simjay

Hi

I am starting to work out a rough itinerary for our 6 nights in Paris at end of June.
We are staying in an apartment on Ile St Louis. We are keen to do lots of walking and exploring and obviously the main sights. Less museums. We saw quite a few museums when we visited Italy 2 years ago and the days the kids remember most are the days we actually did things and visited sights, not so much museums. Kids ages now are 15,12 and 10.
Here are my initial plans:
Thursday - arrive afternoon. Just explore local area.
Friday - Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame, St Chapelle, Seine boat tour and walking along the Seine, sticking close the the islands.
Saturday - Walking around Latin Quarter, visiting Jardin du Luxembourg, Pantheon and perhaps going into St Germain and visiting St Sulpice. Use Metro and visit Rodin museum.
Sunday - Montmarte in morning. Canal St Martin in afternoon. Maybe do a boat tour and let the kids see what the locks are all about
Monday - Start off in Jardin De Tuileries, visit Musee de l Orangerie, Place de la Concorde, Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe
Tuesday - Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, maybe Trocadero and walk around Hotel des Invalides area.
We leave the next day. Now there is stacks I haven't put in. The Louvre, Bastille, Marais area etc.
What would you add, subtract to my initial plans. Would love your thoughts and advice
please. I am using the Michelin green guide for the walking tours along the Seine and through Latin Quarter etc. Thanks so much.

PalenQ

How about taking the kids on the Big Ferrish Wheel in the Tuileries or Place de la Concorde.

and maybe give them a break from walking - check ut Pris' Aqua Boulevard - a large indoor swimming extravaganza - maybe let them do there for a few hours while you do something on your own.

http://www.aquaboulevard.fr/aquaboul...html#/homePage

Anyway trying to think of some kid-centric things as I see little of that on your list.

powhatangal

How about one of the bike tours in Paris? I love the Paris Landmarks one with Blue Bike Tours. It's 4 hours and easy riding. There's also Fat Tire Bike tours although they generally have a lot more people on each tour than Blue Bike. Fat Tire also has a Segway tour which I've done and is a lot of fun!

Gretchen

I will once again say hire Michael Osman for a day--you and your children will be absolutely captivated with what he can impart. Maybe do the Louvre and Orsay with him as your guide to truly maximize your time--and especially your knowledge.

nytraveler

I understand that the kids don;t want to do ONLY museums but think it a big mistake not to expose them to at least a little of the local culture.

I would check out the museum web sites and identify things that kids might like: Louvre the Egyptian department and crown jewels, the unicorn tapestries at the Cluny (middle ages), etc. You can do this is in 1 or 2 hour segments so they don;t get too tired,

I also believe there is a children;s museum - but don;t know since out kids were too old - DDs were 11 and 14 when we took them to Paris the first time. They loved Cluny - and exploring some of the teen shopping areas on their own while we gallery hopped. Just make sure your kids know at least the basic polite phrases in French in case they aren;t studying it in school.

apersuader65

First, for your boat trip, I'd recommend this site: http://vedettesdupontneuf.com/home/
You can purchase on-line for a discount, print out your vouchers and they're good whenever you arrive.

If the kids are boys, I'd seriously consider the Army Museum at the Invalides area. Includes Napoleon's tomb, but the suits of armor and weapons collection is pretty spectacular (including the armor for little prince's)

You have Notre Dame and St. chappelle on the same day. I'll bet they meld into one big church tour for the kids. May want to consider Conciergerie in place of St. Chappelle since it is in the same vicinity.

Given the ages of your children, I'd suggest that you get them directly involved in planning the itinerary. They are certainly able to give you ideas that will keep them entertained after looking at what Paris has to offer. You can then work into your itinerary and budget what things they want to do.

Christina

I think your itinerary is very very good. Makes a lot of sense the way you group things. I like it!

simjay

Hi
Thanks for suggestions. Ferris wheel sounds like fun. Will look into that. Powhatangal, I like the sound of a bike tour. I do admit though, i am nervous of kids, bicycles and traffic. Not sure if this is a problem in Paris? I agree they should see some museums. That's why i thought of Rodin and Orangerie. But will look into Cluny as well and i think my 2 boys will love the army museum. Of course the Louvre sounds great. I think i am just put off by the sheer size and scale of the place and don't want to spend half a day in one place. Other than doing a Seine tour, what do you think about Canal St Martin? Is it worth it? Has anyone done it?

Kathie

I think the Louvre is a hard one with kids. I'd opt for the D'Orsay and Orangerie. The Cluny is a favorite of mine. Like others have said, get them involved with the planing and they'll be able to tell you which places interest them the most.

MaineGG

If you want to save some time and money, you can see a very scenic part of the Canal St. Martin by walking along the Quai de Valmy or Quai de Jemmapes, beginning at the Rue du Faubourg du Temple (nearest Metro: Republique) north toward the Bassin de la Villette, at least as far as the Rue des Récollets/Jardin Villemin (nearest Metro: Gare de l'Est). You will start where the canal emerges from a long tunnel and pass by several locks, arched footbridges and a turning bridge.

Southam

I like your day on the St-Martin canal. Also "in" the canal, as about a third of it is underground. It's slow going through the locks but it's also a doing-something trip, with views of real, lived-in neighbourhoods. At the start of the tour near Bastille, one of the best markets is open Sunday mornings. At the other end, the la Villette boat basin, the young folk might also like the nearby music and science museums which are modern and interactive.
One small suggestion: Why not let the younger ones plot out your daily trips on the Metro, using WiFi to choose the routes? For the first day or two at least it might encourage participation.

PalenQ

Arts-et-Metiers is a great museum for all ages - old scientific instruments and Focault's original pendulum swings in the apse of an old church the museum occupies.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conserv...t_m%C3%A9tiers

powhatangal

Simjay, Blue Bike and Fat Tire for the most part use bike lanes and the bus lanes. Very safe. There are times, though, when you have to cross intersections or ride on a regular street. But the bike guide is always there and there are always kids on the tours who seem to manage better on the bikes than some adults!

Have fun planning! Lots of great ideas in response to your post!

ruedebuci

Will you be in Paris June 21? That is the Fete de la Musique, which is my favorite time to be in Paris.

I'd also add the Cluny museum to your itinerary.

simjay

Hi .

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions. Thanks Southam for info re canal. And all the suggestions for cluny and D'Orsay. There is so much to do in Paris, I will have to start planning the next trip because i know we will probably not cover half of what we would like to. I cannot wait to go and am waiting for the 100 day mark so i can officially start counting how many "sleeps" to go.

PalenQ

You should be nervous about biking in Paris - stats I've seen about the Velib' scheme of bike rentals showed more than a few accidents and even some deaths - now with an organized bike tour I would think they would avoid many areas and lead you on safe bike paths. Could be neat.

Paris has a nice zoo in the Bois de Vincennes!

Cathinjoetown

Have a look at batobus.com, fun way to move around on the river, daily rate is hop on/hop off.

http://www.batobus.com

Mathieu

" Notre Dame Christmas Mass at midnight (arrive at 9.00pm) " - LOL ! In June ??

I think the OP's carefully considered own itinerary is a pretty good start, but thanks for the laugh Anna101.

simjay

Thanks for the suggestions. Anna 101, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure whether I should take you seriously or if you are pulling my leg?

Kathie

Anna101's ad got deleted. Had she edited better the mods might have missed it.