What to do in Paris with a toddler

Travelling to Paris with a toddler is pushing me out of my comfort zone. Not the thought of heading there with Minnie, but the realisation that despite several visits to the French capital, I’m practically starting from scratch.

For example, on several previous visits I’ve stayed on the Left Bank – all quirky boutique hotels and walking distance from the Ile de la Cite. Or I’ve spent ages wandering around Montmartre, which I love – except those endless stairs and cobbles are going to be a lot less enticing with a buggy.

So before I work out where we’re going to stay, what is there to do in Paris with toddlers?

Things to do in Paris with a toddler

I’m having more success finding things to do in Paris with a toddler. Even if you tend to think romantic weekends away when you imagine a short break in Paris.

Because as with any major city, there’s more than one Paris to visit. Any hand-in-hand strolls along the Seine on this trip are going to be to stop her falling in, and my long-held desire to see the Catacombs is still very much on hold – but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a family-friendly side.

Firstly, the parks – Paris has plenty of green space to explore, and the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Tuileries are high up my list.

And while I’m not sure I’ll go up the Eiffel Tower (it’s not my first visit, and Minnie’s too young to really care), it’s a must for older kids.

But I hadn’t come across the Cite des Enfants at the Cite des Sciences – there’s areas aimed at two upwards, so one to check out even for toddlers.

From puppets and carousels to toddler-friendly exploring, The Hip Paris blog has some great suggestions that you could (maybe) pack into 24 hours, while I’ve seen quite a few parks and museums recommended, as well as the Promenade Plantee which looks intriguing.

Or you could try a Blue Bike tour – there are trailers and bike seats for little ones, although at four hours long, it might try toddler patience. They run year-round and include highlights of Paris, as well as secret Paris, with a maximum of 10 people per tour.

If you prefer to give little legs a break, the Tootbus tours of Paris include a special kids tour, as well as the hop on hop off tour.

Then there’s the Galerie des Enfants at the Centre Pompidou – this left me cold the first time I visited, but might be worth a return visit. Again, it’s aimed at two and above, while there’s workshops for older children too.

And Time Out has a whole section on its website with suggestions for exploring Paris with children – not all suitable for toddlers but plenty of food for thought.

Where to stay in Paris with toddlers

While I don’t need acres of space, the numerous studio apartments I found on AirBNB are out as I do need a separate bedroom where I can close the door on Minnie’s cot, otherwise I might as well look at a hotel.

At first, researching places to stay led me to two different options – a flat with a view of the Eiffel Tower (how very Parisian) but which is actually well away from most places I might want to visit. Or another, not far from the Pere Lachaise cemetery, which seems equally far from the centre but cheaper and slightly better equipped.

Until, after multiple failures and rejections, I finally found an apartment for our Paris trip – in Belleville, not far from the Canal Saint Martin (and had a lovely back-up in hand).

It’s not an area I’d had at the front of my mind – not because I didn’t want to stay there, but because I tend to think of it as more of a trendy, bohemian district (and therefore not an obvious family-friendly stay).

But actually, three of the nicest flats I’ve looked at are all in the area (and they’re all family flats so ‘real’ Parisians live there with their kids), the canal itself should be lovely to stroll along and it’s in a good spot.

Easy to reach from the Gare du Nord, it’s also on several metro lines making it relatively quick to get in and out of the centre – but also giving a more relaxed place to retreat to after a day out.

If you’ve seen the movies Amelie or One Day, you’ll recognise it too, so no worries about it not being typically Parisian enough. And as it’s not an area I know well, I should have fun exploring it from scratch with Minnie.

I’ve also worked out a useful trick for future searches on AirBNB; using the local language to refine the possibilities as well as English.

A bit obvious perhaps and only works if you actually speak the local language, but looking for bebe, chaise haute and jeux (for example) got me a whole set of options which hadn’t come up with baby, high chair and games.

In some cases, the final description was in English anyway (so I’m not quite sure what clever algorithm brought up the French words) although if you’re not happy reading an entire description in another language or dealing with hosts who may not speak English, it’s probably not the best option. I wouldn’t have fancied trying it in Danish, for example.

So… we’ll see what it’s really like once we stay there next month, but now at least I can concentrate on the fun things to do without worrying about where we’ll be sleeping!

Check out my review of staying near the Canal Saint Martin

 

 

Image courtesy of Depositphotos