Paris in six days, need advice

Options for Paris Sights in 6 days
- utilising a 4 day Museum Pass**
(Note that this isn't 'kids' focussed but you may still find of use)

1. Paris Icons & Montmartre
   •Eiffel Tower
   •Notre-Dame de Paris
   •Sacré-Coeur & Montmartre
   •Pont Neuf & River Seine

2. Right Bank & Louvre**
   •Arc de Triomphe**
   •Place de la Concorde
   •Madeleine
   •Palais Garnier Opera
   •Tuileries Gardens+Orangerie**
   •Louvre Museum**

3. Latin Quarter & Orsay**
   •Cluny Museum**
   •Panthéon**
   •Luxembourg Gardens
   •Rodin Museum**
   •Invalides (Dome Church)**
   •Musee d'Orsay**

4. Le Marais & Pompidou**
   •Sainte-Chapelle**
   •Conciergerie**
   •Place des Vosges
   •Carnavalet Museum
   •Picasso Museum**
   •Centre Pompidou**

5. Chateau de Versailles**

6. Chartres or Giverny

I've been to Paris with each of my 3 kids, and here are some things they liked, and the first 2 are on the Museum Pass anyway:
1. 'la cité des sciences' (Metro=Porte de la Villette)- The exhibits vary from year to year, but 2 things that have always been available are:
touring a submarine, and a revolving room where you can throw a ball and watch it curve 90 degrees (in the upstairs math/physics area)
2. Sewer Tour ("Egouts" , near Orsay Museum) Google it.
3. Climbing a story or two of the Eiffel Tower. Will get rid of some excess energy.
4. Catacombs (Metro=Denfert Rochereau) I can't think of a boy that wouldn't like it, including this middle-aged boy.

Highly recommend you buy Rick Steves Paris guidebook. It is full of very valuable information that will be extremely useful to you which no one here can possibly match.

woinparis, Rick Steves explains so many things that are invaluable for a first time visitor.... how to do everything, from A to Z. This forum, imo, is for opinions, recommendations, discussions, info that is not in a RS guide.

I do not think we can give this poster, who appears to have absolutely no foundation of Paris knowledge, all the info RS has in his Paris guide. I want this poster to have a great time in Paris, we can't cover everything they need to know here, and even I use Rick's guide sometimes.

I don't often recommend reading RS guide, I answer lots of questions here as you know, but once in a while the best recommendation, imo, is to read Rick's guide.

Of course, a first-time Paris visitor should get the latest Rick Steves guidebook. Susan is correct, this forum cannot cover all the valuable information it contains --and he does have a "Paris with Children" section that is very good.

djp posted a great itinerary. Day 3 includes Luxembourg Gardens. If that's of interest, consider organizing a picnic lunch and letting the boys rent the toy sailboats at the fountain/lagoon (easy to find; almost dead center.) There's a food stand nearby where we picked up decent sandwiches and drinks. Or, the neighborhood has dozens of sources of food and drink of all kinds. This website might help: https://parisbymouth.com/picnicking-in-the-luxembourg-gardens/ You may see signs on the lawns that forbid foot traffic, but if you look around you'll also find sections clearly designated for human use.

Also, viewing the afternoon traffic from the top of the Arc de Triomphe kept us entertained for an embarrassingly long period of time. (Your sons may have more sophisticated tastes.) The views are also terrific, especially back along the Champs-Élysées toward Place de la Concorde. Lots of dining opportunities nearby as well.

Finally, at many of the tourist sites, you might notice vending machines that dispense commemorative medallions with an image of the attraction. Not costly, easily packed for the return trip (about the size of an old US half dollar), and maybe something the boys would enjoy collecting. Mine from Notre Dame, the Arc, etc. hold down valued real estate on my desk. (Again, your sons may have more sophisticated.......) Bon Voyage! What a great opportunity for you and the guys.

Even with the nice itinerary outlined above, the OP should get Rick's guidebook and/or maybe even the Michelin Green Guide so she and her children know how to get around, and have some background information about what they are seeing. A list of sights alone isn't enough. Travel should be enriching and for that to happen, one needs knowledge, which means doing some homework. The children are old enough to be involved in the planning, too.