We spent 5 nights in Paris with 5 kids - read on for tips, learnings, and thoughts from traveling with our family of seven!
Well, somehow, it took me a year to get this post up! I've sat down several times to write it, and life has simply always gotten in the way. Ironically, as I write this, I'm sitting in Denver airport delayed due to thunderstorms, waiting to get home to PDX. It's a far cry from getting off the Eurostar at Gare du Nord in Paris, let alone reveling in the superb Corsican fare at L'Eysée Saint Honoré, but here we are.
Last summer, I wrote a post about spending five nights in London with our family of seven and my intention, of course, was to immediately follow it up with a post about the next five nights of that trip, which we spent in Paris. While this is much less timely, it's still a post I want to write, so here goes...
We're writing this post because we've gotten quite a few requests to do so, so here goes, but a few important notes at the top: this was our first visit to the city, so clearly we're not writing as international travel pros or Parisian regulars. Our goal here will just be to share our experiences, what went well, what didn't, what we'd do the same, what we'd change, and, primarily, what the visit was like as a family of seven, which seems to be the topic that raises the most questions! A quick reminder: nothing in this post is sponsored - just our thoughts and opinions.
We've attempted to add a clickable table of contents below, so if you're interested in a particular destination, feel free to click through to the topic that interests you!
For my ramblings about baby travel gear, strategies for booking international travel with points, frequent flyer programs, and hotel perks, please see the prior post about our five nights in London - I certainly wouldn't want to put you through all of that again here!
Much as with London, our original plan had been to book a less expensive hotel outside the city, and then take the train in everyday. As you can read about in the previous post, when Covid cancelled all of our travel plans, subsequently pushing them back four years, our new travel plans included a one-year-old, little Cadáin! We knew putting the little guy through multiple hours of train rides everyday wasn't going to work out too well, and we also knew he would need a nap. Given that reality, we nixed our prior plans and looked for a centrally-located hotel in the city, and ideally one that would be able to help us take care of any needs we had along the way.
We settled on the Hôtel de Berri Champs-Élysées, a small luxury hotel in the fashionable 8th arrondissement, a block or two off the Champs-Élysées and a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe. The Hôtel de Berri had a good corporate rate with my company, as well as the option to book a suite for the kids and use our upgrade nights with Marriott to get a larger room for Chels and me and baby boy to share. The decor was a little eclectic for my tastes, but the service was impeccable throughout our stay.
We took the Eurostar train from London to Paris, roughly a two and half hour trip, thoroughly enjoyed by all our crew. This will surprise exactly no one, but we just don't have trains like this in the United States! Upon arrival at Gare du Nord in Paris, we were greeted by a chauffeured Mercedes van, arranged by the hotel, which quickly whisked our (at this point rather exhausted) crew of seven to the hotel. I'm sorry to say that upon arrival, Cadáin, who was sans nap for the day after refusing to sleep on the train, absolutely lost his ever-loving mind, throwing himself on the floor and making quite a first impression on our French hosts. They were exceedingly gracious, and the concierge, Gregory, made it his personal mission to demonstrate how nonplussed they were by the antics of an overly tired one-year-old American tourist.
After we were all situated in our rooms, Gregory took me aside and asked what our plans were for dinner. I admitted I hadn't the foggiest idea. He told me to take our crew and head down the street to L'Eysée Saint Honoré, a local Corsican restaurant, and tell them he sent us. I didn't know if this was some kickback scheme Gregory and the owner of the restaurant had going, but at this point, I didn't care. We gladly took the tip, setup Cadáin's indefatigable Zoe Traveler stroller, and got on our way.
We hesitated in front of the restaurant, as it was clearly much more upscale than we had expected or were prepared to visit. As we discovered often happens in Paris, the host saw us outside and quickly came out to meet us on the sidewalk, ushering us in, whether we were ready or not (in America, we would have been asking how long the wait was for a group of seven, no?).
The restaurant was lively and busy, but when I mentioned who had sent us, they immediately prepared a private, white cloth-covered table in the back of the restaurant and seated us right away. Little Cadáin was a bit of a wreck, but this situation was short-lived. Our waitress was a lovely young Parisian, likely in her early twenties, and she scooped up our little boy and proceeded to carry him around the restaurant on her hip for quite some time, introducing him to the various patrons and giving us some completely unexpected but exceedingly welcome relief. And Cadáin? He was enchanted. We joke that he had his first date (or at least crush) that night in Paris.
