Paris Itinerary

[lynn07]

I’m starting to get down to the details for our trip, and I was hoping to get some feedback. Dh and I will be traveling in May with 3 kids (13, 11, 8). We are staying in the 15th, which I know isn’t the most central, but sounds like it is very family friendly and was one of the few places we could find a family room that would fit all of us and not cost a ton. We are spending the first part of our trip in London, so we don’t have to worry about jet lag by the time we get to Paris. We are also planning on getting the museum pass for the 2 adults.

Day 1 (Sunday): Arrive via Gare du Nord @1400, taxi to hotel. Sight see around Eiffel Tower, Rue Cler Market, Champs-Élyées

Day 2 (Monday): Arc de Triomphe (tickets to top), Montmartre, Sacré Cœur, possibly another museum?

Day 3 (Tuesday): Versailles - Musical Fountain Show day

Day 4 (Wednesday): Day trip to Brussels

Day 5 (Thursday): Musée d’Orsay, musée de l’orangerie, La Samaritaine, Saint Chapelle, Conciergerie

Day 6 (Friday): Montparnasse, Luxembourg Gardens, panthéon, catacombes

Day 7: return to London

We’re trying to balance seeing a lot, but also being realistic about what our kids will be able to do. What do you think? Is it too much? Not enough?

[ny96]

That is a lot, especially with kids. I personally would pick one museum a day and then explore the surrounding area.

[egishere]

Following! I'm also going in May with my three kids. We are doing Paris for four nights and then going to the South of France with family to an AirBNB...that wont require much planning but I'm stressing about the Paris portion.

I want to go to Versailles and do the bike tour.  I also want to see the Catacombs.

[lynn07]

Feb 9, 2023 14:24:10 GMT -5 egishere said:

Following! I'm also going in May with my three kids. We are doing Paris for four nights and then going to the South of France with family to an AirBNB...that wont require much planning but I'm stressing about the Paris portion.

I want to go to Versailles and do the bike tour.  I also want to see the Catacombs.

It’s very overwhelming! I want to do as much as we can because this is a really big trip for us and there’s not a great chance we will get an opportunity to go to these particular locations again. So I’m struggling between trying to fit it all in/being realistic.

[acr]

Feb 9, 2023 12:34:25 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

I’m starting to get down to the details for our trip, and I was hoping to get some feedback. Dh and I will be traveling in May with 3 kids (13, 11, 8). We are staying in the 15th, which I know isn’t the most central, but sounds like it is very family friendly and was one of the few places we could find a family room that would fit all of us and not cost a ton. We are spending the first part of our trip in London, so we don’t have to worry about jet lag by the time we get to Paris. We are also planning on getting the museum pass for the 2 adults.

Day 1 (Sunday): Arrive via Gare du Nord @1400, taxi to hotel. Sight see around Eiffel Tower, Rue Cler Market, Champs-Élyées

Day 2 (Monday): Arc de Triomphe (tickets to top), Montmartre, Sacré Cœur, possibly another museum?

Day 3 (Tuesday): Versailles - Musical Fountain Show day

Day 4 (Wednesday): Day trip to Brussels

Day 5 (Thursday): Musée d’Orsay, musée de l’orangerie, La Samaritaine, Saint Chapelle, Conciergerie

Day 6 (Friday): Montparnasse, Luxembourg Gardens, panthéon, catacombes

Day 7: return to London

We’re trying to balance seeing a lot, but also being realistic about what our kids will be able to do. What do you think? Is it too much? Not enough?

Where are you staying? Scouting spots for our fall trip too Paris with my kids. 

[mpm]

I’d skip the day trip to Brussels and spread out the rest. I love both cities but you’re spread really thin and not giving yourself time to really appreciate either.

[lynn07]

Feb 9, 2023 16:59:02 GMT -5 acr said:

Feb 9, 2023 12:34:25 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

I’m starting to get down to the details for our trip, and I was hoping to get some feedback. Dh and I will be traveling in May with 3 kids (13, 11, 8). We are staying in the 15th, which I know isn’t the most central, but sounds like it is very family friendly and was one of the few places we could find a family room that would fit all of us and not cost a ton. We are spending the first part of our trip in London, so we don’t have to worry about jet lag by the time we get to Paris. We are also planning on getting the museum pass for the 2 adults.

