A Family Itinerary in Paris
Read a four-day itinerary for families in Paris, with suggestions for kid-friendly sights, restaurants and activities.
For a company that offers great tours for families with children of all ages, see Paris Walks in Passion Points/Family.
Great Family Day Trip
On my most recent trip to Paris, I asked Rachel Kaplan of French Links to suggest a day trip that would appeal to kids and adults. Members of our group had already visited Versailles, Giverny and the Normandy beaches. Kaplan recommended the Chateau Chantilly, which houses France’s second largest collection of paintings, and sits walking distance from the famous Chantilly race track and the largest stables in the world (also known as the Museum of the Living Horse.) About an hour’s drive from central Paris, the Chateau makes for a perfect family excursion for the following reasons.
1) Without having to travel to the Loire, the Chateau delivers every kid’s idea of what a real castle should be—complete with a moat, hidden passageways, a chapel with urns containing the hearts of past family members.
2) You can see parts of the Chateau without a guide, like the main paintings rooms and a salon full of gorgeous miniatures.
3) But the guided tour of the former family apartments, which lasts forty minutes, keeps even six-year-olds mesmerized. Some of the elements: the cases of gleaming weapons, the room painted with monkeys and the story of the last duke who inherited the property at the age of eight.
4) Lunch options include dining in the kitchens of the Chateau, eating at the farm restaurant (both should be arranged in advance) or picnicking on the grounds.
5) A visit to the stables, which house more than thirty breeds as well as ponies and a donkey, can be combined with a dressage show that rivals the Lipizzaners at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna.
6) The park grounds include an André Le Nôtre-designed garden, a mini-train, boat rides, a labyrinth and le hameau, which inspired Marie Antoinette to create her own little fairytale farm.
N.B.: Hours and activities are reduced during the fall and winter months. Ideal times to visit are April through September. Check the times of the shows and restaurant openings before you go.
Paris Carousels
Many cities around the world don’t have old-fashioned merry-go-rounds, or carousels, but Paris has a number of charming ones. And while modern kids may be computer savvy and PSP obsessed, they still love to ride on painted wooden ponies.
Here’s where you can find some:
LEFT BANK
—Beneath the Eiffel Tower in the 7th arrondissement.
—In the Jardins du Luxembourg there is the most splendid carousel designed by Charles Garnier (of the Opera Garnier). It’s the perfect warm-up for pony rides offered in the 20-acre garden.
RIGHT BANK
—In the square before the Hôtel de Ville in the 4th arrondissement. This carousel is a double-decker with two levels.
—In the Tuileries near the entrance off Rue de Rivoli and the Rue de Castiglione in the 1st arrondissement.
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April 02, 2008 at 05:55 PM
Spring Break in Paris with Kids
M. Rice, New York, NY April 2, 2008
“Thank you very much for the recommendations in Paris. We used Context for the “Crash Course of the Louvre” and really enjoyed it. We had a 9-year-old and almost 5-year-old with us. Our tour guide Marie Dessaillen, who is studying to
be a curator, had a great booklet for the kids geared towards what we were going to see. She brought along paper and markers too and encouraged the girls to draw whenever they needed a break. Marie was able to present the
information in a way that made it interesting to both adults and children.
As per your recommendation, we also took the Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf. Girls enjoyed it and we liked that it was smaller and not so crowded. We had heard about the fire at Deyrolle but stopped by anyway. They really lost everything. So sad. Had yummy ice cream at Berthillon.
We had a great lunch at Ladurée on Rue Bonaparte and at Café Marly after our Louvre
visit. I am glad we made a reservation at both places before we went.
We did a private bike tour with Fat Tire Bike Tours and would recommended it. They had babyseats for the kids but also had smaller bikes available for older kids who wanted to bike. It is a great way to see the big sights of the city that aren’t covered on the boat tour. Lila, my almost 5-year-old, really
enjoyed it. My 2-year-old had a meltdown one hour into the tour but we were able to lock the bike where we were and took a cab back to our apartment. Our guide picked up the bike later.
We stayed in an apartment I found on Parisperfect.com. Very lovely three bedroom one
block from the Eiffel Tower. The Bergerac Apartment. They provided us with an
extensive booklet with tons of Paris and neighborhood info. The apartment had
a washer/dryer and an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower.
We took the girls to eat at La Fontaine du Mars. In the 7th, great “Floating Island’ dessert and they were so accommodating. Good spot with kids.
My Parisian colleague recommended two restaurants that didn’t disappoint
(without our girls!). Les Clos des Gourmets was two blocks from our apartment on
Avenue Rapp. Lovely room and delicious food at a very reasonable price for the
level of food quality. (www.closdesgourmets.com)
We had an amazing dinner at Apicius on Rue D’Artois. http://www.restaurant-apicius.com. Gorgeous building owned by Luc Besson. The
food and service were divine. It seemed like we were the only Americans which was great.
Despite the miserable weather, we really did have an amazing visit. Thank you so much for all the fabulous recommendations. P.S. the great carousels in Paris were a hit with my
girls particularly when it started to hail.”
