Paris, three days with three children--suggestions?

Parent Cafe
1

<p>I and the oldest (17 year old son) have been in Paris before but the younger two (15 and 12 year old daughters) have not. The only for-sure plan is climbing the Eiffel Tower one evening. The biggest question-mark is the Louvre. How could we not go to the Louvre? True confession time: I do not like the Louvre. I don’t really know why–I am not an art expert and the place just does not feel non-art-expert friendly. The Ds have not seen the Mona Lisa so I almost feel like it is an obligation to take them. But I don’t think either of them will especially care if they do or don’t see it. Also debating a morning or afternoon for Versailles. But that has its pros and cons too. </p>

<p>Suggestions for really awesome things for us to do?</p>

2

<p>Lots of visitors are disappointed by the small size of the Mona Lisa. They are more likely to be impressed by the Victory of Samothrace or the Venus of Milo, both of which are displayed for maximum effect, or some of the other art.</p>

<p>I’d suggest the Orsay Museum or the Rodin Museum or the Picasso Museum. I don’t know what state the Pompidou Center is in right now, but the fountain should be fun to look at. And afterward, the family can walk around in the Marais and look at the expensive shops. Or go to Notre Dame and walk about the Ile St Louis and stop by one of the ice-cream parlors. Avoid the Champs Elysees. If the girls like fashion, take them to Rue St Honore to look at the couture houses. Or take everybody to Montmartre (have they watched Amelie?).
Not everyone likes to see Versailles. For a day trip, you could head to Deauville and Honfleur or to the Loire Valley where you can see many chateaux.</p>

3

<p>With only three days, I would likely not include Versailles. If the Louvre is too much, Musee D’Orsay (lots of Impressionist masterpieces such as Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Cezanne) is very good too. Have a picnic by the Seine or take a boat on it. See Arc de Triumphe and Champs Elyssee and Place de Concord and down to the Louvre (even if you don’t go in it). Definitely go to Notre Dam Cathedral. Go to Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. They may like walking around and eating in The Latin Quarter or hearing music there. And of course, go up the Eiffel Tower.</p>

4

<br>

<br>

<p>My most memorable moment in the Louvre was walking up the stairs and looking up being stopped in my tracks by my first sight of the Winged Nike, bathed in golden light up at the top of the stairs. I just had to stand there and take it in for a little while before proceeding up the stars.</p>

5

<p>Two fun things we did in Paris with our girl scout troop was a Segway night tour. It was a blast. And we did a bike tour to Versailles instead of the regular tour. It was a lot of fun. Started off in Paris with the company. Took our bikes on the train to Versailles. Biked to a market where we bought our picnic lunch items. Got to see more of the garden areas at Versailles than I had before. These 2 were not cheap but really were enjoyable. (I had done Versailles before so was not that keen on going again but felt the others would like to see it - doing the bike door was a refreshing way to do it). We also did a walking tour to Monmartre which I was also a good way to do Monmartre.</p>

6

<p>I should add to my list above, a site I know my D saw but I did not…Monet’s House and Gardens in Giverny.</p>

7

<p>The Louvre has Napoleon’s Apartments, which are wonderful. If you don’t get to Versailles it can give them a taste of the grandeur of Versailles. I love San Chappelle. It is probably my favorite place in Paris. I find it breathtaking.</p>

8

<p>Of the museums, my kids always liked the Picasso best but their favorite thing was just walking the neighborhoods. We would choose a lunch spot in a different one each day and then walk the Marais or the 6th along St. Germaine des Pres or go to the market in the 5th or any of the other great markets and just graze. You really get the feel of the city.</p>

9

<p>I vote for the Pompideau museum instead of the Louvre. I LOVE that museum, and my sons did too, when we visited it when they were teens. Lots of fascinating modern art inside, and the architecture outside is fascinating, too. Depending on the weather, you also may see various acts performing outside. </p>

