Top Ten Sites To See In Paris With Children

Paris, aside from being known as the most romantic city in the world, is also known for having other significant attractions that are all a ‘must-see’ for every potential visitor especially for families. Here are top ten sites to see in Paris especially if you are traveling with the family and the children:

1. The Eiffel Tower. If there is one family vacation in Paris attraction that can serve as a synonym to describe the city, this would be it. Tourism studies say that the number of visitors who visit Paris just to see the tower reaches beyond six million. So, if you plan to be part of this huge statistic, it is important that you take the chance to take a ride on the lift to the top and be amazed of the city’s views that can only be considered as a once in a lifetime experience.

2. The Louvre. Built in 1973, it is not only iconic for being one of the most ancient museums in the entirety of Europe but also the place where you can find the famous ‘Mona Lisa’ painting.

3. Pompideu Centre. This attraction places second after Eiffel Tower in the most visited site’s list. It’s where you’ll find a great combination of modern art, concerts, cinema and others forms of entertainment.

4. Cite Des Science Et De L’Industrie. A huge science museum that was constructed on a former abattoir location. This is visited by over 2 ½ million tourists annually.

5. Musee D’Orsay. This is a former railway station that is almost as big as The Louvre that houses a wide collection of impressionist paintings.

6. Arc De Triomphe. A monument that is not as tall as the Eiffel Tower, hence making it still possible to reach the top. This arch is in commemoration of Napoleon’s victories and his accomplishments.

7. Notre Dame. Another gem of Paris that you must prepare to climb due to its being one of the most impressive cathedrals in the world. This is included in every top list of the city’s attractions.

8. The Sorbonne and Latin Quarter. The center of the ancient Latin Quarter where iconic thinkers in the era of 1257 and old has been developed such as Jean Pail Satre, Rene Descartes, and Simone de Beauvoir.

9. Sail Down the Seine. A one hour boat trip for every visitor to see the city in a totally different light especially with the historical yet intimate scenery where the water shimmer like lights in the night.

10. Disneyland Resort Paris. This giant is composed of two main theme parks: the entertainment hub and seven hotels. Opened in 1992, it receives around 15 million excited guests to pass through its doors each year.

Remember, these are just ten out of the many more sites that one can consider to visit to complete their ideal Paris family vacation. But making these your priority in your list would really make your family vacation to Paris such a bonding experience to remember for a lifetime.

Top Paris Area Sites to See

Ok, you’ve been wandering in Paris for a few days, but what’s outside the city limits to see?  When you vacation in Paris, you want to make sure that you have at least one day reserved for outside the city limits.

• Palace of Versailles - The famous former palace of French kings.  Recently it has unndergone a face lift and it’s a beautiful spot to spend a day.  Wandering through the gardens for garden lovers is a great break.
• Château de Vincennes - A large medieval castle nearby the Bois de Vincennes.  A definite great day trip!
• La Défense - The largest businessand economic  district in Europe.
• Stade de France - The 80,000 seater stadium in which France best known for the win in the 1998 edition of the FIFA World Cup.
• Disneyland Resort Paris - The largest theme park in Europe and worth it for all Disney fans.
• Saint Denis Basilica - The burial site of the past French monarchs.
• Château de Fontainebleau - One of the largest of the French royal châteaux it was built by Francis I
• Château de Rambouillet - The summer residence of French presidents.
• Parc de Sceaux - A park located close to the 17th century Château de Sceaux
• Barbizon - a French village home to the Barbizon School of Painting
• Château Villette- Poplar with tourists, the château was  built in the 18th century

If it’s a first time visit to Paris, I would recommend either the Palace of Versailees or the Château de Vincennes.  If more time is available, then you might branch out to some of the other wonderful choices.

If you have any further suggestions, please send them to me or leave a comment and we’ll make sure that we add them to our lists here.

Paris Travel - The Louvre

Formally called Musée du Louvre and officially called the Grand Louvre, it is known in english as the Louvre Museum.  A well known national monument, the museum is housed in what is the Palais du Louvre.  Situated on the right bank of the Seine it is one of the major attractions of those on a Paris vacation.  However, it is not for the faint of heart!  It is simply huge.  And to think that you might wander through it all in one visit is near impossible.

In addition, in recent years it is more difficult to enter the Louvre.  You now much go through a security process that is rather extensive for a museum and due to the security the lines have become extremely long.  In my experience I’ve found that the best times are first thing in the morning and late in the afternoon to avoid waits of up to one hour.  The plus of the security process is that the museum is somewhat less crowded during a visit.

The museum was made even more famous due to the filming of scenes from the Da Vinci code in the museum.  Here’s a piece of trivia for you to mention while there to your fellow Paris travel partners, the museum made $2.5 million for allowing those scenes to be filmed.

Perhaps the most famous of all portraits in the Louvre, is Mona Lisa.  While worth a view so that you can see her up close, the rest of the museum is actually more interesting.  The museum is broken up into several collections.  These include:

• Egyptian
• Greece, Etruscan and Roman
• Near East
• Islamic Art
• Decorative Art
• Paintings
• Prints and Drawing

So whatever your interest, you are sure to find a collection or two to enjoy during your visit.  I recommend one or two collections at most during a visit and save the rest for another visit.  My personal favorites are the Paintings and Egyptian collections and I’ve found that children enjoy both as well making it easier for families to tour the Louvre and enjoy it together.

