I don’t need to tell you that Paris is a vibrant city full of arts, cuisine, architecture, fashion, and romance. Whether you’ve been to Paris or not, we all have a picture in our minds of what it must be like to walk the cobblestone streets or the grand boulevards that make up Paris. I will never forget the overload of my senses on my first trip to Paris. The smell of freshly baked baguettes, the sound of young love giggling along the Seine, or the taste of the perfect bowl of moules-frites. Paris is and always will be the city of all cities for me.
It seems I’ve passed this love affair on to my middle daughter. In addition to my own fascination and utter enchantment with Paris, she has been charmed as well. Books and movies like Madeline and Eloise, started her at a young age luring her imagination to life in Paris. This continued with our collection of the timeless “This is” book series, movies like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Hugo Cabret and more recently, the American Girl Doll of the Year 2015 – Grace, a young girl who dreams of baking in a Parisian Patisserie. So when we had the opportunity to stop in Paris on our way home from our friends’ in Norway last summer, we decided to make it happen.
It was a complete surprise to all our kids. We knew that we’d all be heartbroken to leave our dear friends in Norway after 10 days with them. To keep the kids’ heads up about our long travels back to California, we arrived at the Oslo airport inviting the kids to check the departures board for our flight number. When they realized we were not boarding a plane back to San Francisco, but rather a brief stop in Paris, spirits were lifted. Our middle daughter was out of her mind excited with the anticipation of eating her way through Paris and seeing sites she’d dreamed of seeing like the Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower and the clock at the Musée D’Orsay. The following is an account of our 2 Days in Paris, a quick guide for how to get the most out of Paris in a short time with kids in tow.
Where to Eat
In Paris I like to think more along the lines of what to eat versus where to eat. This was my 4th or 5th trip to Paris, but the first trip to Paris with our family of 5. I designed a check list of foods I felt were essential to a beginning understanding of Parisian food as seen through the eyes of a child. We don’t eat at the same places each trip and though I do like to peek at the Cereal Guides for ideas, we rarely go to them opting for places that look good depending on what part of the city we are in when we are hungry. Flexibility is always the name of the game when traveling, that only becomes truer when traveling with kids. There are however three repeat stops where you can sample some of what I consider to be a foundation for eating ones way through Paris. Le Bourbon is in the 7th arrondissement, it has become our go-to first stop as it perfectly situates a visitor to the main sites, parks, and museums of Paris. Le Bourbon has a quintessential brasserie feel inside as well as classic bistro chairs with small tables for sidewalk seating. Here your kids can sip orangina and devour a croque monsieur, while you indulge in a glass of rosé and a plate of charcuterie. {1 Place du Palais Bourbon, 75007 Paris, France}
Angelina – a must for any chocolate lover, especially those young at heart. We like the location on the edge of the Jardin du Luxembourg. While they do serve a full menu for breakfast, lunch, and tea time, we go for the hot chocolate and the chocolate frappé.
Berthillon – Parisian glacé (ice cream) on the charming Île Saint-Louis. Bertillon has been making ice cream in Paris since 1928. Check closure notices online ahead of time, they close somewhat frequently and for several weeks in late July and August. I find my kids will walk for miles in any city with the promise of a delicious scoop of ice cream!
Other must try foods on my list for first time Paris visitors – Moules-frites in Montmartre, Fresh baguette and jam on a park bench, Crêpes savory or sweet from a street vendor enjoyed on the banks of the Seine, Macarons from Ladureé or any pretty little patisserie in whichever arrondissement you find the need for a quick pick me up. Steak-frites and a carafe of burgundy (a sip to taste for the littles as the French do) in any cozy bistro you find yourself near in the evening, our favorite evening spots are the neighborhoods around Rue Cler (7th) perfect for a walk to see the Eiffel Tower lighting up the night sky or Le Marais (3rd) a lively old neighborhood often called “Old Paris” referring back to its medieval days.
Where to Shop
I don’t do a lot of shopping when traveling with my kids, even in Paris (sigh!) but there are always a few things we seek out in any city we are exploring around the world
- a toy store – Amuzilo – Charming the under 10 set since 1962 in St. Germain de Pres
- a bookstore – Shakespeare and Co. – try to go in off peak times as it can get quite crowded with tourists, but the building itself is something to be explored. Since 1951, this English language bookstore has been a cornerstone for the Left Bank literary movement attracting famous American writers like Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti while your kids might not appreciate those guys, they will find all the nooks throughout the 3 level store a unique place to explore. I, on the other hand can always hear and feel the electricity of the writers who’ve been there and made such an impression on me in my teens and twenties.
- a housewares store – Astier de Villatte – one of my most favorite ceramics of all time, I’m slowly acquiring a beautiful collection
- a novelty store – Merci – from novelties, to men’s and women’s clothing to the modern housewares and darn good design, something for everyone to explore on the 3 levels.
