Paris with kids? It’s a oui from us! The City of Lights is a fantastic place to explore with children. It might not be the relaxed, romantic weekend in Paris you may have had pre-kids, but it’s a whole different kind of magic when you see the city through a child’s eyes. The carousels, the chocolate crepes, the boat trips, the fountains – and the excitement of seeing the very same Eiffel Tower that Peppa Pig goes up.
Obviously, there are huge differences between travelling to Paris with a baby and visiting with a teen (and all the ages in between), so we’ve split this guide into sections: baby, toddler, school-age kids and teenagers – although we think all our recommendations work at any age and for any first-time visitors to Paris. In each section, you’ll find suggestions for where to go and what to see and do, plus top tips from our own travels to Paris with kids.
Taking the Paris Metro with kids
The Paris Metro is a simple and affordable way to travel across Paris with kids. If you’ve visited before, the big change is that paper tickets are gone – they’re no longer sold or accepted on the network.
Instead, you have two options. The easiest for families is to pick up a Navigo Easy card (€2) from any metro station ticket machine and load it with tickets as you go. A single Metro-Train-RER ticket costs €2.55, and a Bus-Tram ticket is €2.05. Each person needs their own card – you can’t share one between the family.
Alternatively, you can buy tickets on your smartphone through the Île-de-France Mobilités or Bonjour RATP app, which also lets you plan routes and check live train times. We found these apps invaluable. One thing to note – unlike the Tube in London, you can’t tap a bank card at metro turnstiles, so you do need a Navigo Easy card or phone tickets.
If you’re staying in Paris for a couple of weeks or more, consider a Navigo weekly pass (€32.40) for unlimited travel. For a long weekend, though, single tickets loaded onto your Navigo Easy card or phone will work out cheaper.
Children under 4 travel free on the metro, RER, bus and tram networks, as long as they don’t occupy a seat. Children aged 4–9 get a 50% discount, paying around €1.30 per metro ride. Children aged 10 and over pay the full adult fare.
Paris with a baby
City breaks are always a great idea with babies. They’re happy enough to spend most of their time in a buggy or carrier, their dietary requirements are relatively straightforward (milk, formula and, for the older ones, puree pouches), and their cots tend to fit into even the smallest of hotel rooms.
I found that a lightweight travel buggy was perfectly adequate for getting around with – easy enough to lift up and down stairs when you need to, and folds up nice and small when you’re popping into a bistro or café for lunch. It’s best to avoid the metro where you can, as there are often a lot of stairs to navigate. But you’re in Paris – walking is almost always a joy here.
A travel changing mat is advisable, though I found that changing tables were always easily found, especially in larger restaurants and department stores. You can buy branded nappies, formula and baby food in supermarkets and pharmacies, although I was easily able to fit enough for a weekend into my carry-on case. As for breastfeeding, no-one ever batted an eyelid, even in the fancy-pants brasserie I had lunch in (Le Grand Colbert, in case you’re wondering. Yes, the one from Something’s Gotta Give. Food delicious, décor amazing – would highly recommend). And add a pack-away highchair to your packing list, actual highchairs were hit-and-miss in the restaurants I visited.
The great thing about babies is that they don’t tend to dictate the itinerary – this is your time to see and do what you want. That said, it’s always handy to know that you’ll have decent baby change facilities nearby and somewhere to sit down for a feed if little one starts to get hungry.
Visit a museum
The Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, Centre Pompidou – pop baby in a sling or carrier (much easier) and enjoy viewing some of the most impressive works of art in the world. If you can, avoid the most crowded sections (you’ll just end up hot and bothered) and concentrate on some of the lesser-known parts of the museum. The Mona Lisa can wait for another time.
Louvre entrance: €22 (for EU/EEA residents); €32 (for visitors from outside the EEA, including UK and US, from 14 January 2026); Musee d’Orsay: from €14; Centre Pompidou: from €15
Wander through the Tuileries Gardens
The Tuileries Gardens are right in the centre of the city, just next to the Louvre, so they’re ideal for a stroll once you’ve finished in the museum. Grab a takeaway from Angelina (the chocolat l’Africain is the deliciously thick one you’ve probably heard of – and it’s every bit as good as the reviews suggest. I even bought two bottles to take home with me) and drink it, while you wander through these beautiful gardens.
