I am traveling with two 16 year olds & an 8 year old. We are looking to spend one week in Paris in August in an Airbnb. I know this is late notice, but are there any arrondissements (districts) we should try for? Anything to avoid?
Also, any and all recommendations for activities are appreciated, especially things off the beaten track to entertain the 8 year old.
merci. Amy
We just stayed in Le Marais a couple of weeks ago and really enjoyed it. There were lots of cafe, shops and we could walk many places and take the subway. I would highly recommend the area.
Things that we did ( kids are 12 and 9)
- Eiffel Tower
- Arc de triomphe
- Versailles
- Disneyland Paris for 1 day
- Jardin du Luxembourg
- cruise using les bateaux mouche
- Notre Dame
- Sacre Coeur and Montmartre area
We had so much fun!
I agree with Sharon for the Marais (in the 3rd/4th arrondissement) but also the 5th (Latin Quarter) and the 6th (St Germain des Prés). These 3 areas are ideal for those ages. Aside from the known sites, they're just very fun areas.
At night and during the day, the pedestrian bridge ftom the back of Notre Dame over to Ile St Louis has wonderful street entertainers. And at night, in front of Notre Dame.
The Luxembourg Gardens has a fantastic playground for your 8 yr old. Plus a carousel, marionette shows and donkey rides.
I've been taking my son to Paris often since he was 11 and he loves everything about Paris... the mêtro, climbing the tower at Notre Dame, going to top of the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower, Napoleon's Tomb & Army Museum, riding bikes (Mike's Bike Tours), boat rides, crèpes, pastries... every thing.
My kids always enjoyed climbing stairways, so Notre Dame towers is a good bet.
My kids all enjoyed creepy history too, so the catacombs might be a good bet. Another along that line might be the crypt under St. Denis basilica, not so much bones but lots of coffins under there.
If they make friends easily, there are usually kids playing around the Arenes de Lutece.
In nice weather, kids sail large toy boats at Luxembourg gardens, I'm not sure if you can rent one there? I've never tried.
We also went to the Catacombs which were quite neat. If you do decide to go, buy tickets ahead of time and get there at least 15 minutes before they open. We did and were in quite quickly. At opening, the line ( for no pre-purchased tickets) was already 1.5 hours long
Pre-purchase tickets to the Eiffel tower as well if you were interested in going. Same with the Arc de triomphe... saves so much time!
".....kids sail large toy boats at Luxembourg gardens, I'm not sure if you can rent one there? I've never tried."
We observed a vendor, adjacent to the fountain/pond with the toy regatta, with a cart full of rental boats in April 2016. (We were briefly sorry we hadn't brought a grandchild to Paris with us.)
A quick Google-search produced the following confirmation: http://www.secretsofparis.com/heathers-secret-blog/vintage-toy-boats-in-luxembourg-gardens.html E3.50 for 30 minutes; might be the best deal in town.
We stayed in the Latin Quarter. I loved the neighborhood for strolling around, and any of the major tourist sites near the Eiffel Tower, etc. were just a Metro ride away if we were too tired to walk (we always do a ton of walking, though, as I love soaking up what's going on). We were also close to the Notre Dame and Sainte Chapelle, and would hear bells at various times; never found it too noisy in the area. I find the Marais too busy, though it has its charms. There were some very crazy pedestrian streets in the Latin Quarter at night, but if that's too much, they're easy to avoid. Love the pace in the Latin Quarter.
--Shelbey
