For background we are a family of 5, children aged 5, 10, 12 living in Houston, TX but UK citizens. Our visit to Paris was a side trip during a 2 1/5 week stay in Chinon in the Lorie Valley.
We took the TGV to Paris, Montparnasse from Pierre des Corps, Tours. It was an easy metro ride to Abysses Metro. I had previously agonized on what type of metro tickets to buy and after a lot of research I decided that the %26#39;carnets%26#39; of 10 tickets would work best for us. In hindsight this was a good choice and was the cheaper option for the amount we used the metro.
We stayed in the Montmartre district in an apartment that I obtained through VRBO. (VRBO Listing #27917) I have used VRBO a number of times and always found the listings to be accurate. I chose an apartment as this worked out cheaper then 2 hotel rooms and also alleviated the need to eat out as we could prepare simple meals in the apartment. The apartment was a little %26#39;tired%26#39; but clean and full of character and we had no complaints. The location was perfect for us being situated in a %26#39;square%26#39;, bustling with character and access to other parts of Paris was quick and easy. The Metro system is very easy to understand.
We visited the main sites although did walk a lot as a number of attractions are close by and it is not really that necessary to keep taking the metro. We stood in line for the Eiffel Tower for about an hour. The line to walk up the steps, rather than take the elevator was a similar length of time. We knew we would have to wait and had prepared the children! The top level was closed just as we reached the front of the line but we were not too sad. It would have been another 1 hour wait to go from level 2 to the top.
We took the Bateaux Les Vedettes du Pont-Neuf Siene Cruise at night. I had pre-booked online before leaving the States which provides a significant discount. You are not locked into any particular trip. You print a voucher which is good for any trip. www.vedettesdupontneuf.com
With 3 kids, eating out is cost prohibitive for us but the bakeries and grocery stores close to our apartment provided everything we needed and we were very content to live on French Bread and pastries for 4 days! We did have a cafe by our apartment and on our last morning we treated our selves to Brunch, sitting outside, watching the world go by!
There is a little %26#39;train%26#39; that does a tour around Montmartre which we took when we were all feeling a little weary. It is a nice tour although finishes going through %26#39;Pigalle%26#39; which is not suitable for children.
I had been to Paris many times as a child but not as an adult and I must say that I continue to LOVE Paris. It has a character that is unique and my kids also loved being somewhere totally different to anywhere they had ever been. I speak some French and even if you do not speak French I would encourage you to learn some simple polite phrases before you go. I was embarrassed when I saw tourists making no attempt to use one or two words of French.
You will not find the same level of service as you do in the States and this is not through rudeness, it is just culturally different. Public smoking was a big problem for us in Paris but despite the smoking Paris was surprisingly clean.
Let me know if you have any questions. I will be posting on the Chinon forum regarding that part of our vacation.
|||
Thanks for your trip report. Could you share what your children enjoyed doing the most on your trip?
|||
Thanks for posting. I always enjoy trip reports from people traveling with children as that is how I usually travel. I appreciate the tip on the train through Montmartre passing through areas that are not suitable for children, as I would not have thought of that.
|||
The children LOVED going anywhere with street entertainers. We spent a lot of time watching entertainers. Of course, the Eiffel Tower was big hit and we went to all the major sights but did not necessarily go into everything. An example of that is the Louvre, we walked around the buildings and they loved the optical illusion of having their pictures taken %26#39;touching%26#39; the pyramid. I forgot to mention in my trip report that we also went to Jardin du Luxembourg. You have to pay for the children to enter the playground (maybe 2.5 euros?) but it is a spectacular playground and the children spent hours there whilst myself and my husband read books and watched the world go by. The Jardin du Luxembourg also has a large pond where toy sailboats can be rented. That was a great activity that they would never experience at home. On the boat trip on the Seine, whilst they enjoyed the architecture and buildings I think they actually enjoyed more seeing the dance lessons on the river banks, families picnicking in style and other activities that they would not normally see.
I am glad that we had spent a week or so in the Loire Valley before going to Paris as this allowed the children the opportunity to adjust to the European culture. Europe is not America and for younger kids (and some adults!) that takes a change in mind set.
No comments:
Post a Comment