Iwan2go

Ok, since we have missed two years (sob) of vacations, I’m focusing waaay out on next summer’s trip, a week in Paris with our kids and grandkids 🎉🎉🎉 . I am SO excited. There will be eleven of us (7 adults and 4 kids, ages 5/8/10 and 12 going on 30…that would be my granddaughter. I have a feeling lots of shopping is in store).

We’ve rented two apartments in the Palais Royal gardens, and I’ve been getting the grandkids prepped with books, learning some handy phrases, have bookmarked museums, etc. One thing we’d really love to do is picnic in the Champ de Mars park - Grab the food on and around the rue Cler, bring along some plastic cutlery in my suitcase (? Should I just get it there? I figured it’s pretty light weight and at the beginning of the trip), plus a knife and a corkscrew from the apartment. But I need a local resource for picnic blankets.

I’ve seen some older posts on TripAdvisor saying Monoprix has some. Is this still correct? Have any other resources near the Palais Royal? Many thanks, everyone!

kerouac

Plastic cutlery is now forbidden in the EU. Wooden forks, spoons and knives are on sale at any supermarket.

Iwan2go

Whoa! Thanks. I had no idea. Who has inexpensive blankets/ whatever to sit on?

lavandula

Why not take your own? We often take picnic items with us when we travel overseas, especially when we are doing a road trip - a thermos, some plastic mugs which can double as bowls for breakfast cereal, and some sporks. We have even taken a snack box, a tackle box packed with small snacks and trail mix, but don't normally take that. Perhaps you don't want to go as far as that but we find them handy, and a rug would squash down easily in the luggage. I would not want to waste my holiday time searching for a cheap picnic blanket (and maybe being unsuccessful).

Lavandula

joannyc

Order one online and have it delivered to your accommodations before you arrive?

Seamus

We use blankets from the airplane. With that many travelers, if just a couple snag a blanket you should be fine.

sassy27

Seamus just a note. When flying Swiss air leave the blankets. They were very nice and my friend actually was thinking of taking one until an announcement was made to not take them off the plane. Apparently, they are aware of how nice their blankets in economy are and make a point to tell flyers not to swipe them.

tracilee

I’ve got a travel blanket that folds up really small, more of a 2 person size though. I took a quick look on Amazon and this looks like it would be a good option:

Iwan2go

Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I looked into having one sent, but the shipping cost is a bit more than I’d like to spend. I think your ideas of either bringing a lightweight one along in the suitcase is probably the best solution, and I would just leave it there for future renters.

I’m also going to ask the apartment rental company if this is something they would consider purchasing for everyone’s use. They supply so many useful things already (a wheeled shopping cart, for one) that I bet they’ll do that, too.

I appreciate all your advice, thanks again! Now all I have to do is…wait. 😎

k_marie

I did a quick search to see what’s available at Monoprix this season.

https://www.monoprix.fr/maison/-jard...2430408/page/3

swandav2000

Oh waitwait. Did you look at amazon.com for shipping to France? No, that's expensive. Instead, go to amazon.fr and search there; shipping would be around 5€, if that.

But I agree that the easiest thing to do would be to buy one in the shops there -- visiting local stores in a new place is a total delight for me.

Have fun as you plan!

s

kerouac

Here is the link for the rather expensive (in my opinion) picnic blankets from Amazon.fr

Amazon.fr : Plaid Pique Nique

Southam

The Paris convention bureau has a lengthy list of likely spots to picnic:

https://en.parisinfo.com/what-to-see...cking-in-paris

Note the early mention that some green spots do not allow picnics -- without going into detail, unfortunately.

There is also a brief suggestion that a table cloth would do. Not vintage lace, probably, but a washable one would be less bulky than a blanket.

trycke

We have used a bedsheet (a flat one, not a fitted one naturally) as a picnic blanket for years. It takes up less space and weighs less than a blanket when packing it. It has doubled as something to wrap around a bottle of wine brought home in a checked suitcase. 11 people though- maybe two twin sheets or a king size!!

joannyc

<< I looked into having one sent, but the shipping cost is a bit more than I’d like to spend>>

Sorry, I meant to order it from a French website so the shipping would not be so expensive.

rialtogrl

I also wrote this suggestion but either my post went in to moderation or I did not reply successfully. I bought a four euro tablecloth at a street market years ago, some kind of synthetic material that takes up little space. I still have it! Getting one in Paris leaves you with a nice souvenir to break out at other picnics.

Also, thrift shops usually have nice used picnic stuff. Anything brought from the US can be left in the rental for future tenants. Apologies if this info shows up twice.

Iwan2go

These are great ideas! Thank you, and thanks for the links as well. At least now I know what French words to use to search! 🤪. Another thought - working off what one said - ask the apartment management to save a few old sheets. That could work, too!

Again, sincerest thanks for your input! I’ll look into nearby parks as well - as I recall, there are no grassy areas at the gardens of the Palais Royal, but I think one can sit on the grass at the Tuileries.

Iwan2go

Ok, I found one recent article that says you can only sit on the grassy area of the Jardin du Carousel in the Tuileries, next to the Arc du Carrousel between the Tuileries and the Louvre Pyramid. Sitting on the grass is not allowed in the other areas.

This article covers all the changes they’re making in the Tuileries. Looks wonderful!

https://secretsofparis.com/make-a-di...leries-garden/

kerouac

Since we seem to be ignoring the Champ de Mars plan, I would say that the very best parks for picnics are Villette and Buttes Chaumont, place where you do not risk the alcohol ban near the Eiffel Tower.

Macross

We just bought the coolest fork/spoon reusables at the Eddie Bauer outlet. I actually bought them for my nieces for lunch boxes but think they would be great for train travel. I just got the lightest beach/blanket in the free gift from Estee Lauder. We use to stay in the cabins on base in Garmisch back in the day and had to bring our own towels. I would bring the old ones, wash before leaving and leave them in the bath/laundry room for others. You could do that and then have room for things you buy.