Where to Stay
Recommendation for where to stay in Paris will vary widely. It’s a big diverse city with something for everyone. If you prefer to stay in larger brand hotels and be close to high end shopping, look in the 1st or the 8th arrondissements near Champs de Élysées at places like Plaza Athénée, Four Seasons, The Peninsula, Le Maurice, Le Bristol
If you prefer to stay in smaller European hotels near museums, parks, and the Eiffel Tower, I recommend arrondissements 6 or 7. This gives you good safe access to the river and the many locations you’ll want to see on either side. We’ve stayed at Hôtel du Cadran and Hôtel de Suède. Both have rooms that can accommodate a family of 4 or 5 when combined.
The 3rd and 4th arrondissements like the area Le Marais offer more of a neighborhood feel. Le Marais is a good spot to be if you prefer to rent an apartment via sites like Kid and Coe. Another neighborhood slightly further out but tons of fun is in the 18th arrondissement of Montmartre which includes Le Sacré Cœur.
Where to Play
Museums favorites include – Musée Rodin, Musée d’Orsay, Musée l’orangerie, Musée Picasso. Of course there is also the Musée du Louvre, but I don’t recommend attacking this monster of a museum with kids. Our favorite thing about the Picasso and Rodin Museums are that they are in homes with windows and gardens which appeal to younger artists. The Musée d’Orsay is a fantastic collection inside a converted train station built in the late 1800s. You can buy discounted tickets that offer access to both the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée l’orangerie or for the Musée d’Orsay and the Musée Rodin. Under 18 admitted free at all of these museums mentioned.
Parks – I have a love/hate relationship with the parks of Paris. I recall the first time I visited Paris in my early twenties being quite annoyed that you were not permitted to lay/walk/sit on the grass. At times I’m charmed by this, by the endless chairs and benches along walkways, around fountains and under trees. It’s a sophisticated way to enjoy a park, something truly Parisian. At other times, when you’d like to sit and stay for a while but are unable to find open seating especially for a large family like ours, the charm and sophistication wears off and you just want to find a pretty spot on the grass under a tree to take in the view and enjoy your ice cream. Our favorite is Jardin du luxembourg. From the boats to the playground, to the puppet shows and entertainers, its a fun day spent for all.
Jardin des Tuileries – Another lovely esplanade linking the Place du Concorde and the Louvre. This park also includes the Musée l’orangerie and one of the city’s ferris wheels a fun way to view the city with kids.
Other favorites include a visit to see the Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle. Both of these can be viewed from the outside by walking along the Seine if your kids aren’t up for another old church to tour. But if they are, you won’t be disappointed. Of course a trip to see the Eiffel Tower is not to be missed, nor are the ever present views that whole city has of the famous landmark. It’s a sight day or night from the ground or inside.
One of the most touristy things we do when traveling to new cities is to take a short tour. Sometimes this is a walking guided tour, sometimes it’s a fun-loving Duck-Tour, or a bike tour, and in Paris it is always a Seine boat tour. There is a bit of history mixed in with lovely views and a chance to rest your feet after sightseeing all day. I recommend reserving one of these types of tours before you arrive and doing it on day one. They help you get a better sense of the city and your barrings on the lay of the land.
For me, so much of what makes Paris so incredibly special is a feeling. It’s in the sights and sounds, the smells, and tastes. It’s in hearing the beautiful French spoken and watching a culture unlike any other. I am admittedly a francophile. I feel it when I’m there and I long for it when I’m not. I love sharing with my kids places that are cemented on my heart and finding new ones as a family knowing there will also be those places that speak directly into my children’s hearts.
A few Paris tips:
- Don’t be lured into a “city pass” especially since children are free at museums
- Consider doing what you see the French doing, baguettes sticking out of purses, standing up ordering a café au lait at a bar, sipping wine at lunch, having at least one meal on the banks of the Seine
- Uber is widely used
- English is spoken more and more (sadly)
- Air France is notorious for cancelling flights and suddenly striking (learned the hard way)
- Walk as far and as often as you can, that’s where you will see and feel Paris.
- Consider a bike tour or boat tour, or both!
- Try using “my google maps” to pinpoint places you’d like to go before you arrive, you can print your personalized guide and minimize cell phone charges
- I am the anti-souvenir parent, instead look for a clothing item, book, bowl, or decor you will use again and again at home. These are the momentos you’ll cherish over any item that says “Paris, France” on it. One of my favorite treasures from our trip to Paris is an apron I picked up at Merci. I think about Paris every time I put it on.
- Arrondissements – they can be difficult to keep track of and figure out what is where. A trick is to remember that they fall in a concentric circle with the 1st arrondissement at the heart of the city, the 2nd following just north, to the east is the 3rd, just south is the 4th then across the river is 5, 6, 7 east to west. Back across the river is 8, above the 1st is 9, east is 10, 11, 12. Crossing back to the left bank is 13, 14, 15 east to west, crossing the river outward west to the north is 16, 17, 18, then eastward to 19, and 20. Or you can mentally divide them between right bank and left. The right bank includes 1-4, 8-12, 16-20. Left bank includes 5-7, and 13-15. It takes some getting used to but makes perfect sense as you get to know Paris. See Map via Jetset Times.
