Single parent planning trip to London & Paris
Dec 12th, 2009, 09:16 AM
#21
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I'm a single parent with 4 children. 3 1/2 years between them all.
I've travelled alone with them since the youngest (twins) were 7.
It's easier than you think, don't worry about it, just do it.
And leave out Venice this time. London and Paris will be plenty. Your son will enjoy Venice much more when he's in his teens and able to explore a little on his own. Venice is the safest city in Europe for kids, no traffic, little crime, and you can't ever get really lost because you are on an island! (OK, I know it's lots of small islands but it seems kind of like one big island to a child) My own were let loose in Venice from the age of 12/13, they had cell phones to keep in touch if need be but they had no real problems and they loved the freedom and independence it offered.
I've travelled alone with them since the youngest (twins) were 7.
It's easier than you think, don't worry about it, just do it.
And leave out Venice this time. London and Paris will be plenty. Your son will enjoy Venice much more when he's in his teens and able to explore a little on his own. Venice is the safest city in Europe for kids, no traffic, little crime, and you can't ever get really lost because you are on an island! (OK, I know it's lots of small islands but it seems kind of like one big island to a child) My own were let loose in Venice from the age of 12/13, they had cell phones to keep in touch if need be but they had no real problems and they loved the freedom and independence it offered.
Dec 12th, 2009, 09:43 AM
#22
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Thank you again for the replies. I started looking into extending our stay in London and reversing the order of our trip.
When is the best time to book a hotel and would you suggest booking directly through the hotel or through venere, gta, etc.
I am going to stick with one day at EuroDisney and also one day at Lego Windsor because my son LOVES amusement parks.
Really want to stay 8 or 9 nights but wondering about my son's spring break in April (its usually only a week). Unless I spend Easter in Europe and not in the states just thinking out loud lol.
When is the best time to book a hotel and would you suggest booking directly through the hotel or through venere, gta, etc.
I am going to stick with one day at EuroDisney and also one day at Lego Windsor because my son LOVES amusement parks.
Really want to stay 8 or 9 nights but wondering about my son's spring break in April (its usually only a week). Unless I spend Easter in Europe and not in the states just thinking out loud lol.
Dec 12th, 2009, 10:08 AM
#23
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I'd book as soon as you can for hotels (and Eurostar), but as your trip isn't for almost a year and a half, you may not be able to book now. If there's a hotel (or apartment) you find now that you know you want to book, I would contact the hotel and find out when they start taking reservations. Personally I like to deal with the hotel directly, unless I'm getting a great deal on another web site.
Dec 12th, 2009, 10:31 AM
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He will love Lego Windsor. Have done lots of travel in Europe, Asia, northern Africa with my 10 and 13 year old grandkids. In London don't forget doing stuff...rubbings, Transportation Museum, playgrounds, Tower of London etc. Kinda like the stuff you would do when home. Other posts here on good activities for kids in London and Paris.
Letter from ex good to have. I have never needed it, but I keep letters from parents with me just in case.
Letter from ex good to have. I have never needed it, but I keep letters from parents with me just in case.
Dec 12th, 2009, 10:48 AM
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Don't forget to have you son learn some basic French before you go. If it's not offered in his school this early, just get one of the simple sets of audio lesson and he will be much more comfortable being able to read and understand a little of what's going on around him.
We took my step-daughters to London and Paris when they were 11 and 14. Now granted, girls tend to be more mature - but they both felt ultra-sophisticated being able to order their own meals, understand metro signs etc. (Their school started foreign languages in third grade, so they already knew a lot of basics.)
As for evacuation insurance - we never get that - and out regular medical insurance covers us abroad. Agree that medical care in UK and France is just as good as the US - and way cheaper (even for something major - which is incredibly unlikely unless one of you hs some sort of chronic problem.)
We took my step-daughters to London and Paris when they were 11 and 14. Now granted, girls tend to be more mature - but they both felt ultra-sophisticated being able to order their own meals, understand metro signs etc. (Their school started foreign languages in third grade, so they already knew a lot of basics.)
As for evacuation insurance - we never get that - and out regular medical insurance covers us abroad. Agree that medical care in UK and France is just as good as the US - and way cheaper (even for something major - which is incredibly unlikely unless one of you hs some sort of chronic problem.)
