So you’ve decided to take the big plunge: take the kids to Paris. You can’t wait any more. Life is short. Who knows what next year will hold. After all, there are children living in Paris, right? Right. But now comes the hard part: keeping the children entertained while visiting the most beautiful city in the world. We have reviewed a few books to help you optimize your time in Paris with little ones.
First on our list was Fodor’s “Paris with Kids.” This little guide is fun to read, full of useful information about and around every site you will want to visit. It’s easy to carry around in a purse or backpack. It ranks the sites and numbers them. Take out a map of Paris and list the sites suggested in the book. That way you get an idea of the physical location of every site and you can plan your days. Don’t try to pack too much into one day. Some sites listed will only take one hour or less to visit while others may take more than a day. Finally, beware of rates listed as prices often vary.
We also reviewed Urban Crayon’s “Paris.” We liked this guide as a great introduction to Paris. Read it at home before you go and take notes. Great information is listed by categories: divas, dudes, co-ed, families, sleeps, eats, etc… Keep in mind Paris is a vast city. Urban Crayon’s guide will help you “skim the surface.” You will need many years to truly discover and feel like you know the city. But with this guide you’ll start on the right path.
Finally, we really liked “City Walks with kids.” The “walks” in this guide are listed on handy cards. Review all the cards at home and select your favorite “walks.” Then take the cards with you for the day. Read the information to your kids when you stop for lunch or a snack. This guide is full of “insiders” information as well as information on typical tourist spots.
We liked these three guides. Use Urban Crayon’s guide to help you plan from home. Some useful hotel information. Review their recommendations on France.com’s website. Then cross-reference interesting sites with Fodor’s guide. Finally, take “City Walks with Kids” cards with you when in Paris…
Remember, there are lots of places to visit and things to see. Prioritize. Follow your children’s interests so they are entertained. That way the entire family with have a wonderful time.