5 Favorite Family Activities in Paris
If you are considering what to do when you travel to Paris, this list will provide you with our family’s top 5 experiences while visiting Paris. To read our full itinerary, click here.
Visit Montmarte
This charming area of Paris has so much art and culture and is home to the famous The Place du Tertre Artist Square where you can have hand-drawn portraits done, which my kids absolutely loved. Plan for at least an hour and be sure to have plenty of cash (though we found some artists did accept card.) The drawings typically take 30-60 minutes and you may have to wait in line for some artists. It was worth it. Also, buy a cardboard tube in the square to bring your art home with you.
Visit Disneyland Paris
People are very 50/50 about Disneyland Paris, but after experiencing it, it is a huge YES for us. I’m so glad we went and think anyone who loves Disney should go. The lines were never long, it was very clean and we truly loved it. The fast pass system is different than in the states, but we found it was not necessary.
It is an easy train ride out of the city. We visited toward the end of the trip and it was a nice way to break up lots of museums for the kids. Definitely get there when it opens, as it did get more crowded as the day went on. For a Q&A about Disneyland Paris, click here.
Dinner at Francette and visit to the Eiffel Tower
My favorite dinner in Paris was at Francette, which is right on the Seine, in front of the Eiffel Tower. Though we were not able to plan it this way because of the Olympics, I would recommend going to the top of the Eiffel Tower first and then going to dinner. Be sure to get reservations for both. We planned dinner late enough that when we were finished, it was close to when the Eiffel Tower would sparkle. It was so beautiful to witness from the water.
Go to Versailles
Words cannot do Versailles justice. It is astonishing, both inside and outside. I recommend buying tickets for first thing in the morning and then getting a golf cart to tour the gardens. You will find that lines are very lengthy for the golf carts as the day goes on and they really make a huge difference in how you can experience the gardens. They are worth every penny! I bought tickets here.
See the Mona Lisa at the Louvre
A bucket list experience, the Louvre was spectacular in every way, especially seeing the Mona Lisa. We chose to get a guide and I think it made everything better because we learned and appreciated so much more. She also had a great understanding of the museum, which helped us navigate it, see the most iconic art, etc. Click here for the tour we used.
I hope this helps if you plan to visit Paris!