Going to Paris for a week in March with my granddaughter and her aunt, both 13ish. Has anybody else done so and what sights were most "favorable" and "not so" for teenaged girls. Of course my wife will be with me. We'll be staying out at Isle de France, a Marriott timeshare and will travel in each day on the train.
Posted by
Atlanta
800 posts
Funny thing is that for many teens the things they enjoy seeing are the things they have seen in pictures or heard about their whole life. Top site for my kids in Paris was the Eiffel Tower. They were disappointed that we did not get to go to the very top so try to plan that if possible (lines were WAY too long when we were there). They liked the Musee D'Orsay over the Louvre for the fabulous Impressionist paintings there. We enjoyed the Catacombs (this is something I would not have done if my son had not mentioned it) and the Jardins Luxomberg because this is where some school French tapes were filmed. Notre Dame and oh - sorry, forgot - the church that has the fabulous stained glass windows. I'm sure you will be able to figure that out from a guidebook.
Other than that, the very act of strolling along the Seine and the Champs d'Lysee (please excuse all my misspellings - my kids do French, not me!). They liked the food, especially chocolate in all forms.
Posted by
SF Bay Area, CA
2030 posts
I agree with the post above. But have your tweens read some books and identify what they like.
Eiffel Tower is a must, going to the 2nd level is fine and the best view in my opinion. Be sure to see the light show at night also.
See Notre Dame -- perhaps hike up to the tower where the gargoyles are. Stroll the islands. Have lunch in cute cafes (Angelina for sure!) and if the weather is nice, perhaps take a Seine cruise.
Might want to work in a little shopping too!
Posted by
Ballston Lake, NY, USA
157 posts
My 13 year old (a boy) really liked the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. The second level of the Eiffel Tower is the best view but the kids really want to see the top level. He liked Sacre Ceour and the surrounding area there quite a bit as well. Rick has a suggested walk in that are which was quite nice. Overall the museums were of less interest but seeing (via abbreviated tours) the Louvre and D'Orsay were fun - mainly becuase I have some prints from there and the kids liked finding the originals - the hunter in the male I suppose. Versailles was a bigger hit than the kids thought it would be so I would include that too. If they have an interest in History Les Invalides is fascinating and/or you could take an overnight and see the beaches in Normandy. I did that withnout kids but it is terrific
Posted by
Anaheim, CA, USA
10 posts
Though a bit garrish, you might add a lunch at Hard Rock Cafe ... our three teenage boys loved paris - tower, the quick Louve tour, et al ... but had to get a Hard Rock Cafe T-shirt and food.
Posted by
Camas, WA, USA
166 posts
Hi Ed!
One idea would be to take the girls on a day trip to the Palace of Versailles. Seeing a real palace could be exciting for the girls (wall of mirrors, etc) – plus you could amp them up by having them watch Marie Antoinette before they leave (though I believe it’s PG-13, so with your discretion only). At the Palace of Versailles, you can rent little golf carts to drive around the gardens with; fun for everyone! Plus, we collected a picnic worth of food from the Rue Cler market before hand, as Rick recommends, and ate it in the palace gardens - which was a really memorable experience.
Also, consider taking the girls on a night cruise of the river Seine. The boat ride is fun and surprisingly well priced.
I also want to second the vote for taking the girls to see the Eiffel Tower at night. Get them a banana and nutella crepe (ok I’m partial to that kind), and sit on the grass in the park with everyone else and just watch it sparkle and light up.