Paris

Visiting Paris With Kids

Downtown Paris: food, parks, and tips included

Okay, so there are a gazillion blogs and websites about Paris, understandably so, since it tops many people’s bucket lists. I’m not sure there’s much new to say, but I can share what visiting Paris with kids was actually like for our family. Hopefully it sparks some ideas as you plan your own adventure in this romantic city, with or without little ones in tow!

A Return Trip: This Time With Kids

I’m food-driven when I travel, so when the chance came for an impromptu return to Paris, you didn’t have to twist my arm. This time, it was also our kids’ first visit!

It was so fun to see the city through their eyes and to share all the incredible food and stunning architecture with our girls. We spent 10 days in an apartment in our favorite neighborhood in downtown Paris, and it gave us a little taste of what life might feel like if we actually lived there with kids. It was very different from our honeymoon trip a decade earlier.

A Surprisingly Easy City for Families

This trip, we slowed down. We spent more time just strolling through parks and doing things that were more family-focused. And we were honestly surprised by how easy Paris felt with kids.

Some cities can feel like a lot of work to manage daily with a family. But Paris? It felt seamless. Like it just fit us. There was so much to do, plenty of it free, and we never felt overwhelmed.

What Paris With Kids Is Really Like, Day to Day

A few things made the everyday rhythm easier than we expected. Breakfast was the simplest part: a neighborhood bakery, a warm baguette or a pain au chocolat, and everyone was happy for under ten euros. We leaned on picnics too, grabbing cheese, fruit, and a rotisserie chicken and eating in a park instead of wrangling two tired kids through a sit-down dinner.

Green space is everywhere, and it saved us. The Jardin du Luxembourg has one of the best playgrounds in the city, plus little sailboats the kids can push around the fountain. The Tuileries and the Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower are perfect for letting kids run before or after something more grown-up. We planned one big thing each morning, then a park in the afternoon, and that pace kept the meltdowns to a minimum.

Food was never a fight, which surprised me most. Between crepes from a street cart, croque monsieur, steak frites, and pasta on nearly every menu, even our pickier eater found plenty to love. Boulangeries and ice cream stands are everywhere for the inevitable afternoon bribe, and most cafes were relaxed about kids as long as we came a little before the dinner rush.

Getting around took a little planning. The Metro is fast and cheap, but not every station has an elevator, so a compact stroller or a good carrier is your friend. We often just walked, since so much of central Paris is close together and honestly more fun on foot. For a full rundown of tickets and family passes, the official Paris tourism office is a helpful starting point.

How Long to Spend in Paris With Kids

If you can swing it, give Paris at least four or five days with kids. That is enough to hit the big landmarks without racing, leave room for slow park mornings, and build in a rest day when someone inevitably melts down. We had ten days and never ran out of things to do, but we also never felt rushed, and that slower pace is really what made the trip work with little ones.

Jet lag is real, so we kept the first day gentle: a nearby park, an early dinner, and an unapologetically early bedtime. By day two everyone had found their footing. If you are coming from the US, plan for a couple of low-key mornings at the start rather than booking a big activity the moment you land. Spring and early fall are our favorite times to visit Paris with kids, since the weather is mild and the daylight stretches long enough for an after-dinner walk.

Should You Visit Paris With Kids?

If you’re wondering whether Paris is a good destination for families, even with younger kids, the answer is 100% YES.

And if you’ve got the time, Disneyland Paris is worth considering too! It’s just a 45-minute train ride from the city center and totally doable as a day trip. The park is smaller than Disneyland California, which makes it feel more manageable. Check out our Disneyland Paris page for all the details!

Read our Paris pages to find out:

And if you’re traveling with littles, don’t miss our family itinerary for Paris for family-specific adventures and tips!

Paris Gallery

Two of the girls watching toy sailboats float across the pond in the Jardin du Luxembourg

One of the girls reflected in a mirrored kaleidoscope box at the Montparnasse Tower, with the Eiffel Tower behind her

Three small plates at a Paris restaurant, including a bowl of bright green soup

One of the girls pulling a shocked face beside a display case in a Paris museum

Dad holding one of the girls in front of Notre Dame in Paris

The Seine seen from under a stone bridge arch, with a sightseeing boat going past

One of the girls among the bookshelves at Shakespeare and Company in Paris, below the Old Smoky Reading Room sign

Two small orange monkeys climbing the mesh of their enclosure at La Menagerie zoo in Paris

One of the girls sitting on a ledge and pointing up at the Eiffel Tower

Three cups of deep red chilled soup topped with edible flowers at a Paris restaurant

The girls playing on the striped Buren columns in the Palais Royal courtyard

A hand holding an ice cream cone piped into a rosette, with one of the girls behind it

One of the girls standing in a room painted with huge colorful birds

One of the girls walking through a red walled painting gallery at the Louvre

The family crossing a Paris street in front of a large colorful mural, dad pushing the stroller

A bowl of ramen topped with halved soft boiled eggs at a Paris restaurant

One of the girls standing in a bike lane on a quiet Paris street

One of the girls at an open apartment window in Paris, looking out at the building across the street

One of the girls holding up a book in the children's section at Shakespeare and Company in Paris

The girls with their arms up on the striped Buren columns in the Palais Royal courtyard

Dad and the girls walking down toward the lawns of the Jardin du Luxembourg

A bowl of green soup with dumplings and a mushroom at a Paris restaurant

Looking straight up the glass facade of the Montparnasse Tower in Paris

A quiet Paris street with a dark green restaurant front and blue kgb signs

One of the girls jumping with her arms up in the middle of a quiet Paris street

A brunch plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and a thick pancake with a little pan of syrup

