CatManDoo

Hi there. My wife and I will be taking our two 9 year olds to Paris for the first time in April. My wife and I have been, but never with the kids. When we went, we traveled a lot by Metro, sometimes at night, and only had one incident where a guy attempted to pick my pocket. No big deal, but it does make me a little paranoid about getting around Paris with two young kids in tow. I realize all big cities have their trouble pockets, and they're never completely safe, but I guess I'm just looking for some experienced voices of reason to reassure me or to validate my concerns. Thanks everyone!

Ackislander

A couple of trips ago, my wife and I transfered to a bus just outside Radio France on our way back to the 6th.

Before the bus left, a group of elementary school students, say 6-11, got on the bus to go home from school. All the way along the route, kids got off every couple of stops until there were only two, maybe 6 and 9, and then they got off.

No one paid them the slightest attention; it was clearly what happened every day.

This doesn't mean you should let your 9 year olds cross Paris on the bus by themselves, but it does mean you don't have to be paranoid -- merely watchful. Your kids don't know the 'street rules' that these kids do. I would think fairly strongly that they will be even safer outside the tourist areas than within it.

I would add only one thing. It is not the custom in many European countries, not least France, to smile at strangers, whether on the street or in a cafe or shop, whereas most Americans think it bad manners not to. You might tell your children about this, since their smile may send an unwanted message.

wayfinder45

I'm taking my 9 year old daughter to Paris at the end of March, and I can honestly say that the issue of safety never crossed my mind. Traveling by metro or bus or just walking around is going to be as safe in central Paris as in New York or Washington, DC -- if not safer! Keeping track of the two kids is probably going to be a bigger issue -- and here you have two of you and two of them. That's a good ratio! I plan to keep a firm grip on my daughter's hand crossing the streets, etc. and make sure I keep her in my line of sight in crowded places like the Louvre. Just to make sure we don't get separated. I hadn't thought of it, but I'll probably want to talk through a game plan with her in case we do -- and have a copy of the hotel's name and address in her pocket.

Because kids are a distraction – and distractions are a window of opportunity for pick pockets, another thought is to make sure you have metro tickets, etc. out and ready, have a clear sense of how to get from point A to point B in advance, and the like. Looking and acting like you know what you're doing is a good deterrent.

uhoh_busted

We've been to Paris about five times. Never with children, but always noticed children when we've seen them playing in parks, riding the bus, visiting museums on field trips, going to and from school, etc. If we could have afforded to travel to Paris with our children when they were young, I would not have had a minute of concern about their safety. OR about finding anything interesting for them to do. And what fun to get to see their reactions and enjoy their opinions!

Taking the Metro would be a lot of fun for kids. And it is likely you won't be out as late at night as you might have been when it was just you two. This trip sounds like a terrific idea. The kids are old enough to form some really lasting memories. Good for you! Don't worry!

NorCal_Jo

I'm sure you will get lots of reassurance from posters. I've traveled to Paris lots with and without kids including just 2 weeks ago with my 7 yr old niece. Once we took my 3 yr old and 1 yr as well as my 1 yr old nephew (with his parents). We hauled 3 kids and 3 strollers up and down metro stairs as we use Metro as a primary mode of transport. Never once an issue so long as watching out for pickpockets and making sure we had tight grips on the kids when getting on during commute times!
My 7 year old niece had a ball this last trip and she went everywhere with us. Her listed favorite things were:
- Seeing the Eiffel tower sparkle at night
- Luxembourg gardens - the playground that has a little zip line and lots of climbing equipment, etc.
- boat ride
- Gelato (place near our apartment in the 6th that we visited every night)
- last but not least,the "sparkly stairs" at the Swarovski store on ave Champs -Elysees. They have a set of stairs completely covered in crystals and at night, they are quite sparkly and she loved them! We actually got a very cool picture of her on those stairs.
Have a great time!

