Planning a Trip to Paris With Kids

The Eiffel Tower has been #1 on my eight year old son’s bucket list ever since he saw the half scale replica in Las Vegas at age four.  So, when we start looking into European destinations for our summer vacation and found flights on Wowair to Paris at a fraction of the cost of any other flight from Cleveland to mainland Europe, it seemed as though we were destined to take him to Paris.  My husband and I looked at budget flights from Paris to Venice and Rome to Paris for ourselves and our three kids, aged ten, eight and three and quickly decided to include 10 days in Italy.  We thought about traveling in August, but everything we read seemed to indicate that we should avoid traveling to Italy in August at all costs, so we booked round trip flights from Cleveland to Paris leaving right after the July 4th holiday.  We are so glad we chose plan a trip to Paris with kids.

Booking a Trip to Paris

We booked our flights a mere 5 1/2 weeks before our departure due to scheduling issues.  While we often book vacations at the last minute, I wondered, while trying to nail down accommodations and internal travel during peak season, if we had taken on too much.  Luckily, once we had accommodations booked for the duration of our stay and transportation to and from Italy nailed down, I decided that this trip was indeed doable and was going to be wonderful.  It’s definitely preferable to have more planning time than we did, but we were able to secure accommodation, transportation and advanced bookings necessary even on a tight schedule.

Boarding our flight to Paris in Reykjavik

Accommodations in Paris With Kids

Because our flights required us to start and end our trip in Paris, we decided this was a great opportunity to explore two different Parisian neighborhoods.  Unfortunately, our accommodation choices were quite limited because our trip was booked so close to our departure and both Paris stays were over weekends. We booked a VRBO in Montorgueil for the first three nights of our trip.  We absolutely loved the pedestrian neighborhood with many cafes, bolangeries and shops literally at our doorstep, but the apartment itself was honestly the worst homestay experience we have had and is fortunately no longer listed on the VRBO site.

Our Montmartre Airbnb for our final weekend was much better than the Montorgueil apartment but was very different from the photos shown on Airbnb’s website and did not have several of the promised amenities.  We definitely learned how important it is to book weekend accommodations well in advance and also to make sure that the homestay website includes a clear picture of the bathroom and that the host answers all specific questions about the property prior to booking.

While homestays worked best for our family of five, there are many hotel options.  Check out these recommendations for the best hotels in Paris.

Paris Airports With Kids

We flew into and out of Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) at the beginning of our trip and also arrived from Rome via Paris Orly Airport (ORL) after our time in Italy.  We appreciated the efficiency of baggage handling at both Parisian airports and particularly enjoyed all the unique moving sidewalk tubes at CDG.

Moving sidewalk tubes at CDG

Before our departing flight at the end of our trip, we went through security for gates 70-78 to find only one cafe with extremely long lines and immediately wished we had picked up dinner before going through security.  Also, it was a bit unusual to us that we didn’t know our actual gate number until the flight started boarding, but other than the 45 minute wait to pick up sandwiches at the cafe, it worked out fine.

While families can choose to travel to and from the Paris airports via train/Metro, taxi, shared shuttle, taxi and Uber, we chose to use taxis.  We liked that official Paris taxis have standard rates for airport transportation to and from each airport as follows:

• From CDG to: right bank – €50 and left bank – €55
• From ORL to:  left bank – €30 and right bank – €35

We did not compare the cost of a taxi with the cost of an Uber van that would accommodate all five of us, but the taxi fares were comparable with trains and shared shuttles.   Because we are a family of five, we had to wait in the taxi stand until there was a taxi that could accommodate us and also pay an additional €4.  We had virtually no wait for a taxi at CDG but had to wait about 20 minutes at ORL.

Taxis worked great because we did not want to schlep our kids and bags on the train and Metro and really liked the convenience of the taxis and found the drivers particularly professional.  One driver even graciously stopped for an emergency trip to the bathroom.  We had two BubbleBum booster seats with us, but one taxi actually had built-in booster seats.

