sheebs

Hello,

My family and I are planning our first ever visit to Paris during the spring break. I have 2 questions that will help me plan the trip effectively:-

1- Where to stay in Paris. I am looking for a clean, kid friendly and economical place to stay.
2- We have about 9 days including travel days so ideally we want to add another country to our list which can be accomplished via train or a short road trip. What would you recommend?

Thanks for your help,
S

aliced

So it sounds like it'll be next March. How old are the kids? Will there be four of you or more? What do you consider economical for your number? Seven days in Paris is not a lot, especially with kids. You must more provide more detail about your inclinations in travelling.

zorrosf

Depending on your city of departure, you do not really have 9 days of vacation. From California (for example), if you leave on April 1, you arrive in Paris on April 2. If you are flying from the East Coast, you may arrive on the day of departure, but you will have some jet lag, plus all the delays of getting luggage, getting transportation, getting to your hotel/apt., getting unpacked. So assuming that you actually commence the vacation part of your vacation (rather than the "getting there" part) on Day 2, and further assuming that you can leave late on April 1 so that Day 2 is actually April 2 (Saturday), you really have 7 days of vacation (April 2-8, because you depart on April 9).

With 7 actual days of vacation, I recommend renting an apt. in Paris for your family and staying in Paris the entire time. You can day-trip if you wish, but there is PLENTY to do and see in Paris, let alone just walking.

sheebs

Kids will be by that time 9 & 6. Travelling from East Coast so assuming we can be out and about the next day. My kids are quite tuned to international travel so they usually do good.

Where area you recommend renting an apt, that will be perfect because it will give us the flexibility to do snacking/laundry.

Thanks,
S

Christina

If you haven't been there before, I would definitely recommend London as the second place. Lots for kids to do, no language difficulties, and easy to get to from Paris. I think a lot of people don't understand that most people can't go to Europe all the time for weeks on end and need to make the most of their trips, which may involve seeing more than one city in 9 days, because it is a large expense to get there. Also, a lot of people want to learn about and see other countries.

The obvious answers are the ones that border France, of course, You can't get to any country from Paris in a short road trip, you should take the train. It makes more sense than driving anyway, in various ways. Netherlands (Amsterdam) and England are the easiest places to go from Paris. YOu could easily spend about 4-5 days each in Paris and London, that's what I'd recommend.

Robert2533

Your best option for a place to stay in Paris, for a family of four, would be an apartment on the right bank.

nytraveler

I always reco the 5th or 6th for first time visitors - since it has easy access to many of the major stops on foot and a lot of Metro stations for those that are further away. Yes, the area has a lot of tourists and cafes/restaurants/busy streets so it's not quiet like a truly residential area would be - but IMHO a better choice, esp if you will be there only 4 days or so because you are heading to another country. And I would head to London if you have never been there before - the most to see/do and a very quick, easy trip on the train.

zorrosf

As to location for an apartment, I have not rented one in Paris. You can search this board for material about which agencies to use/not to use. As to location, I would read the comments of the people who have actually staying in these properties. In general, I would try to stick as close to Notre Dame as possible, so anything in the St. Germain/Marais/Louvre/Luxembourg area (6th, 5th, 4th arrondisements) would be walking distance to many attractions, cafes, restaurants, Metro stations. Taking the metro is strongly recommended.

tonfromleiden

If you think Paris can't keep you busy for what effectively amounts to a week, you can have daytrips to Reims, Chartres or other cities not too far away. Look at the website of the French railways (SCNF) for the travelling times involved.

And, frankly speaking, it escapes me why you were thinking about adding another country. France is a large country of which Paris is hardly the only place worth a visit. (Looking back, I think that all my longer and shorter trips in France add up to something approaching a year if not longer.)

Robert2533

Paris Perfect has a two-bedroom apartment in the Marais, near rue des Rosiers, and another nice one in the 7th with spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower that should work for you. The one in the 7th is the larger of the two.

Gretchen

Stay in Paris and do day trips IFFF you can't fill the time in Paris.
If you want an "apartment", do an apartmenthotel where you will have the benefit of a desk/concierge for advice and reservations, etc.
Stay in the center.

