Linguist1976

We are a group of 6 adults and 2 children who will be in Paris for 2 and a half days.

Some of us have briefly been here before, whereas some of us haven't. On discussing what all everyone would like to do and see we came up with this itinerary.

Please help/advise if anything can be added or if there are other things that should be done.

We are staying in Montparnasse near the Montparnasse Bienvenue station.

We don't know much about Paris distances so absolutely any help would be truly appreciated.

Thank you everyone.

Tuesday

Nice-Paris (arrive in Paris in the afternoon)

6:00pm onwards, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysées, L’Arc de Triomphe and surroundings

Wednesday

Morning – Le Marais, George Pompidou Centre, any other suggestions

5:00pm to 7:00pm, Jardin de Tuilleries or Jardin de Luxembourg for a picnic

7:00pm to 10:00pm, Wednesday - Louvre (less crowded)

Thursday

9:00am to 10:00am Any suggestions?

10:00am to 1:30pm - Cycle tour

3:00pm onwards - Latin Quarter, Sacré Coeur, Maybe a chocolate tour

8:00pm Cruise on the Seine

Friday

9:00am - 3:00pm Jardin d’Acclimatisation or

Bastille Market or

Canal St. Martin or

La Promenade Plantée

4:00pm Leave for the airport

justineparis

This is very busy.. how old are those children.

The train ride is long.. if children are young they may be cranky when you arrive.. I would suggest a more relaxed arrival evening.. Go to hotel , check in.. then if it is a nice evening ( weather wise) perhaps get some food and enjoy a picnic in Luxembourg Gardens.. the children can play in the playground and stretch their legs after being on a train for almost 6 hours. There perhaps just wander in the Latin Quarter ..

Then next day go to Eiffel Tower first thing before it opens..so you can get in the line for the elevators.. the lines can be very long so best to go at least 45 minutes before it opens.
Then perhaps Arc D;Triomphe and wander down Champs Elysees..

Perhaps an evening boat tour tonight.

Sacre Couer is far from other sites.. I would not bother on such a very short visit.

Notre Dame is worth a visit.. work that in with Latin Quarter or when you visit the Louvre in evening..

Friday.. no.. all those things are way too much..

It would really help if you were more specific.. how old are these children.. are the adults good walkers or elderly.. the more you tell folks the better suggestions they can make.

ssander

Bastille Market is Thursday & Saturday, not Friday. Instead, take the kids to Luxembourg Gardens.

Agree to cut Sacre Couer ... visit Notre Dame OR Sainte Chapelle instead.

Forget Champs Elysees.

I cannot judge your taste in art...that's personal...but I think the Orsay has more to see than the Pompidou.

If you visit the Marais, (1) take a self-guided walk, and (2) Visit the Carnavalet Museum -- a real treasure of Paris history.

ssander

Linguist1976

Thank you so much justineparis and ssander for all the recommendations and advice. can plan better now.
The kids are 3 and 12.
We are going to visit the Louvre for a very short time.
Other than the Gardens, what else can you suggest that is kid-friendly, like a kids museum/science centre or a chocolate/cheese tasting tour for at least the 12 year old.
Thank you once again justineparis and ssander

StCirq

Ditch Sacré Coeur and the Champs Elysées.

Take the kids to the Jardin d'Acclimatation. If you had more time I'd suggest the Cité de Science, but you'd have to cut out some of the other stuff to make time for it. For a small hoot, take them by Deyrolles.

Any decent map of the city will give you an idea of distances. You're going to need to be familiar with the city in order to make good on your short time there anyway, so get a map and study it.

buzzcolin

I would suggest the hop on hop off bus. There are a couple of different ones to choose from. Rather than drag the kids around - you can see most of Paris from up top and get off whenever you want. Also the hop on hop off river cruises are great. You can get around to lots of the big attractions that way. Kids should enjoy that. Unless you have a whole day I would not recommend the Louvre, especially with kids in tow. Rather see the Musee de Orsay. Parks are a good idea for a picnic. Go on line and check out the hop on buses and boats. You can also buy a combo ticket. Print out the map and see where all the stops are and that will give you a good idea of the lie of the land. I would leave Friday for things you want to go back to (because of weather or queues) and maybe a slow stroll along the Seine just to soak it all up. Enjoy magical Paris!

ssander

A 3-year-old at the Louvre won't last long...but since you're going, take him/her to the Islamic art area...the design/tessellation nature of Islamic art will probably interest him/her more than the Dutch genre paintings such as Vermeer, de Hooch and Steen (my favorites).

The toy boats that the kids sail in Jardin du Luxembourg will interest the young ones, too...plus you can picnic there.

Place des Vosges is also a good place to picnic, and on Thursday, you can pick up your fixin's at the Bastille market...just a few hundred meters away.

ssander

ssander

Not sure if you're into public transport -- six people will require two taxis, and they do not have child seats for the 3-year-old. (You can book taxis with a car seat in advance, but it's very inconvenient.)

