Parisboundwithtoddler

I will be leaving in less than 2 weeks and am excited and a little nervous. It will be my first time to Paris and traveling with my daughter on an airplane. Any advice on things to do/not do would be greatly appreciated.

kalena

I don't know if I can help, but I can certainly relate. When we took our 3 month-old and soon to be two year old, people in Paris (and on the plane) were awed that we even attempted it! But we wanted to use our frequent flyer miles before they expired. <BR> <BR>The flight was not that bad...we were lucky. We took books, crayons, toys, juice, plasticine etc... . Our youngest nursed and slept the whole flight over. <BR> <BR>I remember that the highlight of the trip for our two-year old were all the dirt piles where he could dig with his "Holland shovel". It's amazing how many construction projects you can find when you are looking for them! Other two year old faves were any and all playgrounds, the boats at Jardin Luxembourg and gettiing to spot castles when we got to the countryside. And how could I forget the foret des singes in Dordogne. Those euro-singes got a little feisty, though...! <BR> <BR>Oh I forgot to mention that the disposable diapers we found were not as good as Pampers. Slight culture shock. Pampers may be more readily available by now.

elvira

Paris has lots of parks and "woods" - Tuileries, Luxembourg, Arene Lutece with running around room (Tuileries and Luxembourg have the little boats). <BR> <BR>There are small parks scattered throughout Paris; many have playground equipment like slides and climb-y things. The Champs de Mars has pony/donkey rides. <BR> <BR>Bois de Vincennes is a huge park with beautiful gardens, a zoo - and a white mini-train to ride around the park. It also has miniature golf - no clown heads or windmills, it has miniParis monuments! <BR> <BR>Bois de Boulogne has several park areas, including Jardin d'Acclimatation. <BR> <BR>Puppet shows! http://www.paris-tourism.com/enfants/marionnette.html <BR> <BR>The Zoo <BR> <BR>Bistros, brasseries and small neighborhood restaurants will be comfortable for children (few highchairs, but they often have booster seats); French children don't "visit" other diners or peer over the back of the booth; ice cream is everywhere; milk or orange juice is usually NOT in the dairy (cold) section of the supermarket - it's in boxes on a shelf; nothing like a piece of baguette with chewy crust to keep a toddler occupied (and catch the drool). <BR> <BR>Colorful toys attract kids, so in a playground or park, your sprout will quickly make friends if s/he has a bright red ball that jingles. <BR> <BR>Street fairs pop up around the city, and sometimes set up kiddie rides (esp. around Republique & Bastille). <BR> <BR>Montmartre and in front of the department stores - ugh, mimes, but kids are fascinated by them. <BR> <BR> <BR>

Rhonda

I have an additional question about the parks. I took my children to the parks in Paris you mentioned a couple of years ago. My daughter was four then and very much enjoyed herself. She also very much enjoyed the children's play museum in the Science museum. I'm not sure what the minimum age is for that but it is a hand's on museum that is amazingly well done. <BR> <BR>My question is does anyone know if any of the children's play areas in the mentioned parks are open in January? I will be alone with my kids, who will be six and three in January and would like to plan our days ahead of time. <BR> <BR>Thanks

StCirq

Rhonda: <BR> <BR>The parks will be open, but the attractions such as the gokarts you can rent at Jardin de Luxembourg and the Marionette shows and the carousels will likely not be available. Best bet in January is to head for the Cité de Science at la Vilette and enjoy the many indoor activities and hands-on exhibits for children.