Admire the views from Galeries Lafayette
Of course, the shopping is fab here. And, if you’re visiting at Christmas, the decorations are a must-see. But the highlight is up on the roof – a free-to-access terrace with sweeping views across the Paris skyline. Bonus: there’s a brilliant baby room with microwaves for heating food and sterilising bottles, highchairs for feeding hungry bubbas, changing tables, and comfy chairs for breastfeeding mamas.
Stroll along the Seine
A walk along the Seine is a classic Parisian experience – and the pavements are wide, flat and ideal for buggies. Take in the architecture, cross one of the famous bridges (Pone Alexandre III and Pont Neuf are both lovely), and find a favourite viewpoint to take baby out for a photo.
Paris with toddlers
If you’re thinking of visiting Paris with toddlers in tow, just understand that this is one of those trips where a little pre-planning is going to go a long way. A well-timed ice-cream, stop or carousel ride will buy you a bit more time for museum visits or boulevard strolling. And a surprise playground stop every now and then will perk up even the grumpiest of two-year-olds.
Food is your friend. For every plate of escargots or onion soup, there’s also a buttery croissant, a pain au chocolat or a croque monsieur. Adding a mountain of frites to every meal goes down well, too. Toddlers aren’t usually big fans of sitting still for extended periods of time, so swap long, leisurely lunches for street food stalls, park picnics or casual cafes with outside seating (people-watching and I Spy are basically the same thing, right?).
Play in the Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens)
This lovely park on the Left Bank is perfect for letting little ones blow off some steam. There’s a brilliant playground with loads for younger kids (older siblings will be more than happy too, especially once they clock the zipline and giant climbing frame). Swings, slides, roundabouts, seesaws – you’ll have a hard time tearing them away, but tempt them with the old-fashioned carousel, boating pond (there’s a little kiosk where you can hire wooden boats to push around) and crêpe stalls and they’ll come running!
Playground: €3 for ages 3-12; €1 for adults. Boats: approx. €6 for 30 minutes. Carousel: €2
Ride on a carousel
Paris’ carousels are real gems – and toddlers love them. You’ll find them in all the tourist hotspots, from Sacre Coeur in Montmartre to the Eiffel Tower to the Tuileries Gardens. The one outside Hôtel de Ville was glorious when I visited at Christmas time, with festive lights projecting onto the building behind and twinkling Christmas trees all around. It’s a temporary one, though, so best to check for your dates before you head there. If you’ve got a dino-mad toddler, you’ll definitely want to check out the carousel at the Jardin des Plantes, where they can hop on a triceratops.
Ride costs vary, but usually no more than a few euros.
Board the petit train to Montmartre
Let’s face it: little legs get tired very quickly, especially when there are inclines involved. So if you’re angling to explore hilly Montmartre, get your toddler on board by getting a ticket for Le Petit Train. This little land train takes you from the Moulin Rouge up to the basilica, and back down again once you’ve finished exploring the cobbled streets and artists’ studios. Ticket prices also include smartphone audio guides for three walking tours – do one, do them all, whatever you fancy.
Le Petit Train fees: €12 (adult); €5 (child)
Take pastries to the park at Place des Vosges
Le Marais is such a gorgeous part of Paris. The boutiques, the patisseries, the architecture… so far, so not child-friendly. But you can hopefully buy yourself a bit of mooching time with the promise of a visit to the Place des Vosges at the end of it. The square – edged with classically handsome buildings – has a leafy green park at its centre, where young kids can run around, kick a mini-football, dig in the sandpit and whizz down the slide. Bonus: you can pick up fancy pastries and rainbow-coloured macarons at nearby Carette for a picnic lunch while you play. Perfect for a sunny day.
Admire the views from the top of the Eiffel Tower
You could walk the 674 steps up the Eiffel Tower, but when you’re travelling with a toddler, that’s just asking for a mid-climb meltdown (and it only takes you part-way up anyway). Better to take the lift and save your energy for exploring at the top – you also get great views of the inside of the tower from the lifts. It’s best to book tickets well in advance.
Buggies are allowed, but you need to collapse them to take them into the lift. It can get very cold and windy at the top, so make sure you’re dressed appropriately, and make sure you’ve got a snack/entertainment handy for the queues (I’d definitely advise pre-booking your Eiffel Tower tickets, but even with timed slots there’ll still be an element of waiting around).
If you want to splash out – book a table at Madam Brassiere on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower – and enjoy views across the city while chowing down to a three-course lunch or dinner – without paying the entrance fee. If you choose to sit away from the windows, you’ll pay less. Set menu prices are from €70.30 per person and €39.60 for children, excluding drinks.
