We are staying in the 4th Arrondissement near the Places des Vosges. What is that exactly? One itinerary said they would be having lunch there - Where specifically should we eat there, or nearby with my family of 5? (my kids are super picky eaters).

I vaguely recall something about amazing/famous hot chocolate - Was that possibly at the Hotel de Ville? Is that a recommended place to visit with kids (ages 7, 9, 12)? Again, any inexpensive restaurants recommendations would be helpful as this is also close to our apartment.

Thanks to input on this website, we are going on a Seine cruise from Pont Neuf. I guess that is walkable. What is the best website to figure out the metro line to get us to the Eifel Tower? Naturally, my kids will want to go to the top. Is that just the one ticket for the top? Does it include the second floor or do you just pick how high you want to go and buy that ticket? Again, any places to grab an inexpensive quick bite or something to eat in the park?

I think we will skip the Louvre. (We will ride past it on a bike tour and see it from the Seine cruise). Which museum(s), maybe smaller, less crowded, do you think would be more enjoyable for the kids? They are good sports and understand that not everything is going to be for them. We are not big fans of modern art.

We plan to do a day trip to Versailles and think we have that figured out. Disneyland is OUT.

We plan to visit the Luxombourg and Tuillerie gardens. Do most people go into the Luxombourg Palace?

Anything major I am overlooking? We will do Notre Dame when we do Hotel de Ville or go to Pont Neuf. It is close - We are big walkers and, weather permitting (first week of April) will wander around the Latin Quarter and stroll along the Seine on Ile de la Cite. I am on the fence about the Sacre Coeur. What is that near or is that an all day thing?

Any input on any of these tentative plans would be great. My guide book dedicated a paragraph to kids and seems to assume all children are obnoxious and have a 10 minute attention span. My kids are only like that some of the time!

Paris metro system map is on www.ratp.fr
Consider picking up now a Streetwise map of Paris- available at bookstores or online. Laminated, folds to fit in a pocket and includes a metro map.

As to food - there are all sorts of options, and restaurants post menus to review before entering. With picky kids, a place like Bistro Romain (chain with lots of locations)can be a good choice. Since you'll have that great apartment you can do a grocery run and stock up on things they will eat for breakfast and some dinners. A rotisserie chicken and pasta is an easy fix - throw in a salad and some nice wine for you and DH and a couple baguettes for all. When out and about there are plenty of places to pick up a sandwich, and there's a crepe to appeal to just about everyone.

The famous hot chocolate is at Angelina's on the Rue de Rivoli. BTW if your kids are soda drinkers, be aware that soft drinks are typically quite expensive in cafes and restaurants compared to US prices. Also, in restaurants ask for un carafe d'eau (roughly, kar-aff doh") or you will get pricey bottled water. Tap water in Paris is perfectly fine. While you are grocery shopping pick up some small bottles of water that the kids can carry during the day and refill at the apartment.

I am sure I will not be the only one to suggest you rethink skipping the Louvre. Yes, it is huge but you do not have to do it all. Kids often especially enjoy the Egyptian area and the ancient sculptures. Musee Carnavalet is free, close to you and offers a glimpse into Paris history, is not so big. Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie are very close to each other (you can buy a ticket that gets you into both) and the kids might enjoy them. If they are at all into military things Invalides would be good.

At the Eiffel tower your ticket to the top includes a stop on the second level. You have to change elevators there.

Can I suggest that rather than taking a cruise down the Seine, you get tickets for the Batobus - www.batobus.com. This is a boat that travels a circle route up and down the Seine, stopping at most of the big tourist spots - including the Eiffel Tower.

It is a lovely way to see the city, and is also much cheaper than any of the other cruises available down the river (1 day pass is €12, €6 for children under 16). You can also buy 2 or 5 day passes if this suits you better.

Paris is a wonderful city for children, I'm sure your family will have a great time.

Please do reconsider a visit to the Louvre. It contains some magnificent pieces, and even if you sped only an hour, your kids will benefit. That is especially true if they already know the trip is not all about them. Just biking past the Louvre doesn't really do much - people don't go to the louvre just to see the outside!

The bateaux Mouches are great. If you can take your cruise in the evening, all the lit-up buildings are even more magical.

Maybe try to acclimate your super-picky kids by taking them to some French restaurants before your trip.

Get Fodor's 'Around Paris with Kids'. I don't know which guidebook you have, but for first timers, take a look at Rick Steves'. Check out your local library and read a few.

