Nano

My husband and I and our three kids, (12, 10 and 6) will be staying in Dordogne for a week and then heading to Belgium in late June/early July. In between, we have a four day travel window. Should we drive through the Loire Valley for a few days or hop on a train and spend 3-4 days in Paris? For those of you who have traveled to either of these places with your kids, which do you think would be more fun and interesting? The chateaux and scenery in the Loire Valley or the big city scene in Paris? We will have already seen some castles, etc. in Dordogne. Is Paris too overwhelming for kids? Just how kid friendly is it? It sounds like finding accommodations for five in Paris is not that easy. I've read most of the related threads on this subject and I'm still confused. Thanks for your help. Nano

elaine

I haven't taken kids to Paris, but I have to imagine it would be exciting for kids, more so than the chateaux. <BR>There are amusement parks (Disney, plus) <BR>and parks with rides and animals and exhibits and puppet shows and roller blading and playgrounds and... <BR>I have some notes on Paris including for kids; if you are interested email me.

Anna

My 10 year old neice loved Paris on their trip this summer. She was in awe when she first saw the Eiffel Tower, she stopped and just looked at it in amazement for a few minutes. She also proclaimed that some day she would bring her kids to Paris.

Nano

Thanks. Any other advice out there?

Ingrid

I just returned from a trip to Paris and the Loire with my two girls (12 & 14). They loved both areas. However, I think with children your ages, I would give the edge to Paris. Although the distances between the Chateaux are not necessarily very far, one does spend a good deal of time in the car. Also, your kids may weary of the same type of sightseeing. I'm sure as adults you will be overwhelmed by the history and beauty of the Loire, but your kids may not. Paris has so much variety that I think it might be a better bet. Taking a boat ride on the Seine, crepes, ice cream stands, even rides in the Tuileries during the summer... it has it all! Just keep in mind that Paris is a walking city, and walk you will.... We loved it. Whatever you choose have a great time! France is tres magnifique!

Barb

Nano - I responded to your question on Dordogne earlier, but did not realize that you were also going to Paris. Your children will love the Eiffel Tower - my 7yr old would have been happy to visit daily. We also enjoyed the museums - he loved the Louvre much more than I expected and was sepecially fascinated with the story behind the paintings. He also liked the statues and enjoyed the stories about conquering armies descrating statues when they conquered a region. We found that he was much happier outdoors at cafes due to smoke and cooking smells in some of the cafes. They generally do not have children's meals, but will have chicken and mashed potatoes, salmon or pasta available. We always found something that satisfied him. Of course the crepe stands, bakeries, sitting in cafes with hot chocolate and a crossaint and picnics were also a huge hit. We found a wonderful museum called the Galerie d'evolution that your children will find fascinating. It is in one of the parks. There were several other museums there as well such as a bug (entomologie) museum and a muscial instrument museum. Many of the parks have puppet shows on Wednesdays and Saturdays. They may also enjoy climbing to the top of the Church of Notre Dame. We taught him a few French phrases (hello, good bye, please, thank you, etc) and also gave him his allowance in Francs which he loved. Pokemon was very popular in Paris and we had French children following us because his backpack had a light-up Pickachu on it that they found fascinating. We also bought Pokemon t-shirts and packs of French Pokemon cards at the toy sections of dept. stores as souvenirs for him and for friends. He also took a kids travel journal with him and would write about his adventures each day. It was a wonderful experience and we plan to do it again next year.

grace

Forget the Loire. We went to Paris and the Loire two years ago and loved both. However, Paris definitely. Your kids are the right age to love the train ride. Luxemburg gardens and the sail boats in the ponds with sticks for $2.00 and hours of fun with kids their own age. Picnic in the gardens next to the Louvre. Subway to Monmartre get a portrait of kids done there. Tons of kids stuff.

AMG

Nano, <BR> <BR>I agree with the other posters. I would choose Paris. With the Churches, parks, museums and cafes it will be a good contrast to the Dordogne. I would try to see Versaille (1/2 day trip from Paris) or one of the Loire Chateaux's on the way to Paris so your children can see the changes in the architecture over time. I think that most children would find the smaller Chateaux's in the Loire unimpressive after the Dordogne castles and Versaille. <BR> <BR>Have a great time. <BR>Aileen