Planning a family visit to Paris, post COVID-19

With more time on our hands, now is a great opportunity to get inspiration for your next trip to Paris! Planning a visit to Paris with the entire family? As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, The French capital welcomes millions of visitors a year, including many families with children.

Paris is known for its world class shopping and fine dining, which may not be ideal when you’re visiting with your children. However, Paris is a very family friendly travel destination and the possibilities are endless for making your visit memorable for you and your children for years to come.

Pick a family friendly hotel

There is no shortage of luxury hotels in Paris, but sometimes these may not always be the best options for travelling with children. We’ve found the best family friendly hotels in Paris to suit families of 3 or more:

Hotel Regina Louvre

The Hotel Regina Louvre is located in the very heart of Paris on the Rue de Rivoli, right across from the Tuileries Gardens, and the Musee des Arts Décoratifs and the Musée du Louvre (of course!). The elegant five star hotel, which has been open for 120 years, has a special Family offer proposing 20% off of their accommodations in family rooms or family suites, with a buffet breakfast included. It is the perfect location as you’ll be able to access the main tourist sites by foot or a short taxi ride.

Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel

The Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel is situated nearly at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Among its proposed amenities, the Hotel offers a child minding service. Because of its location, you’ll be able to easily get to the Champ des Mars where the children can enjoy playing in the gardens as you take in the view of the Eiffel Tower.

Sofitel Paris Arc du Triomphe

Located next to the Champs-Élysées, the Sofitel Paris Arc du Triomphe is a five star hotel with suites and apartment style accommodations that are perfect for families. The hotel also offers babysitting upon request, as well as baby beds, baby bathtubs and booster seats for those traveling with infants and toddlers.

Grand Hotel Saint-Michel

Within Paris’ Latin Quarter, the Grand Hotel Saint-Michel is a four star hotel offering a special Family Quadruple room comprised of two connecting bedrooms, each with a large double bed and a bathroom. Your kids will love to explore the nearby Luxembourg Gardens as well as the Roman ruins in the Latin Quarter

Hotel Lutetia

Situated in the very chic St. Germain-des-Pres neighborhood, the newly renovated historic five star hotel proposes The Set Family Adventures. This package includes personalized advice from the hotel’s head concierge about family activities, plus you’ll get special in room surprises, kid friendly menus as well as games and treasure hunts in the hotel. Kids will love this one of a kind experience!

Choose a private apartment

If hotels aren’t your thing, renting a private apartment in Paris for your family is always a choice – offering you the most convenience and adaptability. With a private apartment you’ll have the chance to experience life as a Parisian family and be able to cook for your children at home rather than going out to eat for every meal.

Kid friendly restaurants & cafes

There are hundreds of excellent fine dining restaurants in the city of Paris, but unfortunately not at all are kid friendly. It is definitely important to check beforehand that both the atmosphere and the menu will be appropriate for young children. Our top kid friendly restaurants in Paris are:

Chez Hé

Chez Hé is the ultimate for kid friendly dining in Paris. The Chinese restaurant, located between Bastille and Nation, offers a playground of 350 square meters for children ages 2-12 in their lower floor. The playground features a pirate ship, a labyrinth, a giant interactive screen, ball pit, and a giant slide.

Hotel du Collectionneur brunch

The Hotel du Collectionneur, in Paris’ 8th arrondissement, near the family favorite Parc Monceau proposes a special kids brunch at 44 euros for children up to 12, while children under 6 dine for free. In addition to the kids approved brunch menu, your children will be entertained by games and activities.

Bonpoint

The beloved French children’s clothing brand Bonpoint has a tea room in their flagship store in the 6th arrondissement. Rumor has it that former first lady Michelle Obama brought her two daughters here when they visited Paris in 2009. The tea room looks out onto a beautiful inner courtyard

Le Cafézoide

The Cafézoide is considered to be the first concept café for children, where kids can eat and play in a casual and fun environment. Located in the 19th arrondissement next to the the Bassin de la Villette, the kid’s cafe has a special menu and games for children of all ages.

