KaneezM

All: Thank you SO much for your insight. The girls are definitely interested in shopping and perhaps not as interested in art and history as I would wish them to be . AJPeabody, I had the good fortune to stay in Paris (in a hostel, near the Jarden des Louxembourg) many years ago for three weeks and managed to explore Paris at leisure then. So much I want to introduce the girls to, but all of you are right, need to slow down and smell the (local) roses.
Tracilee: Thanks for the tip regarding the fashion show at Galleries Lafayette - that will definitely be up their alley.
I was also going to look up a walking tour or a food tour. When we were in Vietnam, we had done a scooter food tour where we paired up with a local guide on the scooter (they drove) and went to local eateries. It was a LOT of fun and places we would not have normally gone to. Any tips on that would be great, too.
LOVE this forum and all the tips. I am doing (or trying to) my independent research, I promise! Have to get Rick Steve's from my library. My next step.
Please keep the tips coming

KaneezM

AND (sorry hit the Reply button too soon)... I am saving ALL of your suggestions for a future, less hurried trip. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you

flygirl

I just happened to think: the hotel I mentioned above might actually have a room large enough to fit all of you - and it would not cost you double (IE it would not cost what two smaller rooms cost). Check them out. I love the location and I bet your daughters would too.

menachem

Vanessa digs up the interesting and fun stuff: pick a few of her destinations within Paris

Paris Like a Local Archives - Messy Nessy Chic

I would never think the 6th or the 7th is an interesting area to stay in, but that's me. Do make sure to let your daughters explore the Canal St Martin area. There's a very good hotel halfway, Le Robinet d'Or, where they have fantastic suites, fit for a family, which would give you your own front door and kitchen in Paris. Thoroughly charming people, they have a good restaurant on site and are near Gare du Nord.

Christina

<<These people will have 3 1/2 days in Paris and want to see everything and then you want them to use that time for day trips? >>

?? I don't think anyone "wants" them to do anything, I thought it was the OP who wanted to do these things, and I don't see anywhere that they said they want to "see everything" in Paris. They mentioned just a very few things they wanted to do in Paris, and said those day trips were must-dos. They easily can do the few things they mentioned in that time, actually.

I thought it was THEIR trip. What a novel idea that they should be able to do what they want to do on their own trip.

Belinda

If you want to go to Versailles, by all means go to Versailles. I can imagine that being something 16 year olds really want to do. And it's not necessarily an all day excursion and you're still in France! Get an early start and you'll be back with plenty of time to do evening and night time activities.

I think if I were you I would stay in the 3rd or 4th arrondissements. Check out the new Hotel National des Arts et Metiers www. hotelnational.paris It's really lovely. Or the hotel Flygirl recommended is a good choice.

For a fun day shopping, head up to rue des Abbesses and rue Lepic in Montmartre. It's Amelie territory and there are loads of little local shops and botiques.

apersuader65

Well, for 18th century Parisians, Versailles was a short wagon ride out to get Louis and Marie for their final trip into Paris. The time on a train from St. Michel to Versailles is 5 minutes longer from that same station to the Sacre Coeur by Metro. If your daughters have seen the Sofia Coppola movie Marie Antoinette, a trip to Versailles is definitely warranted.

Fodorite018

I took our DD to Paris when she was 16. We had a longer trip than you have planned so stayed in two areas, the 1st and the 7th. Both were great, but for your trip I would suggest the 1st. The hotel we stayed at in that area was the Hotel Britannique. The hotel was wonderful and I would absolutely stay there again! DD loved it as well, and the location was great as the metro was less than a block away, but we were also central enough to walk most everywhere.

She enjoyed Versaille as much as I did, FWIW. Other things she enjoyed on that trip as well as when we went for her high school graduation include a cooking class, the fashion show at Galleries Lafayette, and a Seine cruise (Vedettes, same as mentioned early on).

We have been to Paris a handful of times and FWIW, our favorite area is the 14th. We have stayed in hotels there as well as an apartment. If you don't mind being a tad further from things, this is a great area but you would want to be sure to be near a metro stop.

KaneezM

The fashion show is now 12 euros a person; but seems like something very cool! Reading up and following on ALL tips. Thank you. Merci.

janisj

>>We have four full days (getting there Thursday morning and leaving Monday morning in May).<<

Are yu flying in over night? If so you don't have 4 full days - for sure.

By the time you get to your hotel nearly half of Thurs will be gone (maybe more if your room isn't ready and you have to leave your bags and return to check in) and at least some of you will likely have jet lag. Think of this a a 3 day weekend and you will be much happier. If you do Versailles and Giverny that is basically 2 of your 3 available days. You can fit in something in the late afternoon after Versailles. But you are really only giving yourselves 1 day for Paris.

(If you aren't flying in long haul, jet lag won't be a problem and you will likely be able to run a bit faster - fit more in)

cmm6797

We were in Paris when our kids were teenagers and the highlights for them were: Versailles, walking up the Eiffel Tower late in the evening and then getting back down in time to see the tower lights twinkle at sunset, shopping for beauty products at the pharmacies, walking through and relaxing at the Tuileries, browsing the street markets, and of course sampling pastries every chance we could get. They also really enjoyed going into the Monoprix supermarket and checking out different products. We were there for 10 full days so we were able to take our time at Versailles for a day trip. And it definitely required a full, exhausting day. We stayed in the Marais and loved the area because it didn't feel touristy.

For us, the Seine cruise was a huge disappointment (the announcements were not clear and the timing of them was off) and Galleries Lafayette was a beautiful building but not much to realistically purchase.

shelemm

The dome inside the Galleries Lafayette is one of the great sights of Paris.

AJPeabody

An offbeat shopping store that may appeal to the teens more than a big department store:

https://www.facebook.com/Vintagestandards/:

https://www.instagram.com/vintage_standards/

Vintage Standards is near the intersection of Blvd St-Germaine and Blvd St-Michel. It sells used (cleaned) clothing at bargain prices.

StCirq

The Seine cruise is usually not a disappointment if you eschew the B teaux Mouches and take the Vedettes de Paris, where the timing of the narrative can't be "off" because it's live. There are discount tickets available on line.

nanabee

kaneez, I am late to the show here and you have gotten excellent advice from others who have been to Paris more recently than I have. Years ago my eldest daughter lived in Paris and my youngest daughter and I visited her there. We loved the 5th (or Latin Qtr) because it was a lovely walkable area and close to the center of Paris.

kerouac

Everything I have read so far is firmly anchored in the interest of people in the 20th century. This girl was born in the 21st century and might be more interested in what 21st century kids are doing.

At the Vill'Up shopping mall at La Villette, there is an iFly machine, a set of YooMoov VR stations, and the Pathé cinema there has the only 4DX screen in Paris where moviegoers are shaken, sprayed and scented among other features, depending on the movie being screened.

iFLY | Vill'Up
Parc d'attraction indoor Yoo Moov Stations - La Villette Vill'Up Paris

But if she's a girly girl trying to please her parents' concept of what is nice to do, yes a fashion show will be appropriate.

xcountry

It’s a shame we can’t do that with posters. We were in Barcelona for our daughter’s 16th and what she wanted to do was go off on her own.