Paris: What to See & Do: Family Friendly: Great Family Day Trip

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.