What would you do with 3 days in Paris?

[EverybodyHatesWasps]

It's the week before Christmas.

You land at CDG at 7:30 on Monday and fly back at 23:30 on Wednesday.

You're staying in Montmartre, and have a budget of 250 euro per day for 2 adults and 2 teenagers.

Well, since you're staying in Montmartre I'd start there by getting the teens portraits drawn in the square there, they'll say they don't want to but they will like the result. And if they don't want that done, it's still interesting watching the artists work.

Then I'd walk around the corner to the Sacre Coeur to look at the amazing views of Paris. I'd also book to see Monet's water lilies at L'Orangerie, going early before any crowds The Water Lilies by Claude Monet | Musée de l'Orangerie - it's a small museum and the teens won't get bored as it's quick but impressive.

I'd be at The Eiffel Tower as the light display starts (5 mins at the start of each hour once it's dark)

I'd probably try to visit Notre Dame as it's just been completed and I'd take a boat trip along the Seine.

I might also do a walk along the Champs Elysee to the Arc de Triomphe, stopping at Laduree on the way for amazing macaroons.

Ladurée Paris Champs Elysées

I'd skip The Louvre and Mona Lisa, underwhelming in my opinion! And I'd also leave some time for just sitting in a cafe people watching.

I would visit the catacombs.

@DemonicCaveMaggot
This is at the top of the kids list so will definitely be visiting.

@TheSecondMrsCampbellBlack Extremely helpful. Thank you so much 😊

I'd eat at La Mascotte.

See the Christmas lights, Avenue Montaigne, Champs Élysées etc

Caillebotte exhibition at the Musée d'Orsay (booking essential)

I went with my partner last year at a similar time, and the thing we most enjoyed was just walking around and sitting outside cafes and people watching!

A local shared this google maps list of recommended places: LE GUIDE ULTIME · La Team du Guide
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mr9A3fcdPxjTnPbu6?g_st=i

Hope this helps!

Gallerie Lafyette for the fabulous window displays. There is a amazing ice cream shop at the top that does beautiful ice cream creations. I think they also have ice skating at the top aswell

I think Notre Dame is fully booked for December. (But worth checking the site just in case.)

To disagree with the first reply, getting your portraits done in Montmartre and visiting the Eiffel Tower are probably the biggest tourist traps in the entire city.

I would plan a couple of things to do based on what your family's interests are. So for example, if you want to visit a museum, decide which one of the big ones you're most interested in seeing and pre-book it. I find the Musée d'Orsay has something for everyone. The Musée de l'Orangerie has the huge water lily canvases which are incredibly impressive but I think the ticket price is pretty similar so you're getting less bang for your buck. I really like the Musée Carnavalet too.

Personally I would not visit the Eiffel Tower unless you all feel that a visit to Paris would be a huge disappointment without it. The area immediately around the Eiffel Tower is quite grotty and overrun with pickpockets, and it's such a tourist trap. You'll be trying to look at the view of Paris through criss-crossed wires whilst standing in some loud American tourist's armpit. If you want the best view of Paris then going up the Tour Montparnasse is fantastic. You'll be standing at the top of the ugliest skyscraper in Paris looking at the view of the Paris skyline with its most famous monument at the front and centre of it, rather than standing at the top of Paris's most famous monument unable to see it anymore. The best time to go is before sunset so you can see the sun go down and all the lights come on. Stay for the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower on the hour. Climbing the Arc de Triomphe is another good option if you want to look at the view.

In Montmartre you have the Musée de Montmartre and the Dali museum, as well as lots of restaurants to choose from. If your teens want an Instagrammable brunch try Hardware Société (but arrive early to get a table). I also like the Relais Gascon in rue des Abbesses.

Catacombs is great. Au Bistrot d'à Côté in rue Lalande is a really lovely traditional French bistro very close to the Catacombs if you want to plan a morning visit and then lunch close by. Make sure you book the Catacombs and anything else you don't want to miss.

What interests do you/they have? Or do you just want to do the main tourist highlights?

Eiffel Tower is visible from loads of places and looks great after dark when it goes twinkly (on the hour I think) and has a giant rotating light beam. But if it's your/their first visit you'd probably want to see it up close too, and maybe go up, so that means a daytime visit.

I love museums and art galleries but hate the Louvre - absolutely massive and everything far apart so loads of walking for very little return. Mona Lisa is overrated (there's a copy in the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool, if that's closer to you). Rue de Rivoli is the main road in front of the Louvre and is awful - very busy with traffic and a horrible introduction to Paris. I don't get the love for the Champs-Elysees either but it'll be decked out in lights for Christmas.

Musee D'Orsay is great.

Le Marais area is lovely: quieter roads with loads of shops so good for a wander, especially at Christmas time. The BHV department store has an amazing stationery and craft department, and the basement is entirely a DIY department (imagine John Lewis standards, rather than B&Q).

This is an absolutely fantastic resource @GFlower thank you so much 🌼

I think you should have a quick trip to the Eiffel tower, you only appreciate the size when you're right beside it!

I shp

If it were me I'd be spending the money to get on the train to Nice.

I've never got on with Paris. Unhelpful I know.

I feel pretty much the same, except I'd be getting on a train to Italy!

Canal St Martin, Musee Quai Branley (amazing view of the Eiffel Tower when it gets dark), Pompidou Centre, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Catacombs of Paris.

been down a rabbit hole thanks to @GFlower

This could also be a very useful site for you @EverybodyHatesWasps

https://www.salutfromparis.com/paris-with-teenagers/

MN why have you deleted the resource from @GFlower?

It's so very useful and it's only a google maps ref after all!!

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mr9A3fcdPxjTnPbu6?g_st=i

I agree with PP who mentioned the Marais. I would spend a day or two in that area with some or all of my favourite museums:
Museum of Hunting & Nature - hard to describe, mixture of art and animal collections in innovative displays Musee de la Chasse
Paris Picasso Museum
Pompidou Centre

It's not open really now, but for another time, the Museum of Fairground Rides is a joy https://arts-forains.com/en

I know the Eiffel Tower is a tourist trap, of course it is! Just like Big Ben is in London or St Marks Square is in Venice. But IMO it's still well worth seeing if you've never been to Paris before and the lights on the hour are really pretty. You don't have to stay long to get the effect and to have seen and enjoyed it.

I also disagree about portraits in Montmartre, my kids still remember having theirs done (they were teenagers when we went) and they're framed and up in our house to this day.

I've gone after Christmas twice and the things I most enjoyed was going to the Champs Ellyse to see all the decorated shops, Galleries Lafayette to see the tree and the viewing deck to see the whole of Paris, and we ate one night in a very small bistro near the Eiffel Tower all lit up. We also had Ubers at night so we could see all the lights. The first time in January we stayed on a side street near the Champs Ellyse in a hotel with french doors and it was so lovely seeing all the hotels all decorated.

We did the Eiffel Tower but we bought timed tickets because the queues are hours long. We also did the Catacombs which was okay but a long slog. I've done the Louvre previously and it wasn't great and dirty.

There is an amazing and well priced restaurant we went to called Holy Belly. There's always a line but it moves fast and it's worth it.