Local Transportation in Paris With Kids

We found Paris very walkable, but the Metro was convenient when we needed to travel farther distances quickly.  In our combined five days in the city, we took a total of five Metro rides and one round trip train journey to Versailles.  Metro stations are clearly labeled Metropolitain and decorated in a beautiful French Art Nouveau style.   The Metro is free for all passengers under four (including our daughter, who happened to turn four only a few hours after leaving Paris), but single ride tickets (billets) for all passengers aged four and up are €1.90.  Families planning to take several Metro rides will likely find purchasing a carnet of 10 tickets the most economical option.  A carnet costs €14.90 for all passengers aged 11 and up but only €7.45 for passengers aged four to ten.  My husband and I shared one carnet, while our 8 and 10 year old sons shared the second.

The entrance to the Abbesses Metro has one of the few remaining roofs (édicules), but it’s a long way down to the platform, which is one of the deepest in the city.

The entrance to the Abbesses Metro station

Currency

We definitely needed to use euros at times, so it was essential to get some local currency.  We traveled with about €200 and then withdrew money twice from ATMs during the trip.

Packing for Paris With Kids

Our entire trip was 17 days and 17 nights, but we were primarily staying at homestay apartments with washers.  We packed approximately five to six full outfits for each person, which was, as always, more than we really needed, but I worried that the promised laundry facilities might not be functioning in each of our locations.  We also needed some bulky items like two Bubble Bum booster seats for Italy.  Wowair charges for each carry on larger than a personal item (e.g. back pack) and each checked bag, which cannot weigh over 44 pounds without incurring overweight fees.  So, we chose to check one bag and also bring two back packs with us and packed a gym bag inside our checked suitcase, knowing that we would likely be returning with more than we brought with us.  Churches in Paris do not require covered knees and shoulders, so shorts and sundresses were appropriate outfits for the unseasonably warm weather we experienced.

Our luggage

With a three year old who would need to nap on the go, we decided to bring a small umbrella stroller with us.  While we did need to carry the stroller up and down stairs at times, particularly in Metro stations, we found that much easier than carrying our daughter, especially when she was sleeping.  We do look forward to being stroller-free soon but will miss the built in storage and bottle holders.

For the first time, I rolled and packed each person’s clothes in zip lock bags and had separate bags with our pajamas and first day clothes packed into one of the back packs.  This helped with the organization of the large suitcase and provided a back up in case our suitcase was delayed at the beginning of the trip.  Luckily, we had no trouble retrieving our suitcase at CDG upon arrival.  However, on the way back, we made the rookie mistake of packing our pajamas and remaining clean clothes into our back packs along with our cameras and breakables and packed all of our new clothes and shoes and toiletries into the suitcase.  We also forgot to remove cash from the locked pocket before checking our suitcase for our return flight.  When it didn’t make the connection in Reykjavik, we worried if we’d ever see it again and realized that so many things we had packed were irreplaceable because they were simply not available in the US.  Luckily, our bag arrived via FedEx Ground four days later.

We neglected to pack a supply of small soap bars, shampoo or wet wipes but were able to find these items easily in Paris.  I also made a bad assumption that our converter also had adapter capabilities when I brought my flat iron, which turned out to be unusable for the duration of our trip (and then delayed).  Next time, we’re definitely going with four to five outfits, maximum.

Cell Service in Paris

We researched relatively inexpensive options to add voice/data to our Verizon mobiles while in Paris but ended up not using cell service in the city. We were able to contact our first VRBO host using the WiFi at CDG upon our arrival and had self-check in at our Airbnb at the end of the trip.  While WiFi was usually available at restaurants and at least near the entrances of the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and Musée de l’Orangerie, we were able to mostly unplug during the day and use WiFi at our accommodation in the evenings.

Language Barrier in Paris With Kids

Most people in the Paris tourist industry speak English, and all menus were translated into English as well.  My husband and I both studied French in high school and retained some rudimentary language skills.  Those skills were helpful in exchanging pleasantries but were rarely necessary.

