The second level is where the fancy restaurant is. It took us about 15 minutes to walk it, we did not stop much, however our family is pretty athletic. When you get to the second level, you can take an elevator there to the very top, there usually is hardly any line.

Arc de Triumpe: you can go to the top, there is a tunnel you walk under the traffic circle and buy a ticket to go to the top. There is an exhibition on the history of the monument there too. Great view. You could then walk along the Champs Elyesee toward the Tuileries and the Louvre. There is a five guys there, there is usually a line out the door and down the block to get in (go figure)

PSG will not be playing then, because you are going during the World Cup. I would highly recommend watching a French game at a brassiere or see if the city is holding a viewing party on the Champs Mars (the park underneath the Eiffel Towef) so you can watch with French people. It’s fun.

my kids also like La Villette and Cite of Industrie, Grand Palais, Petit Palais, Pompidou Center, watching performers at the Trocadeur, the Ferris Wheel/ Grand Roue by the Tuileries (they are getting rid of it in July for good so it will be your last chance)

Bastille Day/ 14th of July: there will be a big parade on the Champs Elyesse, it’s mainly a military parade. BUT in the evening, most firehouses will have a big party called th Fireman’s Ball. Each neighborhood has a fire station, and many of them have these huge parties where anyone can come, it’s sort of an open house/house party. They can go all night, literally. In the beginning of the party, people bring their kids to view the fire station and listen to music. But after a few hours kids go home to sleep and the party goes on like a regular dance party. Google it.

Museums are usually closed on Tuesdays. Uber is cleaner and nicer there, much better than taxis. Have fun!

[Anonymous]

PP here, sorry for typos. English is my second language.

[Anonymous]

My 10-year old DS loved the Catacombs, Orangerie, Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. And the bakeries!! I can't even tell how many baguettes he managed to each. He liked the Louvre for the first half an hour (enjoyed Greek statues but got overwhelmed very quickly). Sewers museum might be interesting (it was closed when we were planning to visit and then ran out of time).

[Anonymous]

I am not the OP but happen to have kids the same age and will be there nearly the same time, so this is a wonderful thread! Thank you all for the suggestions.

[Anonymous]

There are amazing toy stores in Paris. Go to la Galerie Vivienne and be awed by the architecture and toy store. While you’re in that area, stop by l’Eglise des Petits Peres, my favorite church. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilica_of_Notre-Dame-des-Victoires,_Paris