< I went and looked back it does indeed seem that the best thing to do is purchase the museum pass. Despite the hefty delivery fee!>
No need to have the Museum Pass delivered. It is sold at every covered museum. Just stop in at the first small museum you are near and buy your passes. Our hotel was near Cluny, so we got ours there. Small museum (but very worth seeing) so the line was three people long and my wife and I were two of them.
I am one of the people who advise viewing the Eiffel Tower rather than going to the top, which takes a security check (a line) and a wait for the elevator (a line) and then you can't see the Eiffel Tower in the view. See the tower from the Champs de Mars or from across the river from the Trocadero. But the best view in my opinion is around sunset or later from the top of the Montparnasse Tower, from which you can see all of Paris except the awful Montparnasse Tower. At the right time, the Eiffel Tower sparkles in a light show.
But, seeing that you are bringing kids, why not hope for a day of nice weather with no wind. Then you can see Paris from the same height as the Eiffel Tower by taking the tethered balloon ascent at the Park Andre-Citroen. https://europeforvisitors.com/paris/...at-balloon.htm
Your hotel will be able to tell you when to leave for the airport and call you a cab (trips to and from the airport are fixed fare).
Your plan to walk between at least 5 sites on a single day will leave you no time at any of the sites, but I shall not whip a dead horse about this. I personally would recommend wandering around at random, buying chocolates and pastries. And, in my opinion, the best ice cream in Paris is at Berthillon: https://parisbymouth.com/berthillon/
If your French is rusty, use Google Translate (or the quick translations using Chrome browser).

Have fun rather than a marathon!

AJ

Regarding arrival time at CDG. I think your hope to be at your hotel by 1:30 is best case scenario. It has taken us over two hours to get through passport control and over an hour into the city. We were there two weeks ago and were shocked to see the hall with only six or so people in it. The only time ever. Also, <won't even scare you with the number of said children > . One taxi won't work. I don't know if vans are available in the taxi queue. Perhaps others can help with that.

I've seen, and been in, vans that hold 7 people plus luggage, at the taxi stand at CDG, but there aren't a whole lot of them, which further reduces your on-the-ground time. The Taxi attendant is good about matching people up with appropriate vehicles.

Did someone actually propose 3-4 hours in The Louvre with young children? Talk about totally out of touch with reality and giving bad advice. That's laughably unimaginable.

Well, everyone has his/her own travel style, interests, needs etc. And everyone knows his/her own children's pace, tolerance and interests. So, go ahead, OP and take what you call a 'once in a lifetime' trip to Paris....hopefully, not just 'once' for those kiddos. BUT, PLEASE do POST BACK to this thread when your trip is over....it will be very useful to visitors and poster alike to learn how your pace/kids/visits went. I, for one, will be awaiting your reflections.

AJPeabody: I really enjoyed re-reading that Art Buchwald satirical column. I forwarded it to friends in Paris now who are still laughing over their cafe. Thanks for the link.

Thank you so much.
Has anyone ever tried pickuairport.com Found them on the web and they charge 80 euros.

Sorry for the typo: pickupairport.com

Cabs are about 25-30 euro cheaper.

No, never tried them and would never need to, when cabs are ubiquitous and cheap and reliable. I don't understand why people think they need to spend loads of extra money for something as simple as a cab ride in someplace as ordinary as Paris.

I took a car service for about that much from CDG to my hotel. It was an "add-on" option on the hotel website. I added it on. I really enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the champagne, cheese tray and flowers that were waiting for me upon arrival. I work hard for vacations. Why not take advantage of perks? :-)

On my first trip over a decade ago, the cab driver was in a little car with Jingle Bells playing when we got in. We were traveling in May. Two very different experiences. Both got me to the hotel.

You almost got the paragraph breaks ;). Much better (to get a real break like . . .

. . . this one you need to do a double return)

Others have mentioned these so just quick: I would certainly not do Versailles on your arrival day. You may not even get to your hotel til 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

I personally would not go up the Eiffel Tower. View it lit up from a boat and view it from the ground all over the city. For a high level view either the Montparnasse Tower or the tethered ballon. I think the kids would love the ballon.

And do not pay for pre-purchase/delivery of the Museum pass. Just buy it in Paris.

Thank you all again!
We will be 8 people which is why I was trying to find an option other than a regular taxi that couldn't fit us all into one cab.

>>We will be 8 people which is why I was trying to find an option other than a regular taxi that couldn't fit us all into one cab.<<

Simple - If you all won't fit in a van sized taxi, take two cabs -- that probably would cost no more, and likely less, than a private limo transfer for a party that size.

Seven kids may change some posters’ suggestions here. it was easy to assume 3-4 children.

The OP is very brave to take on a trip like this, but I bet the older boys are well practiced in helping with little ones. Wishing them a good time, for all.

