Paris in March with three kids

Forget the Eiffel Tower if you do not have tickets the line is too long to wait with kids.
McDonalds, and the equivalent Quick restaurant is everywhere in Paris if you have trouble with finding place with items that the kids would like to eat.
The catacombs are a kid friendly site and adventures.
http://www.catacombes.paris.fr/en/homepage-catacombs-official-website

The lines for the Catacombs are a lot longer than the wait for the Eiffel Tower. I would hate to go to Paris and then subject the kids to junk food. Most brasserie and bistrots and cafes have menus that work fine for kids. You might try a crepe place like Josselin on Rue Montparnasse -- there are several crepe places on that street where you can get lovely dinner crepes and dessert crepes. You could probably split them between the younger kids. Basic fare like duck confit, cassolet, steak frittes etc are very kid friendly. Duck confit is basically fried chicken, except duck and usually comes with fries and a little salad. One of my favorites. With an apartment you can also do something like breakfast and dinner in and lunch out and restaurants have great lunch daily specials.

Butchers have take out roast chickens and potatoes and such and it is fun to shop in the markets, bakeries and cheese shops. Just having breakfast in the apartment will save a bundle. My husband and I like baguette and butter for breakfast and a baguette is only about a Euro. We have OJ, milk, coffee, hot chocolate in the apartment and I go out for bread to a nearby bakery each morning. It would be fun to take one of the kids each day to select pastries for breakfast (and perhaps 2 or 3 to split for dinner) There are probably a dozen different breakfast pastries in any bakery -- croissants, raisin snails, pain chocolate (all three of those usually come in miniature 60 cent sizes) and a variety of others including those with fruit, with chocolate, with cream cheese etc etc. You can eat like a king for a fraction of the cost of 5 cafe breakfasts. And of course can add yogurts and such that give you a little more protein staying power.

My daughter at 10 loved the climb of the Notre Dame tower to see the gargoyles IMHO worth the long wait once in a lifetime. Get there half an hour before it opens. I'd do the Eiffel Tower; the kids will never forget it and you should be able to find a time without too crazy a line in March.

The official website of the Catacombes states that kids under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult. Also, it states that younger children who might be "sensitive or impressionable" might be frightened by what they see.

It's a long, long wait to get in here, only about 200 people are allowed in at one time. I walk by a few times a day, and there is a line wrapping around the block.

Here are some photos of the steps going down - yes, there are places where it is very dark - and it's about one mile and a quarter walking through the corridors, then going back up the other stairs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Z-wtwMUY7A

We got tickets ahead with our kids for the catacombs and when right in at the scheduled time. Not certain if they are still available Our kids loved the boat rides on the seine, climbing notre dame, catacombs, and markets. They also liked the archeological museum and the boys liked the army museum.

As for food they loved crepe places and eating from a market too. My kids eat pretty well and French restaurants always have frites so they wont starve.

I'm in Paris now and it hasn't been dreary at all for the last 2 wks. Blue skies and sun almost every day. Some days have been in the low 60s, but mostly mid 50s. A couple in the high 40s. We've had no rain to speak of, a few minutes of rain 3x in 2 wks. If you all have a warm coat, warm gloves, warm scarf and warm hat you'll be fine. We have not needed thermal shirts or leggings. Just our regular clothes with the above.
Most all cafés have kid menus as some have said. Chicken nuggets, pasta with butter or tomato sauce, crêpes, croque monsieur or croque madame, pizza., omelettes... There are lots and lots of cafés in the Marais and most everywhere in Paris, you just have to walk along a block and read menus which are always outside.
I think your kids will like the playground at the Luxembourg Gardens. My son loved it when he was 11. The Marais is very fun and there's a carousel at the St Paul mêtro stop area. There's a wonderful, small, very French amusement park called the Jardin d'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne on the western side of Paris. They'll also enjoy mêtro rides, going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and so much more. Paris is fun for kids, well, most kids... if they're open to new places and new things.

For packing bring layers and something waterproof, maybe hat and gloves. Google the weather a few days before you go to get an idea. This can also help you plan your week. If you see a wet day more than others plan that to be museum day or other indoor activities and save the parks for the drier looking days.

We are going in July. My kids are 12 and 9 These are the places I have earmarked for food:
- Ble sucre (pastries, macarons)
- Berthillion glacier ( ice cream)
- L'eclair de genie
- Pierre Herme (pastreis. macarons)
- Laduree
- Angelina for the hot chocolate
- L'as du falaffel.... if your kids like falafel this is supposed to be amazing!
- le 404
- Cafe de Flore

We are not fast food types and my kids are not picky so I do not look for specific 'kids' menu"

have fun!