Dec 12th, 2009, 11:16 AM
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You will get lots of very specific detailed information from experts on Fodors to allay your fears of doing the trip yourself. Don't forget to use the search box above to type in "London with kids" or "Paris with kids" to read about recent trips others have taken.
No need for a tour to EuroDisney just for the peace of mind of having someone get you to the park. If you start a thread asking exactly how to get from Paris to EuroDisney by train someone will likely explain the process to you step by step- how to buy tickets, the difference between the RER and Metro, how to board and where to get off. Same goes for how to use the Metro, where to stay, where to eat, etc...
I've traveled with my son to France with no problems although neither of us know how to say more than a couple of words in French nor do we ever use public transportation where we live.
Consider taking some 2-4 hour tours if you feel the need to be with English speaking people when you first arrive in Paris. I have done 3 Fat Tire bike tours (Paris and Versailles) because I always travel with newbies and I've found they enjoy tooling around Paris on a bike. http://fattirebiketours.com/paris Fat Tire also does bike tours in London. There are also walking tours like Paris Walks that you can just show up for if the weather is good and you and your son feel like joining up with a tour. http://www.paris-walks.com/
Your son may enjoy Musee de l'Armee in Paris where Napoleon's pony and dog are on display and which also houses a vast display of medieval body armor for men, children and horses. http://www.invalides.org/pages/anglais/infos_a.html
My son and I enjoyed a couple of hours at the small Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes for the Victorian displays and the interesting variety of animals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9...in_des_Plantes
April or August will do for your trip. I've been to Paris in early April when the weather was a bit chilly, gray and rainy and I've been in late summer when it can be hot. Airfare deals may be better in April. I have seen low internet deals for August hotel stays. For example the Hotel College de France standard doubles are normally 104 euro but start at 78 euro in August. http://www.hotel-collegedefrance.com...-hotel-01.html
Go when you can most easily get away for 8-9 days. Find out how many excused absences your son has per school year and whether they can all be taken at the same time. Schools have cracked down on attendance in the past decade as money is frequently tied to attendance rates. My son was able to take 5 pre-excused absences per year but only 3 could be taken consecutively. In other words, he was able to do make up work for the first three days but if he'd been gone longer he would not have been able to make up the work for additional days.
-Ann Marie
No need for a tour to EuroDisney just for the peace of mind of having someone get you to the park. If you start a thread asking exactly how to get from Paris to EuroDisney by train someone will likely explain the process to you step by step- how to buy tickets, the difference between the RER and Metro, how to board and where to get off. Same goes for how to use the Metro, where to stay, where to eat, etc...
I've traveled with my son to France with no problems although neither of us know how to say more than a couple of words in French nor do we ever use public transportation where we live.
Consider taking some 2-4 hour tours if you feel the need to be with English speaking people when you first arrive in Paris. I have done 3 Fat Tire bike tours (Paris and Versailles) because I always travel with newbies and I've found they enjoy tooling around Paris on a bike. http://fattirebiketours.com/paris Fat Tire also does bike tours in London. There are also walking tours like Paris Walks that you can just show up for if the weather is good and you and your son feel like joining up with a tour. http://www.paris-walks.com/
Your son may enjoy Musee de l'Armee in Paris where Napoleon's pony and dog are on display and which also houses a vast display of medieval body armor for men, children and horses. http://www.invalides.org/pages/anglais/infos_a.html
My son and I enjoyed a couple of hours at the small Menagerie du Jardin des Plantes for the Victorian displays and the interesting variety of animals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%A9...in_des_Plantes
April or August will do for your trip. I've been to Paris in early April when the weather was a bit chilly, gray and rainy and I've been in late summer when it can be hot. Airfare deals may be better in April. I have seen low internet deals for August hotel stays. For example the Hotel College de France standard doubles are normally 104 euro but start at 78 euro in August. http://www.hotel-collegedefrance.com...-hotel-01.html
Go when you can most easily get away for 8-9 days. Find out how many excused absences your son has per school year and whether they can all be taken at the same time. Schools have cracked down on attendance in the past decade as money is frequently tied to attendance rates. My son was able to take 5 pre-excused absences per year but only 3 could be taken consecutively. In other words, he was able to do make up work for the first three days but if he'd been gone longer he would not have been able to make up the work for additional days.