Do not skip the Louvre. Have each child pick out a postcard of a painting that appeals and then set out to find the painting. Do not have soft drinks at the Louvre, I think I paid about $6 for mine.

St. Chappelle has stained glass windows that are out of this world. It would be my recommendation for a second church rather than Sacred Heart.

Climb the Arc de Triomphe for a nice view of Paris that includes the Eiffel Tower. It is located at the 'top' of the Champs Elysee which you can then walk down in order to be able to say you have been there and done that.

Put 12 year old in charge of figuring out the Metro. It isn't hard. Have all the kids learn 10-12 French words (Bonjour, Merci, etc).

When you eat out, adults should have wine. It is cheaper than soda. Crepe stands and baguettes are everywhere and probably the most reasonable thing for picky eaters

For my sons, a Parisian restaurant dinner (especially if snails were served) was always the reward for tolerating their parents' museum habit. But they also loved the Hippopotamus chain (several branches in central Paris) which serves good hamburgers salads etc.

The Place des Vosges is a lovely square with a play area and lots of children. I don't think people often go into the Lux.Palace unless there is a special exhibition, but the Carnavalet is fascinating on the history of Paris including during the revolution.

And for me as a Disney-fan; I would reconsider not visiting Disneyland (my almost 4 yo loved it). But opinions differ on this matter, especially here on Fodors.

Foodwise; Hippopotamus is indeed a good choice with kids. You can find them everywhere around Paris. There are also lots of pizza-places (some chains, but can't rember the name).
Aand of course there are more than enough Mc's, Pizza Huts etc.

Don't know if a 5 yo is ready to go to the movies, but a lot of movies are VO (version originale), meaning that the movie is in Englisch with French subtitles.
Maybe there is a nice cartoon or something.

Hotel de Ville means City Hall. I do not believe it is open to the public.

Angelina's hot chocolate l'Africain is like drinking a melted chocolate bar and is about $8 for a serving and includes a bowl of unsweetened whipped cream for cutting the richness of the chocolate.

My son (14 when we visited Paris) isn't a picky eater but we often grabbed cheap baguettes or crepes from take away stands for lunch in Paris. Pizza Pino is a chain of restaurants you can find in Paris in addition to Pizza Hut.

One of our favorite museums is Musee de l'Armee at Invalides. Amazing and vast collection of ancient and beautiful coats of armour for men, children and horses and intricately decorated weaponry. They also have a collection of items from WWII including a tiny tank and a motorbike that folds into a suitcase. Napoleon's horse and dog are stuffed and on display in a case.

Be sure you stroll through the 60 acre Jardin du Luxembourg where there are playgrounds, pony rides, a marionette theatre, fountains and statuary. There are chairs where you can just plop down and get a second wind.

I have never done the catacomes tour but many kids like the creepy factor of walking the subterranean maze of 6 million neatly stacked skeletons.
http://www.frenchfriends.info/french...s/catacombes/1

If you plan to go up the Eiffel Tower consider getting there just before opening time in the morning to avoid massive lines to buy tickets and another line to get on the elevator. I've gone up the tower at least 4 times and have never had to wait longer than ten minutes by going early.
Ann Marie

Jill,

We've taken our daughter (now 14) to Paris a number of times and only went to the Louvre on her second visit. There are many small museums around Paris on which you can focus. If you do decide on the Louvre, try for one of the evenings which are discounted - maybe Weds. and Friday.

There are many unique little museums right in the Marais. If you can stand taxidermy, the Museum of the Hunt and Nature is fascinating. There is also a museum of locks and a doll museum. For art, there is the Picasso museum. The Carnavalet is great because it is close and free. We also enjoy the Cluny which is in the 5th arr.

The Place des Vosges is a small park with a small play area surrounded by arcaded walkways. Try the Victor Hugo cafe on one corner there. Our daughter is picky as well, and we found that cafes were the best option for all of us. Decent choices for the grownups, and she could usually get a plain omelette or crepe. We kept her normal "healthy" food at the apartment where we would have breakfast and most dinners.

Don't be afraid to take the bus instead of the metro. The ratp.fr site has a very helpful route planner. Bus #96 goes directly to the Left Bank, and #69 goes to the Eiffel Tower.

Sacre Coeur is a half-day excursion. The area will be loaded with tourists and scam artists. We went to the Dali museum nearby which is pretty wild.

There are many guidebooks dedicated to Paris w/ kids. Also, do a search here for a thread entitled Free Things to do in Paris.

Enjoy!

Couple other comments. We first took our son to Paris when he was 10yo.

