Paris – Bring Your Kids Along

Paris, the city of love. A perfect destination for a romantic escapade with your loved one. But wait, just as you start daydreaming, you hear voices calling “what about us?” Yes, kids… gotta love ‘em.

Whenever planning a trip to Paris for the whole family, you want to plan for specific activities aimed at keeping your kids interested and having a good time, and not getting homesick or missing their friends back in the neighborhood. After all, even Paris, with all her charms, may result in a boomer for them unless you dedicate a whole day only to their enjoyment.

So, first of all, keep in mind that you yourself were a kid once, and probably still are, at heart; so try and bring that inner child up infront of you and think about your what could possibly tickle your kids fancy! Make this day an unforgettable experience, and one as educative as it is fun, because sure enough, there’s a wide range of activities to get your kids engaged whilst on holiday in Paris.

Selecting A Good Location

Remember that shopping, transport and accommodation can be a problem, if you don’t mind those issues beforehand. A usually forgotten advice for new travelers: look for a good hotel, prior to get into the plane, and call, to book a room.

Donkeys And Ice Cream Make A Good Start

Children may start their special day by enjoying a donkey ride, very popular amongst the little ones. There’s a very well known donkey ride spot at the Jardin De Ranelagh, close to the Monet Museum. Or they can try having a deliciously refreshing ice-cream at the Jardines Des Tuileries. That would give the perfect excuse to “lure” them into the Louvre Museum, which is just a few steps away.

You may want to enjoy a nice walk about the River Seine while you get there, as it’s just the right distance for them to finish off their ice creams before getting into Louvre.

While you wait for that to happen (or they may ask for a second ice-cream round, that’s up to you) you could take them on a walk through the Rue De Rivoli, arguably Paris’ most famous commercial street; its shops present the most recognizable names in the industries of clothing, garments, overall fashion and technology, enough so to make your wallet sore. That’s also one thing to keep in mind: while Paris is one of Europe’s finest jewels, it is not particularly cheap.

Entry to the Louvre Museum, however, is pretty much at a popular price, costing an average 8.50 Euros for either the stable exhibitions or the transitory ones at Napoleon Hall. Best time to go visit is early in the morning; it opens at 09:00 a.m. Oh and don’t go there on Tuesdays since you’ll find it closed (the only day of the week it’s closed).

Luxemburg Gardens And Palance

You can also take your kids on a visit to the Jardines De Luxemburg, Paris’ most popular park, located by the Latin Quarter by the 6th Arrondissement, very close to the Sorbonne University. The garden was designed in 1612, but it was only by the 19th. Century that it was opened to the public.

It’s a place of remarkable beauty, surrounded by numerous statues such as that of Saint Geneviève, patroness of the city of Paris, and having some central landmarks worth visiting, such as the octagonal pond known as the Grand Bassin, where you can lease small boats for your children, or amuse them with the plays by the puppet theater.

A particularity about the Jardines’ park is that you can just get hold of one of the many available benches and go sitting wherever you want to. The Jardines are a very popular gathering place for chess players. The Jardines have an extension of well over 53 acres.

At the northern end of the Jardin, is the Palais De Luxembourg, built around 1615 to 1627, designed by Salomon Brosse for Marie de Medicis, mother of Louis XIII. Medicis was of Italian ancestry, so the Palais was designed in Italian fashion, contrasting beautifully with the French fashioned design of the gardens. The Palace also has had quite a colorful story: Nowadays the French Senate resides inside its walls, but also it served as a prison during the French Revolution, and the Germans located their Luftwaffe Paris Headquarters there in World War 2.

I Have A Dream

If your children show a natural appetite for knowledge, you can take them Monsieur-6-Prince street, also known as “Yankees’ alley”, a place marking the year of 1959, when none other than Martin Luther King Jr. went on a visit to Mississippi native novelist Richard Wright, to discuss on each other’s views about the civil rights movement.

History lessons and learning usually make you hungry for two things: more knowledge, and food. So, right around the corner, so to speak, you can take the family to the famous Haunts of Kerouac diner.

Gore Details

If your kids are actually teens, you can discuss the possibility of visiting the Catacombs of Paris. Going through these muggy tunnels, they can learn some history as well, passing through the 6 million skulls and bones adorning the place. These catacombs were open in 1818, and there’s where the French Resistance main quarters were located. Also, during World War 2 the catacombs were used as military burial chambers.

If the catacombs are somehow inadequate for your children, you can take them for shopping, or a nice tea-dinner, or actually to see a movie in one of Paris’ famous cinemas.

As a counterpart to the dreadful yet very interesting catacombs, you always have Eurodisney. Well, that’s up to you, and your pockets, but keep in mind many people whom have visited with their children recommend to wait for a warm season to do so… its been suggested that too much rain can foil the experience.

Walk Your Way

Another aspect of Paris: it’s a city for walking. The streets of Paris are very safe to walk around during day-time, and well lighted public areas are also pretty secure when the night has fallen in. So, if you really want to make the most of it, take to chance to go for walks, every time you may feel up to it, and make them walks as extensive as you can: that’s a secret for keeping your economy safe, since a penny that you save in transport, for example, is a penny you can spend in fun!; and this is also the way to really appreciate the architectural majesty of this marvel of engineering that is Paris.

Whatever you do, be sure to ask your kids if they’re having a good time, and whether or not they’re homesick or miss their friends and such. Be mindful of them and let them know you’re there for them. Paris may be the city of love, but the whole family will fall in love with Paris, if you plan your journey the right way, considering everyone’s needs, desires and tastes.

A Few Accommodation Options To Consider

Merryl Hotel: 2-stars; reasonably priced and well communicated; in close proximity to the La Chapelle metro station, Gare du Nord train station, Montmartre and the Basilique du Sacré-Coeur (Sacred Heart).

Grand Hotel Francais: 3-stars; excellent mixture of good service and reasonable prices.
Located at Place de la Nation; privileged view to the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower.

Garden Elysee Hotel: 4-stars; pleasant ambiance and stylish ornamentation; 46 rooms; air conditioning; garden. Located near the Champs-Élysées and the Eiffel Tower.

Park Hyatt Paris Vendome: luxury hotel; typical French structural design with modern features; spa; sauna; gymnasium; restaurant; marvelous views to the city. Located by the Rue De La Paix, near the Place Vendome.

Finally, keep in mind that while in Paris, most hotels would consider a 14 year old as an adult. And so, the accommodation fee will be according to that. In some hotels you can have a 4 people room for the same price you would get a 2 people room in others, such as in the Novotel economic resorts. However there are many options to make your stay in Paris as enjoyable and edifying for you and your kids, even on a somewhat tight budget. So, bring them along!