jennieh212

We will be traveling to Paris in June with an 18 month old and I am looking for suggestions for where to rent an apartment! I was thinking either the Marais or St. Germain--would these be good areas for us? I'd like proximity to great food markets and family-friendly, non-touristy restaurants as well as a park/playground. Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

jkbritt

I would let Grandma and Grandpa take the little feller and use the time as a second honeymoon. He will not remember the trip at all, and if he gets sick, you will never forget it. Plus, with all the "stuff" you must bring for him, it becomes a big hassle.

Doh

I say go for it-- we've traveled lots internationally with our kid and we've had great experiences for both us and him (yes he's gotten sick and yes he doesn't remember all of them, but I'm still glad we went on all the trips). Unfortunately, we haven't (yet!) been to Paris with him so I can't give you advice.

IMHO, there are some situations where an OP's plan really seems plainly unreasonable (such as seeing 4 countries in 9 days) and in that case I can understand fodorites wanting to caution the OP to rethink their plans. Travelling with an 18 month old seems to me to fall into a different category-- it might not be your cup of tea but it's not obviously unreasonable-- so my view is that if you wouldn't do it,just pass the thread by. If you don't like AIs or cruises, I hope you wouldn't post on people's advice threads and tell them not to go.

Barbara_in_FL

I can't imaging needing anything for an 18-month old that you can't get there. Not that there's anything wrong with leaving him/her home, but there's no compelling reason to, either. Jennieh, there are so many parks all over Paris, you can never be too far from one. I think either neighborhood would be fine but perhaps would lean towards le Marais (disclaimer - I have only been to Paris with an older child, not a toddler) because of its location.

Barbara_in_FL

Sorry, that's I can't IMAGINE. One other thought - The playgrounds I can think of just off the top of my head are in the larger parks (Monceau, Luxembourg Gardens) and IMO worth a trip - but if you find a rental property that interests you, you can always ask the owner or manager how close the nearest playground is. I think you will find that Paris is really very child-friendly.

jamikins

I dont have kids, but have seen Luxembourg Garden area recommended a lot for people with children. Maybe do a search here for some trip reports on Paris with children, there have been a few!

john127

The St. Germain area is great for kids, very near Luxembourg Gardens and a beautiful neighborhood in general.

Don't listen to those who tell you not to travel with your children - they will love the experience, and learn from it. They'll also develop a love of travel itself. We are taking our second trip to Europe with our boys next week. The first was three cities, driving between each, when they were only 1 and 3.

Oh, and our then 3 year old got an ear infection in Paris - no big deal - a Dr. made a house call (# in Fodor's book) and we got antibiotics from the pharmacy - all in under 3 hours! Don't get me started on US health care.

Will a toddler remember it? Probably not.
If you only did things with your kids that they'd remember, you'd never read to them or play with them at all until around age 3. Why bother hugging and kissing them? Just feed them and let them lie there all day.

While your at it, just smack them when they do something wrong...they won't remember it, right?

I hate when people say not to do something with your kids because they won't remember it....they obviously take something from their experiences, good and bad, from birth onward.

Needless to say, our boys are now 5 and 7 and excellent travelers who look forward to exploring different places.

Enjoy your trip!

Christina

I personally would think the 15th would be good for families with toddlers, and many areas other than the expensive tourist hotbeds you picked. However, St Germain or the Latin Qtr near Luxembourg Gardens would be good. I don't know how you picked the Marais, it doesn't seem to fit what you want. I wouldn't choose it.

john127

Oh, and we have stayed at an apartment on Rue de Buci which is ideally located - supermarket right next door, all kinds of food, shops, etc. on the street, and a 10 minute walk to Luxembourg Gardens, 2 minute walk to the Seine.

Definitely check out that area.

John

genio67

We took our then 18 month old daughter to France in June several years ago and it was wonderful ( the flight was awful, but you didn't ask that question!). While in Paris, we stayed in the Marais and spent hours in Place Vosges, where there is a playground and we met plenty of local families. We also toured some of the mansions/museums in the Marias and my daughter loved running around the big courtyards ( same with the Jardin des Tulieries).

We did go to other areas and one day assembled a picnic from the shops on Rue Cler and spent the afternoon at Parc du Champs de Mars. My daughter was so excited watching other kids play futbol there. She was a great stroller sleeper ( we live on NYC so she was used to it) and we planned cafe/ restaurant times around her sleeping. Even dinners were not a problem b/c we sat outside so the stroller would not disturb anyone and my daughter slept while we enjoyed a peaceful dinner. One evening it rained so we had dinner at one of the restaurants on Place Vosges as the outside is covered by the archways. I have no regrets about that trip. We even had to visit the doctor because my daughter got an ear infection and we received great medical care. I am not as willing to travel to Paris with my kids now, who are 3 and 5, but at 18 months is was a breeze!