We are taking our 4 kids to Paris in a few weeks (ages 8 to 14 )
We will be arriving at the apartment just south of Luxembourg Gardens at 8pm. The kids will be on U.K time which is an hour earlier & will be very excited but not in the least bit interested in having an early night!

Any suggestions on what we can do for a few hours before bed time? Just to give them the feeling that they are in Paris at last!!

Take a bateau-mouche for a cruise along the Seine -- with it a little luck, you will pass the Eiffel Tower while it is twinkling (10 minutes at the top of each hour)

Hi Rhona,

Walk North to the Seine on rue Bonaparte - about 1km.

If you are lucky, St Sulpice will be lit up and the fountain will be on.

Go past Eglise St Germaine des Pres - stop for a crepe.

Go right to the Pont des Arts.

Notre Dame will be on your right, the Eiffel Tower to your left and the Louvre in front of you. They should all be lit.

Enjoy your visit.

walk to the top of the tower of Notre Dame, Arch de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower.

sorry, I didn't see the part about what to do just before bedtime..but the top of the Arch is very cool at night.

If it's a Friday night, take them to see the rollerblade parade, which starts at 10pm from the Tour Montparnasse - different route every week: www.pari-roller.com

Here is a great article in the Times Travel section from last weekend that talks about Paris for kids. Have fun!

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/02/1...pagewanted=all

My children, 9yo and 5yo, absolutely want to see the Eiffel Tower first. I think the iconic tower is a great introduction to Paris. Why not show your children some pictorial travel guides and let them help decide? That's how I got to know that my kids wanted to go straight to the Eiffel Tower first.

Kids usually really like the Eiffel Tower, and it looks very cool at night. You could take them on a boat ride on the Bateaux Parisiens (which embark right near the base of the tower), and then go up in the tower when the boat returns, at which time it will be lit up, and you'll be able to see it twinkling. You can then go somewhere to eat, and by then it'll be bedtime.

Thank you all for the tips. It looks like we will definately get a 'taste of Paris' before bedtime!