“Paris is always a good idea”…Yes, even with kids!
This iconic line by Audrey Hepburn in the movie Sabrina usually evokes images of chic adults headed off to Paris for some spontaneous and elegant adventure. But is the City of Lights still a good idea…with your kids in tow? Bien sur, oui! We have found Paris to be a delightful destination with our children. Here are some of our favorite reasons why:
Wide Open Spaces
While there are many busy boulevards in Paris, the city was thoughtfully planned to include plenty of open public spaces. There is so much room to roam that one might think that a parent of a toddler had this in mind when designing the city. From large public gardens to playgrounds to the iconic Champ de Mars, there are no shortages of places for little people to run off all the energy they have (because let’s face it, they have a LOT).
Easy and Beautiful Transportation
While Paris truly is a walkable city in many regards, it is just so large that it is not feasible to assume you can do all you want on foot. Even less so when you factor in pushing strollers or expecting your children to walk miles upon miles. Cabs are abundant but not always cost effective. Enter the Paris Metropolitain underground system. This metro is massive (136 miles in length!), easy to navigate, and will get you and yours wherever you need to go. Moreover, we felt completely safe using it with toddlers and school aged kids. My children are used to using the Metro at home in DC, so taking trains elsewhere added a sense of familiarity for them. Bonus: so many of the stations are designed with art and history in mind. Some of the best stations are the Louvre (with replicas of the museum’s statues on display), Bastille (with depictions of French history on the walls), and Arts et Metier (fashioned after a Jules Verne submarine). Children of all ages will love to see how the stations differ in decor.
Reliably Delicious Food
It’s true, one of the best things about France is the food. Even for the pickiest of eaters (ahem, my eldest daughter), there is something for every palette in Paris. From the delicious baked items at boulangeries (there are over 30,000 in Paris!) to roadside carts with treats-on-the-go to casual family-friendly bistros, your children will have plenty of yummy, delicious things to eat. French cuisine is the perfect mix of just foreign enough that it is different and intriguing, but also hugely accessible to kids. Just maybe not escargot! An added plus: You’ll also find the French are generally more conscientious with their food, using high quality ingredients and listing pesticides used on produce in grocery stores for greater transparency.
No Shortage of Activities
No matter the time of year, there is an incredible amount to do with kids in Paris. The city is chock-full of museums, cinemas, performance halls, historic and cultural sites, parks and gardens, and so much more. Not to mention if you are feeling up for an extra side trip and a taste of Americana, there’s always Euro Disney a short train ride away! It’s hard to be bored, at any age, in a city as vibrant and full of possible adventures as Paris.
Welcoming People
There’s an unfortunate stereotype that Parisians are cold and unwelcoming towards foreigners. My husband and I found that this could not be further from the truth! From helpful cab drivers to restaurant staff to even a neighbor at our AirBnB apartment, we were quite taken with the warmth of Parisians. We had such lovely interactions with locals in Paris, and found that there was a lot of goodwill towards families with young children in particular.
Has visiting Paris been on your radar but you haven’t quite felt comfortable committing to it? Talk to us and we can help put together the perfect itinerary for your family to get the most out of your time in the City of Lights!