Super Cafe

Super Cafe, located a bit off the beaten track in the 20th arrondissement, is another kid friendly cafe that will be sure to delight. The large terrasse provides a place to eat while children can play outside, and even ride tricycles. There is also a free children’s library at the café, the perfect chance for your kids to practice reading in French!

Parks and gardens

Paris is blessed with a multitude of green spaces located all throughout the city. Every neighborhood usually has at least a small square where one can sit on a bench and enjoy a bit of nature in the midst of the city. On weekends you will find Parisian families flock to the parks with their children for picnics, games and outdoor family activities The favorite parks and gardens for kids are:

Luxembourg Gardens

The Luxembourg Gardens are a paradise for children (and adults as well!). Located in the 6th arrondissement, the large gardens propose several recreational activities for children including toy boat rentals, pony rides and an antique carousel.

Tuileries Gardens

During the summer, the Tuileries gardens are home to an amusement park with a huge ferris wheel. In addition to amusement park rides, children can enjoy games, ice cream and other delights.

Jardin des Plantes

The Jardin des Plantes is another excellent choice for a family outing in Paris. Aside from just enjoying the parks and gardens, there are galleries and a zoo. The galleries include a Children’s Gallery, a Gallery of Mineralogy and Geology with huge crystals, the Gallery of Evolution, an interactive Virtual Reality Gallery and a Gallery of Paleontology where kids will get to see dinosaur bones.

Museums for kids

Because the weather in Paris can be sometimes unpredictable, it is always good to have some indoor activities as a back up plan. Luckily, among the many museums in Paris, there are several which are perfect for children:

Cité des Enfants

The Cité des Enfants, located in the Parc de la Villette, is a science museum. The museum is dedicated to children from 5 to 12 years of age, featuring six themed areas where children can learn, interact and play: body, communication, a TV studio, water games, garden and a factory.

Palais de la Découverte

The Palais de la Découverte is another science museum, located in the 8th arrondissement just off the Champs-Élysées. Founded in 1937 by a French physicist, the museum’s goal is to make science come alive for children. Permanent exhibitions are centered around physics, the Earth sciences, the life sciences, astronomy, mathematics, chemistry and technology. The museum also has a planetarium which kids will really love.

Arts et Métiers

The Musée des Arts et Métiers may not be one that typically comes to mind when thinking of Parisian museums, but it is one of the most unique in the city. Dedicated to technology and industry, the museum’s collections features innovative historical inventions and scientific and technological instruments. It is also the place in Paris where you’ll be able to see the famous Foucault’s pendulum (1851) which was the first experiment that demonstrates the Earth’s rotation.

Pompidou

The Centre Pompidou is the modern art museum in Paris, housing a modern collection dating from 1905 to the 1960s and contemporary collection spanning 1960s- 1990s. The progressive collection contains artworks from the 1990s to the present day. Children will love the unique architecture of the building, comprised of multi color tubes on the exterior. The museum has a children’s gallery as well as a children’s studio for activities.

Tours for kids

If you’re planning on visiting one of the major art museums or monuments in Paris such as the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay or Chateau of Versailles, you may consider booking a private tour designed especially for children. These tours are run by professional guides with experience teaching children and feature special art lessons and activities to keep the children entertained during your tour.

Disneyland

Disneyland Paris is located 20 miles to the East of Paris city center, and is easily accessible by the RER(Regional Express Network) train. Take the RER A from Charles de Gaule Étoile, Auber, or Châtelet stations in Central Paris to the Marne-la-Vallee station (the line’s terminus). The ride last 40 minutes. There are also shuttles from the center or Paris and some hotels offer transportation as well. Disneyland Paris may be smaller than DisneyWorld, but it does have something that none of the other Disney parks have yet: Ratatouille the adventure. It is one of the most popular attractions at Disneyland Paris, featuring a features a trackless ride in 4D.

Other tips

Paris is certainly a kid friendly destination, you just need to plan ahead for where you’re going to go! Keep in mind that Paris is a walking city, so it is easy to get around with children and a stroller. Also, something to remember is that the Paris Metro is free for children under 4, and children up to age 10 travel at half price.

By Maria Pasca