Paris – Jardin du Luxembourg or Parc du Champs de Mars area for toddler?
 

Hi, we are a family of 3 with a 14-month old toddler traveling to Paris in Sep. Husband and I have both been to Paris separately but never as a family. We want to see some sites and museums but mainly just want to relax and enjoy being a family in such a glorious city. The kid is well-traveled and has taken 13 4+ hours return flight trips to-date but has not yet been to Europe.

We are staying 9 nights and considering two apartments. One right by Jardin du Luxumbourg (close to Rennes metro side) and one right by Parc du Champs de Mars (close to Rue de l'Universite side). They are comparable in size and amenities so it's just down to the locations. My questions:

- The two parks are quite large so based on the corners we are on at each park, which offers better setting for the kid to roam around at and closer to fountains, ponds, carousels, puppet shows, etc? From google earth it looks as if we could be close to tennis courts at the Champs de Mars so that won't be too useful for the toddler but not sure 100% if I'm reading the map right.

- We plan to walk and take buses or Batobus mostly and avoid the metro due to all the stairs. Which location is more convenient...knowing the Eiffel Tower location is better for Batobus but considering that, is it still less convenient than the Luxembourg location which I assume is more central?

- Which locations offers easier access to transportation to CDG and Versailles? We don't want to take the baby car seat so don't plan to take taxis or renting cars. Are there shuttle buses that goes directly from CDG to Eiffel Tower? I was hoping there would be but could find it with a google search.

- Overall, which of the 2 neighborhoods is less crowded? I'm assuming the Luxembourg location is more touristy but the other location is right at the foot of the Eiffel so not sure if there is meaningful difference...

- Which of the 2 areas has more toddler-friendly restaurants where we can have lunch or early dinner? Hoping to eat great food but I know with a kid we can't be super choosy.

I have read many posts about traveling with Toddlers to Paris on here but want to ask specific questions about these 2 locations. Thanks very much for your help, all other Paris with kid tips welcome!

The Luxembourg gardens and the general area are infinitely better for a toddler and very convenient for all of your other sightseeing, transportation and food needs.

As far as I'm concerned, the Batobus is not very convenient as a transportation solution in the city.

The RER B is direct to Luxembourg from the airport, and the RER C is direct from Saint Michel to Versailles.

There are no shuttle buses to the Eiffel Tower from CDG.

Reading over your post again, I must say that when I think of the Rennes metro station, it does not make me think of the Luxembourg at all. Not far, but not right next door either.

Kerouac, thanks for your responses. The Luxembourg apt is at Rue de Vaugirard intersecting with Rue de Madame. What do you think?

Definitely the Luxembourg garden apt.You are only a block or 2 from it. It has a wonderful play area for children. And I agree with Kerouac the Batobus is not what I consider transportation , just a scenic way to get to the same places a bus would take you!

The Luxenbourg gardens is a far superior park than Champ de Mars, which isn't really quite the same thing as a regular park, as far as I'm concerned. It's more a broad expanse for viewing and city planning reasons. The other one is fairly close. I might be wrong, but I thought Air France had an airport shuttle bus that left off around Invalides Gare, but you'd have to check (and if it is one that leaves from CDG). I don't know that you'd really want to walk all the way from the Luxembourg RER over to that apt., though. Both these are in central Paris, so it is crowded most places, but it's probably less "crowded" around that Eiffel Tower one since it's kind of dead around there due to a lot of public buildings and broad, big streets, I assume that is near the Branly museum. I would not want to stay there.

Batobus isn't useful transportation for getting around the city. Besides, it's probably more trouble to get on/off that than using the metro.

I agree with all that Luxembourg is a better location. Many good small restaurants down the street by Bon Marche. I disagree with not taking the metro as long as you stay away from the big stations. There are lifts. here is a link to an excellent Interactive Map of the Paris Metro.

http://www.ratp.info/orienter/cv/carteidf.php?lang=uk

The Champs de Mars has nothing but a large expanse of grass that would interest a toddler. The Jardin de Luxembourg is a far better choice. But your apartment isn't that close.

The Batobus is maybe interesting for one ride, but it certainly isn't a particularly useful means of transportation.

There isn't a large choice of toddler-friendly RESTAURANTS in Paris if what you mean is eating before 7:30 or so. You'll probably want to stick to pizza places and sandwich shops and kebob shops and crepe places and Flunch and Hippopotamus and other chains. They are pretty much scattered all over the place.

