Advice for paris in 2 1/2 days please!
May 10th, 2019, 05:51 PM
#41
< 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
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
Last edited by AJPeabody; May 10th, 2019 at 05:57 PM.
May 10th, 2019, 05:57 PM
#42
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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.
May 11th, 2019, 04:28 AM
#43
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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.
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.
May 11th, 2019, 06:17 AM
#44
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.
May 12th, 2019, 08:20 AM
#49
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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.
May 12th, 2019, 08:44 AM
#50
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.
May 12th, 2019, 08:52 AM
#51
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.
. 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.
May 12th, 2019, 11:18 PM
#54
>>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.
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.
May 13th, 2019, 06:00 AM
#55
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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.
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.
May 13th, 2019, 07:17 AM
#56
>>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.
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.
May 23rd, 2019, 10:14 AM
#58
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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 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.
May 23rd, 2019, 11:59 AM
#59
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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!
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!
Last edited by caze17; May 23rd, 2019 at 12:02 PM.
