Trip to Paris with DS 7 - tips

[littlestpogo]

Hi everyone

I do appreciate there are a couple of threads on Paris which I have read!

However I am looking for recommendations for a very short trip to Paris with my youngest DS who is 7. We are only there Saturday lunch to Monday lunch. Currently booked to stay in a hotel on Rue Cler ( so 7th) but happy to change to somewhere else. I really want to make it special as he has a brother with SEN so holidays are usually limited and As a single parent it’s rare for me to get time just me and him.

DS loves history, visiting monuments/churches ( he’s a big fan of buses with guides for eg), jewellery and shopping for tat and eating! Also likes museums - he’s pretty easy to travel with. I don’t want to overload the weekend but am slightly losing the plot at narrowing it down to a few key things.

Currently have tickets booked to the Eiffel tour for 9pm the day we arrive and was thinking of doing a river cruise that first afternoon. That then gives us the whole of Sunday and then Monday morning.

Any suggestions/ recommendations very gratefully received ( including for places to eat/tours or anything).

La Bossue in Montmartre neighborhood is fun for brunch. Make a reservation though. La Ruisseau Burger Joint, Bouillon Chartier and La Felicita are great for lunch or dinner. Angelina is amazing and I’d recommend it for tea and a snack. And for crepes, definitely La Creperie du Clown.
Sainte-Chapelle (10 minute walk from the Norte Dame) is well worth peeking inside if he likes churches (entrance tickets are required).
The Sacré-Coeur opens early, before a lot of other attractions, so a good thing to do first thing in the morning to make the most of your time.

Jardin des plantes is lovely and has the national history museum and a museum full of animal skeletons, and a small zoo. It’s right in the middle of Paris.
Cité des sciences et de l’industrie is brilliant for young children. I last went with a 4year old but that’s the youngest age group they are aiming the museum at.
I second La Felicita for lunch. It’s a food court in an old railway station or railway repair workshop. It’s beautiful and full of plants and things to look at and very kid friendly.

Thank - you both for the recommendations

Second saint chapels if he like churches it’s jaw dropping.

The Louvre.

He does rather randomly like churches.

I did think about the Louvre but wasn’t sure if it was worth it? Was half considering d’Orsay instead but may just concentrate more on buildings and having some
time wandering.

I’ve not been to Paris with my kids but been to the Louvre several times and I think it would be the last place I would take my kids. Obviously depends on the kids. Orsay better I’d say.

you have great reccs above op

Sainte Chapelle definitely worth a trip if he likes churches. Go early on a sunny morning and it's absolutely breathtaking. I prefer the Musee d'Orsay to Louvre personally. What about the Montparnasse Tower? There's an observation deck and you get the city view with the Eiffel Tower.

We didn’t actually take our kids inside the Louvre, we just saw the famous glass pyramids lit up as it was getting dark, after spending part of the afternoon in the Tuileries (after having had mid-afternoon cake in Angelina of course!). Tuileries has lots of kids activities such as a traditional carousel, in-ground trampoline, and adventure playground.

Thanks everyone.

Yes I was thinking of doing Montparnasse tower - so possibly trying to do Montmatre and Montparnasse then ending up in either Tuileries or jardin de Luxembourg. Will now add Saint Chapelle!

Père lachaises .... think that's how you spell it... where Jim Morrison & Oscar Wilde are buried... maybe too morbid though.

I loved Musèe D'orsay and it's cheaper than the Louvre or free... can't remember.

You can rent toy sailboats in the jardin de Luxembourg- my kids loved this.
Get a portrait or caricature done in Montmartre.

He’s already requested a portrait of us Alexander 😄

@littlestpogo
You are already in the 7th that has the Musee D’Orsay. My then 6 year old DD had been told about Van Gogh at school so we went to see his paintings. She loved it. We chose very carefully what to see. You must book in advance.,

The Louvre is way too big for a 7 year old. It’s daunting. A trip on the Seine always works well. Monmartre is fun up to a point but very touristy.

He might like visiting Galleries Lafayette. Look at the glass ceiling. Then get a coffee there. Go window shopping at Fauchon. Have tea and a cake there. You will not only see the best “cakes” in Paris, and the best window displays, you will also see the smartest Parisians. It’s exquisite.

Second galerie La Fayette, last time we were there, there was a giant web/trampoline suspended from the ceiling. The boys loved it.
Versailles is also brilliant, rowing boats on the lake are cheap and good fun, beautiful gardens and of course the château.
Montmartre and Sacré Cœur lovely. We also walked from the École Militaire to Eiffel Tower and continued up to the Trocadéro.
Pompidou centre lots of fun and so are the little streets around the bastille. I think the last thing we did was the champs Élysée.
Have fun and hold on tight to your purse especially in crowds.

Just back from a trip to Paris with my 8 yr old DS. Definitely recommend Montmartre. We were staying nearby and went out at night for dinner - v buzzy with everyone eating outside and a few gelato shops which went down well. In the morning we went for a walk to Sacre Coeur and had a look from the outside - my 8yr old wouldn't be interested in going inside. There are some great views of Paris outside the Sacre Coeur so worth visiting for that alone and also a funicular to take you up if you're lower down which looked fun.

Thanks so much everyone - some great ideas. I think I’m looking forwards to it as much as DS ( travelling with just one child seems so much more doable!).

We enjoyed both of these with DDs aged 9&15 at the time.

Third La Felicita- it's great fun. My 10yr old loved the Catacombs; book on the day for half price ticket for you (kids go free). We love the Atelier des Lumière (as seen in Emily in Paris); great art set to wonderful music. Do a Batobus or similar when your legs are tired.

Thanks for all the recommendations - lots to choose from!

Arc de Triomphe and the view down the Champs Elysees is interesting, or La Defence arch instead.

If he is interested in history the Conciergerie may be interesting, it was a prison where also Marie Antoinette was kept. It's on the Ile de la Cite and is part of the structure where Sainte Chapelle is.

We did the riverboat tour with DD when she was 7, she wasn't too impressed, the open deck bus tour was a lot better in her views.

The Louvre v. d'Orsay for me you whizz round the Louvre tick the boxes fighting through crowds, but a lot of the art is from other cultures.
d'Orsay is the art that was born in France Monet, Manet, Degas, Cezanne plus I think the art is of a style which is much more accessible to children. I first fell in love with the art at 13.
Every time I go to Paris I love to climb the steps to the Sacre Coeur and then walk round to Monmatre picking up ice cream at La Goutte de Lait. Plus there is a lovely carousel on the way up.

Great thread! Notre Dame renovations maybe? I was last there in 2019 so not sure how far they have progressed.