Eating in Paris With Kids

We thoroughly enjoyed eating at cafes in Paris.  Chicken, sea food, beef and frites (aka French fries) were regularly on menus, and many cuisines were available throughout the city.  We were also able to pick up snacks, bottled water and toiletries at one of the many Franprix stores or other local groceries.  We particularly enjoyed the freshly squeezed orange juice right out of the machine. We only made the mistake once of buying sparkling water instead of still water.  It’s not always clear, but double-check that there aren’t any bubbles on the label when looking for still water.

Planning Our Paris Itinerary

To help get our kids involved with planning our five nights in Paris, I borrowed some children’s books on Paris from our local library.  My eight year old and I went through one and made a list of what we wanted to see, and I started doing research to determine what attractions require advance bookings.  Our top 10 list included the Eiffel Tower, Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, Jardin du Luxembourg, Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, Sacre Coeur, Champs-Elysees and Place de la Concorde.  We knew that the Eiffel Tower, Versailles Palace and the Louvre would require advance tickets but that the other attractions probably did not.  We had accommodations booked on our first and last weekend near Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, respectively, and planned to visit each cathedral for Sunday Mass.

We looked into purchasing the Paris Pass, a sightseeing pass with fast track entry to certain attractions that includes a free travel card and Paris guidebook.  However, we decided that it was not worth the cost for what we had planned.  Kids are free at many of Paris’ top attractions, and we were able to skip lines by booking entry in advance online.

Because we knew we would be leaving out some sights in Paris during our stay due to timing, we didn’t consider any day trips from the city other than Paris.  However, we might consider one of the many day tours from Paris on our next trip to explore the surrounding area.

Our Paris Itinerary – Two Weekends

Because of our round trip flight from Cleveland to CDG, we had spent weekends in Paris at the beginning and end of our trip.  Our five days and five nights were split up and included three trips to or from an airport.  Our time in Paris was at the beginning and end of a 17 day trip, and we planned to take a slower pace, sit and enjoy meals at cafes and really explore our neighborhoods.  We also had some minor ailments to deal with like upset stomachs, bloody noses and a lost tooth in addition to watching World Cup soccer matches.  We really didn’t acclimate to waking up early, but it was always late before we got into bed.  Even though we weren’t in full tourist mode, we made it to everything on our top 10 list except the Jardin du Luxembourg.  The Jardin du Luxembourg is a classic family outing in Paris, but we had a few less than stellar park experiences on this trip decided to visit Sainte-Chapelle on our last day instead with no regrets.  Next time, we’ll sail boats.

Here is our basic daily itinerary:

First Weekend

Friday

• Flight arrives at 5:30 pm
• Taxi from CDG to Montorgueil VRBO
• Check in and explore Montorgueil neighborhood
• Walk to Seine River and check out the Eiffel Tower

Saturday

• Louvre in morning
• Rest/World Cup in afternoon
• Seine River cruise

Sunday

• Palace of Versailles and Gardens of Versailles
• 6:30 Mass at Notre Dame

Monday

• Arc de Triomphe
• Champs-Elysees
• Place de la Concorde
• Tuileries Garden
• Musée de l’Orangerie
• Petit Palace
• Night train to Venice

Second Weekend

Friday

• Flight arrives at 5:15 pm
• Taxi from ORL to Montmartre Airbnb
• Check in, explore Montmartre neighborhood and visit Sacre Coeur scenic overlook

Saturday

• Musée d’Orsay
• Sainte-Chapelle
• Soap Bubbles with Street Performer
• Trocadero and Eiffel Tower

Sunday

• Mass at Sacre Coeur
• Exploring Montmartre
• Taxi to CDG at 3:00 p.m.

Find Out More About Paris With Kids

We loved our trip to Paris with kids.  Make sure to check out 25 Top Attractions in Paris and the rest of our blog posts on Paris!

Note:  The Palace of Versailles hosted our family’s visit.  As always, all opinions are my own.