We took our then 10 and 12 year old granddaughters to Paris recently. They are adventuresome eaters at home and don't eat fast food. Paris was ideal for them and they almost always ate from the adult menu because they wanted to try "French" food and not pasta, chicken nuggets and frites. We were staying in an apartment and the youngest one got up early every morning to head to the boullangerie to make our varied selection, a highlight of her trip!

The girls liked the parks, especially Luxembourg Garden. They liked a Seine cruise and renting bicycles from the many stations all over Paris. We went to Musee D'Orsey which they loved. They had read a few books and seen a few movies about Paris before we went and were really wanting to see several monuments and specific works of art. It was a great trip and I know your three will enjoy it. It's a great age to take them to Paris.

PS our granddaughters really liked the challenge of the kid's scavenger hunt book, Mission Paris, that we modified for our daily outings.

Have you considered going to Versailles? The gardens are so beautiful and your family can rent a golf cart to get you around the estate. If you do not secure tickets for the Catacombs you can always get in line early (like 8am) and be one of the first groups in (probably by 10am). Another option for skip the lines at the Eiffel Tower is to sign up for the tour on their website, which is only a few euros more. There is also Disneyland...

Thank you Mona for mentioning the Mission Paris book..... just added to my amazon wish list for my kids' Easter baskets :)

Tickets for the Eiffel Tower had sold out in advance online when we were there last summer. We went through Viator and found a fast track/skip the line tour. There are multiple ones and a few go to the top level. I think Fat Tire who does bike tours also conducts a skip the line tour.

For crepes, try Breizh Cafe in the Marais. Skip the giant line of tourists at L'as du Falafel and head directly across the street to Mi Va Mi - really good, and if the kids don't eat falafel, they have things like grilled chicken/meat on pita bread with fries. Both Breizh and Mi Va Mi are super casual.

For a little fancier, but still kid friendly, try Le Souffle in the 1st Arrondissement. They have some very basic savory dinner souffles that a kid would eat, and they also have things like chicken on the menu if they'd rather have that and a dessert souffle.

Don't cater all your dining options to the kids. My mom refused to do that with me when I was that age in Europe and I discovered that I actually really liked eating things like roasted rabbit, escargot and octopus. If hungry enough, they'll try something new.

Great tip Mona!

Golf carts are super expensive at Versailles, like 34 Euros per hour. We did rent a golf cart 10 yrs ago for medical reasons but we think it's much more fun to rent bikes (by the Grand Canal) to get around and the rates are reasonable (can't remember exactly how much). They have many choices in bikes... adult bikes, kid bikes, tandem, baskets, helmets, locks, etc. You just have to leave your Driver's License with them.

My son and his friends went to the top of the Eiffel Tower a few evenings ago w/o tickets and the wait was short. Maybe 15 min max. Don't know about March but I suspect it's the same as now and on a weekday I don't think it will be a problem.

Whatever you decide about ET, you may find (as we did) that standing near the base of the tower noshing on crepes from a stand nearby and watching the twinkle at the top of the hour after dark on your first day in Paris is magical enough in itself. We did have tickets and went up, but loved being under it, looking up, almost as much. You can get a beautiful view over the city from the steps at Montmartre. It is certainly kid-friendly, and there have always been various street performers, guys doing tricks with soccer balls, etc. when we have been there.
As for food, crepes, croque monsieur with a little salad on the side, etc. is available everywhere, and most kids will eat that. I agree that eating breakfast and dinner in is easy and economical. We frequently eat lunch as our main meal out, even through our children are young adults now. When you do go out for dinner, plan to go to early -- around 7 -7:30 -- and you should be fine. We have enjoyed picniking in the various parks with food we pick up at markets along the way. My son (15 on his first trip) discovered that baguette with butter and ham is his FAVORITE sandwich anywhere, and that's available at street-side markets everywhere. Take along a big scarf that you can use as a picnic blanket, along with a small knife for slicing fruit (in a checked bag, obviously), and small sturdy plastic glasses to make picnicking easy. (Yes, you can get all of that there, but much cheaper if you bring with.) Look at trip reports in another part of this site for restaurant suggestions. I haven't been in March, but am pretty sure you will need layers. It can be hot or cold even in the summer.

