Paris, France is a beautiful city, filled with art, culture and fun. We’ve been there many times, both as single travelers and with kids. Out of any city in Europe, I think Paris makes a great first trip for kids taking an international journey.
While Parisians may be cold and snooty to tourists, they are wonderful to children. Parisian society carries a great deal of respect for children and old people and both are treated very well by strangers. Even Paris’ most exclusive hotels, like the Hotel de Crillon and the Four Seasons George V, both offer special treats and service just for children.
Ease of access
Paris is served directly by various air carriers and many major U.S. cities offer direct service. To get from the major airport (CDG) to the city center, I recommend the Air France bus. Adult fares are $31 roundtrip, kids are $20. Check the routes to take the bus that drops off closet to your destination. Taxis and metro are available right there.
Safety
Paris is a big, urban city and presents all the dangers found in any major metropolis. As a tourist city, there is a heavy police presence and as long as you stay in well-populated areas, there should be no problems. Plan your activities and try not to be caught late at night, as buses and metros do stop service and taxis can be hard to hail on the street. Medical services are excellent and there is always a local doctor available and a local pharmacy is always open 24 hours.
Museums
The majority of museums are free for children under 18, all the time, any that aren’t free are deeply discounted. The big museums (Louvre, Orsay, Notre Dame) are all free for kids. For adults, I think the Paris Museum pass is a good value at $46 for a two-day, unlimited pass.
Language
You can get away without speaking French, but even attempting to speak it will go a long way, wherever you are. A trip presents a great opportunity to teach kids some French, be sure to practice before your trip and have at least a traveler’s grasp of basic phrases. Bonjour.com is a fun, free site with some basic words and phrases, both written and spoken out loud.
Hotel
While intrepid travelers may want to explore some of the hipper, newer districts on the outskirts of the city, I recommend families stay right in the heart of the action. When traveling with kids, I just don’t think it’s worth the extra time and hassle to have to take the subway just to visit the major museums and monuments, all of which sit within the central area of Paris. I would recommend staying in the Latin Quarter, I like the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles (75 rue de Cardinal-Lemoine, in the 5th), rates start at about $150 per night.
Activities
Aside from visiting museums and just walking around exploring, Paris offers some unique activities kids will love:
Climb the Eiffel Tower
Not only is climbing the stairs of the Eiffel Tower a great way to explore the structure up close, it’s also the cheapest way to see it. Not only is it the cheapest way, it’s the fastest too, as you avoid the long lines of people waiting for the elevators and can usually go right up. The climbing ticket is about $6 for adults and $5 for kids. Stair-claimbers get access to the second floor observation area, which is not the top, but still presents an amazing view of the city. We really liked being able to touch and see the rivets and how the tower was built, as we climbed the stairs.
Explore the sewers
As smelly as is it is interesting, the sewers of Paris (Les Egouts) have their own museum and tour. Kids will enjoy the total yuck factor. The museum shows a film about the history and how sewer technology helped the city grow and kept it free of disease, like the Black Plague.
Musee de Egouts (Sewer Museum)
Pont de l’Alma, left bank,
Facing 93 Quai d’Orsay.
75007 Paris
paris.fr
Les Catacombes
Separate from the sewers, these tunnels under the city were originally quarries, then the space was used to hold the bodies and bones from Paris’ cemeteries. The they are now a spooky place filled with skulls, bones and skeletons. There is a museum and kids can venture down on a 45 minute self-guided tour.
Catacombs of Paris
1, avenue of Colonel Henri Rol-Tanguy
75014 Paris
catacombes-de-paris.fr
Roller-blade through Paris at night
Every Friday night, a huge, organized group of roller-bladers makes a three-hour night tour of the city, called Pari-Roller. Starting and ending near the Montparnasse train station, the group is guided and protected by the police and supported by medical personnel in case of accidents. The event is a tour, not a race, and starts at 10 P.M. each Friday evening.
Place Raoul Dautry in the 14th
(between the Montparnasse tower and the Montparnasse train station)
Freddy Sherman is a world traveler and editor of the travel blog travel4people.com . Follow him on twitter, @thefredsherman
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