Travel Tips For Families Visiting Paris With Their Children
Most travelers who visit Paris note that although the city seems very popular with couples, it seems to attract very few families. And the reason for this is quite startling. According to a recent survey conducted by a popular travel magazine, it was found that although the city of Paris had hordes of options for couples and singles, it had very less to offer for families traveling with children.
Now we are not necessarily talking about the city not having any attractions for families and kids. There are lots of places you can visit as a family in Paris. However when it comes to factors like child friendly hotels, ease of transportation and other family friendly facilities (especially for families with toddlers), Paris takes a back seat when compared to other cities.
Not to worry though! If you are hell bent on visiting Paris and don’t want to leave your toddler behind at the same time, here are some travel tips you would need to take note of before setting off!
Ease of transportation
Although there are numerous options to choose from for reaching Paris from the Paris Charles De Gaules Airport, if you are traveling with children, the best option would be to hire a car prior to your arrival. Accordingly, there are many rental agencies that rent out cars at feasible prices and you can get a good deal if you talk to a couple of agents before booking a cab. Make note to let the agent know of important details like your child’s age, weight and size in order to get the most appropriate vehicle.
Again, when you are traveling inside the city, the best bet would be to opt for buses. Metros can be a pain when you are traveling with toddlers. Most metros in the city do not come equipped with child friendly facitlities, which would essentially include stroller. In addition to this, nearly half of the metros in the city are equipped with only stairs (which means no elevators or escalators). And so, if you are traveling with a baby, you would find it extremely difficult to travel around the city in them.
Buses on the other hand are more child friendly (or stroller friendly I should say!) and come with dedicated spaces for strollers. These buses usually have a rear door that is easily accessible for families with strollers. All you need to do once you get inside the bus is signal the driver that you have a baby in a stroller, and you would immediately be directed to the place reserved for the same.
Talking about strollers, never visit Paris without a lightweight stroller, if you have a toddler that is! Most of the sidewalks in the city are very narrow and you would probably need to opt for a light weight stroller to carry it along with you in these cases. Accordingly, quite a few places in the city would require you to climb a few steps to gain entry. A lighyweight stroller would work wonders for you and your baby in these situations.
Checking into accommodation
Before booking a hotel in Paris, check whether it is child friendly. And when I mean child friendly, I imply that the hotel should accommodate as well as allow children everywhere inside the establishment instead of restricting them to a few basic places like the foyer and restaurant.
Most hotels in Paris come with travel cots for babies. Although this would be a suitable option if you are traveling with just one kid, it would not be feasible if you have two or more kids with you. Then again, asking for extra cots would turn out to be costly in addition to being very constricting in terms of space.
A suitable alternative to this option would be to opt for single or double bedroom apartments, most preferably those which come with equipped kitchenettes. This way your kids wont feel bored of staying in the same room all day and you can always fix up instant snacks for them instead of calling for room service every time you want something!
Restaurants and Eateries
Again when choosing to dine at a restaurant in Paris, see whether the establishment accommodates children. Most eateries will not allow children below a certain age limit. In addition to this, there are only a handful of restaurants in the entire city which are 100% child friendly. Check with your hotel for any such restaurants in the vicinity before heading out. You may be pleased to note that even though some restaurants don’t cater to children; they will welcome you anyways, offering you a place to park your stroller and warming up your baby-food etc. if required.
A crowded restaurant can always be unnerving, especially if your toddler doesn’t like noise. In these cases, you can opt to have your meals a good half hour before the standard dining times followed in the city. For example, although the French usually have their dinner around 8.00 p.m., most restaurants in the city would open for dinner at 7.00 p.m. instead. Opting to dine anywhere between 7.00 p.m. and 8.00 p.m. will ensure that you enjoy your dinner in peace while your baby sleeps on blissfully.
Baby Supplies
There is no need to worry about the quality of baby products when you are in Paris. For almost all the supermarkets in the city sell international diaper brands like Pampers, Huggies etc. and baby food in addition to offering organic options as well.
Just a pointer for mothers! The baby formulas present in shops in Paris would be different from the ones you are accustomed to at home. And so better make it a point to ask a pharmacist for the specific formula you give your baby. It also pays to bring along the formula label with you so that you can ask for the same or a similar one!
Public Lavatories
If your toddler is potty trained, then there is no concern; for most of the public toilets in Paris are clean and easily accessible for children who are potty trained. However, toilets with diaper changing facilities are very few in the city.
In these cases, it is best considered to bring along your own portable changing mat which would enable you to change your baby’s diaper whenever and wherever possible. You don’t need to worry about being stared at or frowned upon by others though. No one would mind your actions!
Feeding Your Toddler
The same can be said for those who breastfeed their baby. Breastfeeding in public; although quite rare in Paris, is not an offense, and if your little one decides to throw a sudden hunger tantrum, you can breastfeed him/her wherever you are, without the fear of being reprimanded for the same!
Attractions
Some attractions in the city have certain restrictions when it comes to allowing children. For example, quite a few museums don’t allow children inside the premises while some others specifically don’t allow entry to strollers.
Not to worry though. For these places usually come with baby carriers so that you can leave the stroller outside while opting to carry your baby inside. It also pays to come with your own baby carrier should the place not have one to assist you with. Make sure to check with the places you plan to visit with respect to the various child policies they may have in place.
A Few Child Friendly Attractions you can opt for
Speaking of child friendly attractions, many visiters to the City of Lights complain that there are very few attractions in the destination that cater to families with children. If you are one of those families are stuck in the same situation then not to worry. For there are some really cool family friendly (child friendly attractions) that would most definitely enliven your holiday and make sure your kids enjoy their vacation as well.
These include the Parc de la Villette playground, the Jardin d’ Acclimation (a park, fair and zoo), the Butte de Chaumont Park, Musee de la Poupee Museum, the Gallerie de’l Evolution Museum, the Butte de Montmarte carousel, and the Luxemborg Gardens.
Photo Credit: Travelmuse.com