One of the girls jumping on the cobbled quay beside the Seine, with Notre Dame behind her

The painted entrance to 59 Rivoli, an artists' studio building in Paris

The girls standing in front of a wall of bright abstract paint splashes

One of the girls in a hooded cape standing between two tall stone sculptures on a Paris street

The girls playing on big red molded chairs on an outdoor deck in Paris

One of the girls standing in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre

Dad and the girls in a brightly painted space themed area at Disneyland Paris

One of the girls at an outdoor cafe table with soft boiled eggs and juice, the dome of the Pantheon behind her

A strawberry dessert with quenelles of cream and crisp white tuiles

The family at the outdoor tables of A. Lacroix, a patisserie and ice cream shop in Paris

A high view over Paris rooftops from the Montparnasse Tower, with the gold dome of Les Invalides in the middle

Dad and the girls with the stroller on a viewing deck in front of the Eiffel Tower

A plate of white fish with greens in a butter sauce at a Paris restaurant

The girls reflected over and over in a mirrored kaleidoscope box at the Montparnasse Tower

One of the girls reaching up to take a cup from the counter at a Paris shop

A family selfie at the top of the Montparnasse Tower with the Eiffel Tower behind them

An open faced tartine piled with vegetables, served with a latte at a Paris cafe

One of the girls watching a leopard through the glass at La Menagerie zoo in Paris

One of the girls outside the Shakespeare and Company bookshop in Paris, holding her book bag

The counter of a Paris cheese shop stacked with rounds of cheese

A patisserie window in Paris filled with pastries, including desserts shaped like green apples

Dad and the girls climbing a brightly painted stairway covered in artwork

One of the girls in front of a Laduree display cabinet of macarons and gift boxes

A stuffed courgette flower in a green sauce at a Paris restaurant

Dad and one of the girls in a ride car on the Buzz Lightyear ride at Disneyland Paris

One of the girls pulling a face in the long skylit painting gallery at the Louvre

The girls standing on graffitied steps in front of a black and white mural

A plate of sliced steak with rocket, new potatoes and peas

A green apple shaped dessert cut open on a tray at an outdoor table in Paris

One of the girls with a yellow umbrella on a wet cobbled Paris street

One of the girls reflected in a mirrored kaleidoscope box at the Montparnasse Tower, with the Eiffel Tower and Paris below

One of the girls standing in the bike lane on a quiet Paris street

A cafe case of open tartines topped with smoked salmon, avocado and vegetables

One of the girls standing on top of a striped Buren column while her sister poses below, Palais Royal

One of the girls jumping in front of the pink Disneyland Hotel at the entrance to Disneyland Paris

A bowl of thinly sliced pork with rocket at a Paris restaurant

One of the girls looking out through the glass of the Louvre pyramid at the palace courtyard

Mom and one of the girls pulling faces for a selfie under the Eiffel Tower

A delicate plated starter with frisee and crisp garnishes at a Paris restaurant

A raspberry tart on a Yann Couvreur patisserie napkin in Paris

A high view across Paris rooftops toward the Eiffel Tower from the Montparnasse Tower

The girls walking on the gravel in the Jardin du Luxembourg, with the lawn and statues behind them

A plate of sliced steak with a grilled spring onion at a Paris restaurant

A cube shaped chocolate dessert on an A. Lacroix napkin in Paris

Mom and one of the girls in front of Notre Dame across the Seine

Looking down at the girls, one standing by a window and one lying on the floor

The younger girl eating a pastry out of a paper bag in her stroller

One of the girls with her arms out in a Paris toy shop full of dolls

Trays of chocolates in the window of the chocolatier Patrick Roger in Paris

One of the girls in the doorway of a Japanese restaurant in Paris

Dad eating with chopsticks at a Japanese restaurant in Paris

One of the girls on the Seine quay beside a stone bridge in Paris

Looking down the art covered spiral staircase at 59 Rivoli, with the girls on the steps

The girls standing in a long avenue of trees in a Paris park

Takeaway bowls of noodle salad on a wooden table in Paris

A plate of courgettes with herbs and dried chillies at a Paris restaurant

One of the girls beside a large chocolate sculpture in the Patrick Roger shop in Paris

Mom and the girls sitting at the edge of the pond in the Jardin du Luxembourg, a toy sailboat beside them

A round red glazed pastry served on a wooden tray in Paris

A bowl of dumpling soup with mushrooms and coriander at a Paris restaurant

One of the girls watching a monkey in its enclosure at La Menagerie zoo in Paris

The long skylit painting gallery at the Louvre

One of the girls at the apartment window in Paris while dad rests on the bed

One of the girls spinning in the street with Haussmann buildings behind her in Paris

A brunch plate with a fried egg, bacon, a croquette and salad

Two cubes of watermelon topped with dill

A plate of gnocchi with tomato sauce, roasted tomatoes and edible flowers

One of the girls leaping between the striped Buren columns in the Palais Royal courtyard

A stone bridge over the Seine in Paris under a cloudy sky

A citrus tart on an A. Lacroix patisserie napkin in Paris

One of the girls pulling a big face over a pastry at a Paris cafe table

The blue front of Jozi Cafe in Paris with people at the outdoor tables

One of the girls jumping in front of the Disneyland Hotel at the entrance to Disneyland Paris

Looking down the spiral staircase at 59 Rivoli, painted with giant eyes, one of the girls on the steps

Build your kids
a free Trip Kit

Heading to Paris? Before you go, build your kids their own free Trip Kit: a printable explorer passport, a countdown to takeoff and a scavenger hunt matched to their ages. It’s the exact kit our girls travel with!

Build your kit