My wonderfully romantic husband asked me this morning if I%26#39;d like to go to Paris for a few days over our anniversary in mid-June. Well....YES!
I%26#39;ve been to Europe a few times and once to France, but never in Paris, so some advice from some experienced Paris visitors would be most welcome.
We are:
-taking our two kids (10 and 9), so we%26#39;d need accommodation suitable for a family---not always easy in Europe while on a
-tight budget. My dh works for the airlines, so we fly for free. I%26#39;ve seen a couple of places online, but one looked less than safe. We just want a place to sleep and get cleaned up.
-we don%26#39;t want to drive. When in Europe, we prefer public transport...and this trip is all Paris..so, why bother on a car?
-we are a home educating family, so our kids don%26#39;t need to be %26#39;entertained%26#39; on a continual basis. They love to pick up languages and visit museums, etc. What do you think are %26#39;must do%26#39; or %26#39;must see%26#39; in a short time frame?
-How close is Versaille (sp)? I have a grandfather buried there and would love to find his grave.
Thank you for your ideas and advice!
:)
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Wow, what a really sweet husband! First things first - go to your nearest large bookstore (or get on Amazon) and get a couple of guidebooks so you can see what you think will interest you and your family. Also, do some searches on this site (in the box at the top of the column to the left of the list of forum topics) to get lots of ideas about things your children in particular will like (many have done this before!) Then you will be in a position to make some choices about what you want to do, and you can locate things on a map (most of the sites in Paris are really quite close together and you easily could walk).
For accommodations for a family, you might want to consider an apartment (try www.vacationinparis.com for a US-based company you can call and talk over your options and needs). Also, the Citadines chain has some places that are sort of a cross between a hotel room and an apartment but probably more expensive than the apartment would be. (I%26#39;m suggesting lookin at an apartment because if you%26#39;re on a budget it might help to be able to cook some meals yourself rather than always eat out.)
Versailles is pretty close to Paris by train and not a very expensive trip. That shoudl be easily done, if you would like to go there one day.
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What a great opportunity!
First, you definitely don%26#39;t need a car. If you stay somewhere fairly central, you can walk just about everywhere, or take the metro or the bus. You can buy a carnet of 10 tickets for 11 euros or so, and this might be the best way for you to handle transportation. Paris is a fabulous city for walking, so do take advantage of it.
Many people like renting apartments in Paris, and you might want to check Vacation in Paris and other companies to see what they have to offer. I recommend staying somewhere central enough that it will be easy to get out and about as much as possible. We went to Paris with our children when they were around your children%26#39;s ages, and we stayed at the Hotel St. Andre des Arts, a one-star that was very plain but in what I still think is the best possible location, between Place St. Michel and Place St. Germain on the Left Bank. It%26#39;s walking distance to Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Tuileries Gardens, the Luxembourg Gardens, and in a fabulous, fun, lively neighborhood. The staff were very nice too. If you%26#39;re on a budget and don%26#39;t demand luxury, it%26#39;s worth looking into: france-hotel-guide.com/h75006saintandredesar…
You can economize by eating crepes from the little local crepe stands -- the kids will love them!
Yes, Versailles is an easy day trip from Paris. Consult a guidebook or do a search in Trip Advisor for advice on how to get there.
Things our children loved:
Playing at the Luxembourg Gardens. It%26#39;s more off the beaten track than the Tuileries Garden, and it%26#39;s really the playground of Left Bank French kids. Our children played for hours with French kids and also loved the caroussel there.
Eating Berthillon sorbets and walking around the Ile St. Louis.
Eating crepes from crepe stands (our favorite was down the street from our hotel in the Place St. Andre des Arts).
Visiting Notre Dame (we didn%26#39;t climb the towers because of the line but wished we had) and feeding the birds out front
Visiting the beautiful Sainte Chapelle nearby.
Taking a ride down the Seine in the late afternoon - we like the Vedettes du Pont Neuf.
Strolling along the Seine in the evening (Pont des Arts - I think - is the pedestrian bridge near our hotel where we liked to go)
We went to the Eiffel Tower, but I don%26#39;t think the kids felt that the crowds were worth braving -- they liked the Lux. Gardens way more.
Things we wished we%26#39;d done but didn%26#39;t have time -- go to Montmartre, go to the Musee Carnavalet and the whole Marais neighborhood around it, go to the Musee Cluny (great museum of the middle ages near the Pl. St. Michel), etc. etc.