Oh, and the food was phenomenal. We visited again before our trip was over.
There was one more magical moment that first evening. After dinner, everyone now much more relaxed (and full), we decided to take the longer route back to our hotel, up to the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs-Élysées. The Arc was beautiful, I would say ethereal, to see for the first time at night, bathed in the warm hues of the City of Light. But as we made our way across the giant traffic circle that surrounds the Arc (of Mission Impossible: Fallout fame, among so many others...), we caught a sight that took the breath of my daughters and wife away immediately - La Tour Eiffel, shimmering in the midst of its iconic evening light show. Cliché or no, our American girls had grown up with so many stylized, romanticized images of the Eiffel Tower over the years, it was impossible for them to not feel the first glimpse was something out of a dream. There were tears.
As I mention in the London post, we knew with the little ones (6 and 1) we needed to take it slow. One planned activity per day was plenty, and then we could fill in the extra time with walking around the city, restaurants, cafes, and anything else from our long list of potential time-filling activity wish list.
A Note About Getting Around in Paris
In London, we mostly took black cabs anywhere we couldn't walk, which worked out great! In Paris, on the other hand, we found the taxi situation to be somewhat chaotic - it certainly is not the uniform, well-regulated transportation environment London has created with their network of cabbies! I'm sure it's fine with one or two people, but for our crew, it was lacking. Luckily, we found the Parisian Métro easy to navigate. Well, we did have one scary incident at the beginning when we didn't realize how quickly and aggressively the doors shut on the trains! Poor Christian (11) got his backpack stuck in the doors as they were closing - thanks to the help a quick-moving Frenchman next to me, we got him out of that jam without any permanent damage. The man took me aside after that and explained, as best he could with the language barrier - "get on fast!" Lesson learned! Otherwise, we bought tickets as we needed them, found them to be reasonably priced and the trains themselves reliable and easy to navigate (A note for 2025: we've since returned to Paris, and the metro ticket situation has changed a bit this year - you now purchase a reloadable metro card, instead of individual tickets. This is not quite as convenient for a large family, but it likely only adds perhaps €2 per traveler for the length of your stay.).
Arc de Triomphe
Our first morning in Paris, we had tickets to visit the top of the Arc de Triomphe. I think I may have been the only family member who was truly excited about this stop - I've read so much of Napoleonic history, and am a total architecture nerd besides, so I was stoked. The height alone captured my imagination - at 164 feet, it was about half the height of the Statue of Liberty, which we had just visited in New York City a week prior.
As it happened, the whole experience was wonderful - the tunnel underneath the Arc's traffic circle, complete with live music from a talented street musician, the journey up the stairs, the incredible views of the Parisian skyline from the top - I would recommend it to anyone as a great way to begin by getting your bearings! It was also our crew's first daytime view of the Eiffel Tower, which again captured everyone's attention, as you might expect from us American tourists!
I'll add a coda here - we had attempted to book a Seine River cruise for that afternoon. This did not go well - very long lines there was no way baby was going to wait through. We ended up scrapping that idea. Instead, we walked down to the Trocadéro for another phenomenal view of the Eiffel Tower, albeit with a bit of rain thrown in. Somehow the rain seemed distinctly Parisian as well. Perhaps our spirits were just undampenable.
The Louvre
For our second morning in Paris, we had tickets to visit the Musée du Louvre, which everyone was incredibly excited about. Unfortunately, several of us had come down with a cold during the days prior, and our 11-year-old son, Christian, woke up with a mild fever this morning. Chels elected to stay back at the hotel with Christian and Cadáin, and I took the three girls, Grace (19), Eden (15), and Ruby (6) with me to the storied museum. We decided to walk it, weaving our way down to the Place de la Concorde and on past the Jardin des Tuileries. Once inside the infamous glass pyramid, we did our best to navigate the decidedly overwhelming interior of the museum at a fairly rapid pace. The reality is that the museum left us with a mixture of emotions - seeing the Mona Lisa in person was, of course, surreal, as I imagine it must be for anyone who visits for the first time. The Egyptian and Persian artifacts were especially entrancing to this history buff, and all of us couldn't help but be astounded by the sheer size and grandeur of the many oil paintings gracing the halls we passed through. The architecture buff in me found the exterior as fascinating as the interior. But one distinct emotion was certainly a bit of claustrophobia. The museum was cavernous, and at the same time, a bit suffocating with the sheer volume of tourists. I would, and God-willing will, visit again, but that sensation will be hard to overcome. The best advice I could give at this point would be to either know what you want to see and map out a plan to get there, or give yourself LOTS of time.