Consider Navigo cards with one week passes loaded onto them. For 21.25€ they now cover all five zones (including CDG airport), and are good Mon-Sun...so your days are all included.

That way you have your own hop-on-hop-off transport without being limited to one route. The Metro and buses of Paris are excellent and easy to navigate, and as long as you know the Metro stop of your hotel, you'll never get lost.

I don't know if the 3-year-old needs a ticket on transport...I think not.

ssander

ssander

...correction...There are 7-seat taxis, but not as common as one would wish.

ssander

denisea

Lots of great parks to visit with kids - Luxembourg Gardens is an option.

Maybe you can create your own chocolate tour.....
http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/...-for-chocolate

http://goparis.about.com/od/parisgou...s-in-Paris.htm

http://chocolateandzucchini.com/pari...ocolate-shops/

They might enjoy trying to determine the most delicious macaron in Paris...try a new one every day. Laduree, Gerard Mulot, Pierre Herme,

Tea at Un Dimanche a Paris might be a good option. The boutique side is fantasy land and the desserts are so pretty.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Qjd0E7oQmMU

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4W3XSU6gGyo

http://www.un-dimanche-a-paris.com/F...e-chocolat.php

Christina

Actually, the Bastille market is Thursday and Sunday (not Sat nor Fri). Since you won't be there Sunday, you'd have to go Thursday if you want.

I don't think your schedule is busy at all nor quite a lot, I think it is quite open and not packed. In fact, if anything, not a lot planned. The only exception is your first evening since you plan to see two major monuments plus some walking along the Champs, I suppose (I absolutely disagree that you should not even see this street if you have never been to Paris, it is very important historically and iconic, and important in terms of urban and city planning). Besides, you'd have to if you want to view the Arc. The issue is where exactly or when do you plan to eat? That's what I can't figure out. And if you plan to arrive in the afternoon, you could get a head start on this stuff before 6 pm.

So I can't figure out that day or if you have reservations for the Eiffel Tower or what the plan is. Or if you plan to enter the Arc or just look at it from the outside. Maybe for that day, you could just do the Eiffel Tower and then eat around hotel or maybe a park. I stay in Montparnasse often and there are tons of easy restaurants there for you to go to. And it is within walking distance of the southern end of Luxembourg Gardens, also. You could just stick to the Left Bank since you are there, going to/from Eiffel Tower wouldn't be too difficult. The Montparnasse cemetery is somewhat interesting also (Sartre and Beauvoir are buried there, among other famous people), but that would be for adults, not children. Chiildren of such different ages is a challenge in activities.

You cannot picnic in either the Jardin de Tuileries nor Luxembourg unless you mean sitting on a park bench and eating. Yes, you can do that, if you want (sit on a bench eating take out). Would not find the Jardin de Tuileries that comfy for that type of thing, it's a very formal gardens set-up.

If I were you, I would not plan two major art museums in one day with children (espec a 3 yr old). So on Wednesday, pick the one you really want to go to most (classic or modern art). I agree Wed evening for the Louvre could be a good idea but wouldn't expect you to spend 3 hours there. I can't imagine spending threes hours in an art museum with a 3 year old, but maybe yours is different.

Friday you don't really have much planned but must go to the airport. I can't imagine spending 6 hours in any of those places you name. Jardin d'Acclimation is far out, takes some planning to figure out how to get there and I don't think you'll want to spend that much time there. I don't know, I thought it was kind of lame myself, I would think since that day is wide open, going to Sacre Coeur/Montmartre might be something to do that day unless you leave. There is a carrousel just below the church, also. I just think that would be more fun and more unique. You could ride the little Montmartrobus around it.

I wouldn't recommend going to a science museum, you can do that in many cities and I don't see that as something special to do on a vacation to any foreign country unless you never have an opportunity to do such a thing at home.

I don't really know what a chocolate tour is for children. I can envision it for adults, I suppose going to expensive chocolate shops and tasting.

If you move Montmartre to Friday, on Thursday, you should just do the Latin Quarter in the afternoon, add in the sites on the ile, of course (Notre Dame, what else you may fit in) or just walk around it and the Seine, there is a little park on one of the islands, etc.

StCirq

<<I wouldn't recommend going to a science museum, you can do that in many cities and I don't see that as something special to do on a vacation to any foreign country unless you never have an opportunity to do such a thing at home.>>

Perhaps Christina hasn't been to the Cité de Science in Paris. It is nothing at all like the typical science museums in other cities of the world. It is, indeed, quite special. Last time I was there was during World Cup frenzy, and they had robo-football teams and all sorts of special exhibits like an Odorama and other very hands-on, very French things.

Same thing with the Jardin d'Acclimatation. If you're not a kid you probably haven't wandered over there. If you're a kid, I doubt you'd find it "lame."