2 1/2 days in paris

I recommend reading RS Paris Guide, it'll be very helpful. I like staying in the 4th (Marais), 5th (Latin Quarter) and 6th arrondissements. Lots of fun things for 11 and 13 yr olds... sightseeing boats, batobus, hop-on hop-off bus, Eiffel Tower, climbing to the top of Notre Dame, the metro, the Luxembourg Gardens (playground, donkey rides, tennis, and more), the Jardin D'Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne (an old fashioned and fun amusement park), Fat Tire Bike tours, street entertainers at night by Notre Dame,
catacombs, sewer tour, going to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, ferris wheel and rides in the Tuilleries Gardens, and lots more.

I agree with Susan about the areas to stay in. Since you have such a short time there, it will be very important to have a plan. Not necessarily a strict schedule...at 9:00 Eiffel Tower, at 10:15 Notre Dame...but read a guidebook, list the things you would like to do and then group those things by area. Have priorities set, because there is no way you can see everything. Don't feel like you have to do something because it is expected. If you don't like museums, don't waste your time going to them. Your kids are old enough to read about Paris, so let them have some input. Just don't let them know they have a Disneyland there!!!!!

Check out the stained glass windows in Notre Dame, Sacre Couer and St Chapelle- even if yiou dont see anything else in those churches. Tuileries gardens, "playing" in the fountains on Place Concorde.
For only 2 and half days- Dont stay rue Cler - not in center of anything- go with Marais, Islands, Opera or possibly Latin Quarter. Try the ethnic foods on the left bank and Crepes wherever you find them. Croque Monseur sandwiches in the shadow of Notre Dame. And with 11 and 13 year old is a good excuse for a short boat ride. I also love looking down Montmartre steps from in front of Sacre couer- nice little trolley car ride up to there from pigalle

Stay in the Rue Clar neighborood (7th district) and you'll be able to allow your kids at their ages go out on their own without worry.

Rue Cler area is no safer than the rest of Paris.

Not only is Rue Cler no safer, but in my opinion it is further from most of the tourist attractions. With such a short visit, location will be very important for you. I wouldn't let my kids that age wander around my own town, let alone a foreign country.

Hello, Ellen, We took our then 13,11 and 9 1/2 year old kids to Paris for a first trip in August, 2009. Top picks - Notre Dame (hey, it was a Disney movie!); Baton Mouche ( a boat ride on Seine), the ferris wheel at the Tuilleries (right out front of the Louvre - the best view of all of Paris!); the Musee D'Orsay; They also loved Saint Chapelle. We also had a family picnic on the lawn across from the Eiffel Tower - there is a little park there with donkey carts (or there were on the day we were there.) We walked up the stairs at the Eiffel Tower because the line was short and we thought that would be cool. It was a little unerving for us because you can see through the stairs so I would take the elevator next time. We did not go into the Louvre because we were more interested in seeing the city and how the people lived. We did stop at the reflecting pool by the Pyramid entrance to rest and admire the view. We stayed in the 6arr on Rue Daupine and every night after dinner we walked the little streets. There were tons of people out - shops lit up, cafes, ice cream shop. The boys liked that and I thought it was very Parisian. I am nuts about safety but never felt it was an issue. Tip with kids, if I may. We did smaller restaurants, early seating (7:00 p.m) and we would split 3 prie fix meals for five of us. That way everyone tried something and there was something everyone found to like. We never had a problem with the wait staff in doing this - we tried to explain so that we did not appear rude and we were not eating at fancy restaurants - mostly local bistros for traditional fare. Have a great trip!

PS - I should add that our kids were never wandering on their own - my husband and I were always within eyesight. I just meant that they were not right by our sides at all times. We could wait in front of the ice cream shop, etc. while they went in. That type of thing.

I always stay in the Passy neighborhood, which is as kid-friendly as you'll find in a large city. Recommend l'Hotel Hameau, at 48 rue de Passy. They have family rooms, and the neighborhood itself is full of kids. There's a school a few blocks away, and we love grabbing a coffee at le Passy (bistro) and watching the kids walk to school with their parents. l"hotel Hameau is across the street from a classy new "mall" that features toy stores and a supermarket with easy, cheap, take-out options to eat in the hotel room - eating out with kids can be stressfull as well as budget-busting! A couple of blocks from the hotel is the local movie theatre (the Majestic), in case you need a movie night. And there is a McDo close by, if your kids rebel against Parisian food. :o) Cool, kid-friendly museums: le Carnevalet (the museum of the City of Paris), housed in an old mansion in le Marais. It has neato old stuff, including a death mask of Napolean and some models of le Bastille, etc., that kids would groove on. And it is FREE. Also FREE - the Petit Palais, which always seems to be full of school groups, and has a lovely collection that's edited enough to be a fairly quick visit. Finally, I would take 11 and 13 year olds to Centre Pompidou. Check out their website, but the last time I was there I remember a kids area with art projects....? Can anyone else comment on this? Also for children - there's an adorable carousel on each end of Pont d'Iena - which is of course the bridge right at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. You can hop on a Batobus at Pont d'Iena, too. Also great fun for kids - watching the toy sailboats in the Tuilleries, riding the huge ferris wheel at Place de la Concorde, getting a crepe from an outdoor stand, and perhaps the crypts? Have fun! What an adventure!