-Ann Marie
Dec 12th, 2009, 11:32 AM
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I start my hotel search with tripadvisor and venere to read the vast number of reviews of hotels and to see what is available in the locations I like. I also check kayak.com for hotel rates but that site has far fewer reviews. When I start nailing down specific hotels I usually find that the best rates are on the hotel's own websites. The only way I can get better prices through expedia, orbitz, etc usually involves prepaid, nonrefundable rates which are usually not much less expensive and not worth the risk to me.
I usually book 6-8 months out for hotels when I can cancel without penalty. Then if I find a more attractive rate or hotel I have flexibility. I don't book anything nonrefundable (like an apartment) until I have my airfare reserved as that is often the most expensive part of the trip for me.
Go to a bookstore and check out all of the guide books for London and Paris. Don't forget to read the Fodors online destination guides as well.
-Ann Marie
I usually book 6-8 months out for hotels when I can cancel without penalty. Then if I find a more attractive rate or hotel I have flexibility. I don't book anything nonrefundable (like an apartment) until I have my airfare reserved as that is often the most expensive part of the trip for me.
Go to a bookstore and check out all of the guide books for London and Paris. Don't forget to read the Fodors online destination guides as well.
-Ann Marie
Dec 12th, 2009, 08:20 PM
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You have received wonderful advice.
I would not do a tour - I have been to Europe twice with our daughters - once in 07 and again in 08 - my youngest was just a little older than your son.
You do not need to stay out at Disney - you can do the train that day - it drops you off right there. I would look at getting an apartment - it would be great for the two of you to spread out a little.
One thing I have learned, esp. about my youngest - is she needs downtime when traveling. Even though you are just coming from NYC (we are in California) the Jetlag might be there.
I would go in April - maybe tack a day or two on the beginning (it seems like they are not doing too much in school right before spring break usually at their age).
I would not do a tour - I have been to Europe twice with our daughters - once in 07 and again in 08 - my youngest was just a little older than your son.
You do not need to stay out at Disney - you can do the train that day - it drops you off right there. I would look at getting an apartment - it would be great for the two of you to spread out a little.
One thing I have learned, esp. about my youngest - is she needs downtime when traveling. Even though you are just coming from NYC (we are in California) the Jetlag might be there.
I would go in April - maybe tack a day or two on the beginning (it seems like they are not doing too much in school right before spring break usually at their age).
Dec 13th, 2009, 04:44 AM
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April is better than August. More time in London is better. Venice is marvelous but save it for aother trip.
Buy Fodor's "London with Kids" and Fodor's "Paris with Kids". Meanwhile, get guide books out of the library. You'll soon settle in on what is most useful for you.
The 7 and 8 year olds that I went to London and Paris with chose the British Museum for the mummies, the Churchill War Rooms and a boat trip to Greenwich. They loved the armour at the Tower of London. Since they are from Colorado, we also worked in Lion King.
We wanted to have tea but they were uninterested. The Princess Diana playground was great for letting off steam. Harrod's toy section was a big hit. Hampton Court Palace was fun with kid oriented activities but, if you are headed to Legoland, Windsor Castle will be more convenient.
We stayed at the Premier Inn at King's Cross which has excellent transportation connections.
For Paris, they loved cimbing the tower at Notre Dame and checking out all the different gargoyles. We climbed the Arc de Triomphe and watched the Eiffel Tower light up. The evening cruise on the Seine ended up being too late and they fell asleep part way through. Go earlier.
Buy Fodor's "London with Kids" and Fodor's "Paris with Kids". Meanwhile, get guide books out of the library. You'll soon settle in on what is most useful for you.
The 7 and 8 year olds that I went to London and Paris with chose the British Museum for the mummies, the Churchill War Rooms and a boat trip to Greenwich. They loved the armour at the Tower of London. Since they are from Colorado, we also worked in Lion King.
We wanted to have tea but they were uninterested. The Princess Diana playground was great for letting off steam. Harrod's toy section was a big hit. Hampton Court Palace was fun with kid oriented activities but, if you are headed to Legoland, Windsor Castle will be more convenient.
We stayed at the Premier Inn at King's Cross which has excellent transportation connections.
For Paris, they loved cimbing the tower at Notre Dame and checking out all the different gargoyles. We climbed the Arc de Triomphe and watched the Eiffel Tower light up. The evening cruise on the Seine ended up being too late and they fell asleep part way through. Go earlier.
