Taking The Children To Paris
If you have young children, you may have discounted Paris as a destination for a family break, but there is no need. Paris is not all about couples’ romance; there is plenty for families to see and do too.
Paris is just a short flight away from the UK, or alternatively why not travel by train? Small children often love the experience, and the train has the benefit of more space, more opportunities to stretch your legs and fewer luggage constraints. Departing from St Pancras station in London, the Eurostar high-speed train can whisk your family away to the French capital in around 2 hours 15 minutes.
Once you are there, Paris has a plethora of family friendly small hotels or B&Bs happy to accommodate you and your offspring, or you could choose a small apartment; well-known apartment chains Citadines and Adagio both have a number of locations in Paris and there are many privately owned rentals too.
What to do? For a start, there are parks and playgrounds all over Paris, so you will never be far from a place to play. The Jardin Des Tuileries, next to the Louvre, is free of cars and offers a range of fountains, sculpture and meeting places including an impressive children’s carousel and a little pond for toy boats.
Taking a ride on the Batobus enables everyone to have a rest from walking whilst seeing some of Paris’s amazing sights, as well as proving an efficient way to get around with a buggy or toddler.
Just standing underneath the Eiffel Tower is an amazing experience, and there is a trail around (and up) the Tower designed just for 6 to 10 year olds. Every evening, the Tower is lit up in a sparkling display for five minutes every hour on the hour.
As a short haul, short break destination, Paris has much to recommend it to families with children of all ages.