<p>I personally find the Louvre stuffy. That’s not true of the Pompidou.</p>

<p>I suggest taking any of the Paris Walks walking tours. I’ve took at least 6 of them with my younger S when he was in high school. They are GREAT tours. The guides are native English speakers and great storytellers.
[url=<a href=“http://www.paris-walks.com/]Home[/url”>http://www.paris-walks.com/]Home[/url</a>]</p>

<p>Also go to the catacombs. Fascinating! Great pictures! You’ll never forget seeing them.</p>

<p>Rick Steves (correct spelling) Paris guidebook is a must have.</p>

10

<p>The Louvre is a treasure trove, but it works only if your kids are into art museums. If not, I’d skip it as it could be oppressive. I agree with the suggestion that the Musee d’Orsay is much more accessible, with lots of Impressionist masterworks, and you can get through there relatively quickly (though frankly, I’ve never found the lighting satisfactory).</p>

<p>Paris is above all a great walking city: the sights, sounds, and smells of the city are fantastic. With kids who are not into high culture, I’d suggest the following:</p>

<ol>
<li>The Eiffel Tower, of course. But that’s already on your itinerary.</li>
<li>The Arc de Triomphe. Won’t take but a minute, but it’s instantly recognizable to anyone who’s ever seen any movie set in Paris (and make sure to see a few before you go). Memorable.</li>
<li>Walk around some interesting neighborhoods, like the Marais (Right Bank, historic Jewish neighborhood) or the Quartier Latin and St. Germain (Left Bank, near the Sorbonne).</li>
<li> Take a boat ride (bateaux-mouches) on the Seine. A little pricey, very touristy, but it screams “Paris.”</li>
<li> Visit Notre Dame. Spectacular. Pay special attention to the gargoyles high up on the outer walls, then try to find a refrigerator magnet of your favorite gargoyle at the street vendors or neighborhood souvenir shops surrounding the cathedral.</li>
<li> Buy crepes from a street vendor for lunch. My kids are partial to Nutella (chocolate & hazelnut) crepes, but they come in lots of varieties—I like ham, cheese, & egg.</li>
<li>Spend some time in the parks. My favorite is Jardin Luxembourg on the Left Bank, a bit formal but delightful.</li>
<li> Buy a fresh baguette, some good cheese, and a couple of apples from a neighborhood market and have a picnic lunch along the Seine, or in the Bois de Bologne.</li>
<li> Find a great local bakery and buy some fresh, still-warm croissants for breakfast. Nothing like them. Best with a good cafe au lait but if your kids don’t drink the stuff, wash them down with milk.</li>
<li>Ascend the steps to Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. Worth it for the exquisite views of the city.</li>
<li> As for food (besides what’s already mentioned): of course there’s classic French bistro fare, but due to France’s colonial legacy Paris also has some great ethnic options, like terrific couscous (north African) dishes on the Left Bank, extraordinary falafel (Middle Eastern) in the Marais, and outstanding Vietnamese restaurants (with a French twist) scattered about.</li>
</ol>

11

<p>We visited Paris when our kids were about the same age as yours. One highlight not already mentioned here was climbing the Arc de Triomphe at night. Our kids loved it.</p>

<p>I second visiting the Musee d’Orsay. The Pere Lachaise cemetery–where Jim Morrison, Frederic Chopin, Balzac, Marcel Proust, Apollinaire, Moliere, and Oscar Wilde are buried, among others–is also a fascinating place. Our kids still talk about the graffiti on Jim Morrison’s grave.</p>

12

<p>Galleria Lafayette, not to be missed if you have girls. I am not much of a museum person, but my family is. I also like D’Orsay better. It has a beautiful dining room. I like Paris in the evenings. I booked an evening tour of Paris to see the lights one time. It was beautiful. We were there in March with the girls. Weather was beautiful. We did a lot of walking.</p>

13

<p>I took my kids to Paris when they were 14 (S) and 12(D). D, now 15, recommends:</p>

