Paris Travel Hacks When Travelling With Kids

 They say if you want to raise well-rounded children to be global citizens, then you must travel with them.

One of the easiest city-break destinations from London is Paris. So, if you are planning a getaway to the French capital, then follow these Paris travel hacks learned during our recent visit to France.

Eiffel Tower:

No trip to Paris is complete without heading to the top of this iconic landmark. But learn from my mistake and book your tickets for the Eiffel Tower online from the official website. Otherwise you will have to endure horrifically long queues. In fact, it’s not unusual for queues to be over an hour long.

But beware, online tickets sell out fast, which means you may have to queue up on the day. If this happens, go in the evening when there is still sunlight, but you can avoid the blaring midday sun. We visited around 7pm, when the queues were about 30mins – making the process a little bit more manageable with kids.

Sightseeing:

The best way to see all the main landmarks is on a hop-on hop-off river cruise. The most affordable one for a family of four is a cruise with Batobus. This has nine stops that takes you to the best neighbourhoods and landmarks in Paris. This includes hotspots such as Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame.

We only ended up getting off at two spots, but it was great having the flexibility to get off to explore a neighbourhood and then jumping back on when we were done. The boats come every half an hour, so it’s a great way of making your way through the city without getting stuck in traffic. Just be aware that unlike London, Paris isn’t access-friendly. Although pushchairs are allowed on boats, you will have to carry them up and down cobbled steps to get from the pier to the main road. It is doable – but a little annoying. 

Check roaming charges:  

Some mobile phone companies now don’t charge extra for using internet data abroad. We made the most of our allowance by using it on Google maps to get around Paris. This allowed us to quickly locate the nearest restaurant and the closest supermarket to buy water to store under our pushchair. If you have a buggy then consider doing the same, because buying water from tourist hot spots can cost you an arm and a leg. 

Palace of Versailles:

Most people tend to leave this stunning venue off their itinerary because it is on the outskirts of the city centre. However, don’t be put off by the location. It is very easy to get to the Palace of Versailles from central Paris. Most visitors take the RER C train that crosses Paris and follows the Seine along the bank of the river. It takes about 30 minutes and is the most affordable route for families. 

It’s important to manage your expectations and create a list of the areas you want to see. The park alone covers approximately 800 hectares, so it is impossible to explore the whole estate in one day. We bought a passport ticket, which covers everything but it was a waste of money as it is impossible to see everything. Instead it would have been better to buy a cheaper ticket which covers the park. That’s because the gardens are vast and full of stunning fountains to admire – making it the perfect place to let little ones run free and burn off their energy. 

Unless you are a history buff and are absolutely desperate to see the famous Hall of Mirrors , then give the actual palace a skip. That is because it is incredibly crowded. Around 27,000 people visit it daily, which gives you an idea of how congested it can get. We were literally shoulder to shoulder with other visitors inside the palace– which isn’t enjoyable for adults let alone young children. 

Make sure you stop at a supermarket beforehand and buy snacks or enjoy a meal at the McDonalds right outside the train station. That is because food on the palace ground is scarce and expensive. One cone of soft scoop strawberry ice cream will set you back 6 euros. 

Don’t forget your pushchair: There seems to be some confusion in online forums over whether you’re allowed to take a buggy to tourist hotspots such as the Palace of Versailles. But from my experience you can – and it was a Godsend while making our way through this vast landmark. You can also take it up the Eiffel Tower, as long as it is collapsible during the lift ride up to the various different levels.