CatManDoo

Thanks so much everyone! These are the responses I was expecting, but I like to err on the side of caution where my kids are concerned. We're really looking forward to taking them. We're going to start in London, then take the Chunnel over and end in Paris. Any hotel recs for a family of 4?

NorCal_Jo

how many nights and what is budget/location preference? You might consider an apartment in Paris - with 2 young kids I'm to the point that I rarely stay in hotels if I can help it although at 9 years old, not so critical to have a kitchen I suppose.....

Dr_DoGood

Remember when in London to look right when crossing the road - we drive on the other side than all you wrong'uns - and make sure you drill this into your two children too. Crossing the street is fully ingrained by their age so they'll have to stop and think for a moment to avoid stepping out infront of a startled bus driver or cabbie.

I'm sure you'll all have a great time in London and Paris - remember to enjoy it yourself.

Dr D.

fourfortravel

I'll also suggest looking into apartments, especially with children. It's our preferred lodging when we travel, even without our children. Having more than a room to come "home" to at the end of a long day of sightseeing is nice, as is having space for everyone to spread out a bit. Plus, there can often be considerable cost savings over a hotel (and the requisite dining out costs).

StCirq

More than 100 trips to Paris here and never had a problem. Ever. Anywhere in the city. And I've probably been to lots of parts of the city tourists never go.

nytraveler

I don;t think there are any safty issues with Paris - at least with areas tourists will be visiting. But - if you haven;t done it yet this is a great time to make sure your kids develop some city smarts - and not be wandering around clueless when they're 20.

If they're not used to public transit - take them somewhere they can experience it. Make sure they know the basics - the name, address and phone of the hotel you'll be staying at - and your cell phone number - in case you get separated. And it wouldn;t hurt to make sure they have the info - as well as your names - in writing in a pocket.

kerouac

Safer to bring your kids to Paris than stay at home! ;-)

CatManDoo

kerouac, you're probably right. Chicago is near here and we've been up there with the kids several times. I doubt the El is any more sketchy than the Tube or the Metro, at least during the day.

As for lodging, I should've added "apartment" to my question, as that's certainly an option. The only European trip the kids have been on was to Ireland, and we did self-catering exclusively. Also, on our trip to Italy before the kids, my wife and other family members rented a villa in Tuscany and an apartment in Venice. So, the self-catering route is something we enjoy and I would appreciate any recommendations of those as well. The only issue is that we probably won't be in either city for the one week minimum many apartments require.

carolv

We took our kids to Paris when they were 8, and my biggest fear was using the metro during rush hour if one of them didn't get on/off with the rest of the family. We really clutched them, but if the metro is really crowded, we had a back up plan if anyone didn't get off, to get off at the next stop. Fortunately, it didn't happen!

NorCal_Jo

I've had good luck in Paris getting apartments for 3-4 nights even when they state a weekly minimum (especially in the past few years economy). We do sometimes end up paying a slightly higher nightly rate than would if weekly but still worth it. I typically use vrbo.com as it is really easy to pick the desired district (we usually do 4e or 6e) and check out the reviews of various apartments and availability. But there are lots of other agencies as well.

grandmere

I was in Paris with my granddaughter when she was 6 and then again last year when she was 8 and her brother, 5. Never considered safety an issue any more than here at home when "downtown"; just use common sense, etc. We stayed in an apartment both times, and I think for families it's really the way to go.

Happy planning, and have a great trip. These trips I refer to were both in April ('09 and '11), and the weather was absolutely wonderful. Actually unseasonably warm last year, no rain, and one evening of rain in '09. Hope you have super weather this year!

emily71

Been to Paris twice, once with Mom and once with Dad. Have never had anyone try to pick our pockets(maybe we don't look rich enough?). We take precautions, use a bag across the chest and turn the flap toward the inside. We've taken Metro and never had any issues. Just be safe-don't let down your guard, especially near hawkers at the tourist attractions and you should be fine. Enjoy.