Ivan_02

I prefer to walk streets and see palaces, bridges, and attractions from outside. My son, I suppose, would prefer some "real" weapons, or medieval castle (?) with narrow stairs and corridors and - especially - something to touch and feel.
Any advice?

zeppole

Your son might very much enjoy the crypt at St Denis, where King Clovis is buried, not far from Marie Antoinette, and where the funerary statuary is often fantastical and amusing. It's an extraordinary monument, rich with history and beauty. It's at the end of the St Denis metro line.

Also, the catacombs might be a wowser, with the skulls piled high, and their dark winding underground corridors.

I'm sorry I don't know about weapons, although surely there is a collection somewhere in town.

You might also google up the Jardins des Plantes to see if anything in the complex there would be of interest to your son.

zeppole

Here's a pretty picture of the Evolution galleries at the Jardin des Plantes:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:-...-11-12.jpg.jpg

Also, I would think you would both enjoy a boat ride on the Seine, perhaps the simple public Batobus, which stops at the Jardin des Plantes but also goes all the way to the Eiffel Tower.

There is a funicular near Sacre Couer than kids enjoy taking. You can make it part of a trip to St Denis.

Ivan_02

Thank you, zeppole! St Denis is definitely a good idea. Surely, we'll climb up Notre Dam (not sure about Eiffel with its lines...)

StCirq

If he wants weaponry, then by all means take him to the Musée de l'Armée. He can choose among several exhibits from several historical periods, all of them quite interesting. The exhibits are "indoors," but off the massive central square that's inside the walls of the building, so it really doesn't feel as though you're cooped up in a museum. I was there Sunday, and it was delightful. FWIW, there's a fascinating exhibit there right now about DeGaulle's life, beautifully done with all kinds of state-of-the-art technology - touch screens and audio exhibits and holographs.

He might also enjoy Deyrolles, the taxonomy store, and the Conciergerie.

zeppole

I would skip the Eiffel Tower. Standing underneath it will be fun for your son, but waiting on those lines is awful. What most people don't realize is that the lines on the ground are only half of it. Once you get off the first elevator at the first landing to switch to a second elevator, that line barely moves, and everyone is jammed into a small area. It's just plain tedious.

I've never climbed up in Notre Dame (are you going to watch the hunchback movie before you go?) but I suspect that's a very exciting view, and if it's not enough, you can have a nice one from the funicular at Sacre Couer, or take the elevator to the top of Tour Montparnasse (but given your short time, I would put the last at the bottom of your list, maybe something to do after dinner one night). It has evening hours:

http://www.affiliate.viator.com/broc...&AUID=2268

a1139a

I would second the idea of the catacombs...all the bones he could ever want to see...but not touch,of course. And I believe someone mentioned the Conciergerie--just make sure he knows a little of the history of the French revolution first.

www.hereinfranklin.wordpress.com

zeppole

Although I popped out with the idea of the catacombs, I will point out that they are merely morbid in some ways, not important historically. For just two days, there's a lot that a 12-year old will enjoy above ground.

MelJ

I took my 13 and 10 year old grandsons last April (2007) and they really enjoyed the Eiffel Tower. We made sure we were there on a weekday at 9:00 a.m. when they open and they moved right up. They enjoyed going all the way to the top, which my DH and I have never done.

Other things they really liked:
Going to the top of the Arch de Triumphe at night. We must have spent an hour up there while they took pictures.

Invalides. If he likes military stuff, he'll enjoy everything from the canons outside to the ware memoribilia inside.

StCirq

Not to be picky, but we went directly to the 2ème étage of the Eiffel Tower on Monday of this week without switching elevators. The 3ème étage, however, was closed because it was so full it couldn't accommodate any more visitors.

Lexma90

We've taken our son to Paris when he was 10, and again when he was 12.

We read the Hunchback of Notre Dame before the trip, and he was enthralled to visit the real Notre Dame, and climb the towers. The stairways there are plenty narrow.

We skipped the catacombs - he wasn't interested, and I was creeped out by the thought. He also is not interested in weapons, so we didn't visit that museum.

He wouldn't have missed the Eiffel Tower, despite the lines. He loved watching the cars whiz round and round the Arc de Triomphe.

Ride a boat down the Seine at nighttime, when the buildings are all lit up.

I'm not sure that there are any "medieval castles" left in Paris; I think most of the architecture from the middle ages in Paris are churches; Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Notre Dame; also Hôtel de Cluny, which now houses the Musée du Moyen-Age.

logandog

The Cluney Museum is pretty cool and includes some Roman ruins as well.It is the only medieval palace in Paris.www.musee-moyenage.fr

Barbara_in_FL

My son was absolutely fascinated at the Musee de L'Armee, so I would second that recommendation very strongly. The amount of armor and weaponry there is just staggering. We spent the better part of a day there and did not see everything.

