Paris is a great place to travel as a family, with a host of specially designed activities for kids of all ages, both inside and out of the city.
We have put together a guide to the best way to see the French capital with children.
Make the most out of every adventure with help from our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.As Europe's most densely populated city, Paris knows how to cater to children's needs. Many restaurants and hotels have a children's menu, there are parks and playground, and many museums and cultural spaces have activities for children.
The Jardin du Luxembourg is the most enchanting park in Paris. The octagonal pond has 1920s sailboats on it, as well as riding ponies or its carousel.
There are other parks in Paris with puppet shows. The Parc de la Villette has a lot of things to see and do.
There is a small zoo in the Jardin des Plantes. The Bois de Boulogne are in the west and the Bois de Vincennes are in the east. There is an open-air concert venue, the largest zoo in Paris, and a medieval castle in the area.
Children's museums include the magic museum, Musée de la Magie, and art museum, Musée en Herbe. The Palais de Tokyo is a great place for hands-on workshops, as is the architecture museum, Cité de l'Architecture et du Patrimoine. One of the most popular ways to explore the museum is to follow the "lion hunt".
There is a branch of the natural-history museum in the Grande Galerie de l'volution and the Cité des Sciences in the Parc de la Villette. Europe's oldest science and technology museum has an audio guide for children.
Disneyland Resort Paris includes both Disneyland Park and the film and TV focused Walt Disney Studios Park.
In the Bois de Boulogne there is an amusement park called Jardin d'Acclimatation, which has 44 individual attractions such as "rafting adventures", "speed rockets" and funfair rides, and is accessible by taking a mini train from Porte.
Located north of the city and linked by a shuttle bus, is the summer- opening of Parc Astérix, an amusement park with rides for all ages based on the famous comic books.
The shark-filled aquarium at Cinéaqua is a winner with kids because of the movies it screens. One of the best cinematic experiences for kids is a self-guided behind-the-scenes tour at Le Grand Rex, where you can take part in making a film, from recording studios to special effects.
The winter circus Cirque d'Hiver Bouglione is located in Paris from October to March.
A river cruise through Paris' heart is one of the best ways to see the City of Light. The companies include Bateaux-Mouches, Bateaux Parisiens and the hop-on, hop-off Batobus, as well as Vedettes de Paris, which caters to families with children.
There is a canal cruise from Bastille to the Parc de la Villette that goes through the locks and swings of Canal St-Martin.
The most central part of Paris, the 1er arrondissement to the 8e arrondissement, is well suited for families to spend less time in the city and more time in their homes. The Latin Quarter and St-Germain are close to the Jardin du Luxembourg and have many family friendly restaurants and hotels.
The public transport system in Paris is cheap. Children up to four years are free of charge. On the metro, the front carriage of driverless lines are fun for kids, while lines with overground sections give great views, though stairs to the subterranean stations can be long. It's easier for parents to get around with strollers. Don't travel at peak hours when public transportation is crowded. Drivers tend to ignore pedestrian crossing and lights when crossing roads. Kidelio has a number of collection points around the city.
The article was last updated about 5 hours ago.
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