<p>1) Eiffel Tower - “Go all the way to the top. It’s hot waiting in line, but it’s worth it.” (D)
2) Arc de Triomphe - “My mom didn’t know about the underground path when she went to college in Paris. She ran across the street to get there!” (D) (We took the underground passage this time :slight_smile: )
3) Ile St. Louis - get some ice cream on this little island located just behind Notre Dame.
4) Visit many patisseries - “Get the chocolate.” (D)
5) Walk the Champs Elysees - “It’s really cool.” (D) We stopped at a cafe to wet our whistles and people watch. Please note that my D is not a fashionista in any way. She doesn’t even own a dress. She just loved the Champs Elysees.
6) Musee Cluny - Middle Ages museum that houses the Unicorn Tapestry.
7) Napoleon’s Tomb - Come on, you have to take the kids to see the Little Emperor.
8) “Just walk around Paris.” (D) - Check out the Middle Ages house on Boulevard de la Tour Maubourg (runs alongside Les Invalides/Napoleon’s Tomb) just a few doors down from rue Chevert. Other, more modern, buildings were built right next to it, but there it is - a house front from the Middle Ages. “Cool.” (D) Also check out cathedrals and chapels you run across. Most are much quieter than Notre Dame, and you can just sit and look at the architecture and stained glass windows. “Nice.” (D)
9) Versailles - We went on a rainy day and still had a great time. The Hall of Mirrors was under repair, so D was a little disappointed b/c that was what she wanted to see most. Still, she recommends it for your D’s.
10) Le Hameau - we walked there from Versailles. (The rain had stopped by then.) Kids and I both loved it.
11) The Louvre - “It’ was alot bigger than I thought it would be. Isn’t that the one with Hammurabi’s Code in it? They have to see the Louvre.” (D)</p>

<p>I also took my kids to see Giverny, Honfleur, The American Cemetary and Memorial, and Mont St.-Michel (We got there around 5:30 on a stormy day. S and I had to literally hang on to D so she wouldn’t blow away. Went to Vespers - it was the only way the nun would let us use the restroom - smart woman - all candlelit and stormy with a capella singing in Middle Ages/Baroque hybrid style. “Cool.” (D) We had the whole town to ourselves. AMAZING. Something everyone should see. “Very, very, very cool, even the church service” (D) and we’re not Catholic!) I realize you won’t be able to do this tour on this trip, but keep it in mind for your next visit to France.</p>

<p>We did lots of other things in Paris, but I provided this list with the hope that hearing my D’s favorite things to do in Paris might give you ideas about what your teenager girls might like to do in Paris. :)</p>

14

<p>I vote for Musee d’Orsay as well. Great views from the terrace there, too.</p>

<p>And top of the Arc de Triomphe at sunset - great views of the Eiffel tower.</p>

15

<p>I have been to Paris several times with youngsters your girls’ ages. If you look up Paris grandmother granddaughter tours you’ll see some itineraries. I have used these for ideas for our trips. You can reserve seats for a fashion show at the Galleries Lafayette. Most kids love the bateaux mouche, both day and night tours. If they are fans of Princess Diana you can visit the tunnel where she died. Street food such as crepes. </p>

<p>I use Rick Steves’ Mona Winks for museum highlights. Paris museums turn out to be much enjoyed even by self-declared museum haters. There is the carousel with a great view in the Tuileries Jardin (seasonal) and , if your kids like Disney, a visit to Euro Disney via an easy train ride is much enjoyed. My sons like the slightly grittier things like the Marais district. There used to be rooftop dining at one of the big department stores but I think that has closed. There is something for everyone. Have a great time!</p>

16

<p>Consider a tour of the sewers of Paris–this was fascinating and encompassed a history lesson, a culture lessson and an engineering lesson–and they don’t stink, by the way. Your kids may be too old to need this book, but when we took our then 11 and 6 year olds, there was a kids’ travel book called “Kidding Around Paris” and it was spot on for things kids would like to do.</p>