We went to Angelina's. It was a fun visit, but the famous hot chocolate was too rich even for him! Angelina's may not be so inexpensive; they may enjoy hot chocolate, maybe less famous and with less chocolate, at another cafe.

If you're thinking about visiting the gardens to go to the playgrounds, keep in mind that the Parisien playgrounds (at least those we saw) are less elaborate than many in the U.S. We took our son to the Tuileries (after Angelina's), and there wasn't anything that he, as a 10-year-old, wanted to play on.

My son isn't a picky eater, so we pretty much ate everywhere. But two French favorite foods might appeal to your kids. One are the crepes that are available all over, both at streetside stands or sit-down restaurants. The other are "croque-monsieur" and "croque-madames." These are the French version of grilled cheese sandwiches (but a bit tastier). The "monsieur" has ham and cheese (usually emmental or gruyere, which we in the U.S. know as Swiss), then grilled. The "madame" is the same, with the addition of a fried egg on top. Many places serve these.

For an idea of what Place des Vosges looks like, use google images. As described previously, it's a peaceful square, surrounded by scenic buildings, some of which have shady arcades. I can't remember if there's a small playground in the corner of the square or not. A number of cafes and restaurants are located in the buildings on the Place.

Sacre Coeur - we went there on a Paris visit when our son was 12, after hearing for years how touristy that area is. We enjoyed that neighborhood very much. It was not the height of the tourist season, though, so it wasn't crowded. And we all, especially our son, really enjoy the Impressionists, so we took the walking tour described in Rick Steves' guide to Montmartre. I'm not sure we would have felt the metro trip there was worth it if we were only visiting Sacre Coeur, and not the neighborhood as a whole.

Enjoy!

I just returned from a week in Paris with my 9 year old daughter and can't recommend the Fodors Around Paris with Kids highly enough. It not only gives an excellent description of the attraction but open days/times, metro location and eating suggestions. And...it's pocket-sized!

We too skipped Disney and I am so very glad we did. Although we have visited Disney World and really enjoyed it, I wanted a Paris experience. My daughter actually didn't even know Disney was in Paris. I know what I am about to write will horrify some but we both disliked Angelinas and left most of our hot chocolate in our cups! I have since learned that there is a difference between European hot chocolate and American hot chocolate and I just love a milky, frothy consistency not the warmed chocolate syrup kind at Angelinas. This is a very personal opinion.

We both loved the Louvre, my daughter especially liked having the audio tour (very inexpensive for children). I too would vote to go even if only for a couple hours. (And I second the "don't eat or drink there", it is outrageously expensive which is to be expected). We both loved the smaller museums including the Doll Museum if that would interest any of your children). We climbed the stairs to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower and took the elevator up from there. I think for children the top is a must! Nighttime holds a special magic for sure, we were able to be on the Tower for the first "twinkle" and off to view another "twinkle" which was just perfect. We loved the Seine evening boat tour but would have opted for the Batobus had it been running.

St. Chapelle, the L'Orangerie and seeing the Unicorn tapestries at the Cluny were our favorites. We opted not to go to Versailles but spent a half day at Musee Vivant du Cheval which was genuinely entertaining for both myself and my horse loving daughter. It was also nice to take a break from the city but you will have the parks which we didn't have in December. Well, of course they were there but snow covered by our second day! I would also suggest strolling through a couple of outdoor markets. We loved seeing the variety of foods and the jeering that goes on and the bird/small animal market on Sundays kept us captivated for quite awhile!

Enjoy! I can't wait to go back and we've only been home one week!

I think some of this info will be appropriate for the trip with my 18yo DD - great info!
Thank you

The City Hall is open at times, they have some special exhibits, for example (art or cultural). I also think you can get some tours if you want and sign up in advance, but I'm sure the OP doesn't know what it is as it doesn't serve hot chocolate, and doesn't really want a tour of City Hall. I've actually been in it to a special reception and it is quite beautiful in some rooms.

Luxembourg Palace is also not a tourist site. It is the home of the French Senate, and is open rarely to visitors to tour. It's been open during the French patrimoine days at times. It is also available by special arrangement for some group tours.

Here is our trip report from 3 years ago

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ttle-girls.cfm

We had an amazing time and are going back this spring, so figuring out many of the same things again. I'll share thoughts as best as possible.

