amla

We'll be in Paris next week (family of four, two adults, two kids ages 12 and 8). I've gotten some great advice here re: Normandy and have been combing the forums for tips rearis with kids. We'll have four full days in Paris, and I've come up with a rough itinerary--would love the experts here to look it over and add their thoughts:

Tueasday night: Bateau Mouche
Wednesday: Luxembourg Gardens, Musee de Cluny, Notre Dame
Thursday: Versailles. Should we plan on a full day there? If not, maybe we can climb the tower or visit a museum afterward.
Friday: Louvre, Tuileries, Montmartre
Saturday: Invalides, Orsay, Tour Eiffel

I know this list is missing a lot of must-see places (Saint-Chappelle! Opera Garnier! etc.) What would you add? When? And is it really going to rain all week? So sad.

Thanks in advance! Will be sure to post a trip report, too.

jamikins

I have noticed that when it rains in Paris its not socked in type rain. It may rain for a while, then pass, then prehaps rain a bit more. Its usually intermittant (in my experience anyways!). This is the perfect time to stop in a patisserie or a cafe for some treats and watch the world go by

Christina

yes, it can be intermittent but if it rains several hours in the morning and several hours in the afternoon and night, that's a lot of rain. I was there a few weeks ago and some days it rained a lot for hours at a time. Kind of a downer.

It's up to you, I would not visit both the Invalides and the Orsay museum on the same day as they are both major museums. But that's up to you, of course, I only visit one major museum a day like that. If I visit 2, they are different types, and those are, so that's good (art vs. history). It is doable and fits your schedule okay, I agree.

I do think Versailles will take most of the day, I wouldn't count on visiting a museum also. Maybe something else, not sure what you mean about climbing a tower or which one you want to climb. Do you mean the Eiffel Tower? I thought they had elevators, but I've never been in it as that doesn't interest me. I know the tower at Notre Dame is a climb, as is the Arc de Triomphe.

I think your plans are pretty good, and you can hope it won't rain that much. If is does, it may involve rethinking some of those (like the bateaux mouches or gardens).

d_claude_bear

It seems to rain on about 1/3 of the days in a typical month, sometimes short and lightly, sometimes much more.

mamcalice

I would try your best to include Sainte Chapelle in you itinerary. It is one of the major hightlights of Paris.

denisea

Ste Chapelle should be added to your plan; go early before security lines get long. It is part of the justice complex so you must go through security/metal detectors.

Don't worry about the rain....visit churches, shops or just stop at a cafe for wine or coffee when it does. If the forecast calls for lots of rain, that's a museum day or half day. Don't let the rain mess with your good time. paris is wonderful even when it rains.

kelsey22

I was in Paris alone but I took note of some things I could do with the kids (I have 3).

- there is a crypt under Notre Dame - it is pretty interesting
- definately the Eiffel Tower (my son was in Paris when he was 14 and he still talks about it)
- ice cream - lots of it
- there are cooking classes (I noticed some for families)
- Sacre Coeur and perhaps their portrait done nearby
- up the Tower of Notre Dame (another 'must-do' according to my son)
-the museums were loaded with books and guides for kids - you could pick one up on the way into the museums

- pastry shops - yum -
- there is a catacomb tour which I didn't do but I think kids might like it
-

I agree with the post above that Paris is great even in the rain bu with two kids it can be a problem. Paris has so many museums that there is sure to be something that interests your kids.

kelsey22

Hi amla - I just read your other post - so I am so sorry because I see a couple of my suggestions just wouldn't work for your family.

kelsey22

I knew I had seen a link recently


http://en.parisinfo.com/shows-exhibi...with-the-kids/

amla

Not to worry, kelsey22--and thank you for all your helpful suggestions! We so wish pastries were an option. And we had thought about getting the kids' portraits done; I hope the rain holds off long enough for that to work!

Thanks mamacalice and denisea for the information re: Sainte Chappelle, too--it's on my list! I so appreciate all the advice and recommendations--will keep checking just in case anyone else wants to chime in. Thanks in advance!

StCirq

I must have missed something. Why aren't pastries an option? Pastries are ALWAYS an option in Paris, though I don't eat them myself - they are on every street practically.

Be really careful about "getting the kids' portraits done." The artists who do them are a) not usually much good at all, and b) will charge you way more than you should be paying. They tend to congregate around the Place du Tertre, under the Seine bridge that leads to the Ile de St-Louis, the Place Beaubourg, and other tourist "hotspots." They are usually more annoying than you can imagine. Trust me, by the time your kids are grown, a nicely framed photo, taken by yourself at no cost, of them somewhere special in Paris will mean a lot more than some chalk scribbling by a persistent scam artist.

amla

Hi StCirq--my 12 yo son has Type 1 diabetes, so while he's allowed to have whatever he wants to eat, we have to know the carb count so he can take insulin for it. We all tend to avoid sweet treats now--although we definitely plan to enjoy some croissants (preferably whole wheat, if such a thing exists) and tarte tatin while in Paris and Normandy.

Good to know about the portraits, too--my daughter's been wanting one (she saw street artists doing them in Rome, probably the same sort of thing you describe in Paris, but she's 8--she loves the idea of being painted by an artist). We'll see if works out! Thank you again.

theflock

It is totally doable to visit the Musee d'Orsay and Invalides in one day. You can also fit in the Rodin Museum on the same day. The Orsay isn't all that large.

catcrazyaf

I hope you find time to visit Palais Garnier. The inside is soooo
beautiful and the English speaking tour was full of interesting facts and tidbits.

ahiddenbird

I really enjoyed the Rodin Museum when I went, but as a lot of it is outdoors, it may not be the best choice is it's very rainy.

I bet the Centre Pompidou would be pretty cool to kids!