Day 1 (Sunday): Arrive via Gare du Nord @1400, taxi to hotel. Sight see around Eiffel Tower, Rue Cler Market, Champs-Élyées

Day 2 (Monday): Arc de Triomphe (tickets to top), Montmartre, Sacré Cœur, possibly another museum?

Day 3 (Tuesday): Versailles - Musical Fountain Show day

Day 4 (Wednesday): Day trip to Brussels

Day 5 (Thursday): Musée d’Orsay, musée de l’orangerie, La Samaritaine, Saint Chapelle, Conciergerie

Day 6 (Friday): Montparnasse, Luxembourg Gardens, panthéon, catacombes

Day 7: return to London

We’re trying to balance seeing a lot, but also being realistic about what our kids will be able to do. What do you think? Is it too much? Not enough?

Where are you staying? Scouting spots for our fall trip too Paris with my kids. 

Hôtel Moderniste in the 15th. It’s not as central as I would have preferred, but it had a “family room” (2 private rooms connected by a corridor), and was a great price. Plus, I’ve been told the 15th is a really family friendly area, which seems easier as far as restaurants go.

[lynn07]

Feb 9, 2023 17:35:56 GMT -5 mpm said:

I’d skip the day trip to Brussels and spread out the rest. I love both cities but you’re spread really thin and not giving yourself time to really appreciate either.

The day trip train tickets are already bought, so we can’t skip it. It was a promise to our middle, who had done a school project on it.

ETA: we don’t have to do all of the other things, that’s why I’m hoping for feedback on things we could/should skip. Like, I had someone tell me Montparnasse isn’t a must do neighborhood, so I’m considering skipping it.

[dutchgirl678]

Feb 9, 2023 17:35:56 GMT -5 mpm said:

I’d skip the day trip to Brussels and spread out the rest. I love both cities but you’re spread really thin and not giving yourself time to really appreciate either.

Same. There is plenty to do in Paris and you would not be as rushed

Edit: NM. I see you already bought the tickets for Brussels.

I would move the Champs-Elysees from your Day 1 to Day 2 since you are already going to the top of the Arc de Triomph then and it is basically an extension of that.

We went to Versailles and spent the whole day there, it was awesome!

Musee d'Orsay is great but I would only do that museum on that day and visit Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame (outside only obviously). Maybe do a boat tour?

Day 6 sounds like a lot as well. No visit to the Louvre?

[fortnightlily]

We went last June with a 9 year old. Yeah, I think you're probably packing in a bit too much some of those days.

Agree with doing Champs-Elysee and Arc de Triomphe together.

FWIW, our itinerary in Paris was the following. We stayed near the Eiffel Tower.

Arrival day: sunset Seine cruise (the sun sets at like 10pm in the summer).

Day 1
Luxembourg Garden
Sainte-Chapelle and La Concegerie
Walk past Notre Dame and get ice cream at Berthillon
8pm reservation to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower

Day 2
Louvre and L'Orangerie

Day 3
Versailles during the day
Champs-Elysee and go to the top of the Arc de Triomphe in the evening

Then we left Paris and drove around Normandy for a few days, stopping at Giverny/Monet's Garden on the last day.

[mrsukyankee]

Far too much. With a week, I'd chose to go on the hop-on-off bus on the first day so see a lot and figure out what is most important to stop at.
I'd see one museum, maybe two, max for the week. I prefer D'Orsay over all others.
Sacre Coeur & Saint Chapelle are favourites of mine to see so I'd definitely do them.

[RockNVoll]

It seems a bit packed. Since you can't drop Brussels, I'd consider dropping Versailles. I didn't find it particularly interesting, to be honest, and you could use the time to explore around Paris more leisurely. As someone said above, I also noticed no Louvre in your itinerary. We went during the late hours on a Friday night and it's pretty quiet then and was quite easy to see the Mona Lisa and other major pieces.

Random tip: the Rick Steve's Audio Europe app is great for curated tours through all the major museums, including the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. Helps you see all the major pieces efficiently.

[erbear]

Feb 9, 2023 13:46:26 GMT -5 ny96 said:

That is a lot, especially with kids. I personally would pick one museum a day and then explore the surrounding area.