Wow, great feedback. Thank you all. I used to be on Fodors everyday for 6-7 years and travel overseas at least twice a year. Then I buried my head to start a business, had a kid, and have not taken a vacation (or even vicariously through fellow Fodorites) for the past couple years. This is a big trip for me, thank you all for your very helpful input.

I'm hearing the Luxembourg apt is not really close to the Garden but from the rental agency's address on google map it looks to be just a block away. Is it because that is the wrong/bad corner to be at that Garden or did I get my google view wrong? Again the address I was given is Rue de Vaugirard at Madame.

About restaurants, StCirq, to make sure I understand, do you mean if we are willing to eat after 7:30 then there are more kid-friendly options? We are used to eating out with her in loud restaurants or in patios of Manhattan restaurants so she won't disturb other diners. Can we get away with that in Paris? Last time I went to Paris I was barely 21 and took no notice of children:-)

Thanks again everyone! FF

THe LG apt is just a block away. The next street up from Rue Madame is Rue Guynemeyer and that runs right alongside the park and there are entrances there. Several bistros with outdoor seating along there that serve nice moderately priced meals

You didn't get your google view wrong--Rue Vaugirard at Rue Madame is about a block from one of the garden's entrances. I agree this is the best location for your choice of apartments.

Hi, so if I have choice of 2 apartments along the Luxembourg Garden, one on the north west side (Vaugirard/Madame), one on the north east side (Blvd St Michel/Rue de Medicis), which is a better location?

Thank you!

Sorry to mislead you about the location - was looking at the wrong cross-street.

There are just more options for eating, period, after about 7:30. Most places won't start serving until then. And while you'll certainly find outdoor eating possible in September, I can't think of a lot of places in Paris where it's really loud, except maybe right around the Gare de Monparnasse or a place like that where there's tons of traffic noise (and who wants to sit outdoors and listen to that?). Parisians tend to talk less loudly than New Yorkers.

St Michel side gets you closer to the RER station to the airport, bit closer to Seine. Other one is closer to Blvd St Germain, which is nice

We stayed in the Rue Vaugirard area last year with our 3 kids and it was a perfect location. We found the metro easy to use. We would just carry the stroller up and down the steps for some stations and others fold it up. It's really not that difficult. We are planning to return to Paris for a few days next April and our original apt is not available so I am looking for other apts in the area to accomodate us as we loved the location. I's appreciate you letting me know the apt you are looking at if it would work for us next year. There were 3 metro stops within an easy walk which meant we could go almost anywhere direct. There were patisseries, creperies, grocers and plenty of restaurants in an easy walk. YOu will LOVE it!

hi flatfeet,

in april we stayed in a hotel very close to the rue des medicis/boulevard st. michel and if you want to be close to a metro stop, this would be the one I'd chose as you would be right next to the RER stop. OTOH, the other location would put you in closer walking distance of the boulevard st. germain, which as beachbum says, is where you will find most of what you will want while you're there.

sorry this isn't more helpful!

"Parisians tend to talk less loudly than New Yorkers."
Wish I could argue with this but can't:-)

Thanks again to everyone. So I think I get it, the west wide of the Garden is nicer has more stuff because it is closer to St Germain, the east side is closer to the RER direct to CDG so it's more convenient.

Beachbum, I'll definitely report back here about the apt.

I wouldn't put it that way, both those locations are IN St. Germain, which is just the name of an area. I actually don't think either location is any closer to "things" and "stuff", they are the same in that regard. I also do not agree that the one at rue Madame & Vaugirard is closer to bd St Germain, as it is not.

The one near Rue de Medicis and bd St Michel seems a bit more odd a location to me as I can't quite picture an apt there, but I guess there must be above those cafes or stores. Rue de Medicis is a major street and buses run a long it (but they do on Vaugirard, also, I imagine, that is a major street, also). It would be nice to be near the RER if you planned to use it for the airport, otherwise, it doesn't matter about that.

I really don't think the location makes that much difference, these are only a couple blocks apart. I might choose the apt. I liked best.

Thanks Christina. Makes perfect sense.

The Luxembourg gardens actually have a gated area with sand boxes and small pool for todlers.
The buses are a much better way to travel if you are concerned with stairs. Bus#27 stops by the gardens on the St.Michel side and will take you to the Louvre, Pont Neuf and Concord etc and there are a number of other buses that stop there.