>>Seven kids may change some posters’ suggestions here. it was easy to assume 3-4 children.<<

I always assumed it was more than 3 or 4 kids. My only change is the taxi suggestion - 7 kids and only one adult (unless one of the children is a 17 or 18 yo) makes 2 taxis more of a concern. With 7 children and one parent - I'd definitely pre-book a transfer service.

Go to Paris and not go up Eiffel Tower - sacrilege IMO - book a time slot - kids especially will love the elevators, etc.

PalenQ: So all the time slots for the eiffel tower "lift to the top" are sold out :(.
I understand the encouragement to skip it, but I too think it's "sacrilege"!
How long is the line to walk up to the second floor and then buy on site the lift ticket to the top?
Thank you so much to all for the help!
I truly appreciate all the advice.

I just took my kids (7 & 4) to Paris for 2 weeks last month and am in the middle of writing a trip report that you may find useful (click on my poster name to see it). We have a VERY different travel style, but everyone knows their own family best, so if you want to pack it in, it's up to you - but certainly be prepared to adjust if needed.

I would suggest that you leave time to experience Paris outside of major sights. This would include picnicking along the Seine or at a park after getting sandwiches from a boulangerie, letting your young ones enjoy the many playgrounds and carousels, ice cream stops, etc. You could visit several sights per day for a month and still never get to everything, so it's better to accept that and cross a few sights off your list.

For us, we did buy the museum pass and it could be used to skip lines at St Chapelle, Musee d'Orsay and L'Orangerie (though we still had to wait in security lines). It was not helpful at Versailles as the main line is for security, not ticket purchasing, and if you arrive in the middle of the day on a Tuesday with the fountains, I expect it will be hours long to enter the palace. If you do that, visit the gardens and park first (our kids' favorite part of the whole trip was renting bikes and riding around the park behind the palace) and hope that the lines for palace entry have died down by the last hour or so.

We used victorcabsparis.com for airport transport and it worked well (though they were a bit late for our return pickup as a caution). I can understand not wanting to split your kids into two cabs, and it is nice to have it pre-arranged when wrangling kids.

I don't believe that you are able to purchase tickets to the top of the Eiffel Tower from the 2nd level anymore. I have done that in the past, and don't think that is an option anymore. If the tickets are all sold out, then I would settle for the 2nd level. The views are phenomenal from there. Otherwise, you should expect to wait several hours in line, and will need to cross several other items off of your list if you choose to prioritize the top of the tower. You simply won't be able to do everything.

It sounds like you have been to Paris already, and there is no reason that your kids won't be able to return as adults, so skip things that just aren't working for your plan. And if it were me, I'd certainly skip the Louvre altogether and prioritize Musee d'Orsay instead. Or maybe choose instead to go to Atelier des Lumieres, the new-ish digital art museum that we all loved. (Not to add yet another thing to your list.)

But again, you will never see every painting in Paris, so don't try. Soak up the atmosphere, which for a 4-year is eating ice cream while playing at the Tuilieries playground.

Enjoy your trip!

There ARE 9-person taxi vans at CDG. The taxi guy will find you one or call for one if necessary. They don't cost more than any other taxi.

caze17 Wow. Thank you so much. I saw that information on the Tour Eiffel website. But maybe it's not up to date. Is there a long line to climb up to the second floor? Do the lines die down in the evening?
Also, if I do have the museum pass, how long would the line to get into the Louvre be? My older kids definitely want to see the Mona Lisa! Though we could make it a short visit and try to make it to the Musee D'Orsay and Atelier! Of course I realize these would be short visits!.
And I'm staying in the 9th arr. Where is the best quickest place to buy the Museum Pass. And I am taking it that you are confirming that if I buy the museum pass, my kids can enter with me and also "skip the lines" (other than security). Correct?
And yes, I suppose I have PTSD re returning ;)!!!! I grew up going to Paris regularly and then have not been in THIRTY YEARS!!!!! Not sure how that happened!!! So I'm obviously paranoid I won't be returning any time soon nor my kids! Though clearly they have a far better shot of returning than I do given my track record!!!
I DO understand everybody's comments and nobody should worry about me, my kids and my aspirations! I like to have lots of things planned and scheduled and OBVIOUSLY will be flexible and do as much as is enjoyable. Impossible to plan WHILE on the vacation so trying to have everything planned out BEFORE.
And if I have to skip many of my site then so be it!
StCirq: Thank you! Are you sure? That would be amazing. Then I wouldn't have to order anything in advance.

You have been seduced by the phrase "Skip the line." There always is a security line, with bag checks and metal detection wands at the most secure sites, such as those you are planning to visit. There will be two admission lines, one for buying tickets and one for ticket holders. Whether or not your kids can use the ticket holder line depends upon whether or not each one needs a ticket. If all have passes or have the right to free entry, it will be OK. But it will be impossible to actually skip all lines.

As for buying the museum pass(es), purchase at the first museum you visit (obviously not using the ticket holder line). However, if you find yourself near a small museum covered by the pass first, you can take advantage of the short lines at small museums even if you aren't actually going in and thereby avoid a long no ticket line at a big site.