If you’re on a budget and don’t want to climb to the top – there are many places beneath it to enjoy it in its full glory. If you’re prepared to walk a little further and cross over the river, you’ll get some great photo opportunities, too.
Eiffel Tower entrance fee: €36.10 (adult); €18.10 (age 12-24); €9.10 (age 4-11); free (under 4s) to travel to the top via the lift. Best to book in advance to secure a date and time of your choosing.
Paris with kids
Visiting Paris with kids who are school-aged is such a treat. Okay, so they might still complain about walking long distances or moan when you suggest adding another boring museum to the itinerary. But they’re now old enough to start doing some of the really cool stuff – like venturing down to the catacombs beneath the city streets and going on after-dark river cruises to see the lights. (And, yes, now is also the time to do Disneyland Paris – bring on the rides, parades and character meet-and-greets!)
If you can tie things in with what they might be learning at school, even better. Natural history, ancient Egyptian art in the Louvre museum, and even physics (check out the Foucault pendulum in the Pantheon – a great way to understand the Earth’s rotation). And enjoy – memories of your Paris family trip will stay with you forever.
Take A Seine River cruise
This is a brilliant option if you want to see Paris from the river. Not only do you get incredible views of all the major sights including the Eiffel Tower, Grand Palais and Notre Dame, but it’s the perfect way to learn more about the city without having to walk it. Great if you want to sit back, relax and enjoy the views. And if it’s a lovely, sunny day – even better.
Our kids really enjoyed our river cruise which we booked via Get Your Guide. There are many river cruise options from the Port de la Bourdonnais, which is at the foot of the Eiffel Tower. Once on board, there’s food and drink available to purchase, as well as toilets. Prices start from £14.31 per person for a one-hour cruise.
Venture down to the Paris catacombs
When we chose to go underground to the Paris catacombs it was very close to Halloween. The timing added to the macabre factor of coming face-to-face with the remains of over six million skeletons. If you have children who love spooky tales, this is a must-see attraction in Paris.
In the 18th century, Paris’ cemeteries were overflowing – so the solution? To move bodies into disused quarries and store the remains in mining tunnels creating ossuaries (storerooms for bones) that snake directly under the city. They run for nearly 200 miles, and only a small portion of them are open to the public – which is astounding when we were walking through the tunnels for over an hour.
Tickets are timed, so that you’ll never feel that there are too many people with you. Visitors are given an audio guide which corresponds to specific numbers and key locations along the route. Be aware there are uneven, rocky surfaces, steep steps and very dim lighting. It is dark and you really do see tons of skulls and bones – so I wouldn’t recommend this for very young children of a nervous disposition, or for people who aren’t steady on their feet.
Catacomb entrance fees around: €31 (adult); €12 (age 5-17); Free (under 5s) – audio guide included in the price. Prices are subject to change following the renovation.
See the Love locks at Sacré-Cœur
Montmartre is a lovely area to wander – full of artisan shops, cafés and restaurants. However, the shining beacon that draws the most visitors there is the Sacré-Cœur Basilica on the top of the hill. Whatever your age, we would always recommend going to the steps at Sacre-Cœur and admiring the views across the city. Yes, it’s busy and crowded, but don’t let that deter you. There’s plenty of space to find a seat, take a moment to rest from the uphill climb (if you don’t take the funicular at the bottom), and drink in the incredible cityscape.
While the cathedral is open for daily worship, and for visitors to pay an entrance fee to see inside and even climb to the top of the dome, my kids were more interested in the thousands of love locks padlocked to fencing in and around the cathedral. While it’s now a custom that is frowned upon, due to the structural damage the weight of the locks causes, it’s fun to look at all the padlocks still on display.
Tuck into French cuisine
I’m lucky, my kids love food just as much as I do. So sitting down and enjoying a meal is always a big part of our travel experiences. And in Paris, you’re spoiled for choice in terms of amazing restaurants, bakeries, chocolatiers and ice-cream parlours. Paris is known for its high-quality food. You can pop into any boulangerie on any Parisian street and pick up amazing baguettes, quiches and pastries for reasonable prices.
The great thing about the city is that have over 40,000 restaurants and cafés to choose from (yes, really), and while I love to plan where to eat, it’s not always possible to stick to a rigid routine when you’re out and about exploring a big city. That’s the fun of stopping at a brasserie full of people eating and drinking on the pavement outside, and seeing if they can squeeze you in, or past a macaron shop with delectable treats winking from behind their glass counters.
