Paris 3 Days - with Teenagers

Where are you talking about? Paris or elsewhere in France?

Paris! Thank you for asking - I updated my original post. ❤️

My son (then age 12) and I did a walking tour of street art that a teenager might like more than he did. We both liked our Xmas Eve dinner aboard Bustronome. Might not be as pretty in July unless it's Bastille Day and there are fireworks. We also liked the Montparnasse Tower, which has great views of Paris. Some say the views there are the best because they don't include the Montparnasse Tower itself, which is very modern and sore-thumb-ish in the Paris skyline. If your teens are into thrift/vintage shopping, the flea markets would be a good option.
Take a look at "experiences" on AirBnB to see if there is anything that would appeal to your kids.

Deyrolle is a really unique interesting shop my kids loved - would highly recommend. https://deyrolle.com/en

It is also in a wonderful neighborhood (St Germain)...many cafes and bakeries...could stroll to Luxembourg garden to push the boats around the reflecting pool.

• Pastry or food tour
• Baking or cooking class

https://haussmann.galerieslafayette.com/en/events/french-macaron-bakery-class-in-the-heart-of-paris/

https://cooknwithclass.com/course/kids-macaron-class-paris/

https://cooknwithclass.com/course/family-croissant-class-paris/

• Paris Catacombs

If you just have three days I’d prioritize maximizing areas you will be in already. One of my favorite view spots is the Notre Dame towers. It’s a separate entrance and ticketing scheme from the cathedral with timed entry. You do have to climb 424 steps but you are rewarded with a great view of the city and a bonus if your teens like “goth,” you are up close and personal with gargoyles.

For an all-in-one market experience I’d recommend Place d’Aligre, a 12 minute walk from the Bastille monument or a few minutes from metro stop Ledru-Rollin. In one compact area you will find the Beauvau covered food market, the rue d’Aligre produce stalls and place d’Aligre flea market. Open everyday but Monday with varying open times from early morning to early afternoon. Check times before you go.

Unless you’ll be in Paris next week, Tour Montparnasse will be closed for renovations for several years starting April 1.

I’m a fan of the Passages Couverts. Small shops. Quirky. Ranging from used books to art prints to collectibles to dolls to clothing to cafes. They’re indoors, out of the sun and a refuge from heat. We walked through four of them, kinda lined up, from near the Opera Garnier to near the Palais Royal. Passage Verdeau, Passage Jouffroy, Galerie Vivienne and Galerie Colbert. It’s a fun couple of hours.

There’s a nice outdoor market near Place St Michel in the Latin Quarter.

First trip to Paris with teens … I’d think that the Eiffel Tower by day or the top of the Arc de Triomphe after dark would be a must. At least one of the two. Combine with a daytime picnic in the Champs Mars with sandwiches from a boulangerie along Rue Cler or a night-time walk on the Champs Elysees.

Teenagers. Spend time with them - or have them spend time themselves - with guidebooks, the RS Paris page here and the podcasts and video clips you’ll find there. The more they choose - or choose with you - the better. Another good source to explore is https://parisjetaime.com/eng/. By different parts of the city … https://parisjetaime.com/eng/paris-by-district-i153

Just 3 days in July. I’d say NO to Versailles & Giverny and NO to Disneyland.

Just one big museum - whether Musee d’Orsay, Louvre or Orangerie. There are many smaller ones that have their own charms … Cluny, Rodin, Marmottan, Jacquemart-Andre, Jewish History & Art, Petit Palais, to name a few.

Lunch at the d’Orsay or at the Jacquemart-Andre would be a treat.

Amusez-vous bien.

I vote for the Rodin for teens. Outdoor, engaging sculptures. Nice cafe for lunch. Look up the history of the Burghers of Calais before you contemplate that amazing sculpture. A story to impress teenagers. Also a nice walk from the Eiffel Tower. You could stop at the Invalides on the way (Army Museum) with lots of suits of armor and battle stuff. Napoleon's ornate tomb might be of interest. The three things (Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Rodin Museum) make a nice circuit for a day's outing. (or 3/4 of a day) You could reverse the order. If you ascend the Tower, try to do that first.

How about the virtual Notre Dame experience? That is near La Defense. Pere Lachaise Cemetery might interest them also.
Definitely, do a one hour Seine River Cruise. I prefer Vedettes de Pont Neuf because the boats are smaller, thus fewer people, and the commentary is live, not canned. If you go, get there early enough to to sit up top.
You will have a ball! Amusez-vous bien!

We went to Paris for nine days in December with our 17-year-old son. Highlights:

• Notre Dane Bell tower. Extra tickets, but amazing.
• Saint Chapelle. He has seen other cathedrals, so the stained glass in his one wowed him.
• Baking classes (macarons and croissants)
• Early morning in Montmartre watching it come to life while sitting at a cafe, followed by a food tour.
• Le Marais food tour
• Eiffel Tower
• Louvre with a guide who took us through the history if the building and the art highlights.
• Ground Control (a local place outside the center). Not “historic” Paris but a different slice of regular life. You could pair it with a chocolate making class nearby.

With three days, (assuming three full days), I would suggest:
- Île de la cité (Notre Dame, Saint Chapelle, Seine book sellers and ice cream while you walk the Seine). Wander up to Le Marais if you have teens who like shopping.
- Louvre, covered passages of they like shopping. Food tour.
- Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe. baking class.

