Want a weekend in Paris. Where do I start?

[allmytimeonmumsnet]

Am just in the process if filling in 5 passport forms so we can venture out with our 3 kids. I would like to take us all to Paris for my birthday at the end of April but having never taken a weekend abroad with my family before (my foreign travel limited to interrail etc when a student) I'm not really sure where to start.

We chose Pais because we can go by train (bit of an environmentalist, anti planes) but as we live in Derbyshire I'm not sure if this is madness. I've looked at the Eurostar website and it came up with travel and a hotel for approx £100 each for Fri - Mon but it didn't say anything about the hotels and where they were.

Can anyone recommend a good website to start me off? Do I look for a package or just get tickets and then look for a hotel?
Help!

you can check out the hotel at tripadvisor.co.uk-
I personally would not stay in less than a 3 * in Paris as they can be a bit ropey! Have a look at a map and see where you want to be.I would presume as close to the main sights as possible.( 1st, 5th 7th and 9th arrondissements) if you are far from the centre make sure you are beside a metro station and getting around will be easy.

We're just back from Paris with our three. We did eurostar which is really easy travelling with kids, we paid £59 each for the adults, £50 each for two kids (4 and 8) and bizzarely enough DS1 (13) was the cheapest at £49 as he qualified for a "youth fare". Under 4s are free (but obviously don't get a seat). You get the best deals if you book online. Accommodation wise we rented an apartment through www.yellowstay.com which we have done before and I would recommend. It cost us 135 euro a night for an apartment that slept us all - it was very small, but in a good area (7eme with a fab view of the top of the Effiel Tower when you came around the corner), and it was great to have a (tiny) kitchen so every meal didn't have to be in a restaurant. Nearby 2 star hotels were charging 125 euro for a double room per night so it was a bit of a bargain. If you prefer to get everything sorted as a package lastminute.com usually have good deals, but I've never booked Paris with them when we've gone with the kids as I don't want to end up all in one room and cheaper Parisian hotels don't seem to do adjoining rooms in the way that you would want with kids. Take the kids to Chartier for lunch - it's a real experience and our kids adored it.

agree about getting an apartment or using laterooms.com or wotif.com. for a better hotel discount. occasionally the Citadines apartments are advertised on these sites or you can book directly.Having an apartment will be much more flexible with children especially if you have an apratment with a bedroom. then you can tuck the kids up like you do at home and sit in the living room with a bottle of wine!( speaks from experience)
I have stayed at the aprtments at Place D'Italie which are great.It's in the 13eme but on a direct metro to Eiffel Tower and near Butte Aux Cailles and Rue Moffetard and Jardin des Plantes.

Thanks I agree about the apartment. I looked online but all the hotels seemed to offer seperate rooms with one adult in each. Not what I had in mind. I can ask for a quad but it won't let me if I include DD2 (3) even though she would share a bed or go in a cot. Very frustrating. In desperation I checked out the local travel agent but can't make sense of the brochures as they only mention singles and twins. So I will look at YellowStay and see what I can find.

I really would like to travel by eurostar. DS would love to travel under the channel. We would need to get a train from Maccsfield or Derby though - about 2 hours to London and then get to Waterloo and then the Eurostar. Is that taking on too much. Mind you I worry that an hour and quarter to Manchester Airport, checkin times and then travel from airport to Paris Centre is no better so think I will stick with Eurostar.

When they change the eurostar terminal to St. Pancreas (sometime later this year I think?) you'll be sorted allmytime as you can just change from one train to another then! We're only 20 minutes by train from Gatwick, but I just couldn't face the whole airport palaver with increased security etc. and then spending ages getting through the airport and into the city the other end rather than just jumping on the Metro at Gare du Nord. I went to Ireland with just DD a few weeks back and ended up with two hours to kill at the airport as I was worried about not leaving enough time. I was so stressed by the time I got on the plane after hearing "when is the plane leaving" every couple of minutes I needed a large glass of wine to calm me down Train is so much easier with kids.