We ate in some fantastic places including Le Bimbo in Montmatre, L’imprevu Cafe on Grands Boulevards, and Linette, close to the Eiffel Tower (you must try their cheese-laden French onion soup). However, with so many choices in Paris, we’re certain you’ll find your own unique gems. After all, half the fun is trying.
Head to the park
There are some great parks to visit in Paris, but some of the best places for school-age children include the Bois de Boulogne (home to a fun amusement park with rides including swing chairs and mini-rollercoasters), Parc des Buttes-Chaumont (fab on a sunny day when kids can paddle in the stream), and the Jardin des Plantes, with its little zoo and natural history museum.
Spend a day (or two) at Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Resort in Paris is home to two theme parks: Disneyland Park (the original one) and Disney Adventure World (formerly Walt Disney Studios Park, renamed in March 2026). With classic rides like Star Wars Hyperspace Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean and Big Thunder Mountain Railway (and, of course, Sleeping Beauty’s castle in the middle of it all), Disneyland Park is the one to aim for if you want the full-on Disney magic experience.
Disney Adventure World is ideal for film fans of any age – the whole family will love it. Worlds of Pixar is perfect for younger children, with rides themed around Toy Story, Cars and Ratatouille, while the Marvel Avengers Campus is great for older kids. Plus, you can explore the brand-new World of Frozen at Disney Adventure World – perfect if you have Frozen fans in the family. You can visit both parks in one day, you’ll just need to work out which rides and attractions you want to prioritise in each park.
Tickets start from around €62 per adult for a one-day, one-park pass (they rise quite steeply during school holidays and peak times). Child tickets (age 3-11) are slightly cheaper. Under 3s are free.
Disneyland Paris is one of the best day trips you can do from the city – it’s just 35 minutes on the RER A train from central Paris. For more ideas on where to go beyond the city centre, take a look at our best day trips from Paris.
How to get to Disneyland Paris
Getting to Disneyland from the centre of Paris is super-easy and very do-able as a day trip. Using public transport, you need to take the RER A train from Châtelet station, disembarking at Marne la Vallée/Chessy (it takes around 40 minutes, and the station is a couple of minutes’ walk from the parks).
Or you can book the express shuttle bus, which has four departure points across the city (Eiffel Tower area, Opéra, Châtelet and Gare du Nord). It’ll get you to the park for around 9.30am, depending on traffic. Return buses leave the park at 9pm, so you won’t need to miss the evening entertainment.
Paris with teenagers
If you’re heading to the French capital with teens, they’ll probably have a longer list than you of places they want to visit. They’ll appreciate architecture more, they’ll get more out of museums and galleries, they might want to shop or café-hop or browse cool neighbourhoods – it’s so much fun.
TikTok is a great source of under-the-radar spots that only the locals know, so why not ask them to help you plan the itinerary? You might end up seeing some amazing street art that you’d never otherwise have found, or browsing a chic Parisian pharmacy for the latest in French skincare.
Shopping on the Champs Élysées & Arc de Triomphe views
Shopping fans will love a wander along Paris’ most famous shopping street. It can be quite crowded and chaotic in the afternoons, so try to go earlier in the day if you can. There are a lot of luxury boutiques and car showrooms, but you’ll also find plenty of high street names – and the huge Sephora flagship store for any make-up-obsessed teens.
At the end of the street, you’ll find the iconic Arc de Triomphe, surrounded by a mad, multi-lane roundabout (look for the pedestrian tunnel to avoid a hair-raising crossing). Built in the early 19th century, it’s one of the tallest triumphal arches in the world and is a French national monument. Beneath it is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with its eternal flame, dedicated to those who gave their lives in WWI and WWII. Climb the stairs to the top and you’ll enjoy some of the best views in Paris, sweeping right down the Champs Élysées, over to the Eiffel Tower one way and Sacre Couer the other.
Tickets for Arc de Triomphe: €16 (adult); under 18s free
Find Emily in Paris filming locations
The hit Netflix show has shone a spotlight on Paris once again (not that the city needed it) and if you’re a big fan of Emily in Paris (like we are), then seeking out some of the show’s best filming locations and Emily and co’s favourite hangouts is a fun way to explore the city. From her office Savoir in Place de Valois (a stone’s throw from the Louvre), strolling through the beautiful Jardin du Palais Royal, where Emily first takes a lunch break, to eating at Café de Flore or seeing Gabriel’s restaurant near the Pantheon, Bistro Terra Nera, fans of the series will love getting some selfies at these iconic Parisian spots.