I think I misunderstood what you were saying on Eiffel Tower tickets. Yes, you can still buy tickets at the base for walking to the 2nd level and then taking the elevator to the top. They no longer allow you to buy tickets to the top once on the 2nd level, after taking the elevator to the 2nd, if that makes sense. So you can't pre-book elevator tickets to the 2nd level, with plans to wait in line for tickets to the top once on the 2nd.

I can't remember how long it takes to walk to the 2nd level, but probably 15-20 minutes for a fit adult. It might be too much for kids, and I say that as someone whose kids waltzed to the top of the Notre Dame tower and Arc de Triomphe. But you could certainly try! The line at the base should be much shorter than the line for taking the stairs.

Yes, kids get to skip the line with you at most places, though there are a few where they make you wait in line to get kids' tickets (like to climb the Arc de Triomphe).

To buy the museum pass, I would find a small museum included on the pass near your hotel, even if you don't plan to visit that particular museum. Just run out to grab it while everyone else settles in.

I really think going up the Eiffel tower will be a HUGE time waster. Did you look at the info re the tethered balloon??

https://www.ballondeparis.com/en/


And re the Mona Lisa -- good luck with that.

Disappointing Holiday, Mona Lisa, Paris, France, Louvre Museum crowded day

You don't actually get to "skip the lines." That's a marketing ploy, pure and simple. Everyone, bar none, has to go through security these days for every single site in Paris.

I would also recommend passing up the Eiffel Tower. It will eat precious time from your VERY limited schedule, and it's just not "all that." Same for the Mona Lisa. If you and your kids put your minds to it, you can find loads of more worthy pastimes in Paris.

Louvre and La Jaconde can be skipped - but to skip the Eiffel Tower - I'd put that at top of my list with kids those ages - and book a slot (if possible) and not much time waiting - but taking lifts up to third floor is great and something kids would remember forever - can't say that about many of the other things mentioned.

I agree. It's been a while since I've been on this forum and I've noticed quite a few mean comments - in this thread and others. The occasional snarky comment is one thing, but there really is no reason to be rude or mean. It's a real turn off.

Second floor or third floor of Eiffel doesn't make such difference. I actually prefer the second. The third floor is surrounded by a fence that blocks the view. The second is open wide. I agree that Eiffel is a must but if you don't want to waste time queuing than you can enjoy a beautiful view from the Arc de Trimph, the Montparnasse tower, the towers of Sacre Coeur in the Montmartre or the Grand Arch of La Defence which I understand still open to visitors.

So, just so you know...

My husband and I observed at XMAS at the Musee d'Orsay* that our Museum Pass line was longer than the buying tickets line. We thought it was a one-off. And yeah, we got in. Thank goodness, we knew the territory inside well and were able to bop around to get to places we wanted, but we saw "clogs" inside, too. We returned there a couple of times because we wanted to revisit one of the exhibits, bagged out, but stayed to watch the lines--Buying Tickest vs Museum Pass. Yep, the Buying Tickets line moved faster.

We did fine at the Louvre because we know from our past zillion visits EVERY POSSIBLE entry, and the Museum Pass lines did move faster there. We were still waiting in line there, but it was far less excruciating. And we knew to get there either before opening or much later in the day. However, we saw SMALL GROUP TOUR people getting in ahead of us. Hence...

I believe that if you engage a good professional tour guide--and with your posse, that probably is financially wise--you can "skin the cat". I truly would find the best possible personal Paris guide. Please enter a separate post with a request for that.

I have never used one in Paris, but I did engage a few in other locations. Our Vatican guide in Rome, for example, got us around corners and through secret doors and God Bless Him, he made up for the fact that on the previous day's touring when my husband was "in charge", we went two miles in the wrong direction. My little one--seven years old--earnestly looked up at the guide at the end, proffered her hand, and said, "Thank you, sir, for not getting us lost."

So as to the Eiffel Tower...
Hmm. If your kids are saying it's a must, it's a must. I'd show them all the statements of people who are telling you it's not a priority and that it will eat into your time BIG TIME. Let them make up their own minds. Whether you book a timed entry or not, the line is a line. Security is security. And your timed ticket is worth nothing if a terrorist threat wipes out all entries for a day.

Personally, viewing it from the base or from afar actually provides more "Yeah, this is what it is" than going up it. To each his own. We've gone up it many times for relatives who have needed that experience it, but the lines were short then. On our last trip this Xmas, we told our relatives that they could skip our farewell dinner because that was what would happen (yep--that is what happened).

But we do need our "Eiffel Fix". We always get it at night walking into its view along Rue St Dominque. Others get it from Trocadero.

So as I'm writing this and saying, "Going up the Eiffel never did it for me", we totally loved taking a side trip to Pisa for the cheesy person-holding-up-tower photos.

I'm with you in heart. It's a shame that the Paris you want the kids to see is so packed now. Paris is still Paris, though, no matter what.

Good luck. I wish I could do it all all over again.
AZ