=> We LOVED the museum pass... gave us the flexibility to go in or not and stay 10 minutes... or 30 min.... or 90 min. The kids got much exposure in very small doses and it saved us time and energy by cutting down lines.
=> As the mom of a picky eater (you haven't seen picky until you've met her), we just 'dealt'. Most meals, we didn't even order her a meal, she just ate bread. plain bread, no butter. We ate breakfast in the apartment and many dinners in the apartment, so lunch was just about filling the belly for energy. We found fruit stands all over the city and would buy 1 piece of fruit to snack on while walking to the next location.
=> They only knew the basics of French and would rarely use it, but at least tried... (at one time, I was fluent, now, barely proficient). In general, people were *very nice* to them... I think they liked seeing kids.

There is a playground in the Marais... maybe a block or so away from the Picasso Museum (closed unfortunately). There is also one on the right bank of the Seine as you are crossing from Ile St. Louis (across from a large public garden). Place des Vosges also is a large grassy area where kids can run. Don't forget the inside of Palais Royal... there are large black and white striped things that the kids love to jump on and play around.

Eiffel Tower - there is a self-serve cafe on the 1st level - we got snacks there and sat outside and wrote postcards. The kids loved writing postcards, "I'm on the Eiffel Tower as I write this".

You mention bikes...are you doing the Fat Tire Bike Tour ? They are great!

have a great trip... it really is magical!

bookmark

I've not been to it, but a recent guidebook I bought recommended the science park for youngsters at Porte de la Villette (pronounced Vil-let, not vee-yet) in the north.
http://www.cite-sciences.fr/english/index.php

Walk from the Louvre to Arc de Triomphe (but don't buy coffee on the street cafés unless you enjoy spending lots of dosh)
Go up the Arc de Triomphe & get the kids to count how many traffic accidents they can see from the top.

In fact, unless you are French or know France well, any walk around Paris can be pleasant and interesting. When are you planning to go?

The kids will probably enjoy the metro - get one of the passes such as the one-day mobilis, there are also 3-day and other passes. But don't get the ones that include museums unless you will use them. And do your homework first to decide whether you need all zones or which ones you need.

The Pompidou Centre is a very unusual building to see, & is free to go into; you pay to visit some of the exhibitions inside.

Last year in June we only had 24 hours there, we enjoyed the Jardin du Luxembourg, ate our packed lunch there, and enjoyed a huge photo exhibition around the railings on the north-east side, it went on for about 100 metres. We had planned to do the sewer trip (!) but it was closed Fridays, so did catacombs instead. Most unusual.

Bon Voyage!

PS tdk320n did you mean to include a link, it doesn't show on my screen, just says "bookmark"

www.hopstop.com has a Paris section where you can get full descriptions of place to place, walking, metro, or bus or combinations with distance and time.

The Eiffel Tower can be fun to visit at night -- the lights "twinkle" on the hour and it really is very attractive all lit up. We found the East tower line to be the least crowded. I understand that you can now go online to the Tower's website and print out your tickets in advance. You could probably do this from your hotel once you decide when you want to visit. My family enjoyed taking the elevator to the top and then walking down, visiting the different levels on the way down.

I also would reconsider the Louvre. My kids enjoyed the museum more than I expected. I would also argue that, if you find yourself staying awhile at any museum, a cafe break can really revitalize tired feet even though it may be a pricey stop. We really enjoyed french pastries and a great view out on a Louvre terrace.

The museum pass will get you in to museums more quickly and you may feel like visiting more places for a quick stop. We liked the Rodin museum, the Orangerie and Sainte Chapelle but did not get a chance to visit some of the other museums other posters have mentioned here. I think you could skip Sacre Coeur.

My son was 11 when we first visited Paris and was a very picky eater. He was really worried that he was not going to find any food he would like to eat, despite our assurances that we would not let him starve, as his usual food preferences were quite limited With some encouragement, he discovered he liked many new foods and he returned home a more adventurous eater.

Oh, there is something about kids and liking to climb monuments, buildings, churches, towers etc. My kids enjoyed climbing the top of Notre Dame and seeing the gargoyles there. Also, the top of the Arc de Triomphe was a hit.

Have a good trip!

I would agree that you should climb the Arc de Triomphe, the kids will be able to move around there more easily than the Eiffel Tour which is often packed. The view is almost as good as that from the Eiffel Tower and the queues aren't as long.

To give you a visual idea of some of these places:

Place des Vosges: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Wwy_MzuKe8

Watching the traffic and the Eiffel Tower lights from the Arc de Triomphe (the queue to go up to the top of the Arc seem to be bit less in the evening): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZohVuQZZ0ws