Paris or Venice Mother/Young Daughter Trip??

let daughter flip a coin

I have a colleague and her husband who took their three kids ages 2, 6 and 9 to Venice and had a marvelous time. They took the older two to Paris a few years ago and had a great time there. They love to experience things through their children’s eyes.

So no help.

But I really think having a great time with a 6 year old is more about how you approach things and knowing when to take a rest. You can’t see the same things as you would with another adult. But then that is the whole point. I would go to which city you want to show her most.

You don't say exactly when you will be travelling.
I normally visit Venice before Easter, but last year went in August. The crowds were horrendous, so I think what it would be like for someone the height of a six year old - especially on the vaporetti.
My pick would be Paris, where you can find more space.
Except the ice cream would be better in Venice!

Is Francie in to Madeline books and whatnot? (I know there are more than the books now!)

I think the exact timing would be important per Lin C's comments. The vaporettos are crowded enough for an adult and might be overwhelming for a smaller kiddo.

What a fun, fun trip for you all!

Two lovely choices! I am going to vote for Venice. You don't foresee another trip like this for you two in a long time, and Venice is the more precarious of the two options. It is magical to be in a city made up of islands and bridges. A gondola ride, if you time it right, could be another magical memory. Glassblowing on Murano is memorable. You can mitigate the crowd issue by going out earlier or later, avoiding St Mark's Square during cruise ship rush hours, and focusing on the back alleys and outer islands at mid-day. It really depends on how sturdy your daughter is, and I know you'll have a wonderful adventure either place.

Paris.

Venice is great, but no where is Paris.

Paris .....

Paris…..Eiffel Tower, boat ride, gelato shops that make cones like flower petals, there are merry go rounds all over the city, crepes, all the fountains and there’s always Paris Disney.

Another vote for Paris. I have been to both, but only to Paris with my kids when they were seven (about seven years ago), and they loved it. They loved going to Versailles with the boats, shopping on our street for dinner (bread here, cheese there, pastries here, and fruit there, etc.), walking up the stairs of the Eiffel Tower, and even getting there early and being in the front row for the Mona Lisa. Hopefully the tower at Notre Dame will be opened by the time of your trip to see the great views and the gargoyles and statues up there.

Paris, Paris, Paris.....hands down!

Paris with all its parks. Great “play” breaks for a 6 year old plus the iconic sites.

That is a difficult choice. Paris, as you know, is very special. But for a 6 year old child, possibly it is a bit more to bite off than Venice might be. Venice charms in a way that few other places can. There are no cars, subways, taxis, trolleys or other noisy traffic to contend with there. It is special in it's existence, never mind for all there is to see. I say that knowing that Paris is absolutely one of my favorite places, but I'm an adult and I have been around the world countless times.
One caution I always offer for Venice. Murano ain't all it's cracked up to be. I remember the first time I visited. I had heard all kinds of stories about glass blowing and this great little island. I was never more disappointed in any place in Italy than there. It was tourist trap. Expensive imported glass trinkets for sale and even more pricey locally made glass. I could not wait to leave. Burano, yes, it is beautiful, Murano, no.... If you want to enjoy a great glass blowing experience, go to Corning Glass in the Finger Lakes or find a place in Venice and save the expectation that Murano will be some kind of enlightening experience. IMHO

I have to vote Venice because I was just there with my 6-year-old granddaughter and she loved it. Take a look at the Venice sections of my trip report —- we also took her and her older brother to Bologna and Rome, but my impression was that although they enjoyed both cities, it was doing kid stuff in both rather than the cities themselves. —-https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/bologna-ferrara-venice-rome-in-december-with-kids

What a wonderful decision to have. My vote is Venice. We stay in Cannaregio, on the quiet back canals. There are no crowds, yet just a short walk to the vaporetto on the Grand Canal.
You have no wrong decisions!

Venice is one of my favorite cities and one I’ve been to multiple times, but I would personally choose Paris.

Some ideas:
Luxembourg Garden is my favorite & also has a children’s playground
Dress up for a special cafe experience or the hot chocolate
Have a fresh macaron..or two
The Eiffel Tower
Definitely one of the evening boat rides
There’s so many beautiful places for art. For her age, I would pick one of the less busy ones, such as Musée Jacquemart-André

Just a note - the gelato shaped into flower petals if you order a cone is the Amorino Gelato. They have shops in Venice & Paris. There’s one near the side entry of the Luxembourg Garden.

If you’re in Venice, go to Suso Gelato. ; ). A day trip from Venice could be to go to Ferrara. There’s a castle in the historical center. Or Verona is very nice with the beautiful pink street granite & the Roman Arena.

The great thing is there’s no wrong choice! Have a great time!