Ah, Paris. It’s a beautiful city to visit, both with your littles and without them. And with so much preserved history and allure, it never seems to lose its charm (except, of course, when you consider France’s history as a colonizer…).
We visited the capital with our extended family, which meant there were nine of us in total! And it being most of the group’s first time in Europe (including for our 20-month old), we did our best to tour the “must-sees” on everyone’s bucket list.
Going as a group had the added bonus of having spare hands to help with childcare! It gave my partner and I the space to do a date-night–at bedtime we left our kid with her aunts and uncle while we went out for dinner in Montmarte. This was our baby’s first international trip, but certainly not her last!
Below are our top recs for visiting the “City of Lights,” and making the most out of your family trip!
Click to jump ahead to
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Trip Purpose & Details
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Getting There
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Base Cost
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Before You Go & What We Packed
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Things to Note
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Where to Stay
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Top Recommended Activities
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Where to Eat
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Other Worthwhile Activities (if you have time)
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Places You Can Skip
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Wishlist for our Next Visit
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Itinerary
We acknowledge France’s history as a colonizer of many lands. The oldest known inhabitants of Paris were of the Gallic tribe Parisii.
Trip Purpose
Do a multi-family trip to Paris, especially while our 20 month old could still fly free!
Getting There
Paris is an 11-hour direct-flight from SFO. You can fly into any of the three airports:
- Paris-Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG)
- Paris Orly Airport (ORY)
- Paris Beauvais–Tillé Airport (BVA)
On a long-haul you will likely be routed through CDG or ORY, with ORY being slightly closer to the city center.
Check out our BBA Guide to Traveling by Plane to read on about how we kept our toddler content during the 11-hour flight.
We have also tried traveling to Paris by train from London–more on that in a later post!
AGES OF THE KIDS: 20 months & 7 years
SUGGESTED LENGTH OF STAY: 5+ days
TIME OF YEAR: There are great deals on flights for visits in March or April, so we visited in mid-April. We do what we can to avoid summer travel, since European summers can be hot and flights can be quite expensive!
BASE COST
- Flights: ~$450+/person from SFO (We bought our tickets during a sale in October for a visit the following April)
- Accommodations: ~€100+/night
- Metro/public transportation:
We opted to purchase tickets as needed, rather than purchasing a pass, as our itinerary didn’t lend itself to unlimited metro travel. We also opted to walk, when time permitted.- A 5-day Paris Visite travel pass is ~€40/adult if you remain within the city’s zones 1-3.
- Museum Pass (see below):
- 2 days: €52 (savings if you visit at least 4 museums)
- 4 days: €66 (savings if you visit at least 5 museums)
- 6 days: €78 (savings if you visit at least 6 museums)
- Food: ~€40/person/day (assuming you’ll be eating out at least once a day and buying groceries, too)
Add-Ons: Shopping & souvenirs
Before You Go
All optional, if you’d rather play it by ear:
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Buy your flights
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Book your hotels
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Make restaurant reservations
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Make tour reservations
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Purchase a Museum Pass
What We Packed
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Plane ride essentials
- Travel carseat (you could do without if you opt not to ride cars!)
- Umbrella stroller
- Ergobaby or soft baby carrier
- Passports 🙂
Things to Note
- Mind the Time Change: Paris is in the GMT+2 time zone, so is 9 hours ahead of Pacific Time. This was a steep stretch for our little one’s sleep cycle. By the time we got used to the time change, it was almost time to leave! If I could do it again I would attempt to start slowly inching our bedtimes and wake times closer to our destination times, just to ease the transition slightly.
- Consider Purchasing a Museum Pass: As is the case with most metropolitan destinations, Paris offers a “pass” which you can purchase to grant you entry to select museums at a discounted rate (see above for prices). We purchased a 4-day pass, which we used for admission (and in some cases, such as at the Musée d’Orsay, line privileges) at the museums below marked with an *asterisk. We did manage to save overall on admission prices, but at the cost of feeling the pressure to use the pass and visit the museums in a timely manner–sometimes two per day!
- To Stroll or Not to Stroll: The stroller was both essential and such a pain to get up and down staircases, such as those in Metro stations. Thankfully we had extra hands to help bring the stroller (with our kid in-tow!) up and down the stairs. We also brought our Ergobaby carrier on days we didn’t want to bother with the stroller.
- Learn the Local Language: It certainly helps! I remember one interaction I had with a post office clerk who refused to respond to me when I tried to speak with them in English! It took a couple of tries and coaching from them but I was finally able to ask for and purchase some stamps. It was a humbling experience, and a good reminder that you shouldn’t assume English is the preferred language. We always encourage our fellow travelers to do their best to learn the local language, out of respect for the culture and local populations.
Where to Stay
When considering where to stay in Paris you should look into the different neighborhoods (arrondissements) which each offer their own features and personalities. We had actually floated the idea of staying one night at a hotel with the view of the Eiffel Tower, but couldn’t stomach the $300+/night rate. Maybe next time 😉
Le 20 Prieure Hotel (~€100/night)
We decided to stay on the outer edge of Le Marais in the 11th Arrondissement at the reasonably priced and modern-styled Le 20 Prieure Hotel. Looking back, it was an ideal location for its proximity to Place de la Republique, a square full of restaurants as well as a convenient metro stop. At the same time, the hotel was off of the main drag, so we didn’t get as much street noise as we would’ve in a more central location. Finally, the hotel featured those iconic balconies from which you could admire the surrounding buildings and streets.