Dec 13th, 2009, 08:41 AM
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I have taken nephews to Europe on my own. Definitely plan your own time--not a tour! This was pre cell phone and internet time and they went for fifteen days without contacting home (except for postcards) or being homesick (though at the end of the trip when I asked them if we were given another week would they take it?, they answered they were ready for home.)
The first two were 10 and 12 when we went and we spent 6 days in London and didn't see all that we could have seen there before we headed out into the countryside. So if anything, take some time from Paris and spend it in London.
They were interested in Windsor. We got there just in time for the changing of the guard, not as big a deal as at Buckingham Palace, but fewer people so we could see much better. They also surprised me by being interested in Queen Mary's dollhouse there.
We went down the Thames on a boat ride to Greenwich and the Prime Meridian. Their choice.
We went to the Dungeon, really hoky, but they got a kick out of it. They loved the Tower and the stories. They enjoyed the Museum of London with its sequence of history told in a way to make it understandable. The British Museum and the mummies were another choice of theirs.
You can go up in the Tower Bridge and see the workings and walk across and get a good view of the area. That was their least favorite, but one of them (age 32) has recently said that he wishes he had paid more attention to the workings of the drawbridge.
We met up with friends of friends of friends for a day out at the zoo. (five boys altogether from 9-13).
We had a jar of peanut butter, jar of jelly, loaf of bread, box of cookies, and fruit in the room and packed up lunch each day so we could stop whenever anyone was hungry. I remember standing huddled under some architectural overhang as rain bucketed down. There was no place to sit down and eat inside so we ate our picnic there and laughed about it. shortly after we found a cafe and ordered hot choc and tea to warm us up. Some days we found a nice cafe and ate lunch out and then had a picnic in the room that evening or down in a park. We also had a kickball along (It was one of those rubber things you can get cheaply at a grocery store.) and could usually find a place where they could use it and run off their energy.
But as those above have mentioned, get a couple of guide books and have your son choose some things to see. My nephews had done quite a bit of research by the time we flew off for our adventure.
Frankly it never ocurred to me to think of what I would do if something went wrong. I guess it did not ocur to their parents either, because although they armed me with insurance cards and permission to seek treatment in an emergency, they never got in a tizzy about me being on my own with the two boys. All went well as it does for millions of tourists each year.
Have a great trip!
The first two were 10 and 12 when we went and we spent 6 days in London and didn't see all that we could have seen there before we headed out into the countryside. So if anything, take some time from Paris and spend it in London.
They were interested in Windsor. We got there just in time for the changing of the guard, not as big a deal as at Buckingham Palace, but fewer people so we could see much better. They also surprised me by being interested in Queen Mary's dollhouse there.
We went down the Thames on a boat ride to Greenwich and the Prime Meridian. Their choice.
We went to the Dungeon, really hoky, but they got a kick out of it. They loved the Tower and the stories. They enjoyed the Museum of London with its sequence of history told in a way to make it understandable. The British Museum and the mummies were another choice of theirs.
You can go up in the Tower Bridge and see the workings and walk across and get a good view of the area. That was their least favorite, but one of them (age 32) has recently said that he wishes he had paid more attention to the workings of the drawbridge.
We met up with friends of friends of friends for a day out at the zoo. (five boys altogether from 9-13).
We had a jar of peanut butter, jar of jelly, loaf of bread, box of cookies, and fruit in the room and packed up lunch each day so we could stop whenever anyone was hungry. I remember standing huddled under some architectural overhang as rain bucketed down. There was no place to sit down and eat inside so we ate our picnic there and laughed about it. shortly after we found a cafe and ordered hot choc and tea to warm us up. Some days we found a nice cafe and ate lunch out and then had a picnic in the room that evening or down in a park. We also had a kickball along (It was one of those rubber things you can get cheaply at a grocery store.) and could usually find a place where they could use it and run off their energy.
But as those above have mentioned, get a couple of guide books and have your son choose some things to see. My nephews had done quite a bit of research by the time we flew off for our adventure.
Frankly it never ocurred to me to think of what I would do if something went wrong. I guess it did not ocur to their parents either, because although they armed me with insurance cards and permission to seek treatment in an emergency, they never got in a tizzy about me being on my own with the two boys. All went well as it does for millions of tourists each year.
Have a great trip!
