Paris with children

Forget romantic walks by the Seine, candlelit dinners and moonlight stroll into the early hours, now that there are children to consider will never be the same again. Wrong. Paris is a great place to explore not only for children but for the whole family together. Seeing Paris from your kids’ perspective will make you fall in love with the city all over again, but in a totally different way. Although synonymous with Eurodisney, a trip to Paris with children doesn’t even need to involve a large theme park to keep them entertained.

Centrally located between Le Louvre and Place de la Concorde the Tuileries Gardens is the ideal spot for children to let off some steam and adults to take a breather from the buzz of the city centre. With pony rides, sail boats for rent and plenty of space to run about children will love this park. During the summer there is also a small fair on Terrasse des Feuillants with a ferris wheel, merry go round and other attractions.

Don’t be put of by Parc de la Villette’s former history as the site of a large slaughter house (although this may intrigue some older children). Located on the edge of the 19^th arrondissement, this park houses Cité de la science and de l’industrie: Europe’s largest science museum. The museum boasts an entire day’s entertainment with hands-on exhibitions for all ages, a planetarium and even an IMAX theatre.

As a special treat, adults and children alike will find it impossible to resist a selection of delightfully coloured macaroons in an assortment of flavours from the Laduree tearooms. The original Laduree tearoom is located on rue Royale, but there is also a grander but less charming tearoom on the Champs Elysées.

It may seem an obvious suggestion, but the Eiffel tower is one of the most exciting attractions for young children visiting Paris. Go up on the lift up to the dizzy heights of the top floor and admire the stunning view from above, then visit again at night to see the sparkling illumination of Paris’ most emblematic monument. The plastic Eiffel Tower type souvenirs sold at the bottom may well be tacky, but would be the idea memento for children to remind them of a trip to Paris.

A fun and slightly out of the ordinary family activity is a cruise on the Canal St Martin. Unlike a Seine cruise, this cruise includes the excitement and intrigue of double locks and wing bridges. Passing along the canal you can gaze at the small boutiques, passing walkers and discover some of the more secluded, off the beaten track areas of Paris.

When traveling with children it is advisable to rent a Paris apartment rather than staying in a hotel, to give you the freedom to come and go as you please without restrictions on mealtimes or space.