Luckily, everyone was feeling better that afternoon. We went out for an afternoon stroll around the city and had an absolutely wonderful time. Among the stops we made were the legendary bookstore Shakespeare & Co and Notre Dame - nearing completion of her restoration from fire damage at that time (since reopened, of course).
Eiffel Tower
Our third day in Paris, we had tickets (tip: get them as early as you can - they sell out fast) to ascend the Eiffel Tower...all the way to the very top, a thousand feet above the city, over three times as tall as the Statue of Liberty and some six times the height of the Arc de Triomphe. Indeed, it's hard to understand the scope and scale of this magnificent piece of engineering until you stand beneath it. It's only a little shorter than the Empire State Building, but the openness and grace of the structure, the fact that you can stand in the middle and look up through it very nearly defies description.
We had a bit more luck this day - everyone was feeling better and the sun was shining. It was by far our most beautiful weather day in Paris. Precious little Ruby was dreadfully nervous about going to the top, and, frankly, that's understandable! It's roughly the same height as the observation deck on the 86th floor of the Empire State, but instead of a stone wall with a fence around it, you're perched precariously atop this wiry marvel of 19th century riveting work. Once we ascended the various elevators and stairs, however (including the fascinating diagonal elevators that ascend the legs), and emerged at the top, she was, to reuse my already overused phrase...enchanted.
At the top, we happily paid out for overpriced macarons and champagne (Grace, a few days away from 20, was old enough to partake in France, where the drinking age is 18, so she got to enjoy a very special glass of bubbly at the top of the tower - something I imagine she'll never forget, and well worth the hit to her daddy's pocketbook). One-year-old Cadáin, in rare form, zoomed about the top of the tower, seemingly unaware of the breathtaking height, happily munching away on his macaron (macarons, as it turned out, became his Parisian food of choice - shocker).
Yes, this visit to the Eiffel Tower took 3+ hours. Yes, it was packed with thousands of eager tourists. Yes, parts of the experience were overpriced. Yes, it was worth every moment and every penny.
Versailles
On our last full day in Paris, we had tickets to visit the Palace of Versailles. In fact, we didn't just have tickets to visit, we had tickets to have brunch in the palace, at Ore, a restaurant by Alain Ducasse, offering brunch followed by direct (or "secret entrance") access to the château. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, this was a miserable night for baby Cadáin, who was up every hour or so. Chels and I woke quite ready to cancel all of our plans for the day.
While thankfully we did not cancel our plans, we did decide that we did not have the energy to navigate the train system out to Versailles, and instead had the hotel call us a van. The day was cloudy and cold, not at all like the warm and sunny day prior. Brunch, while wonderfully thought out and something we would wholeheartedly recommend, was a bit of a challenge as little Cadáin was simply out of sorts - feeling his night, if you will. If, however, you were not traveling with a tired one-year-old (and maybe even if you were!), this was a great way to get started at Versailles in the morning. First, you're literally having breakfast in a French palace. So there's that. Secondly, when you're finished, they usher you past the line of tourists waiting to get in, which is always nice. I felt the pricing was reasonable, given that it included your ticket and breakfast.
Despite these challenges - the sleepless night, the cranky baby, the cold weather - Versailles was magnificent. The château, as I'm sure the original inhabitant intended, is simply overwhelming in its grandeur and opulence. The oil paintings and royal chambers, the gardens and the hall of mirrors, all were charming and fascinating in their own way.
In the Hall of Mirrors, I couldn't help, despite the crowds and kids, taking a moment to think of all the history that had taken place inside those walls. Of course, Louis XIV held court there, hosting sultans and kings from around the world, but even into the more modern era - events preceding some of the great conflicts of the twentieth century happened in that room, from von Bismark crowning William I emperor of Germany to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World War I. John and Jackie Kennedy were received there by the President of France later in the century, among many others. I always find walking the ground where history happened brings it to life for me in a special way, and I hope the same is true for my children.
Like the Louvre, there was a definitely an element of claustrophobia setting in as you got into the inner chambers (which are amazing, to be sure). But it's a LOT of people in what begins to feel like a fairly compact space, especially when you're trying to move with seven people and a stroller.
