Paris tips

[Spongebobpatrick]

Dh has a significant birthday this year and for his present I am taking him to see the mona Lisa.. 2 adults 2 children going. Pricing it up though and it seems so expensive compared to other European cities, so I'm here looking for recommendations of how to make the most out of it please. Give me all your Paris tips please.

Have you booked accommodation yet? We stayed as a family in Bercy last summer, which was cheaper as a little bit further out but straight on the metro line to all the main sights. Bercy Village shopping/eating area nearby was great in the evening with good family options.

I am a big fan of youtube and recommend Les Frenchies on youtube. They are an American/French couple and they do loads of videos with tips about places to stay, places to visit, places to eat and what to do or not to do as a tourist. I really love it and it is so helpful. They might (for example) do the top 5 brasseries to visit; top 5 places to visit with insider tips to make things run more smoothly. I have been to the Louvre 3 times and never found it to be a particularly smooth experience due to sheer volumes of tourists (mind you, we always go at peak season) so do check the youtube channel out. I am sure you will find it helpful.

Is he particularly interested in Leonardo da Vinci? I mean, I love Paris and lived there for a while in my 20s (so no hotel advice, sorry, as I always stay with friends), but I think the vast majority of visitors are completely underwhelmed by seeing a small brownish painting behind reinforced glass, glimpsed at a distance behind a mob of tourists photographing it.

We found the Paris museum pass was worth it for the adults if you are planning to do Versailles and some other museums, not sure how many days you are going as the cost of the pass for 4 days is not so much more than 2 days. Might have been more borderline if we only had 2 days in Paris. The kids are free in many museums. It is quite a pricey city I am afraid.

We stayed in Noisy-le-Sec for new year. Cheaper than many areas with an easy journey into the centre via Rambuteau. Lots of takeaways for easy eating in the evening after a long day out. We drive and could park nearby. Fabulous Airbnb apartment.

Agree, the Mona Lisa is a very small painting and distinctly underwhelming: it will be viewed from a distance behind a crowd of tourists. Tbh, there are so many more beautiful sites you could visit: the stained glass windows in Sainte Chapelle first thing on a sunny morning are stunning: Musee d'Orsay has a fantastic art collection and is far more manageable than the Louvre, which is vast. I like the Montparnasse Tower for a view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. It's just a lovely city to walk around, so I'd suggest checking some walking itineraries which will take in some of the sites you want to see, with stops for coffee/pastries/glass of wine/ice cream on the way. Berthillon is a Paris institution for ice cream, but our kids liked Amora where they sculpt the ice cream onto cones in a flower shape. The river bus might be worth checking out as you can hop on and off to see different sites. Not very exciting, but Ibis Styles do family rooms and (usually) a free breakfast. Novotel have family rooms and kids get a free breakfast if adults are eating, but it's more pricey. Check out the reviews as they vary. With Paris hotels, you get what you pay for so avoid too cheap. Similarly, the hotel rooms are not renowned for their size - no experience of Airbnb there unfortunately.

Musee d'Orsay is more entertaining for children plus the large Monets in the Tuileries gallery.

Adagio have aparthotels which would be cheaper than hotels.