Dec 13th, 2009, 12:40 PM
#32
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I haven't read all the replies... I'll go back and read them and share any thoughts. I'm probably pushing it to even reply as their is presently chaos in my house. all good chaos : )
I vote for 'diy'. However, for people who aren't hands-on with their kids and get overwhelmed with the thought of vacation, I would suggest the Adventures by Disney trip. I've looked at the detailed itinerary and while they have great ideas, many of them we do ourselves without paying inflated tour prices.
here are some trip reports so they clearly detail what they see:
http://allears.net/btp/abd/abd6.htm
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1252927
http://sailingbeagleknightsandlights.blogspot.com/
We took our girls 3 years ago and had a great trip! here is our trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment
We are presently planning a trip for this spring - May 2010. We aren't going during Spring Break, instead we are pulling them out of school... this is her last year of elementary school, so I figure I can still get away with it.
my thoughts:
<b> London </b>
=> Roald Dahl museum. requires a trip outside the centre, but my kids ADORE him and they actually asked about this.
http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/
=> Hampton Court vs. Windsor Castle. haven't decided. Hampton Court has cool re-enactments of Tudor life that I think would bring it to life.
=> Bike Tours. Did it in Paris. Loved it. Can't wait to do it again.
<b> Paris </b>
=> Fat Tire Bike Tours. Loved it. Will do it again.
=> Eiffel Tower. Yes, go to the top, because they 'have' to. View is better down below, but they feel like they missed something if you don't go all the way.
=> Museum Pass. resounding yes. I treated it as a fixed cost at the beginning and then if we stayed in the museum for 30 minutes or for 3 hours, it didn't matter.
=> Gelato and baguettes. big hits. keeping the belly happy means keeping the kid happy. Walked off all the calories (plus more).
=> Louvre. We are planning on doing a Paris Muse tour. It is expensive, but I would rather spend money on this than a fancy dinner.
http://www.parismuse.com/seminars/family.shtml
=> Walking tour. see above comments
http://www.parismuse.com/about/news/...uld-talk.shtml
Don't know your plan for meals... we get tired of eating every meal out and love the space of apartments. We would eat lunch out and then dinners in, kids would go to bed and I would get take out for us. You have a different situation, but we loved the flexibility of having a fridge and 'coming home'. We are renting an apartment again in Paris. Still struggling with London b/c it is a shorter time (good reason for hotel) but we have 5 people (good reason for apartment).
I'll read through things tonight and share any other thoughts. have a great trip!
(we took a journal and the kids had fun journaling every night... + a glue stick and it was a great place for tickets, receipts, etc.).
I vote for 'diy'. However, for people who aren't hands-on with their kids and get overwhelmed with the thought of vacation, I would suggest the Adventures by Disney trip. I've looked at the detailed itinerary and while they have great ideas, many of them we do ourselves without paying inflated tour prices.
here are some trip reports so they clearly detail what they see:
http://allears.net/btp/abd/abd6.htm
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1252927
http://sailingbeagleknightsandlights.blogspot.com/
We took our girls 3 years ago and had a great trip! here is our trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...m#last-comment
We are presently planning a trip for this spring - May 2010. We aren't going during Spring Break, instead we are pulling them out of school... this is her last year of elementary school, so I figure I can still get away with it.
my thoughts:
<b> London </b>
=> Roald Dahl museum. requires a trip outside the centre, but my kids ADORE him and they actually asked about this.
http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/
=> Hampton Court vs. Windsor Castle. haven't decided. Hampton Court has cool re-enactments of Tudor life that I think would bring it to life.
=> Bike Tours. Did it in Paris. Loved it. Can't wait to do it again.
<b> Paris </b>
=> Fat Tire Bike Tours. Loved it. Will do it again.
=> Eiffel Tower. Yes, go to the top, because they 'have' to. View is better down below, but they feel like they missed something if you don't go all the way.
=> Museum Pass. resounding yes. I treated it as a fixed cost at the beginning and then if we stayed in the museum for 30 minutes or for 3 hours, it didn't matter.
=> Gelato and baguettes. big hits. keeping the belly happy means keeping the kid happy. Walked off all the calories (plus more).
