di2315

Hi Wekiva

If your kids are keen to see La Defense, I'd say - go there!

The size of the large arch is quite overwhelming, and if they see the views from both there and the Arc de Triomphe, they will appreciate the size difference even more.

It's only a metro ride away, and possibly a great spot for lunch. There's a giant underground shopping mall, and plenty of open outdoor space for them to run around and let off steam. Di

eigasuki

Taking the liberty of posting <b>kerouac's</b> photostory of la defense

http://tinyurl.com/3l9ck4d

Christina

I had the same reaction, that it seems a shame to put a damper on the kids' enthusiasm when they have found something special they want to see. It's still kind of fun to see and really just a short trip away -- as I said, the shopping mall isn't bad, either.

Wekiva

You had my wife at the word shopping...ha! If there is a mall down there then I'm sure we'll find a way to squeeze it in.

We've been trying to find ways to engage our kids on this trip. We found these neat books called This is London, This is Paris, etc that they've enjoyed looking through. And then Google Earth has helped bring all this to life for them. It's hard to imagine planning a trip w/out Google Earth anymore.

menachem

La Defense is used a lot for photoshoots: photographing The Architecture might be something they'd like to do. If it is weird architecture and design they are interested in, I recommend Parc Andre Citroen:

http://www.paris-walking-tours.com/p...recitroen.html

It also has a helium balloon ride to give you great views of Paris at 150m.

Wekiva

Well our trip has come and gone. Incredible 2 weeks and it was even better bringing the kids along. I just wanted to report back on La Defense. We ended up taking the subway out to La Defense and are really glad we did. The only thing we ended up doing there was having a picnic (with several thousand others it seemed) and walking around the Grande Arch...but it was worth it in our opinion. I would say one of the reasons it worked for our day is that with the kids along we did less museums on this trip. For them it was fun seeing all the people and being in the middle of all the large, modern buildings. I would agree that there wasn't anything we ended up doing there...so some would find it a waste of precious time.

We were there during lunch and it was amazing how well used that central area is in front of the Grand Arch (and on the steps of the Grand Arch as well). It seemed every person in the office buildings all came out to eat there lunch in the plaza. It was by far one of the best people watching moments of the trip.

Anyway...our kids enjoyed the experience and we were glad we made the trip out there.

di2315

Glad you enjoyed your day, Wekiva - La Defense certainly gives another perspective to Paris.

It's always good to hear back from Fodors members who have asked for assistance . . . sometimes I wonder if our helpful hints have just wandered off into the ether! Di