There are many Trip Advisor posts about things to do with kids in Paris. You should check them out. My main advice is not to be too hung up on %26quot;doing%26quot; the major sites. Our children really didn%26#39;t want to go to museums and, with only 4 days in Paris, we didn%26#39;t drag them. We feel confident they%26#39;ll go to museums when they%26#39;re older and ready for them, and I think it was far more valuable to give them time to soak up the flavor of the city rather than dragging them from one attraction to the next. (Of course if they%26#39;d shown the slightest inclination to go to a museum, I certainly would have run with it!)
Give yourselves time to soak in the atmosphere -- strolling, going to street markets to buy food, going to bakeries and other shops, etc., and you%26#39;ll have a wonderful trip.
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Great husband....very smart man...
I advise staying in an apartment rather than a hotel...You can have some meals %26#39;in%26#39; and it%26#39;s more relaxed and with a family you should have a little more %26#39;stretching%26#39; room....Hotel rooms in Paris are often smaller than American ones and especially in a 2star or 3star instead of a 4star you will feel cramped...
Stay near the Seine..That way you can often walk to the tourist sites and museums...This would put you in Paris ..I especially like arrondissements 1,7,5,6,and 8...The Eiffel Tower is in the 7th and it%26#39;s a fun place for the kids to enjoy as well...The Champs du Mars similarly has playgrounds and space for kids to play...I%26#39;d visit the Luxembourg, the Tuileries, and the Champs du Mars with your children...
The L%26#39;Opentour busses are a good way to get around and be a tourist at the same time...They have three routes and and you can switch from one to another...Just hop off and visit a spot and then hop back on...Or stay on the for a great tour of the city...and especially nice up top on the open roof seats during nice weather..
Don%26#39;t miss a Seine river cruise...The night ones are especially beautiful when the city of lights is all aglow...
The museums are the best..Louvre, d%26#39;Orsay,Picasso, Cluny are four that come to mind that all children would love...
The good news is that it%26#39;s easy to find good food in Paris... Your neighborhood boulangerie or patisserie for morning croissants...the supermarche%26#39;s for supplies and staples...the charcuteries and traiteurs for take-away food...all wonderful...
Read Polly Platt%26#39;s book French or Foe to learn about the cultural differences between us and them...You will enjoy your stay much more...
Most of all, since you homeschool, learn some basic French to use when you are there...while many Parisians speak English, you will find that you do much better if you speak a little French and at least say %26#39;bonjour%26#39; and %26#39;merci%26#39; and %26#39;au revoir%26#39;...
Bon Voyage!
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A correction to my earlier post: the link to the Hotel St. Andre des Arts was incomplete. Here it is again: france-hotel-guide.com/h75006saintandredesar…
Also, you might have seen this post yourself, but I came across it right after sending my earlier response. These are great little clips that will help to give you a sense of Paris and perhaps to help you figure out what you might like to do there:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k19454…
Bon voyage!
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I second the recommendation for Polly Platt%26#39;s %26quot;French or Foe%26quot;!
It should be required reading before anyone goes to Paris!
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My wife and I are airline brats. Have you registered with ID 90? You can call the 800 number and they may have some fantastic deals for you. June will be tough, it%26#39;s a little late to get reservations. There are a lot of hotels that accommodate 2 or 3, 4 shrinks the pie. Hotel rooms in central Paris can be pretty small, and you do want to stay in central Paris. It%26#39;s close to all the things you want to see and experience. I agree with previous poster that Citidines may be a nice match. I understand Citadines Saint Germain des Pres has recently been rehabbed and gets excellent reviews, check it out in the upper left of TA. It%26#39;s in the 5th arr. maybe the 6th. It%26#39;s on The Seine just down the street from Notre Dame. It%26#39;s combination apartment %26amp; hotel, so it%26#39;s less expensive than hotel but you don%26#39;t have daily maid service and you will have a kitchen with all the stuff. Book your hotel asap and then come back to TA and look for tips as to what to see and do and check on public transportation options.
Versailles is easy to get to by train, but plan to be there most of the day. The Chateau and Gardens are pretty cool. Small town so it should be easy to find the cemetery. If your ancestors were Louis the XVI %26amp; Marie Antoinette, they are buried with many other kings at the Basilica in St Denis, north of Paris:-) Do you know how to do rubbings?
If you are going to be there for the summer solstice you are in for a treat.
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Thank you for all your posts and great advice! I%26#39;ll get on the suggestions right away.
I%26#39;ll report in when we return!
:)
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