Two last notes on Versailles - first, I was surprised and a little disappointed to learn that there was a separate, significant entrance fee to visit the famed gardens surrounding the palace. We paid it, and they certainly live up to the hype, although sadly the weather was not conducive to a lengthly visit. Second, we did take the train back to Paris, and it couldn't have been easier.
Other Places We Enjoyed While Walking Around Paris
I mentioned a few of these earlier as detours and side quests that we took while navigating the main "activity" we had planned for each day. None of these are "finds" per se - most are well-documented by "travel influencers" and the like, and of course when it comes to restaurants in Paris there are thousands of wonderful places to go, but I'll mention a few thoughts on our experiences.
L'Eysée Saint Honoré
I mentioned this delightful Corsican restaurant earlier in the post as the one our concierge recommended the first night we were there - it's in the 8th arrondissement, just far enough from the Arc de Triomphe not to be a tourist trap (we encountered locals grabbing an after work meal and socializing - always a good sign). The gnocchi was life changing.
Place du Trocadero
Could this be the most Instagrammed location on earth? Or at least the one where the most selfies are taken? It certainly seems possible...but you should go anyway, once during the day and once at night! The view of the Eiffel Tower is unmatched (despite all of the travel influencers trying to find little street corners with better ones) and somehow it's just so huge that we could always find room to take great photos, even with the crowds. The vibe at night is totally different - it's a bit more of a party atmosphere, the street vendors and musicians are out in full force, and everyone's living for the moment at the top of the hour when the tower glitters for five minutes. It's a bucket list item. I can't imagine a local would be caught dead there.
There's a metro station (the Trocadero, simply enough) right at the plaza, so you can jump on a train from almost anywhere in the city and get there quickly. If the crowds leaving the plaza to catch the metro are overwhelming, you can walk a block further up Av. Kléber or Av. du Président Wilson and find a less crowded one in a matter of minutes. (2025 Note: When Chels and I went back, we grabbed a simple dinner at the Café du Trocadéro, a restaurant across the square with views of the tower through the trees. While we would normally avoid a place that so obviously caters to the tourists, the spot is lovely and the service and food - we ordered a cheese board, a caprese salad, and tiramisu - were both quite good.)
Shakespeare and Company
This bookstore on the left bank is on many a book lover's bucket list! You might recognize it from Julie & Julia or Midnight in Paris. They meter the line coming in so that the store is never overly crowded, but it still moves quickly. The neighborhood around it is delightful, with a completely different character than the areas we walked on the right bank. After you buy your books, while you should obviously cross the Seine and admire the marvelous cathedral of Notre Dame, do yourself a favor and wander one block south, where the Église Saint-Séverin has stood for something like 800 years, both quieter and less crowded, while still spectacularly beautiful inside.
La Belle Ferronnière
This delightful café sits a long block off the Champs-Élysées, and I have no idea if it's well-known or not (I assume it must be?), but Chels and I came to love wandering down to this restaurant during Cadáin's naps (the older girls would stay at the hotel), grabbing a table on the street, ordering a cappuccino and a simple crêpe, and just people watching for a bit. Oh, and across the street is La Maison du Chocolat, a wonderful place for upscale edible souvenirs.
Maison Lucie
Delightful little boulangerie that was across the street from our hotel - as with so many of these little cafés around Paris, they're perfect for grabbing a quick lunch on the go or a cappuccino. While Paris is renowned for being one of the most expensive cities in the world, I never failed to be shocked by the ability to walk into one of these shops, let all of the kids pick out lunch, get something for Chels and I, and have a bill of less than €40.
Conclusion
Our five nights in Paris were not without their challenges - everyone came down with a cold when we first got there, leaving me rummaging through a pharmacie off the Champs-Élysées trying to make sense of French-language medicine labels. That sleepless night with baby before Versailles was special. Almost losing another diaper bag on the metro...let's just say losing one diaper bag per trip is plenty (I don't think I told that story in the London post, but we started this adventure by losing Cadáin's diaper bag on the airport train at DFW and then spending the next two days in New York City trying to rebuild the contents).
But even with a few challenges, we had a wonderful experience and can't wait to go back. Everyone was accommodating and welcoming to our large (by Parisian standards) family, all the way down to the airport staff at CDG opening a special family security lane for us so we could take our time without holding up the other travelers. Our daughters were just as charmed by Paris as they had hoped to be, and now that we've knocked off a handful of the big "bucket list" items, we'd love to return and explore more food, museums, and art galleries (I mean...mostly food...)...we'll see what the future holds.
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