I’ve been to Paris a handful of times but my husband and I thought, since there is a direct flight from our home-base, we’d give it a try for our 3 year old’s first European adventure! Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how family friendly and helpful Parisians were (note to self: do NOT lug bags, a stroller and a preschooler through the Paris metro after an 8 hour flight, but thankful for the nice French gentleman that offered to help).
As my life evolves, so will this blog. I’ll continue to add content for personal/couples travel, but I’m adding family travel to the mix. Our daughter is 3.5 and has never been a particularly chill little human (never awful, just acts her age), so my reflections are based on a true toddler experience.
That being said, do NOT assume your kids will sleep on the plane. Our kid basically pulled an all-nighter. Falling asleep wasn’t the issue – staying asleep was, so melatonin probably wouldn’t have done much. 54 minutes was all the sleep she got. She actually handled it better than I could have anticipated; it may have helped her sleep better the following night.
All I’m going to say about arrival was, brace yourself for Charles de Gaulle. This airport is my Achilles heel when it comes to travel. Something wonky happens every time I’m there – this time, all of the electronic passport booths were down. Upon departure, we were delayed 2 hours on the plane.
We opted for an Air BnB in the 11th arrondisement. It was a residential/restaurant/bar area near the Bastille. It was fine for us, but I’d REALLY recommend this area for folks traveling kid-free. Our first day was a wash after taking a 30 minute walk and 2 hour nap. We had an easy but yummy dinner at Boca Mexico about a block from our flat for a build your own burrito spot. Other spots in the 11th to try:
- for cocktails and apps (Mermaids and Divers)
- for coffee and pastries (Nomade Cafe)
- For to-go/takeout burgers (Blend)
Paris is super kid friendly, especially if it’s not rainy. Pack a raincoat and umbrella AND don’t forget a little towel for wiping the water off of slides at the park! Paris has so many amazing parks – I wish the weather would have been less rainy for us to spend some more time at some of the bigger ones. Plan on parks (if weather allows) on Mondays/Tuesdays when many museums are closed.
The Metro (subway system) seems like a labyrinth, but it’s the best way to get around. We didn’t use an Uber once (except we used Baby Cab to take us to the airport at the end of the trip – multiple bags on the Metro is not the best move).
The Eiffel Tower was a big hit for the whole family, and we really enjoyed a boat ride down the Seine. There was a combo ticket for a little train in Montmartre to Sacre Coeur and it included the boat ride. So worth it! Montmartre is an area I’ve never explored; we had a lovely little lunch at Frik Frak, a Croque Monsieur (fancy grilled cheese) cafe with a delightful server. There are 2 locations in Paris. Sacre Coeur is beautiful and has amazing view.
An indoor, kid-friendly space that we recommend is the Gallerie d’Evolution in the 5th arrondissement. Taxidermy is weird, but hear me out…every kid in there loved it! There was so much to see, and the building itself was very impressive. If you have young kids, don’t miss this.
Since it was the end of November, we also made sure to hit up the Christmas markets that were open. The one at Tuileries Gardens near the Louvre had a lot of rides for kids along with mulled wine for adults. Take note: most markets don’t open until December.
We couldn’t bring a 3 year old to Paris and not go to Disneyland. Be warned for Disneyworld people: the one in Paris is small (therefore extremely crowded) and their version of lightning lane is $120 a person which is unaffordable. So, we waited in a lot of lines and it was pretty cold that day. Regardless, we loved the Christmas decor, our daughter got a kick out of the dragon underneath Sleeping Beauty’s castle, and we all loved the Lion King Show.
Although Paris was a blast and there was plenty to do, we added a stop in Belgium to our itinerary. We took a EuroStar train to Brussels for a couple of days to experience more Christmastime in Europe, but that is a separate post…
Until next time dear Paris, au revior!