@doschicos afraid not. Pasta is too mushy. Lots of texture issues with foods. I’m actually not overly worried about the food because we’ve been dealing with this for 16 years already and we can generally work around it, while still allowing the rest of us to eat what we want. If I have to feed him McDonalds in the hotel room before or after the rest of us eat, then I will 
I totally agree with @garland about the nighttime Fat Tire Bike Tour. That and the catacombs were the best things we did and your teens will love both. The nighttime bike tour includes a boat ride down the Seine.
Re: boat trips on the Seine- there are several types. One that our lot particularly likes is the Batobus. It operates like a hop-on / hop-off bus, but on the river, and stops at really convenient places, including Notre Dame, Musee d’Orsay, Louvre, Eiffel Tower and more. You can get 1 or 2 day passes, and the little booklet that comes with it has useful practical info on each location.
For Catacombs- book ahead!! way ahead!
The Paris Plages will be going, and the one by La Villette (on Canal de l’Ourq) has free kayaks/canoes/sailboats. The original one (Pont Neuf to Pont de Sully) gets super crowded, but also has a lot going on.
Also in Paris, the most astounding thing I have seen in a long time is the atelier-lumieres. The new show is Monet/Renoir/Chagall (the Van Gogh one just ended in Nov), and it is stunning. Hard to describe, but it is like virtual reality w/o the goggles. It is a dazzling hour or so. If your middle S is not ok with a lot of visual stimulation you might break into 2 groups and do different things, but if any of you are even mildly interested in those artists I strongly recommend it! It’s about a 10 minute walk from the metro, but there isn’t a lot else in the immediate vicinity. https://www.atelier-lumieres.com/
In Italy, The coliseum is a madhouse, and worth going with a tour (you can pick it up on the spot) if only b/c it gets you through the lines!
For both, Strongly support the suggestions for having the kids pick 1-2 things each in the museums before you go (the DK city guides -available at the library- are good for that), and walking tours.
I like Musee D’Orsay better than the Louvre. More intimate and not as overwhelmingly huge. Nice tie in if you make it to Giverney.
Another vote for the catacombs.
Pompidou is a cool place too, especially with kids. Their fountains are fun.
We just loved walking around both cities. You never know what you will find around the corner.
Definitely be sure to have advanced tickets for the coliseum and forum.
Gotcha on the food issues now. Of course you will do what you need to do to keep all from being hangry and/or cranky!
I will admit to eating at a McDonalds in Paris. They served wine which was pretty cool and it had a lovely view. We also ate at one in Versailles (back many years ago - it was all automated with food they didn’t offer in the US.) Sometimes that is part of the experience - seeing how things you are familiar with can be different in another country.
In Paris you must hit Angelina Paris for their wonderful Mont-Blanc pastry (we went back a couple of times it was that good).
There is pizza everywhere in Paris, and probably Rome as well. It may not be exactly the kind of pizza he is used to, so depending on how exact it needs to be, you’re probably ok. In Paris it’s easy to get fries, but I don’t know about chicken nuggets. And yes, burger places are also not hard to find. You can get an omelet at any little cafe, and sandwiches can be found in many places.
Thanks again for all the advice guys! Bikes are probably out as our autistic teen cannot ride a two-wheeler (not sure if he could manage on the back of a tandem bike if that were an option). Plus I haven’t been on a bike in so many years, that may be dangrous…lol.
I do love all these tips! We are also watching the Rick Steve’s shows on Paris and Rome. The kids are also doing a bit of research and asking friends who have been what they liked/didn’t like, etc.
In Paris, go to a brasserie—traditional French food. They have a large selection and they are open all-day and into the night. Famous ones in Paris—Bofinger, Jo, Lip. I read that Brasserie Bofinger is the oldest in Paris. Bofinger was my favorite. Great decor and food. Try choucroute.
The last time we were in Paris there was a McDonald’s in the Carrousel du Louvre - an underground mall with an entrance to the Louvre. We were also able to buy a museum pass at a small convenience store there. The McDonalds in Paris have a bit of a different menu with more French specialties. There is a food court with open seating in the mall so you could all find something different to eat, meet at the same table, buy museum tickets and enter the museum. With the pass you can go in and out, so you could go early, meet for lunch and then go back into the museum if you wanted. The pass is great!
Also, everywhere you go, there will be plain ham and cheese sandwiches - usually on a baguette type bread. Would that work for your son?
In Rome, if you want to get out of the city briefly, look into Ostia Antica. It is quick and easy to get to and very interesting.
Another vote for the Musee D’orsay. We loved it, really manageable. We also loved L’Orangerie–especially if you are a Monet fan.
Also, Berthillon for ice cream. Simply the best.
(Note: most of my recommendations come from CC folk who helped make my Paris stay a wonderful success two years ago.)
I quickly skimmed the responses here to see if anyone mentioned Ostia Antica!