Gaze at Monet’s Water Lilies in Musée de l’Orangerie
An absolute must for any teens who are into art. This little museum sits within the Tuileries Garden (Sex and the City fans will recognise it as the museum where Aleksandr Petrovsky’s exhibition was held) and is home to some incredible works from Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso and more. It’s most famous for its display of Monet’s Water Lilies – eight compositions of scenes from the painter’s Giverny garden. They’re displayed along curved walls, which gives them a truly immersive feeling.
Entrance: Adults €12.50; under 18s free
Design your own photo tour
You can book many guided tours that’ll take you to some of Paris’ most scenic spots – but why not design your own with your teen? You might want to pose for a picture on Avenue de Camoens with a view of the Eiffel Tower as your backdrop or take some arty shots of the Pont de Bir-Hakeim (also a great location for Eiffel Tower photos).
Rue Crémieux is a cute street lined with colourful little houses, which reminded me of London’s mews streets – and it’s handily close to the start of the Promenade Plantée, an urban park following the tracks of a disused railway line.
Spend an afternoon in Canal St-Martin
Canal St-Martin is a Right Bank neighbourhood packed with independent cafes, shops, bars and restaurants. Running through it is the canal itself, which has some great picnic spots beside it.
It’s the perfect place to spend a lazy afternoon. Duck into bookshops and browse for posters and prints, stop for coffees (or wine, age-permitting!), grab some pastries and fresh fruit to picnic beside the water, and seek out cool street art – whatever you fancy. You can do boat tours along the canal, too.
Be wowed by Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris
Meticulously restored and rebuilt after the devastating fire in 2019, Notre-Dame is now back open to the public and well worth visiting on your family trip to Paris. Entry is still free (though there’s a €10 charge to visit the Treasury), and you can now reserve a time slot online if you want to skip long lines. The stained-glass windows are still glorious and a real highlight of Notre-Dame – the north rose window still retains much of its 13th-century glass. (A little tip: a few minutes’ walk away is the Gothic chapel of Sainte-Chappelle, which also has some of the most spectacular stained-glass windows you’ll ever see.)
Catch a show at Moulin Rouge
Dazzling lights, singing, dancing, plus enough gemstones to power a small city – the Moulin Rouge epitomises Parisian cabaret. And children over six are welcome. Yes, there might be scantily clad and topless ladies on stage, but that’s all part of the razzmatazz. Sit down and enjoy four acts, from the decks of a pirate ship in Indonesia to encounters with a travelling circus, before returning with the troupe to a touch of Parisian nostalgia from the 1900s. It’s not the most budget-friendly of Parisian experiences – with dinner and the show starting from €255 and just the show from €138, however if you’re willing to splash out on one thing, this might be it!
Places to stay in Paris with kids
For a complete guide on where to stay in Paris, including all neighbourhoods and hotel recommendations, head to this post.
Paris is split into numbered districts called arrondissements. The first arrondissement is right in the city centre, where the Louvre, Jardin des Tuileries and Place Vendôme are. The arrondissements then fan out in a clockwise spiral.
Obviously, staying further out gets you more space, cheaper prices and more of a ‘locals’ experience of Paris. With kids, though, we’d recommend staying central if you can. Particularly with younger children, it’s a lot simpler if you can pop back to your hotel room or apartment easily, for naps or mealtimes or just to have a break. You can easily see which arrondissement your hotel is in by looking at the last two numbers of the postcode (zip code). We stayed in the 2nd arrondissement – and able to walk to lots of famous spots including the Louvre, Galleries Lafayette plus so much more. The area is full of cafés, restaurants and shops. It has a real buzzy, local vibe, which we enjoyed.
Apartment or hotel?
There’s something to be said about having your own space (and kitchen/laundry facilities) when there are little ones in tow, and having your own apartment can make things a lot easier, whether you’re visiting Paris with kids, toddlers or teens. Airbnb is, of course, a great place to look, but we also like One Fine Stay (there’s a handy filter to search for apartments where babies, toddlers and children are welcome).
There are over 1,500 hotels to choose from in Paris ranging from different ratings and prices. Hotel accommodation isn’t cheap – however, if you’re prepared to sacrifice luxury for location, then you’ll get some budget deals. We find Booking.com has a great choice of rates to choose from.