48 Hour Layover in Paris with Kids
If you have read our blog during our weekend in London, then you know how we like to plan short layovers when we have the girls with us. A lot of our tips stay the same from city to city - especially when we are pressed for time and trying to squeeze lots in! And while there are a lot of blogs with amazing itineraries for Paris, ours is a perspective of squeezing in a layover with two little kids in tow!
Stay Close to the Action
I know things like budget ultimately drive this decision more than anything, we found a hotel just a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower and on the CUTEST STREET. It is Hotel du Cadran and its right on an alley street (no cars) called Rue Cler which happened to be locally known as a street with cafes and boutique vendors selling wine, cheese, flowers, deserts. It was an amazing accident! We booked it so we could be within walking distance to the Eiffel Tower but were delighted when we arrived and saw the street lined with restaurants, a bakery, gelato shops and an Aldi! Totally recommend this little nook of town on a short stay in the city. The hotel also had an incredible breakfast that was included in our stay and the Aldi right next store camp in clutch when we realized we needed pull-ups one night before bedtime.
Book a Bus Tour
We have had some great luck with bus tours in this season of life, and our time in Paris was no exception! It allowed us to make stops at: the Louvre Museum, the Tuileries Garden, Notre Dame, Luxembourg Palace, the Arc de Triomphe - and then end at the Eiffel Tower where we could easily walk back to our hotel! We love buses because we can give the girls a snack and they are content to ride while Colin and I take in the sights of the city, while also getting a brief break from pushing the strollers around. Its been a win/win for all 4 of us, every time!
Also I (Meg) had been to Paris before and done a lot of the museums that I wanted to, so this time Colin said his goal was to just see as much of the city as he could and eat great food. So we actually didn’t pay to enter and museums that day - which allowed us a lot of time to wander the city and explore… and eat. :)
Find a Park
Parks are great breaks for the girls during travel days as it gives them time to run around and get some energy out. We found one park right at the base of the Eiffel Tower that was kind of tucked away but had a beautiful view of the tower from the parent benches, haha. And another in the Tuileries Garden that also had a merry go round right by it! During our two days in Paris this time, we actually saw lots of activities (that all cost something) sprinkled around the city so I’d suggest getting some cash so that you can surprise your kids with a “yes!” when you see one!
Make a Plan for Meals
Coming from a pretty busy few weeks, we didn’t have the capacity to properly plan out meals in Paris when it came to actual restaurants and we were very limited on time, since it was a short layover stop! We did however know the kinds of things we wanted to eat - so we made that a priority! We ate fresh bread and pastries, lots of gelato, macaroons, stopped for cappuccinos often and every meal we sat down to eat was just amazing. Maybe we were lucky (or just in love with Paris) but either way we were totally satisfied with everything we ate while we explored. I think my biggest piece of advice here is if you see a place or bakery with a line, it may be worth glancing inside and trying something!
All in all, Paris was a dream. We ended our last night on the Eiffel Tower Lawn waiting for the Tower to sparkle (Which it does at the top of every hour for 5 minutes). The girls giggled and danced while Colin and I got to sneak in a romantic moment just appreciating that we were there together. There was so much that we didn’t get to see during our time in Paris - but the magic of this city is that even a short stay with kids will leave you starry eyed and excited to come back to visit again one day down the road!