rjbriskin

My husband, 16 year old daughter and I will be traveling to Paris for 10-12 days in March to visit our son who will be studying there for the semester. My husband and I have both been to Paris but my daughter has not. She is not a big museum goer so we didn't want to spend the whole time in Paris. I would love recommendations as to where to stay in the Left bank and any ideas as to where we should visit for the remainder of the time after we spend 3-4 days in Paris.

DalaiLlama

The weather can be very rough still in March, so the seaside is out, and mountains need special clothing and preparation.

Sightseeing in the countryside is not too much fun yet, because mother nature has yet to produce some greenery and flowers etc.

So maybe the Loire valley? Search for Loire castles and you'll find lots of info.

Or go to Brussels and Bruges in nearby Belgium?

Are cathedrals your thing? Chartres, Reims, many more? While in Reims, you're in the capital of champagne - the bubbly stuff, look into it.

Or take the fast TGV train down to Avignon and explore the Provence - the weather is mostly more mellow there, and there is a lot to see even if museums are not your thing.

Trains are listed at www.voyages-sncf.fr

ira

HI rj,

>She is not a big museum goer so we didn't want to spend the whole time in Paris.<

Oddly enough, I have managed to spend a week in Paris without once entering a museum of any sort.

>... ideas as to where we should visit for the remainder of the time after we spend 3-4 days in Paris.<

Please rethink this.

You are planning your visit around the possibility that a 16-yr old child might get bored.

Paris is one of the world's great cities. It is alive and vibrant. Filled with something to do every minute of the day and night (almost).

I suggest 3 nights in Paris. Then take the TGV to Strasbourg, Nancy, Lyon, Avignon or Dijon for 3 nights.

Return to Paris for the rest of the visit.

adrienne

Hi,

All you've told us is that your daughter isn't crazy about museums and you want another place to visit outside Paris. I'm not sure what you're looking for that Paris can't provide. IMHO when you leave Paris what you get is more of the same but less grand.

Paris is filled with things to do that have nothing to do with museums. But the museums are fabulous and very varied. There's probably a museum in Paris that will suit anyone's taste: Fashion and textiles, French posters, 3 period houses from the 18th century with furnishings, locks and keys, Deportation (memorial to the holocaust), dolls, tapestries, money, stamps, sewers, African masks, perfume, crystal, fashion counterfeiting, maritime, music.

Does your daughter like churches, history, walking tours, bike rides, historic period houses, street markets? Anything like that which you can see in Paris? Do you want to see towns with half-timbered buildings? Palaces (chateaux)?

How about Mont-St-Michel and the D Day beaches. It's a good 3 day trip. You can take the train to Bayeux and stay there; rent a car or take a bus to Mont-St-Michele; spend the day there. The next day you can take a tour of the D Day beaches and see the town of Bayeux. Day 3 take the train to Rouen and see the cathedral and the lovely town. Take the train back to Paris that night.

bvholly

I'm also taking kids to Paris in March -- and yes, I know they can get bored tromping through a lot of museums. But I think, first of all, that the variety of museums is so incredible -- from art to fashion to the middle ages, etc., etc., etc. -- that the variety alone will help keep my kids interested. Also, since the kids have free admittance to most of the museums, I won't feel like we've wasted a lot of money if the kids just want to get a taste of the Louvre, for instance (rather than spend hours & hours there). I figure even a quick dash into the Louvre is better than no dash at all! At most museums, I think the key is to go for the highlights, rather than try to see it all -- even I get a little antsy after too long at one spot!

RJD

Can't add much, especially to Ira's advice, but I think a 16 year old might especially like a day trip to Giverny. See: http://giverny-monet.com/

Travelnut

Amsterdam is a 4-hour train ride away. Plenty to do for a couple of days...
- canal boat
- Anne Frank house
- canal house architecture
- funky shops
- Vondelpark picnic if sunny afternoon
- bike-riding tour
- windmills

http://us.holland.com/
http://www.simplyamsterdam.nl/
http://www.iamsterdam.com/
http://www.thalys.com/

bvholly

Thought of a few more ideas I had for Paris: We will do a bike tour on the first day to see the major sites of the city. I'm going with Fat Tire -- they also do a wonderful trip out to Versaille. This was the highlight of my last trip to Paris -- it was so fun wheeling through the streets on a big comfy bike. I'm pretty sure my kids will enjoy this! I also have on our list: ice-skating at the indoor rink at Bercy Park and spending an hour or two at a store called Oya Jeux a Jouer, where you can play board games while you relax with a drink or snack. they have a huge selection of games. the place is located near metro Gobelins, so I figured we'd take a break there after seeing some of the Left Bank sites. Oh! How 'bout you and your daughter getting french haircuts? I always think doing something "ordinary" is a great way to feel a bit more like a local. I've done that before -- sorry, I can't remember the name of the shop, but it was in the St. Germaine area.

For my kids, spending any prolonged time in a car or train would be boring, so that's why we will stay in Paris for the whole trip (7 nights). I think if you have plenty of variety in your day -- a museum or two, some shopping, something different like Paris Underground, something more active like strolling through a park or renting bikes -- that kids will be happy. My oldest (son) is also 16 -- he's the one I'm most concerned about, too. Must be a teenage thing! His younger sisters will be enthralled with it all, I think!

bachslunch

Two good and easy day trips out of Paris are to Versailles (to see the palace) and Chartres (to see the cathedral). Both are easily reached by commuter rail.