This. We did Paris and London with our kids (13 and 11) this summer. One planned thing a day, and some walking around and downtime was the key. It was very fun (even though we didn’t see everything — leave them wanting more!)

[lynn07]

Feb 10, 2023 21:14:56 GMT -5 RockNVoll said:

It seems a bit packed. Since you can't drop Brussels, I'd consider dropping Versailles. I didn't find it particularly interesting, to be honest, and you could use the time to explore around Paris more leisurely. As someone said above, I also noticed no Louvre in your itinerary. We went during the late hours on a Friday night and it's pretty quiet then and was quite easy to see the Mona Lisa and other major pieces.

Random tip: the Rick Steve's Audio Europe app is great for curated tours through all the major museums, including the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay. Helps you see all the major pieces efficiently.

Thank you for the audio app! That will be helpful. After asking around to people I know who have traveled there, I’m not totally convinced we should do the Louvre. Many said it can be pretty overwhelming with how busy it is, but it’s good to know that it was quiet in the evening.

[lynn07]

Feb 9, 2023 22:42:35 GMT -5 dutchgirl678 said:

Feb 9, 2023 17:35:56 GMT -5 mpm said:

I’d skip the day trip to Brussels and spread out the rest. I love both cities but you’re spread really thin and not giving yourself time to really appreciate either.

Same. There is plenty to do in Paris and you would not be as rushed

Edit: NM. I see you already bought the tickets for Brussels.

I would move the Champs-Elysees from your Day 1 to Day 2 since you are already going to the top of the Arc de Triomph then and it is basically an extension of that.

We went to Versailles and spent the whole day there, it was awesome!

Musee d'Orsay is great but I would only do that museum on that day and visit Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame (outside only obviously). Maybe do a boat tour?

Day 6 sounds like a lot as well. No visit to the Louvre?

Thanks, I will move Champs-Élysées to day 2. I am not convinced we should do the Louvre yet… I’ve had multiple people tell me that d’Orsay is the better and less overwhelming option with kids?

[mrsukyankee]

Feb 11, 2023 0:42:36 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

Feb 9, 2023 22:42:35 GMT -5 dutchgirl678 said:

Same. There is plenty to do in Paris and you would not be as rushed

Edit: NM. I see you already bought the tickets for Brussels.

I would move the Champs-Elysees from your Day 1 to Day 2 since you are already going to the top of the Arc de Triomph then and it is basically an extension of that.

We went to Versailles and spent the whole day there, it was awesome!

Musee d'Orsay is great but I would only do that museum on that day and visit Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame (outside only obviously). Maybe do a boat tour?

Day 6 sounds like a lot as well. No visit to the Louvre?

Thanks, I will move Champs-Élysées to day 2. I am not convinced we should do the Louvre yet… I’ve had multiple people tell me that d’Orsay is the better and less overwhelming option with kids?

That would be me. I prefer the d'Orsay. It's so manageable and has some amazing artwork. The Louvre is fabulous and you still don't need to go to it. 

[fortnightlily]

I think which museum you want just depends on what you want to see. My son is into mythology and really wanted to see Egyptian artifacts and Greek and Roman sculptures which is partly why we chose the Louvre over D'Orsay. He gets bored with only paintings. I would love to see D'Orsay another time though.

[RockNVoll]

The d'Orsay is wonderful and I really loved it; definitely not trying to dissuade you from going there and doing the Louvre instead! Just wanted to make sure you didn't somehow accidentally leave it out, LOL. And, really, going on a Friday night was one of the best tips I picked up for that trip. But, again, not a must-do if not important to you!

[pittpurple]

I think it's a lot - do your kids do well in museums? My kids do 'not' so we just don't do them as it's unpleasant for everyone. With kids I pick one 'thing' a day and then one area to wander around - we tend to do a thing in the morning and then have lunch, ice cream, wander around parks, etc. Remember there will be queues everywhere so everything will take a while just to get into. I can't answer for what's important to you but I'd par expectations way back from this.

I went to Paris with my dad years back so haven't taken the kids yet but I loved Versailles! It's great for kids too as there's so much outside. We were there for an entire day.

Also remember there's no reason all of you have to stick together all the time - we regularly split up on vacation as my son loves anything involving violence (so many war museums) and my daughter would prefer to live her entire life outside. So if there's a museum, etc 'you' really want to see but the kids wouldn't enjoy you could tag team.