The two younger kids might just split a sandwich, crepe or pastry - especially if they aren't crazy about it. Prices for these items when eaten in a cafe or restaurant can be expensive, so I'd ask them to share what they really want to eat.
Sodas, juice, etc cost about 5 to 7 EU. Tap water is free.

The Catacombs are not suitable for all young kids .. my 11 yr old refused the visit.. but my 13 yr olds loved it.. so a lot depends on your children.. many 7 yr olds may have nightmares after seeing a bunch of human bones.

The bike rental is a better idea for Versailles.. kids should be pedalling , not sitting on the golf carts which are actually meant for the more mobility impaired and elderly..

Do not go to Quick Burger.. its gross and serves mystery meat.. my kids wouldn't finish their burgers.. yes.. we tried it.. rather than McDs I thought we'd try a Europeon chain.. Quick is nasty.

Crepes are a great on the go cheap lunch.. buy one from a cart or kiosk that pours them fresh.. I loved the ham and cheese ones.. that's closer to French fast food!
Also.. visit bakeries for sandwiches and quiches,, fresh made.

Not directly French food related...but this is a strategy I used with our group of six (2 kids, 4 adults) so that we could enjoy outings and restaurant time together. I packed a few familiar energy bars and kept a couple in my purse when we were out for the day and someone got a little hungry when others in the group weren't ready for a sit down meal. My theory was if one person stopped the group for a quick cafe "snack" it could cost 50€ or more for all 6 of us to sit and order a little something while the hungry one got satisfied or staved off a blood sugar dip.

Disneyland Paris, http://www.disneylandparis.com/en-us/

Park Asterix, https://www.parcasterix.fr/en

Thank you everyone for all your wonderful advice!

Last August we took our 3 grandchildren, ages 6, 10, and 18, and their mother to Paris for 10 days. We stayed in an apartment on Rue des Petits Carreaux, close to a Metro stop and adjacent to a Pedestrian Mall. We ate breakfast in the apt. every morning, often consisting of food we purchased from shops below. We also ate many dinners in the apt; We didn't cook, but bought take out food from the food places on our street: Rotisserie chicken, salads, etc. Lunch was the only meal we consistently ate out every day.

One of the best decisions I made was to book a bike tour for all 6 of us from Bike About Tours (discount in RS book) for a Sunday morning, when traffic is lighter. The 6 year old knows how to ride a bike, but he isn't street-smart, so he rode a tag-along with his mother. It was at the beginning of the trip, so we all appreciated getting a sense of the location of sights in Paris. We also bought discounted boat tickets through them at the end of the tour, and the kids really enjoyed that.

The 6 year old especially loved climbing Notre Dame, Arc d' Triumph, and he even wanted to climb Sacre-Coeur, but it was closed by the time we got there.
We bought Museum Passes (6 and 10 year old free), so we could return to sights, or leave after a few minutes.
Of special interest to them: Army Museum's armor room, as well as Napoleon's horse (stuffed). They even appreciated the Louvre and seeing Mona Lisa.

We rode the Metro whenever possible, to conserve energy for other activities.
We walked from the Louvre to the Arc d' Triumphe, with a stop at Laduree as enticement.
It was a very memorable trip for all.
Carol

Thank you Carol.

Hopefully, your apartment will have air-conditioning.
If not, you should ask the manager/owner for several fans - you will need them.
Failing that, you can go to BHV or Monoprix on rue de Rivoli and buy them yourself, for about 30 EU apiece.

You won't need AC or fans in March.

Even if you're just moderately fit, I highly recommend that you plan on walking up the stairs to 2nd level of ET. It's really not difficult and would be a great adventure for the kids - much more memorable than taking elevator. I also recommend Parc Monceau - has a lovely old carousel. For a rainy day "picnic," visit Marche des Enfant Rouges - an indoor market that has a sort of international food court - so kids can get what they want.
What an unforgettable adventure you're giving them!

If you have girls, look for the Musee de la Poupee (doll museum) a block or two from the Pompidou Centre, on the Marais side (there are some other toys too). The tween & teen daughters of a friend really enjoyed the Paris sewer tour (it's not nearly as gross as it sounds). The Louvre website has a section of self-guided tours called thematic trails which is a way to "manage" this huge museum.

When you say kid-friendly restaurants, do you mean kids' menu? For general pointers on choosing restaurants, look at my recent thread on Rome - the advice holds pretty much for any European city.

Also consider the Sewer Tour. It's on the museum pass. My kids loved it.