We did at times find the one hotel elevator slow and inconvenient, so we sometimes took the stairs back to our rooms.
On future visits I might look into staying more central in Le Marais (recommended by other parents!) or the more touristy Montmarte, since I like the combination of quaint neighborhoods that are still conveniently located. We may have tried staying at an AirBnb flat to get a better feel of what it’s like to actually live in the city, but separate hotel rooms seemed like a better deal, considering the added privacy per family and a better bathroom-to-person ratio 🙂
Recommended Activities
Here are our recs for your first visit to the City of Lights
La Tour d’Eiffel
Unless it’s really not your thing, it would be a shame to visit Paris for the first time without visiting the iconic Eiffel Tower. I love the way that the Tower can be seen from so many points of the city. Catching a glimpse of it was always a source of joy and excitement for me, kinda like an easter egg 🙂 (Funny, because we happened to be in Paris for Easter!) Pack a picnic lunch to enjoy on the grass (a favorite of our 2-year-old), marvel at the sweeping views form the top of the tower, or catch a glimpse of the glittering tower at night. Check out our blog on all things La Tour d’Eiffel for more!
Trocadero
This is one of the best spots to get photos of the Eiffel. It provides a clear view of the tower, while also providing enough distance to allow your photo subjects to be in full view. Good luck getting one without other people in it, though—it gets crowded here!
*Musée du Louvre
Where else are you gonna get that selfie of the Mona Lisa looking smaller-than-life? 😉 Rather than going through the main pyramid entrance, we went through one of the three other entrances (Porte des Lions). This entrance had virtually no line, so getting through was a breeze. However, it seemed much further removed from the more popular areas of the museum, so it took us a bit of time to find our bearings. We made a beeline for the Mona Lisa, which took the better part of an hour. Our time in the Louvre was also the point at which our toddler decided to have a loud crying tantrum, so we felt a bit sheepish trying to calm her in the middle of one of the rooms but did our best until she was able to calm herself down! Turned out she needed a nap…
*Musée de L’Orangerie
I did a brief study of Monet in my youth so I was very excited to see the panoramic painting of the water lillies. I wish I had spent more time there to just sit and be consumed by the art. Plus, it’s way less crowded than most of the other museums! Our kid was sleeping in the stroller for most of our visit, though I think she would’ve had a blast admiring the blurry impressionist images. Thankfully they have little toddler-height railings to keep little bodies from getting too close to the art. Also be sure to get a shot of La Tour d’Eiffel in the distance when you exit!
*Musée d’Orsay
Works from Picasso, Degasse, Monet, and other artists (many of the Impressionist era) await you at this art museum, housed in a former train depot. I loved seeing people stand next to the giant clock face, as well as visiting the outdoor terrace with a view of the Seine and the Sacre Coeur in the distance. Our kid enjoyed walking through the galleries. We also had fun looking at a neat miniature of the museum that was displayed beneath the glass floor.
Walk along the Seine or waterway
River walks always get me. They’re so romantic, refreshing, and give cities a breath of open space and the freshness of flowing water. We stopped by Passarrelle Bichat and the playground the the Square des Recoletts on the way to lunch at Chez Prune. We caught a boat going through a canal lock, as well as some photos next to the colorful storefront of clothing store Antoine et Lili. We also had a lovely dinner in a boat along the Seine at La Nouvelle Seine restaurant, which was adjacent to La Notre Dame.
Eat croissants, crepes, and cheese!
Need we say more?
Check out our recs in the section below!
Where to Eat
So many delicious eats, so little time! Below are our favorite nibbles and meals.
Angelina (~€25+/person)
We visited Angelina twice during our six-day stint in Paris: once at the location in the Palace of Versailles, and the other on our to visit the Louvre. We would not trade in either experience!
Versailles Angelina (read about our experience here) was among a few of the only sit-down restaurants on the grounds, and despite the high price-point it was worth it in our book to have a sit-down hot meal and rest our tired legs (especially after carrying our toddler around in the Ergobaby for most of the day…). We were amazed to find that Angelina had the most beautiful high chair we’d ever seen at a restaurant. Plus, compared to the to-go section of the restaurant, there was no wait! And who can resist the thick chocolat chaud? We definitely bought the mix to enjoy back home 🙂
Laduree (~€7/person)
Every offering from Laduree feels quality and special. Get your fill of macarons and sweet treats wrapped in special gift boxes at this French institution. Laduree has outposts at Charles de Gaulle International Airport (and L.A., New York, D.C., and Florida), which was a pleasant surprise because it allowed me to purchase a couple of last-minute macarons/gifts that I didn’t have a chance to get in town. Plus, buying gifts at the airport means you don’t have to carry your goodies until you’re at your gate! I can’t say this is my favorite-ever macaron place (Miette Patisserie in the Bay Area still holds that place in my heart), b