I spent a semester abroad in Rome 30 years or so ago but never heard mention of Ostia Antica while there even tho I traveled all over the city, country and Europe during that semester. I went back about 10 years later with Dh and prior to our trip, someone told us about it so we decided to check it out and glad we did.
It’s a quick train ride from Rome on a commuter train (think it’s about 15 miles south of Rome) but an interesting place that I think would appeal to many kids, and a nice sort of “off the beaten path” place to escape the crowds of tourist in the city.
Took a trip to Paris and Italy this past summer with my teen. We walked almost everywhere- but the heat was a major player in our trip(we were there during the horrible heat wave). So try and be prepared for the weather. I grouped each city and the sites we saw geographically. There is a great site to help called “visit a city”. It literally tells you the time to walk between sites., tells you open/closing times of attractions and gives you a map. I also like Rome 2 Rio app for transportation.
Pick up a Paris museum pass (we did the 4 day one) at most museums. It allows you to skip most of the lines (including at the Louvre). Your teens do not need one-they are free. We did it at the Pantheon and visited the tombs underneath. Then we walked to the Luxembourg gardens.
If you go to Versailles- book the Kings Apt tour. Early entry, no wait. The tour was a little boring at times, but not standing in line was key for us. And it leaves you in the Hall of Mirrors. Bring your driver’s license so you can rent a golf cart to drive around the entire estate. Tons of gardens, palaces etc to explore. We really enjoyed the freedom to wander as we pleased. Also they have a nighttime fireworks display and/or musical gardens on some nights. And, btw, a McDonalds right outside the gates near the train station!
We loved the Atelier-lumieres in Paris- it is a dark room with amazing free flowing digital art. Beautiful, but if agree if your child has issues with over stimuli, it could be a problem.
Loved the Paris Opera house and the walking tour of it (headphones).
Musee de Orsay is wonderful- be sure to find the Clock for beautiful views and great pics.
Highly recommend night boat tour. You can get the tickets at the river that night. No need to book a head of time. See all the monuments lit up and the twinkling of the Eiffel Tower. We booked a time for the Eiffel Tower ahead of time to avoid the lines. Only problem with that is you are locking yourself into a time.
IMHO, the best part of Paris is wandering, enjoying the atmosphere, the people and all the history.
Angelinas in Paris is a nice way to introduce American teens to Paris food. My very picky teens found things to eat and there is always the hot chocolate! Several locations to chose from.
If you like chocolate, there are amazing chocolate shops and/or tours.
In Rome, we did a tour that allowed us to skip the lines and visit the Tomb of Saint Peter and the Necropolis under the Vatican Basilica. You need to email the office in advance and request tickets. The end of the tour puts you already in the Cathedral. Also, we did a Friday night Happy Hour (yes, happy hour) at the Vatican. It is only offered in the summers. Teens are welcome. Slightly cooler and less crowds so that was nice.
I will +1 that we also did Paris in early July and it was literally 100 degrees. I think out worst day topped out at 104. It was not pleasant! Many of the hotels did not have AC.
Just be prepared to dress for potential heat and carry water at all times.
H and I spent a few days in Rome. At the suggestion of a travel savvy friend we hired a private guide for 1.5 days. Expensive - but OMG - best money spent! We got into the Vatican and Colosseum without having to stand in a line. Tour guides get a ‘fast pass’ of some kind. She took us to a small, out of the way restaurant within walking distance of the Vatican - no crowds. Half of a day consisted of a private van which took us to other places of interests without hassle. Not being a history buff her narrative made the difference between ‘oh, nice painting/place/ruin and - OH. THAT’s why it’s important.’
Having the guide alleviated the morning ritual in which H and I can find our selves - Where do you want to go? I don’t know, how about you? When do you want to go - oh I don’t know, let’s see when we wake up. Guide determined the time, was awaiting us in the lobby and we got to follow like kindergartners on an outing. It was heaven.
She also left us with suggestions on things to do once we were on our own.
Found this place fascinating…something I think most teens would ‘enjoy’.
My Sister in law is a French professor and was on Sabbatical a few years ago. We met up with her in Paris for a week in June, DD was 15 at the time. We did all the typical tourist things but we did take two tours which were a little bit different.
We did a waking tour of Paris graffiti operated by Street Art Tour
Paris.https://www.streetarttourparis.com/
It was really interesting. We were in a part of Paris most people don’t usually go to (Belleville) and it was more like being in a neighborhood. After we went on the tour we noticed graffiti by several of the artists we saw on the tour. We wish we went on the tour earlier in the trip as we are sure we walked by artwork and didn’t realize what we were looking at.
We did the typical Paris at night Seine boat trip and it was enjoyable. But we also took a boat tour along the Canal St Martin which was very interesting. It ended at The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie - a really nice science museum.
https://www.canauxrama.com/en/cruise/cruises-canal-saint-martin.html
Good luck with your planning!
@thedreamydaisy You should introduce your picky child to steak-frites. That was, and is, my picky kid’s favorite meal, and it is available nearly everywhere in Paris.