=> Louvre. We are planning on doing a Paris Muse tour. It is expensive, but I would rather spend money on this than a fancy dinner.
http://www.parismuse.com/seminars/family.shtml
=> Walking tour. see above comments
http://www.parismuse.com/about/news/...uld-talk.shtml
Don't know your plan for meals... we get tired of eating every meal out and love the space of apartments. We would eat lunch out and then dinners in, kids would go to bed and I would get take out for us. You have a different situation, but we loved the flexibility of having a fridge and 'coming home'. We are renting an apartment again in Paris. Still struggling with London b/c it is a shorter time (good reason for hotel) but we have 5 people (good reason for apartment).
I'll read through things tonight and share any other thoughts. have a great trip!
(we took a journal and the kids had fun journaling every night... + a glue stick and it was a great place for tickets, receipts, etc.).
Dec 13th, 2009, 06:16 PM
#33
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I've found that Gate 1 Travel has some pretty good deals so far as trips to the UK goes ( as well as other places in europe ) Be sure to pack wellies and a brolly. Rains too much in the UK for a guy from Dallas Texas.
Greg S.
Greg S.
Sep 21st, 2012, 10:37 AM
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I realize that this is an old topic, but just in case someone is planning a trip sometime soon, I thought I would comment. I have just returned from a week in Paris on my own with two children 5 and 8. While things were sometimes challenging with my 5 year old, my eight year old could totally handle it. In fact, by the end of the week, he had the metro system mastered.
A couple of thoughts:
1. I rented an apartment which worked well for me (VRBO, Airbnb). I paid a fraction of what a hotel would have cost and it was really nice to be able to throw in a load of laundry when necessary.
2. We were there in August, narrowly missing a heat wave. For a family traveling at this time of year, I would look for something with AC.
3. I watched the Disney version of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" with the kids before our trip. It was really neat to see them get excited when they recognized the real cathedral. With a nine year old, you would have more movie options set in Paris of course.
4. I agree that you could do EuroDisney in a day (2 days if you want to do the other park as well). We took the metro and then the RER (changing at Gare de Lyon). It was really easy and took about 45 minutes from central Paris. EuroDisney is a little underwhelming. It's a little dirtier, and a little smokier (as my son said "Mom....I've never seen so many parents smoking!", than North American Disney parks. Still, it was something that my kids really enjoyed. They also really enjoyed Parc D'Acclimation which has amusement rides, a little farm, a puppet theatre and more.
5. While I purchased the Museum Pass to bypass the lines (especially traveling on my own with two kids), I found that if I spent the morning doing something the kids enjoyed and then popped into a museum at 4pm....there was almost nobody there. I had the same experience with Versailles. We went late in the day and almost had the place to ourselves.
6. Something important to know about the Eiffel Tower. You can make reservations online! No need to stand in line for more than a few minutes at the bottom. Alternatively, there is no wait if you take the stairs to the second level (my 5 and 8 year old had no problem with this). The hitch comes now. If you want to go to the very top.....everybody has to wait for a separate elevator from the 2nd level. In our case it was a 90 minute wait and we had to bail. I wish I had realized this as I would have explained to the kids that we would only go as far as level two. Now......if you went on a rainy day, perhaps there would be no wait......but who wants to go on a rainy day?
7. Wendy Perrin (Conde Nast writer) has some good articles on Paris. She traveled to Paris in 2012 with her two boys. Here are the links:
http://www.cntraveler.com/perrin-pos...ickets#slide=1
http://www.cntraveler.com/perrin-pos...ds-photos-tips
8. I am in the process of writing more about this subject on my website pintsizepilot dot com ( I don't think I am allowed to post the link). I have a post on accommodation and some helpful links for Paris with kids (under the heading of resources/world's best family vacations).
9. I used the Eyewitness Paris with kids guide which was pretty good. Where it fell short, however, was on detailed directions to certain parks. Rick Steve's Paris guide was a perfect compliment to this, downloaded onto my iPhone. Finally, a map in my bag that included metro stops (marked with an M) and taxi stands (marked with a T), was also essential. Armed with these three things.....we could get anywhere.
10. I think Paris is a great place for kids, but the city would be a little tough with toddlers. I would take a baby (of an age where you can still go to museums etc.) or I would wait until a child is 7 or eight years old and can begin to enjoy the cultural aspects of the city. As an example, my 8 year old loved the gardens at Versailles.....my daughter loved the two dogs she saw at a Mexican restaurant.....yes....a Mexican restaurant.
Have a great trip !!!!
