Winter in Paris itinerary with kids feedback

Posted by jenn.lee.morse on 12/14/21 03:01 PM

Would love to get feedback on our plans with kids (4 and 6). We've traveled with our kids before and my husband and I have been to Paris without kids long ago (20 years!) We tried to balance highlights with downtime and know we will be scraping the surface of the city. Wondering how much time to budget for some of the christmas specific things and if I'm overestimating how much attention our kids will have for museums..

Our planned itinerary
Day 1: arrive early, get settled (phone, pass sanitaire, hotel check in), cafe for lunch, maybe short nap, evening eifell tower and market nearby

Day 2: View outside notre dame, Saint Chappelle, break for snacks and playground, louvre highlights, hotel rest, tuilleres christmas market

Day 3: long day. 1 hr early train to Versailles, inside highlights, cafe on site, afternoon 1 hr train to Chatres for evening light show and wandering. Late train back (prepare to carry sleeping kids)

Day 4: empty morning to sleep in, hotel breakfast, late morning Montmare walk. galleries lafayette for lunch, early evening musee dorsay, maybe Champs elysses

Day 5: covid test, tentative possibilities back to tuilerres christmas markets, arch de Triumph, evening boat or bus tour if not too cold.

Posted by Claudia

Land of La

12/14/21 03:18 PM

9223 posts

https://www.toureiffel.paris/en

Before you book your airfare make sure its refundable.

Are you flying from the US or from somewhere else in Europe?

Have you checked and double checked Covid restrictions for places you desire to visit?

Remember in December sun sets early. Will be dark by 5pm

Posted by Erin E.

Florida

12/14/21 04:19 PM

276 posts

Hey there! We just got back from a 24-day trip to France that culminated with a week in Paris with our 4yo (turning 5 in Feb). This was his third trip to Europe but his first time in Paris.

I think your itinerary looks doable, with the exception of Day 3. I would seriously caution doing such a long day of Versailles AND Chartres. We had plans for Versailles and Chartres (different days) on our trip and scrapped both of them. We just weren't up for it. You know your kids best, but mine would have been a mess on such a long day with that much walking. I also know my kiddo would never fall asleep on a train, so he'd be up the whole time.

If you do want to do the Louvre (mine specifically requested it), I'd recommend going first thing in the morning (you will need to reserve a timeslot). We arrived right at 9:30, when it wasn't crowded. By the time we were leaving at 12, crowds were almost unbearable, especially near the highlights. It's hard for me to enjoy a museum when I'm worried about also keeping track of my kiddo in a crowd. Also check out the Louvre kids website - they have great videos that explain the history of the Louvre and info on various pieces. My son watched them all, then enjoyed seeing them in person. https://louvrekids.louvre.fr/gallery/c/0

Another place my kiddo loved is the playground in Luxembourg Gardens. It's called LudoJardin. There is a cost to get in - 3 euros/kid, 1 euro/adult - but it's a great playground and comes with free, clean bathrooms, and a controlled entry/exit which made me happy. Luxembourg is also a great place to run around and experience French culture - we stayed for awhile watching people play boules and struck up conversation with some of the locals.

One other tip I have is for lunch - try and get to cafes right when they open at 12, and definitely before 12:30. Places start filling up with locals and people with reservations around 1pm, but by getting there early, we never had any problems getting a table.

If you have any other questions, I'm more than happy to share our experience!

Posted by mimieprice

12/14/21 04:22 PM

38 posts

We did an evening Seine cruise last week (it was around 5pm w/ the Bateaux Mouches company) and it was great! We spent most of the time on the inside (where you still have a great view and it is nice and warm) and then went outside for the Eiffel Tour at the very end. The Tuileries Xmas market had lots of carnival type rides that the kiddos might enjoy too.

Posted by Southam

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

12/14/21 08:16 PM

4088 posts

One small factor to consider, especially with small children. You will be experiencing some of the shortest days of the year, with sunrise just before 9 a.m. and sundown just before 5 pm.

Posted by Elizabeth

L'Occitanie, France

12/14/21 11:01 PM

10625 posts

My kids were fascinated by the churches, sculptures, arches, flying buttresses, stain glass windows. If I had to choose, it would be Chartres over Versaille.

Posted by travel4fun

Bend, Oregon

12/17/21 04:32 AM

2545 posts

Is day 1 your arrival day from the US, or are you coming from somewhere else in Europe? Don’t under estimate jet lag. Maybe just wander a bit and do the river cruise in the evening. Save the tower for the daytime. It might be freezing up there at night.

Day 3 does not look pleasant for adults, let alone kids. Pick one or the other, don’t try to do both, especially on the same day.

Don’t underestimate the COLD. We were there over Thanksgiving in 2019. We did the 1 hr river cruise. That was fun, and you can stay inside to stay warm, then move upstairs outside to see the tower. We did a Christmas lights open air bus tour and froze our fannies. It was about 30 degrees and of course we sat upstairs. Sooooo cold. They provide blankets, but if you do it really bundle up. Thermals, hats, gloves, etc. No joke.

The Christmas market at Tuileries had an ice rink and Ferris wheel. We liked it much more than the one at La Defense.

Not that you need any more in your busy schedule, but you might consider the illuminated sculptures at the Jardins des Plants. The kids would probably like that better than the bus tour or boat ride.