Paris is a beautiful city with much to offer for all ages.  We visited Paris last summer as a family, with our kids aged 12 and 15.  The kids loved seeing in person places they had heard of and seen pictures of – and of course loved the pastries and chocolate.

I was shocked by how long the lines were (sometimes 2-3 hours long), and was very thankful that I had made some plans in advance that allowed us to avoid many of them.  Keep your eye out for a follow up blog post where I will give specific suggestions on skipping the lines in Paris.

One general tip – it is a good idea for everyone in your family (children too) to know that it is polite to say “bonjour” when you enter a restaurant, store, or café (you will typically be greeted this way as well).  My husband almost didn’t get his ice cream because he forgot to say “bonjour” first!  For example, in the U.S. we might say “Mint chip please” but in Paris you should say “Bonjour. Mint chip please”.

ITINERARY:

Day 1:

We arrived in Paris during a heat wave (“la canicule”). It was uncomfortably hot (100 degrees and humid); most of the cafés were not air-conditioned and even the museum air conditioners were having a hard time keeping up. So we took it easy our first couple days until the weather cooled off a bit.

Our first evening in Paris we took a Seine cruise on one of the Bateaux-Mouches. This is a nice way to get an overview of the city, and the breeze felt so good on a hot evening.

Day 2:

Early on our first morning in Paris (before it got too hot and the crowds came out) we met with a local photographer to take some family photos.  I had come across the idea on tripadvisor, and we ended up with some wonderful images to commemorate our trip – and great options for our Christmas card.

In the afternoon we went on a Chocolate and Pastry Tour . During this 3 hour tour in the St. Germain des Pres neighborhood we tasted chocolates, macarons, bread, croissants, and the most amazing hot chocolate!

It was still very warm that afternoon so we scrapped our original plan to do some sightseeing and instead had fun at the amusement park that is set up in the Jardin des Tuileries every summer.

Day 3:

We took the train out to Versailles where we started our visit with a  guided tour of the private apartments of the Kings. This was a small group tour that took us into rooms that we could not have seen otherwise, and was a much more pleasant experience than fighting the crowds in the rest of the palace (which we did after the tour) – – and it allowed us to bypass the HUGE lines which had already formed first thing in the morning.

After seeing the main palace, we rented a golf cart and visited the gardens, the Trianon Palaces, and Marie-Antoinette’s Estate.

The golf cart was a fun way to ride around the gardens, and you can stop and park it in various places in the Estate.

 

After we were done at the palace and grounds, we headed over to the Royal Stables (outside the estate) to see a show by the Versailles Academy of Equestrian Arts. These are some very talented horses and riders! After the show you are able to walk through the stables and get a closer look at the horses.

After a full day in Versailles we headed back to Paris for the evening.

Day 4:

We started the day on a private tour of the Louvre with Paris Muse. We took the Louvre Quest family tour aimed at ages 13 and up, which involves an interactive game where you solve a number of clues as you work your way through the museum. This was an excellent way to see the Louvre, which is so large that it can be overwhelming. I had visited the Louvre on my own in the past, and this was a much better experience. We all learned and saw so much, and our guide was able to maneuver us through the crowds and put us right in front of the popular (and mobbed) pieces of art or artifacts.

After the Louvre we checked out the nearby Palais Royal grounds (and grabbed a bite to eat).

In the afternoon we explored the Ile de la Cité: the Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned), Notre Dame (we did not climb the towers as the line was crazy long, and opted for an ice cream break instead), and Sainte-Chapelle.

We relaxed at a sidewalk café for a while before taking a sunset tour of the Eiffel Tower. This was a great time to visit, watching the sunset from the top of the tower. When we came down, we watched the light show that occurs every hour after dark.

Day 5:

Our final day in Paris started with a visit to the Arc de Triomphe, where we climbed to the top for great views of the city.

Next stop was the Army Museum with Napoleon’s Tomb.

After a delicious lunch at a creperie, we went on a self-guided walking tour (using Frommer’s suggestions as a rough guide) of the Marais neighborhood that includes the historic Jewish quarter.

We spent our final evening in Paris at a relaxing dinner, before packing up to head home. Oh Paris, j’adore.  Until we meet again…