The view from Notre Dame is lovely, and you can get a picture with the gargoyles.

But the view from the Eiffel Tower is also quite nice. I wish we had skipped the third floor; we would have saved a lot of time and aggravation, but going up to the second floor and back was not that bad.

The Conciergerie does not take long to visit but could easily be worked into a nice stroll, so that there would be something for both of you.

Hope you have a great time!

bozama

I have taken my son at 14, my hubby took our next son when he turned 14, and I just returned from a trip with my 12 yr old daughter. I have also been to Paris as a child.

Kids never find the ET a let down, just go EARLY to avoid waiting for 2 hours. All my kids considered it worth waiting in line for, even when I tried to convince my daughter that just being under it was great,, LOL< she didn't buy that at all.

My sons both loved the Catacombs, and contrary to Zeppoles claim about the Catacombs being unimportant historically, it just shows he/she doesn't really know alot about them. Sure they are not like the Lourve, but with a little research you will apprieciate the visit alot more .. they were used by the French Resistance and the Nazis during WWII, both in the same tunnels, but unaware of each other! Also, the fact that they exist at all, I mean , they are alot of what Paris is,, they were quarries orginally, and its kind of fasinating to imagine some poor sod chipping away by hand hundreds of years ago ! I also did not find the bones morbid, I found in fasinating that over 6 million people are there, that means 3x the present day population of greater Paris are underground ,,

All my kids loved climbing the Towers at Notre Dame, the stairs are narrow and windy,, very medievel feeling! LOL Get there before it opens.


I did the HOHO with one of my kids, they enjoyed it, we both liked riding around the traffic circle that surrounds the Arc De Triomphe. You of course will hop on and off and see sites.

zeppole

Sorry! I didn't mean to sound like I was dissing the French Resistance, but it should be pointed out that on a trip through the catacombs, which take quite some time to walk through, one never sees the areas the Nazis used (at least not when I was there), so don't go for that reason.

I have never toured the sewers of Paris, which were also heavily used by the French Resistance. (The sewer tour gets decidedly mixed reviews.)

traveljunkie28

I took my 12 year old to Paris in April and he enjoyed the Egyptian, Greek and Roman Antiquities at the Louvre. He really enjoyed seeing all the tombs.

Although he can't "touch and feel" it really is worth seeing if you haven't been to the museum before.

gruezi

You can do a surprising amount in Paris in 2 days as lots of attractions are very central.

Traveljunkies idea about the Louvre is a good one. Don't spend hours there, just see a few of the antiquities rooms and maybe the Mona Lisa (for some reason kids all love this). It's a beautiful museum and just even cool to be under the IM Pei pyramids. He will get free admission I believe.

Definitely go to the Eiffel Tower - esp at night when it's twinkling. Both my kids loved that the best. It's pretty impressive even for jaded older tourists.

I think the Invalides would definitely satisfy your son's quest for weapons and it has a sort of "fortressy" feel to it. Probably can skip Napoleon's tomb - not too exciting.

Notre Dame is worth a walk up the tower for sure and a river cruise is a nice break for tired feet - you can do that at night and tie it in with the Eiffel tower.

I took my 13-year-old to the Cluny but she was not enthused... I loved the tapestries, but your son would likely find those a yawn

I would bet a sewer tour or the catacombs would be a pleaser, but I have 2 girls and we don't go in for that sort of thing so I've never been!

Have a great trip.

gruezi

gruezi

Ooops!~

I forgot my younger daughter (13) loved the Pantheon and it's pendulum. She's a bit scientific like her mom and we both found this cool.

And she was pretty impressed to see the tomb of Louis Braille in the catacombs below the Pantheon as she had once done a project about him.

This can be done in 15 minutes but a nice stop for your son I think.

gruezi

Gretchen

With only 2 days, you might not want to miss Les Invalides for armor. And then Just expose him to all the thrills of Paris. Sometimes we need to ask our kids to experience cathedrals and museums for their own good! ;o)

Ivan_02

Thanks to everybody!
We just returned from our trip. Lived in a small hotel just next to Saint-Germaine-de-Pres, so it was in walking distance to many attractions. Managed to visit Louvre and d'Orsay, Sacre Coeur and Notre Dam, but my son liked armor in Invalides most of all - special thanks to all who adviced (before reading your advises I did not have Invalides in my priorities).
The trip was exciting!