Paris day trips comparisons w/ Kids

Versailles Chateau is just not appropriate at any time for young kids who will be crushed by the crowds and miserable and not be able to see. A trip for gardens and grounds can be fun but not the chateau.

Provins on a day they are doing the falcon shows etc would be interesting especially for the 8 year old. Chartres is about the stained glass but it is not crowded and miserable like Versailles. Fontainebleau or Vaux le Vicomte would both be good chateaux visits with nice grounds (particularly Vaux) and chateau to tour. Kids are not likely to be thrilled by fancy rooms. Chantilly has horse shows and nice grounds and is another Chateau possibility. I think it might actually be the one of all of these with the most potential to be interesting to the children. Be sure to time the trip for the horse show if that is important to see.

I understand your reasons for the day trip idea, but you can get away from Paris by visiting the "'edges'' of the city and avoiding crowds. The Bois de Vincennes and the Parc de la Villette offer activities for children
Read about them and see what you think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bois_de_Vincennes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parc_de_la_Villette

Don’t miss the Luxembourg Gardens in the 5th/6th arrondissement, wonderful large park with an amazing playground both your kids will love. They also have a carousel, marionette shows, donkey rdes, café, crèpe stand, bathrooms.

Of all the day trips, I’d recommend Vaux-le-Vicomte Chateau. Check out some Rick Steves shows to see your options.

I also recommend a very fun, old fashioned amusement park geared to young children in the Bois de Boulogne called Jardin d’Acclimatation. I grew up going there, my son also... it’s charming and wonderful.

Thanks for the replies thus far! Our apartment is a 5 minute walk from Luxembourg Gardens which I am thrilled about. I also have us penciled into going to Jardin d'Acclimation. I see it is being partially refurbished but is to re-open entirely on May 1st so we are hopeful they meet that goal. We get into Paris on May 23rd.

Chartes appeals to me because it is very attainable and isn't necessarily a full day's commitment if by chance it doesn't go over well with the boys but they are turning into good travelers. I will definitely look more closely into the other chateaux's. I am not overly familiar with Chantilly. Thanks again!

I am a parent who is somewhat at odds with the "kids' menu" idea of travel. Don't get me wrong--I took my children to Disneyland, to amusement parks, and places of relatively mindless fun, but Europe seemed to me to be a place where a family could travel as a family without seeking the lowest common denominator insofar as sights and events were concerned. For that reason, I never took my children to Euro-Disney or to the sights oriented to kids.

Instead, our travel was to places where the children (mine were 11 and 13 when we traveled abroad) were treated like little adults, and the events and places we enjoyed were not necessarily geared to providing a kid friendly experience, but which were generally fun or interesting to do for ALL the family. Yes, it is a slog to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but kids love it. The catacombs were amazing to them both. Macabre and weird things appeal. The OP has the right idea. Safety and comfort should be the primary concern, but riding trains is way cool in and of itself, so that would be something I would focus on.

In all the European countries there are amazing adventures. Until I researched it, I didn't realize that the Atlantic coast of France has some of the tallest sand dunes in the world. Crypts and tunnels abound around medieval churches and castles. Within Paris proper the warrens and winding lanes can be magical for children. For getting out of town and seeing something that childen will enjoy, Chartres gets my vote. The maze on the cathedral floor will entertain your boys for a long time. As an aside, I encouraged my children to shop in the food stores for something that they might like to eat (usually sweets). I would supervise their meandering, but generally let them pick one item each that appealed. Enjoy the expressions of wonderment and joy that ensues during the course of your travels.

As a mom and grandmother of children of a similar age and, having visited all the places mentioned, my vote goes to Provins #1, Chantilly #2.

I actually don't think you can go wrong with any of these options :)

A lot of fuss isn't made about the huge crowds at Versailles, but if you are prepared for them, you may find they don't bother you as much. Yes, there will be crowds, but unless you're going on a national holiday, they shouldn't be too terrible in late May (do check though--there are lots of holiday in May!). I went with my mom over Easter weekend last year and expected it to be horrible, but it really wasn't. The wait to get in was long--we came prepared with some podcasts to listen to while we waited--but once we got past the first few rooms, the crowds were ok. The chateau was by no means empty, but it wasn't unbearable. That being said, I can't imagine I'd ever go in June/July.... with kids, I might aim to go a day where the fountains are running and concentrate our time in the gardens and at le petit Trianon or the Hamlet---just seeing the outside of the chateau should impress them enough, and the extensive grounds are very enjoyable. They would probably greatly enjoy the animals roaming the farm. If you really want to see the inside, you can decide to pop in late in the afternoon if you see reduced crowds. I'd say the inside isn't really more impressive than other chateaux, and not sure I'd really take a 3 year old to any chateau anyway. So, if you want to visit Versailles, view it as a day on the estate!

Side note, if you want to avoid leaving Paris, as others said, look into the parks on the outskirts or La Villette. I find La Villette particularly interesting for kids.

Thanks again for the feedback everyone. We have ruled out Disney for a couple reasons. The first is that my parents just took my whole family and my sister's whole family to Disney World in Florida over Thanksgiving. We were very grateful for that but are disneyed out :-)

We also have plans to go to Jardin D'Acclimation while in Paris so that will be a unique theme park experience for the boys. I agree with a lot of the thoughts about chateaus. I am just not sure they will dig those as much as we would. I tend to like the towns themselves so am leaning towards a visit to Provins or Chartes.

Thanks again. Love the feedback.

Hi Luke, this is too far to travel for a day trip in May but if you return to France with your sons, you might want to think about visiting the Château de Guédelon. They are building a castle using the techniques and materials used in the Middle Ages. We were there a few years ago and found it to be very interesting. The planned completion date is 2020. I bet the kids would love it. It's about 3 hours from Paris but you'd probably need a car to get there.

Another idea might be a visit to Amboise. It's a nice little town on the Loire with a castle and the chateau (Clos Luce) where Leonardo Da Vinci spent the last few years of his life. You can take the train from Paris. Very nice.

Hope you have a great trip!