Book as many of your dinners as you can. We loved Les Philosophes in Le Marais. They don’t take reservations but it was amazing.

As you walk to different sights in the city, your teens might enjoy spotting the video game mosaics installed by the street artist, Invader: https://www.afrenchcollection.com/french-street-artist-invader/

Across from Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company has been made even more popular than ever on Instagram. The bookstore is a wonderful little warren (no photos allowed), and there's a cafe attached where they can get drinks such as purple lattes. A popular souvenir they might like is a Shakespeare and Company tote bag.

If your teens enjoy a bit of goth/macabre, they might like to visit The Catacombs and the Père Lachaise Cemetery. The cemetery has many interesting and elaborate tombs and mausoleums, but there are also a number of famous people buried there, such as Chopin, Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Gertrude Stein, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas, etc. https://www.parisdiscoveryguide.com/famous-graves-in-pere-lachaise.html

However, with only 3 days, you'll barely have time for the traditional sites.

There's a recent thread here with restaurant recommendations: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/france-reviews/paris-restaurants-with-a-teen-tween You might find it helpful.

As you walk to different sights in the city, your teens might enjoy
spotting the video game mosaics installed by the street artist,
Invader:
https://www.afrenchcollection.com/french-street-artist-invader/

They might also like another street mosaic artist, Mifa Mosa who specifically illustrates street names. I enjoyed looking for them near my hotel (the Minion is awesome): https://www.mifamosa.fr/paris/

I also think Père Lachaise is a good stop, pack a picnic. In July it could be rather warm and there's plenty of shade there. Unless one of them is an art buff, skip the Louvre unless an evening opening time is an option while you're there, not quite as crowded. I did a bicycle tour with my 20 year old niece and it was a good way to see the city and get some exercise - we used Bike About Tours but there are other companies.

Is your entire trip only three days? Or are you going other places? If Paris is your first jet lagged stop you may need to be flexible for exhausted teens.

Honor your teenage sons by letting them search for activities. I was 17 for my first time in Paris. Military history and being a railroad enthusiast had me searching for things to do. As long as I was back for dinner, Paris was mine for the asking. Visited train stations and historical sites. I’ve no idea what interests your kids but let them come up with the answers.

hey hey brandonmeganw
don't know what age your "teenagers are" 13 is so different than 19 years old. where are you flying in from to paris, will they be jetlagged, check-in times 3-4pm.
paris will be HOT HOT and very crowded in july, be prepared. what does traditional sites mean to you since there will be long lines, get your tickets early for attractions/activities they sell out fast. "off the beaten path" is so overused that many don't list them, since it will become so overloaded with social media. tik tok, instagram they only want to take picture to say i've been there. it's crazy and PITA .
have them do research, do scavenger hunt (you list things/places to see), walk montemarte (one of my favorites) and had picture painted for a souvenir.
retro-tour.com
chose paris and what tour you all will like
2cvparistour.com
tour around differnet parts of paris or a nighttime tour.
paris-by-tuktuk.com
look at the tour they offer
luxembourg gardens
rent sailboats and sail around lake or run around park and let their yas yas out.
i love souffles: lesouffle.fr savory or sweet souffles
angelinas-paris
yummy hot chocolate, gorgeous front entrance with so much pastries. we reserved to have late breakfast early lunch. it was fabulous.
timeout.com
9 best paris creperies for french crepes. we had yummy crepes at breizh cafe both sweet & savory ones, so many to choose from
how many museums can they take, i have been to many plus churches, monuments that i just like to roam around. wear comfy shoes & clothes, been to paris many times, like to see the street entertainments all over. are you 3 days full three days or 2 full days and check out by 10-11am? where to next?
helps to do lots of research and be prepared of your days, make a spreadsheet of what you want, okay to miss, and no way, not enough time. good luck enjoy and have fun
aloha

Yes, CL! I spotted the Rue Amelie one when I was there in October, as well as the one at Rue de l'Hirondelle.

I’m a fan of Le Petit Palais. It’s got great architecture, nice art and sculpture collection, and charming garden/cafe area. It’s free and worth a visit, especially if you’re not sure how your teens will respond to artworks.

If there's any interest in history I'd take the to the Invalides and the army museum. That's one of the places I've seen a large number of teenagers who are not on a school trip. School trips do the Louvre and the Musee de Air out at Bourget. Those are very popular.

I recommend taking them over by the Cluny. See the museum; maybe, but that part of the city is jammed with bookstores, anime, vintage shops, street vendors, and cheap places to eat. Plus all the vintage cinema, and the Sorbonne; this is where I always feel like the crowd is much younger than I am.

Stay away from places like Shakespeare & Co. 30 years ago it was nice to have a place to buy books in English, now it's a tourist attraction. The lines are ridiculous, and the people aren't looking for books, they're going someplace that's on their list.

Consider wandering the Tuileries garden in the afternoon. You can stop and have a drink and a bite at one of the places and just watch the world go by in one of the cooler spots on hot days. Also, in July, wait until after 6pm to visit the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph. You'll still have hours of sunlight, it will be cooling off, the tourists who came by bus are gone, the Americans are all looking for dinner, and watching the sun go down from the Troc is beautiful.

My kids liked strolling a long the Seine and checking out the stalls of the bouquinistes. A classic Parisian experience and we always find something our other to buy as a remembrance of Paris.