Ideas for Paris in 3 Days with DD, 11

[incognitodorrito]

Travelling early April and celebrating her 12th birthday whilst we are there!
Any central Airbnb or B&B recommendations most appreciated.
We’ve been to Disney a few times so skipping a day trip there to focus on seeing as much as we can of the city.
Has anyone been to a perfume workshop ? Trying to find something unusual to do on her birthday.
I’m booking tours of Pere Lachaise & the Louvre. Any recommendations most appreciated.

TBH I don't think the Louvre is much fun for a 12 year old. L'orangerie is great and doesn't take all day. Musée d'Orsay is fabulous.

We went a couple of weeks ago and my DD (15) liked looking in the vintage shops best (called friperie or kilo shop)

Eiffel tower just as it's getting dark.

@Frenchfancy this is amazing - thank you. The Louvre is on her list, however I’ll try and book the shortest tour I can find - will also take a look at your recommendations. May I ask where you stayed ?

Skip the Louvre and do the Musee d’Orsay. It’s far easier to navigate, has more recognisable works (especially for a 12yo) and the building itself is stunning.

Don’t go up the Eiffel Tower - go up the Arc de Triomphe or to the roof deck of the Galleries Lafayette - the views are better (they include the Eiffel Tower for starters!) and the roof deck is free.

Definitely spend time in Monmarte and walk up to Sacre Couer.

The catacombs tour is a bit different and very interesting.

Boat trip on the river is always good. I was going to say Musse D'Orsay as well. It has all the famous impressionists that she might recognise. I am jelous OP I love Paris.

I’m jumping on for ideas - we’re going in August (kids will be 11 & 14). Just a short trip and we will be going to Disney so will only have a couple of days in the city itself. I was thinking of doing a boat tour on our first evening. I like the Galeries Lafayette suggestion too.

Roof deck of Galleries Lafayette is a good call.

We stayed in a lovely hotel in St Germain. I think hotels are much better than airbnbs in Paris. Obviously budget depending.

I also like Rue Mouffetard near the Sorbonne - all pavement cafes and little shops how you would imagine a Parisian Steet.

We’ve booked an Airbnb, a family apartment. I looked at hotels with family rooms but there weren’t many and I didn’t really fancy all 4 of us sharing a room. The Airbnb has 3 bedrooms so each child can have her own space and it’s near Pere Lachaise so hopefully travel to Disney should be fairly straightforward.

I guess though if it’s just the 2 or 3 of you then a hotel works just as well and you could get something more central.

Thanks @Frenchfancy, our budget is max £150 a night, so I think it’ll need to be Airbnb. If I win the euro millions it’s George Cinq ! However we had good experiences of Airbnb elsewhere so hoping it’ll be the same.

@SilverPeacock - that’s a very pretty area - I’m going to narrow accommodation search to around there - just had a look and there’s still lots on offer within my budget - thank you !

@JuneFromBethesda I can imagine it’s a little trickier booking for a whole family ! Yes, we could get something more central but just need to ensure it feels safe as just DD & I.

All sounds lovely.

Watching with interest - I've promised to take my 11 year old this year as there was no school trip due to Covid. I remember when there used to be super cheap hotel deals, but am assuming those days are over.

We haven’t done perfume making but did this pastry workshop which was great.
The Louvre has a wonderful audio guide! It really has. I’m NOT heavily into art, so when I visited a couple of years back, I thought 2h max. I actually spent about 6h there!
There’s a 5 minute light show at the Eiffel Tower starting every hour on the hour after dusk.
La Felicita is a very cool place to eat. The cat cafe is also popular. Angelina is an institution in Paris and has supposedly the best hot chocolate in town. It’s also one of those places that look great on Instagram too. It often has long queues, but the wait is well worth it!
If you want to go shopping, definitely go to Les Halles. Marais and Montmartre have lots of little boutiques and shops where you can find literally everything… jewellery, clothes, bags, decoration, candles, soap, tea, sweets, souvenirs, hand-made items, you name it.

Would see the Eiffel Tower only from a distance. Lines are miles long for security and the areas near these entrances have in recent years been actively targeted by thieves out to steal phones and wallets, petition girls and other assorted con artists. Same goes for montmartre, particularly on the steps leading up to the church. Avoid.

Mused D’Orsay over the Louvre any day which is very much a free for all also because all children under 18 get in for free. If you do go there do not use the entrance by the pyramids, their other entrances take less time to enter.

A nice day out of Paris is to go to Giverny to see Claude Monets house and gardens.

2nd Rue Mouffetard. Bateau Mouche trip. Pompidou Centre.

Our trip is taking shape ! Managed to find a lovely little Hotel in the Latin Quartier, not far from Rue Mouffetard. We are so excited !

I was so lucky to have spent a couple of (August) birthdays in Paris about her age. My absolute favourite birthday memory was blowing up balloons through the grille on the 3rd floor of the Eiffel Tower and releasing them down into the gardens below.

Lunch cruise afterwards, or a picnic in the Tuileries. Hot chocolate in the corner cafe opposite Notre Dame, or in the Gasgoigne cafe/bar in the Place du Tietre in Montmartre after dark. Characature of you both in the square to commemorate.

Bit of retail therapy/window shopping on the Champs Elysee.

Oh gosh, I love Paris, its my favourite city. And I think these are the memories that fostered that love as a child.

-Catacombes

• Louvre - do the Egyptian bit would be my recommendation
• Jardin d'acclimatation in bois de Boulogne for rides etc
• Les puces de saint Ouen if you're around on a Friday/saturday/sunday
• A meal at Chartier or bouillon Pigalle (cheap and cheerful and French)
• l'atelier des lumières
• www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr (fashion museum)

-musée des arts deco (louvre building)

• cabinet de curiosités Deyrolles

-les passages couverts www.parisinfo.com/decouvrir-paris/musees-monuments-patrimoine-paris/le-charme-parisien-des-passages-couverts - covered parisien galeries -le 59 Rivoli (art squat in central paris) -hot air balloon in parc andre citroen www.ballondeparis.com -musée de la magie www.museedelamagie.com/museecollection.html

• circus museum need to reserve arts-forains.com/visite-grand-public
• ground control - www.groundcontrolparis.com - bobo Parisian people watching
• vintage photomaton 53 rue des Trois Frères

Following as planning a similar trip.

We just got back ! Thank you all above with your amazing suggestions … we stayed 2 mins from rue mouffetard at Hotel Maxim Latin Quartier, Concierge super helpful and gorgeous area, DD loved Latin Quartier. We walked to the English book store Shakespeare on the Seine. Did lots of shopping at Halles. Took the little train upto Sacre Couer Montmatre and had our characteure drawn at the Artists square. Had our photo taken together too at one of the old fotomaton. Visited Musée Dorsay. Birthday lunch at the front of one of the Bateaux Mouche (paid an extortionate amount for a birthday cake but everyone sang along went it came out so completely worth it for the look on DDs face!). Ate at Chartier Boullion. Visited Eiffel Tower at night for the light show. Ate sooo many macrons and averaged 23000 steps a day. As we had a late return flight on last day, we hired a car and visited Versailles and Monet’s House (spent ca 3.5 hours at each) before driving to airport. Trip was amazing and would very much recommend for anyone planning a similar Mum & Daughter time away.

Thanks for coming back with a report @incognitodorrito Some great ideas here!

Hi, i recommand if you like food and drinks experiences some culinary experiences like macarons class or croissant class. We booked some of them with kweezine.com . They have many cooking and pastry classes