17

<p>Lots of wonderful suggestions listed on this thread. Paris is such a beautiful and vibrant city and I’m sure you will find something that will satisfy everyone.</p>

<p>If fashion is your thing, some of the world’s best shopping can be found in Paris. Check out Avenue Montaigne where you can also find one of my favorite hotels, Plaza Athenee (great place for lunch). Also there is Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore and also Rue de la Paix where you can find Place Vendome (Chanel, Hotel Ritz).</p>

<p>Have a wonderful time!</p>

18

<p>excuse my spelling but the Baton Mouches - I believe the nightime boat ride down the Seine is spectacular. I second Musee d’ Orsay. Notre Dame, The tuileries is a pretty walk.</p>

19

<p>Plan specific day itinerary before you go if at all possible. Get a metro map online and plot your routes if at all possible so you can maximize your time there. </p>

<p>We loved the Arc de Triomphe at dusk…it is just beautiful in the evening and at night. </p>

<p>Sacre Coeur and the Montmartre area is also best at sunset time…so if you can plan your two evenings around those nighttime destinations, you are fortunate…</p>

<p>the Eiffel Tower is great really early in the morning…before the long lines form…I suspect there will be lines, but not as long as the ones the rest of the day…</p>

<p>I like the Louvre but again, I usually have very specific things I want to see…when we went as a family in 2000, I took my youngest who was 10 or so at the time and my husband took our oldest who was 15…we did the basement with the moat…and the crown jewels, and the large room with the 17 or so paintings of Marie Antoinette’s time as young bride and mother etc…I kept my little guy moving with specific things to see and a plan and we had a blast…my hubby on the other hand got lost and wandered and so their experience was much less enjoyable…they saw some great Dutch paintings but that was about it…</p>

<p>I really liked Napoleon’s tomb at Les Invalides… they have some exhibits in the auxilary buildings on armour that are tremendous…they also have dolls dressed in miniature original costumes going back hundreds and hundreds of years…really stimulating visually to see the perfection…I think your son would like the armour…</p>

<p>I would ditch Versailles…I always felt like it was all reproductions anyway… </p>

<p>Musee d’Orsay has the best impressionist paintings…the Picasso museum is ok…
I liked seeing the Opera…they have a great miniature of the stage inside that shows all the ramps and pulleys etc to put on their shows…</p>

<p>I would encourage you to have your kids read one book, like the one on Camile Pis$aro (it won’t let me type the first 4 letters of his last name) by Irving Stone, Depths of Glory…or a book on Marie Antoinette to help get in the mood for the visit…also, one of the tour books is in alphabetical order by sight, vs by location… that book was my most helpful because I could look up Tuilleries or Picasso Museum or Sacre Coeur without having to know which district it was in… have the kids read about the top things on your itinerary before they go so they are poised to appreciate it more, if you can. Definitely have them study the metro system so they understand how the lines work…and how to get back to your hotel in case you do decide to split up. </p>

<p>The hardest part of traveling with kids, I think, is that when they are hungry, they ARE hungry and need to eat immediately. That means you cannot stroll around and look at menus…so, you need to either pack snacks or be flexible or be willing to pay $$$ for spur of the moment meals. Poulet frites is one of the best meals in France and most American kids love it and you can get it at most cafes…hamburgers are not as readily available…pizzas are a good option also for quick and dirty …</p>

<p>Enjoy…</p>

20

<p>There are lots of cheap food options. Look out for Crepe stalls - they make them with all sorts of options. You just eat them in the street. My favorite Is Crepes with grand marnier (not for the kids of course). Or buy a couple of baguettes and some cheese and make a picnic of it. Yum - makes me want to take a trip to Paris. And make sure you visit a patisserie - or several - French pastries are so wonderful. Pain au chocolate, Almond croissants.</p>