Best way to get around in Paris with an infant
 

Hello All,

We are travelling to Paris next week with my 1.5 year old daughter. I would really appreciate if you could share any of your experience or tips to travel within Paris. Which is a better option, taking the Metro or the bus? Has anyone tried taking the tourist hop on-off bus?

Thanks a lot for sharing!

Metro was fine for my cousin and husband who took their 1.5 year old toddler to Paris. They were able to get metro personnel to open the gate to let the stroller through while one of them validated the metro ticket. They found the locals really accomodating on the metro when they saw their stroller.

I would recommend using the buses versus the metro. Buses have space for Moms with strollers and they are usually far less crowded. The metro is full of hallways and stairways and many do not have elevators or escalators (worse, have out of order escalators...). There are many more bus stops than metro stops, so taking a bus gets you much closer to your destination.

The hop on/hop off buses are fantastic in the nice weather. The views from seats on the open air upper deck are magnificent. Note that you'll want to leave the stroller, if you're using one, on the lower deck (there's a place for them folded up) and that you have to negotiate a narrow curved staircase to get to the upper deck. The L'Opentour route is much more extensive with more stops than the red double deckers.

My relatives used the L'Open bus tour too. It was fine for them but just a bit cold as it was February when they went.

I have a pic of my cousin with her child in the stroller on the top of the L'Open bus. They were the only ones up there so perhaps that's why they didn't have to leave the stroller downstairs.

I use the metro more than the buses -- well actually I walk more than either. But if I had a todler in tow I would use the buses much more. Many metro stations/transfers require really loooooong walks. I wouldn't want the hassle w/ a stroller, or worse - carrying the baby.

We walked more often than not to avoid the stairs in metro stations. If you take a lightweight stroller, you'll be alright though. And, as previously stated, Parisians are SO helpful when they see you with a stroller approaching stairs!

John