3 Day Trip to Paris with Teens this July

This is a "speed run" (a term they'll understand) that takes it down to a day. Hopefully you can use this as a base to expand upon for days two and three.

https://youtu.be/vn7Zxz6TlEk

Here are suggested itineraries from Rick Steves. You can use it as a starting point to determine what appeals to you and your teens to create a plan.

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/read/articles/paris-itinerary

Consider doing a night cruise on the Seine. Not a dinner cruise, just a sightseeing one. Vedettes du Pont Neuf is a river cruise company we've used several times and have always had a good experience. We never had to have a reservation. You might want to google them to see if that is still the case. The evening cruises with the city all lit up are really neat.

Also, perhaps have each teen pick out one thing they really want to do / see. Having them involved in the planning will make for a better trip for all. Not that teenagers are ever a problem.

So here’s something I do and I think teens would like it too. There is a street artist called Invader. He has done many, many ceramic art installations on buildings and bridges in Paris. There is an app called Flashinvaders. When you spot one of these ceramic pix on a building you take a picture using your phone in the app and it gives you points; like a video game. There are a ton of these in Paris and more in other areas of France, Europe and even some in the US. It is free fun. I “play” every time I’m in Paris and other cities that have had an invasion. I typically just look for them while I’m out and about! Enjoy Paris!

It is a short trip so of course you have to be selective -- but with teens I would book Eternelle Notre Dame the VR experience located in the underground by ND. It is a 45 minutes stroll in Paris as Notre Dame is build in the 12th century. Really excellent. With a family group you will sign in as a group and each of you will have your names on your avatars, so you will be able to stay together and find each other as you roam around the Cathedral, ride the platform up the bell tower etc. People appear as outlined avatars in your vision so you don't run into others and your own family will have their names on the outlines so you will be able to find them. It is pretty terrific.

https://www.eternellenotredame.com

Your teenagers might also enjoy seeing the catacombs. It's a cavern beneath Paris with a lot of skulls and other human bones. Our granddaughters were a little younger than yours when we took them. They thought it was suitably creepy. And, although we had told them the facts before entering (that these were actual human remains, moved here from Parisian cemeteries), they were really impressed when they were walking through and accepted that his was not just a clever re-creation a la Disney.

We just arrived home yesterday after nearly 2 weeks in France with several days spent in Paris. My husband and I had been to France before so this trip was a bit more tailored to our two teens who are headed to college this fall.

It's good that you are an active family because just walking the city and exploring is great to do. We walked everywhere only taking the metro once. We like museums and my son is going to college to study art. We chose to get tickets to Musee D'Orsay instead of the Louvre because of the current special exhibit at the Musee which focus on Impressionism a favorite of my son's and the rest of us. We just didn't have time to go to both museums. I would just suggest checking out what is at both museums and see what would be more interesting to your family.

Eiffel Tower tickets have been covered at great length on the forum but if you have not secured them yet I would keep trying even when you get to France. It was cool to see the Olympic rings on the tower on our recent visit. We also went over to view the construction going on at Notre Dame. A lot of our limited time in Paris was spent walking around, checking out patisseries and other treats! We also visited Montmartre and Sacre Couer. We attempted to visit the Arc De Triumphe but our last day there we got all the way over there, took the stairs underground and saw signs posted saying they were closed that day due to a social movement, which we pressumed was some type of strike or protest. My point being whatever you choose to do before you head out for the day check online that everything is operating as you expect because well it's France!

I'm an Olympics fan so seeing some of the different Olympics things going up was cool but I have no idea how that city is going to be ready in mere weeks for the onslaught of people that will bring. It seemed to me that they still have a fair amount of work to do. Also, be prepared to map out a route to walk to someplace only to then start walking and realize streets are closed and such due to Olympic construction or plan a route via metro and then the station you want is closed again due to something Olympics related. This happened to us a fair amount. Just be prepared and flexible and when traveling with teens make sure you incorporate some of what they want to do/see. Trust me it makes the trip a lot more drama free!

Thank you, everyone!

Hi!

You don’t say how old the kids are, but since you did not say tween, I assume they are over 13? On a three day trip, it will be possible to accomplish a lot of cultural stuff like the Louvre, the Musee D’Orsay, and the like. You are already getting great suggestions here!

That said, I remember being in Paris as a teenager and one of the things I would have loved was a little free time to just wander around, mingle with other teens, and check out some funky shops and inexpensive eateries.

You might consider spending one extended morning at Westfield Forum des Halles. I know! It is a mall! But hear me out. The mall is huge and stuffed with shops and there are always groups of teens wandering around. There is a lot of cool shopping to do, on trend styles, and fun things to see. There’s even a movie theatre.

Above ground, in the streets around the mall, is bustling street life of the kind that really appeals to teens: Funky stalls, fast food that isn’t McDonald’s, neat things to buy that won’t break the bank, and so forth.

I know it isn’t a museum, a cultural attraction, or deep history, but it’s awfully cool and fun. It is also about a 10 minute walk from Centre Georges Pompidou, which has interactive art things to do plus a really cool shop, in addition to mad people watching in the square outside, and of course the art that you can see on display in the building.

I know your kids will have a blast!

My teenaged boys with endless appetites always love food tours.

Ok, you're an active family that's not really into museums. What have your various family members enjoyed in other large cities that you've visited? Look for similar activities.

One thing we did with our kids (they were a little bit younger than yours) is do taste-testing of macarons. Many patisseries offer them, and they are relatively small, so you can buy several at each patisserie and not break the bank. You could do the same thing with crepes, there are crepe stands or small businesses everywhere.

If you aren't really into museums, then don't feel that you HAVE to go to the Louvre. It will be crowded (as will the Musee d'Orsay), especially the more well-known parts (such as anything near the Mona Lisa), so it won't create a pleasant experience if you get stuck in the crowd. Other galleries are less crowded (and IMHO more enjoyable), such as Northern European Art, or the basement areas that show the medieval foundations of the Louvre palace.

Find some walking tours, either one that's led by others, or a self-guided tour.

Find connections between your teens' interests and things you can see in Paris. For example, if they've read anything by F. Scott Fitzgerald, visit a cafe that he and his crowd frequented. Or if they've seen Amelie (and if they haven't, they and you should!), there are websites that show you the film locations. And of course, there's the Hunchback of Notre Dame, either the book or the Disney movie. Of course you can't go in now, but it's a worthwhile sight even from outside.