Paris Travel - Musée d’Orsay

When in Paris on vacation, a stop at the Musée d’Orsay is a definite must for those that want to add some history and culture to their visit.  The museum is located on the left bank of the Seine and is located in a former rail station, the Gare d’Orsay.  It was converted into a museum in 1986 and now houses an impressive collection of works of art.  This stunning Beaux Art building is home to an incredible collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and photos.  What it is best known for is it’s wide collection of Impressionist works of art.

In one stop you can view Renoir, Cezanne, Degas and Monet and many others.  There are even some American impressionist on display there as well.  Even when traveling with kids, you are likely to be able to make it through these exhibits and this museum without much complaining.  Show your children the Pissaro piece which they will easily relate to from their own art works in school.

Since your are in Paris, view the Paris collection as well.  It will allow you to travel Paris through time and history.  With various works of art you can see the changes in Paris through the centuries.

While you don’t have to spend your entire Paris vacation in museums, at least a stop at the Musée d’Orsay will give you some insight and flavor into the art of Paris and it’s history.

Paris at Night By Taxi

Taking a Paris vacation is an exciting and wonderful adventure!  Sometimes getting everything into a trip is hard.  One way that I’ve found to cover a lot of ground that isn’t wearyiing to either me or the kids is taking a night tour by taxi.  Paris is the absolutely best city to take advantage of this experience.  After the clamor of rush hours is done, and you’ve had some dinner you might want to consider taking a taxi and doing some evening exploring.

Whether you hire a taxi yourself or you have the Conierge at your hotel obtain one for you, make sure that you have a list of places to cover in advance.  Also make sure that the driver is able to speak a lanaguage that you know or understand.  It makes for a better time and you will learn more as you wander around.  Asking the driver for something that he might receommend in the evening hours is also a way to see something that you either forgot or didn’t know about.

Make sure that you set the time limit that you wanted to spend and get an estimate of the cost in advance.  Despite what they say, taxi drivers have the abiity to do things of this nature for a fixed fee.  If they absolutely refuse you can either move on to another one or negotiate for at least some idea of what it will cost.  They simply aren’t going to be as busy at night and your half hour or 1 hour tour is a great bonus on a day!

The sit back and enjoy the ride!  With kids this is a wonderful way to begin to settle down from a hectic day of walking on little legs.  If you’ve got questions, ask them!  I’ve learned more from local drivers at times than any book or tour guide.  You might find that this becomes one of your favorite experiences on your Paris travel adventure.  I know that it was for me -

Paris Double Decker Bus Tours

One of the fastest and easiest ways to tour Paris is by taking one of their wonderful Paris bus tours. It’s a great way to get an overview of the city and make the best use of your time while on your Paris vacation.  If you have small children, it also allows you to see more than you might otherwise if you had to move at the pace of small legs.  That can limit your ability to cover much ground.  So by taking a double decker bus tour you see what you are interested in and the kids and grandparents are able to sit back and enjoy themselves.

There are a couple of options when deciding to tour Paris this way.  One choice is the L‘Open Double Decker Buses. This company offers the jump on and off tickets for one day or more.  This allows you to get on and off throughout the city at various stops that are of interest to you.  No set tour, no time limits, no minimum or maximum things to see.  With over 50 stops throughout the city, you are sure to be able to see more than walking everywhere.  A second company called Paris City Tours offers a more traditional tour option.  Their tours run about one and a half hours and include audio components to listen as you tour through the city. In 16 different languages, most people will be able to listen and learn.  The tour covers all the highlights of Paris. Tour sites include Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Invalides, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the list goes on.  If you are interested in covering the most ground in the least amount of time, then this might be the best choice.  If you are more in the mood to pop off when you see something that interests you and be a bit more leisurely, then you might be better off with L’Open Double Decker Buses.

You are able to book these options prior to arriving should you choose to plan in advance.  After you book online, you will receive a voucher which you can print out.  Bring that with you and present it to the driver or at the location where the tour begins.

You need to decide whether you want to take the full tour or the mini-tour.

The Eiffel Tower, A Must-See Stop in Paris

The Eiffel Tower is one of the most well known monuments in the entire city of Paris.  Without a doubt, that elegant structure makes a statement for all that see it.  Built in 1889 for the World Fair that took place in Paris.  The iron structure was created to mark the 100th  year anniversary of the end of the French Revolution.

When deciding to visit this musts-see stop on your Paris tour you need to time your arrival carefully.  Remember, you will be only one of 6 million people that will come for a visit to this well-known site.  You can obtain tickets from the ticket booths at the base of the Eiffel Tower or online.  There are some packages that you can get online that will allow you to purchase a ticket from them.   You might also check with your hotel concierge and see if they are able to assist in this.  For more specifics and information, you can visit the Official Eiffel Tower website online.

Besides viewing the Eiffel Tower when on your Paris vacation, you also can take a ride in their elevators to the top of the structure for a bird’s eye view of Paris.  With breathtaking views, it’s a once in a lifetime experience.  You can take the elevator all the way down or walk 340 stairs to the 2nd level platform.  I’d say the stairs are the best choice since you can feel guiltless enjoying a stop at a crepe stand afterwards with all of that exercise.

Top Tip:  If you don’t like standing in incredibly long lines, I recommend that you try early in the morning or after 6pm.  You are likely to have less of a wait then.  Also, it’s wonderful to visit the site in the evening when it’s all lit up.  They started that for the new millennium and it’s a wonderful experience in the still of the Paris night.