A couple of thoughts:
1. I rented an apartment which worked well for me (VRBO, Airbnb). I paid a fraction of what a hotel would have cost and it was really nice to be able to throw in a load of laundry when necessary.
2. We were there in August, narrowly missing a heat wave. For a family traveling at this time of year, I would look for something with AC.
3. I watched the Disney version of "Hunchback of Notre Dame" with the kids before our trip. It was really neat to see them get excited when they recognized the real cathedral. With a nine year old, you would have more movie options set in Paris of course.
4. I agree that you could do EuroDisney in a day (2 days if you want to do the other park as well). We took the metro and then the RER (changing at Gare de Lyon). It was really easy and took about 45 minutes from central Paris. EuroDisney is a little underwhelming. It's a little dirtier, and a little smokier (as my son said "Mom....I've never seen so many parents smoking!", than North American Disney parks. Still, it was something that my kids really enjoyed. They also really enjoyed Parc D'Acclimation which has amusement rides, a little farm, a puppet theatre and more.
5. While I purchased the Museum Pass to bypass the lines (especially traveling on my own with two kids), I found that if I spent the morning doing something the kids enjoyed and then popped into a museum at 4pm....there was almost nobody there. I had the same experience with Versailles. We went late in the day and almost had the place to ourselves.
6. Something important to know about the Eiffel Tower. You can make reservations online! No need to stand in line for more than a few minutes at the bottom. Alternatively, there is no wait if you take the stairs to the second level (my 5 and 8 year old had no problem with this). The hitch comes now. If you want to go to the very top.....everybody has to wait for a separate elevator from the 2nd level. In our case it was a 90 minute wait and we had to bail. I wish I had realized this as I would have explained to the kids that we would only go as far as level two. Now......if you went on a rainy day, perhaps there would be no wait......but who wants to go on a rainy day?
7. Wendy Perrin (Conde Nast writer) has some good articles on Paris. She traveled to Paris in 2012 with her two boys. Here are the links:
http://www.cntraveler.com/perrin-pos...ickets#slide=1
http://www.cntraveler.com/perrin-pos...ds-photos-tips
8. I am in the process of writing more about this subject on my website pintsizepilot dot com ( I don't think I am allowed to post the link). I have a post on accommodation and some helpful links for Paris with kids (under the heading of resources/world's best family vacations).
9. I used the Eyewitness Paris with kids guide which was pretty good. Where it fell short, however, was on detailed directions to certain parks. Rick Steve's Paris guide was a perfect compliment to this, downloaded onto my iPhone. Finally, a map in my bag that included metro stops (marked with an M) and taxi stands (marked with a T), was also essential. Armed with these three things.....we could get anywhere.
10. I think Paris is a great place for kids, but the city would be a little tough with toddlers. I would take a baby (of an age where you can still go to museums etc.) or I would wait until a child is 7 or eight years old and can begin to enjoy the cultural aspects of the city. As an example, my 8 year old loved the gardens at Versailles.....my daughter loved the two dogs she saw at a Mexican restaurant.....yes....a Mexican restaurant.
Have a great trip !!!!
Sep 21st, 2012, 10:59 AM
#35
<B>pintsizepilot</B>: "<i> am in the process of writing more about this subject on my website pintsizepilot dot com ( I don't think I am allowed to post the link)</i>"
it isn't specifically a link that is the problem - it is advertising a commercial website. So whether you use 'dot com' or .com doesn't really make a difference. If your site is commercial (and it seems to be since you sell travel gear and such) you aren't supposed to flog it on Fodors.
You have lots of good info . . . but just to ensure the monitors don't nuke you, maybe don't mention the website. Or even consider changing your screen name. There are a few Fodorites who have survived w/ a screen name the same as their URL, but many others have been 'de-registered' by Fodors.
it isn't specifically a link that is the problem - it is advertising a commercial website. So whether you use 'dot com' or .com doesn't really make a difference. If your site is commercial (and it seems to be since you sell travel gear and such) you aren't supposed to flog it on Fodors.
You have lots of good info . . . but just to ensure the monitors don't nuke you, maybe don't mention the website. Or even consider changing your screen name. There are a few Fodorites who have survived w/ a screen name the same as their URL, but many others have been 'de-registered' by Fodors.
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lantana
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Sep 29th, 2009 03:53 PM