PalenQ

London is just a couple of hours by train from Paris via the Eurostar trains - fly into Paris and out of London - 7 days in Paris IMO would be a bit much for the average traveler - 4 days in Paris and 3 in London will whet your appetite to come back to both. www.eurostar.com for Eurostar train fares and times.

dwdvagamundo

Agree with Tonfromleiden: instead of another country, explore some of France outside the Metropolis.

pariswat

Agree with Tom too.
Or daytrip from Paris.

I find the comment about staying on the 'right bank' ridiculous. Some centuries ago there used to be a difference between right and left bank, something having to do with the wind blowing the fumes of industry if I remember correctly. Stay anywhere in Paris, as long as it is a few hundreds meters from the 'portes' (gates or the old openings in the outer wall of Paris). If you stay 7 days, there is no place close to the main sites, so you'll end up using the metro to come back 'home' wherever you decide it is.

4, 5 and 6 are places I go less and less, there are hardly any locals left there. I was last week in the 6th, was the only frenchspeaking guy in the hotel (according to the guy at the desk), sat next to a (loud) US young lady (very loud) at the restaurant - again no locals. When walking before going back to the hotel, I listened to people talking to each others, more than half were speaking english (or american..). Still very nice, but don't expect to discover the old french charm there. Gone.

Pay attention to appartment renting, some (most) are illegal and some might be taken off the market - rent via a sufficiently large site so that they can relocate you in case. Or go for official ones, like citadines, adagio, or I would venture to say the ones you find on booking.com and that give you an invoice...

Lots of things to do with kids (inside Paris).
My favourites :
- le jardin des plantes (zoo)
- le musée de l'armée (I was addict when 8-13)
- les invalides
- I was too late to go at 'Zoo de vincennes' but it looks nice - do the castle then the zoo
- petit (or grand ?) palais - funny experiences can be done there
Easy to reach
- le Bourget : airpsace musueum - amazing pre WW1 collection of planes, very nice WW1 planes, less impressed by the rest, but kids will love Concorde and I think you can visit a C47 (old DC3 used during WW2) and a helicopter ?
- some like 'la cité des sciences' I just went and disliked it - I think the areas for kids (under 6-7) seemed nice, but for grown-ups it was imho boring

Further away
daytrips to places like Senlis, Vaux le vicomte, Pierrefonds (looks really like a castle, complete with walls, towers etc). Versailles (I prefer now Vaux, less crowded), or the Loire valley or Normandy or or or.

A second country : between Paris and Amsterdam is Bruxelles, capital of Belgium, of Europe - well, we can say it : capital of the world. A very lovely city (the most beautiful old market place on earth) albeit not liked on Fodors.

Enjoy your stay.

PalenQ

pariswat - ever go the Arts-et-Metiers museum? That's one museum this museum hater kind of really loved and my young son at that time did too and did a few years back as an adult - a wondrous collection of antique scientific instruments, machines, etc. One of Faucault's original pendulums I think or a good copy hangs in the nave of this former church/abbey or monastery:

http://www.arts-et-metiers.net/musee...or-information

And Brussels is just over an hour away by train from Paris - could be a day trip or gateway to more famous and liked on Fodor's than Brussels - but I rather like Brussels the more it is hashed about - not your dreamy old world romantic place like Bruges or even Gent or Antwerp but a unique world capital in its own right with some sweet things to see - the Grand' Place - one of Europe's primo town squares and of course the Mannequin Pis or the iconic statue of Brussels - a small boy peeing - the royal palace gardens are great formal gardens and if interested in Art Nouveau there is plenty to seek out.

pariswat

Good idea for arts et métiers. Was on my todolist but disappeared somehow.

It is 'Manneken Pis' (small man (boy) taking a piss).
Strange is that the statue (held in a museum now) dates from 17e century.

PalenQ

Wow - that peeing boy not out on the street as befits that? Guess I have not been to Brussels in a while.

pariswat

A copy is still in place...
And he has a friend called 'Jeanneke Pis'

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanneke_Pis

Not sure it reaches the highest standards of art, but at least we cannot be accused of sexism.

suze

I don't think 9 days is enough to add "another country". How about just Paris with a few day trips, if the city alone isn't enough to keep you busy?

Check out a map of Paris, the arrondisement numbers spiral outwards like a snail (1, 2, 3, etc.) with 1-7 being the most central (these are the last numbers in a postal code when you're looking at hotels and apartments).

sheebs

Thank you folks for all the recommendations. Seems like i have good information to start preparing for the trip.

Thanks a million!