Paris with kids!
 

I'm leaving Brazil next Friday (May/28th). <BR>It is not my first time in Paris... but it is the first with my kids (11 and 9 years old). <BR>Of course I will visit the famous sites (including Versailles - out of Paris), but I would appreciate to receive informations about what we can do specially with kids in Paris. If you have any informations about Paris by night for kids also, don't hesitate to inform me! <BR>Help me, please! <BR>P.S.: Is there any suggestion about walking tours in Paris? <BR>

Do a search of this forum. This question has come up before and people havehad all kinds of good suggestions. For instance, when my husband had his 14yo grandson in Paris, a real highlight was the Cite de Science. Have a great trip!

Hi - <BR> <BR>A site that many kids like is the Catacombs. I'm not sure about 9 and 11 year-olds. We took 18 and 19 year-olds. It probably depends on the kids. The Catacombs are ancient quarries turned into final resting places for over 1 million skeletons from old Paris cemetaries. It's not gory or anything like that but you do walk next to skulls and bones. They were moved to the quarries during the 18th century. Very interesting and historic. <BR> <BR>Something my 18 and 19 year-old stepsons liked was the Statue Garden at the Rodin Museum. The statues have no barriers around them so you can pose with them and take pictures. Your kids may like that too. <BR> <BR>Also, we never made it to the Science Museum but read about it and thought it would be a good place to see. We just ran out of time. <BR> <BR>Good luck! :-)

It is true the LA Villette area is great for kids, you can spend a full day there (maybe avoiding week-ends, when it might get crowded). My suggestion : take the Canal Saint-Martin bateau-mouche (more fun than the Seine one), you board at the Bastille harbor, and they will lead you on the canals until La Villette. There, plenty of things to do for kids : the Science Museum, a very sophisticated hands-on Music museum (classical music), Géode (IMAX), lots of attractions, hanging around, or playing soccer (as a Brazilian ! ) with all the kids that hang around there. <BR> <BR>If you don't have time to go out of the center, Musée de la Découverte is more or less La Villette's ancestor, and has recently been modernised thanks to this new competition. <BR> <BR>Another great, although unknown museum for kids is the Muséum d'Histoire naturelle in the Jardin des Plantes opposite Austerlitz station. The big room is stunning, and has been remodeled by the same Italian architect who did Musée d'Orsay. Great stuff for kids. <BR> <BR>Outside of Paris, you can go to one of France's most visited attractions : La France en miniature, a park that reproduces all main French monuments, but as models. I've been told it's pretty nice. It's in Guyancourt, 30 km south-west, accessible by RER. <BR> <BR>If you want a 100 % French alternative to Disneyland, parc Astérix, 10 km north of CDG airport, is very fun too, and has got as many rollercoaster as its American-French competitor ! <BR> <BR>To end this post, and if it doesn't stir too bad memories, you can visit the Stade de France, you know, where a certain soccer game was played on July 12, 1998... Joke apart, great piece of architecture, very easy to reach by RER B, they have guided tours.

We were in Paris in March with our 13- and 18-year olds. We were looking for evening activities for them, and here's what worked for us: The Virgin Records megastore, on Champs Elysees, open until midnight, full of French kids, lots of restaurants nearby (Planet Hollywood etc). Also: Louvre is open until 9:45 p.m. Wednesdays, d'Orsay until 9:45 p.m. Thursdays; both much less crowded than daytime hours, lots of kids, lots of art students drawing their own versions of the masterpieces.

2 years agoe we were in Paris with our then 9 yr old son. We did the usual things, but here are some of the things he liked best. He is active, so he liked the climbing activities(this also made him tired so he would sleep at night). We climbed the steps to the top of the Arc de'Triomphe, Climbing to the top of Sacre Couer(SP?), going through the garden area of the Rodin Museum, seeing Napolean's Tomb(learnign about who he was, going thru the Musee de l'Armee to see all the armor & weapons. He enjoyed eating at out door cafes & watching people as much as we did. He enjoyed going to a bakery each morning & getting fresh French bread for breakfast. Involved him in speaking french to the hotel & cafe staffs. In the evening, we enjoyed a night time boat ride on the Seine, & going up in the Eiffel Tower at night as well as during the day. The night time was much more crowded. He also enjoyed being at the Tuluries(SP?) garden & having ice cream there. Another park, which we did not have time to get to is Luxemburg Gardens, all sorts of things for kids there. We went to Versailles. It was ok for him, but alittle over whelming & he liked the gardens best, but still glad we went. Even though it was alittle bleak, he liked the Conciergerie(SP?) & also St.Chappelle. I have been to Paris a few times before, but this was just as exciting for me as if I was there the first time, seeing Paris thru my kids eyes. <BR>