[erbear]

Feb 11, 2023 0:42:36 GMT -5 lynn07 said:

Feb 9, 2023 22:42:35 GMT -5 dutchgirl678 said:

Same. There is plenty to do in Paris and you would not be as rushed

Edit: NM. I see you already bought the tickets for Brussels.

I would move the Champs-Elysees from your Day 1 to Day 2 since you are already going to the top of the Arc de Triomph then and it is basically an extension of that.

We went to Versailles and spent the whole day there, it was awesome!

Musee d'Orsay is great but I would only do that museum on that day and visit Saint Chapelle and Notre Dame (outside only obviously). Maybe do a boat tour?

Day 6 sounds like a lot as well. No visit to the Louvre?

Thanks, I will move Champs-Élysées to day 2. I am not convinced we should do the Louvre yet… I’ve had multiple people tell me that d’Orsay is the better and less overwhelming option with kids?

D’Orsay might be my favorite museum in the world. It’s so cool and definitely kid friendly. We did both (but definitely did selected highlights of the louvre…)

[lynn07]

Feb 13, 2023 5:31:49 GMT -5 pittpurple said:

I think it's a lot - do your kids do well in museums? My kids do 'not' so we just don't do them as it's unpleasant for everyone. With kids I pick one 'thing' a day and then one area to wander around - we tend to do a thing in the morning and then have lunch, ice cream, wander around parks, etc. Remember there will be queues everywhere so everything will take a while just to get into. I can't answer for what's important to you but I'd par expectations way back from this.

I went to Paris with my dad years back so haven't taken the kids yet but I loved Versailles! It's great for kids too as there's so much outside. We were there for an entire day.

Also remember there's no reason all of you have to stick together all the time - we regularly split up on vacation as my son loves anything involving violence (so many war museums) and my daughter would prefer to live her entire life outside. So if there's a museum, etc 'you' really want to see but the kids wouldn't enjoy you could tag team.

They are really great with museums, luckily. We visit them everywhere we go and have memberships to our local ones, so they are at least used to them, which I think will be helpful. Some of the things listed are visiting the area vs. doing a specific activity there, but I have scaled back some (and moved around a couple of things) after some of the advice here!

[Michelle]

I recommend the app Wanderlog if you haven't tried it or don't have another one. It is really cool in that it allows you to organize things on a map to minimize travel time, and then you click "optimize my route" and it will move things around based on the times places are open and the minimal travel time.

I have a super packed agenda for the week I'm going with my 16-year old in March, but it is organized so we have priority stops on certain days and we will skip some things if we feel we want to go slower or are feeling overwhelmed.

Here is ours, and items marked with * are the priorities for the day, all else is optional.

Day 1 - (arrive at 9a)
Staying on the Ile de la City and will see sites nearby:
Deportation Martyrs Memorial
Maison d'Heloise et Abelard
Notre Dame*
Sainte Chapelle*
Conciergerie
All the items above are along the walk to Notre Dame and Saint Chapelle.

Day 2 - Louvre*
Tuileries Garden*
Saint-Eustache
Postiche Bistro (recommended by a local friend)

Day 3 - Musee D'orsay*
lunch - L'atelier rouliere (recommended by a local)
Curie Museum
Luxembourg Gardens
Catacombs of Paris
Dinner at La Closerie Des Lilas (Earnest Hemingway favorite)

Day 4 - Early morning Professional photo appt at Trocodero*
Musee Marmottan Monet
Eiffel Tower Tour* (tickets secured)
Arc de Triomphe*
Av. des Champs-Elysees (walking along here on the way back to where we are staying)
Dinner at Roger la Grenouille* (If they confirm my reservation request)

Day 5 - Palais Versailles (tickets/tour secured)
If we have any energy after that we will hit up instagrammable spots around Paris outside of Montmartre, maybe do some thrift shopping

Day 6 - Musee Monet if we don't get it in on day 4 and if we get up early
Sacre-Coeur*
Montmartre*
(If I can figure out how, we will rent scooters to ride around Montmartre. Unfortunately you have to be 18 for the Lime scooters so this may not happen).
La Maison Rose (at least photos outside)*
Moulin Rouge late show (tickets secured)*