Paris

Three days designed for a family with two young kids who want to see the icons of Paris without melting down by hour two. Each day pairs one big landmark with a long park session, includes a sit-down lunch with a real bathroom, and ends early enough that everyone has energy left for breakfast croissants the next morning.

Start with the icon, follow with a long picnic in the park under it, and let the kids burn energy at a real Parisian playground.

1. 09:30

   sight

   Eiffel Tower (2nd floor)

   Champ de Mars

   Skip the summit ticket — the 2nd floor has the same wow factor with shorter queues and elevators that fit strollers. Book the timed-entry stair-and-elevator ticket online 2 months in advance.

   1.5 hours · ~$22/adult, ~$11/child · 10 min walk from hotel

   Tip: Book at toureiffel.paris exactly 60 days ahead at 8:30am Paris time — slots sell out within 2 hours.

2. 12:00

   meal

   Picnic from Boulangerie Utopie

   Champ de Mars

   Pick up baguettes, jambon-beurre sandwiches, fruit, and pastries from a top boulangerie, then spread out on the grass at the Champ de Mars with the tower in view. Cheaper, calmer, and more memorable than any restaurant.

   1 hour · ~$25 for family · 5 min walk

3. 13:30

   activity

   Champ de Mars carousel & playground

   Champ de Mars

   A real, century-old carousel sits at the south end of the park. There's a fenced playground with sand, slides, and climbing nets next to it. This is where you let the kids decompress.

   1.5 hours · ~$5 for carousel rides · Built in

4. 15:30

   rest

   Hotel break (kids nap)

   15th arrondissement

   Critical for a family trip. Get back to the apartment, make tea, let the kids watch a cartoon, and resist the urge to squeeze in another sight.

   1.5 hours · Free · 10 min walk

5. 18:00

   meal

   Café Constant

   Rue Saint-Dominique

   A neighborhood bistro by chef Christian Constant. Real French food, kids welcome, fast service, and a kid menu that isn't an afterthought. Roast chicken, frites, and a profiterole each is the move.

   1.5 hours · ~$80 for family · 10 min walk

   Tip: Reserve 1 week ahead via TheFork — they take family bookings seriously.

A quick, kid-paced museum visit followed by carousel rides and a Seine boat. Don't try to 'do' the Louvre — pick 5 things and leave.

1. 09:00

   sight

   Louvre Museum (kid loop)

   1st arrondissement

   Enter via the Carrousel du Louvre underground — much shorter line than the pyramid. Hit only: Mona Lisa (Denon wing 2nd floor), Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, Egyptian mummies, and Napoleon III's apartments. Tell the kids it's a treasure hunt.

   2 hours · ~$22/adult, free under 18 · Métro 6 → 1 from Bir-Hakeim → Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre, ~25 min

   Tip: Buy timed-entry tickets at louvre.fr 1 week ahead. Closed Tuesdays.

2. 11:30

   rest

   Tuileries Garden

   1st arrondissement

   Walk straight out the Louvre into the Tuileries. Rent toy sailboats from the green chair stand at the central pond — kids push them around the basin with long sticks. Iconic, simple, joyful.

   1.5 hours · ~$5 boat rental · 5 min walk

3. 13:00

   meal

   Angelina (hot chocolate + lunch)

   Rue de Rivoli

   A century-old tea room famous for the thickest hot chocolate in Paris (genuinely like drinking warm ganache). Kids get a croque-monsieur, parents get the salade Niçoise, and everyone shares an Mont-Blanc dessert.

   1 hour · ~$70 for family · 5 min walk

   Tip: No reservations for under 6 people — go at 13:00 for the shortest queue.

4. 14:30

   activity

   Bateaux-Mouches Seine cruise

   Pont de l'Alma

   A 70-minute open-top boat ride from Pont de l'Alma. You pass under every famous bridge and see Notre-Dame, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower from the water. Strollers welcome on board.

   1.5 hours · ~$16/adult, ~$8/child · Métro 1 → 9 from Tuileries → Alma-Marceau, ~15 min

5. 16:30

   rest

   Hotel break + early dinner prep

   15th arrondissement

   Back to the aparthotel. Make pasta from the kitchenette, eat in pajamas, and call it a night. The kids will sleep through the bells.

   1.5 hours · ~$15 groceries · 10 min walk

Save the biggest day for last. Disneyland is 35 minutes from central Paris by RER and worth the full day.

1. 08:30

   transit

   RER A to Disneyland

   Châtelet → Marne-la-Vallée

   Take Métro 6 from Bir-Hakeim to Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, change to RER A toward Marne-la-Vallée Chessy. The terminus is the park entrance — you literally step off the train into Disneyland.

   1 hour · ~$25 family round-trip · 10 min walk to Bir-Hakeim

2. 10:00

   activity

   Disneyland Park (Fantasyland morning)

   Marne-la-Vallée

   Hit Fantasyland first while crowds are at Big Thunder. Order: It's a Small World, Peter Pan's Flight, Dumbo, Mad Hatter teacups, and the carousel. Lunch at Auberge de Cendrillon if you want a princess meal (book months ahead).

   4 hours · ~$320 family day ticket · 5 min walk

   Tip: Buy tickets online via disneylandparis.com — gate prices are ~$40 more.

3. 14:00

   meal

   Lunch at Casey's Corner (Main Street)

   Disneyland Park

   Hot dogs and chili fries on Main Street USA with a piano player. Parisian Disney has surprisingly good park food — this is the right move for a family that wants speed.

   1 hour · ~$50 for family · Built in

4. 15:30

   activity

   Adventureland & Frontierland

   Disneyland Park

   Pirates of the Caribbean (gentle for kids), Indiana Jones coaster (taller-only), Phantom Manor (a darker Haunted Mansion — check kid tolerance), and the Big Thunder Mountain area for the views.

   3 hours · Included · Built in

5. 19:00

   sight

   Disney Illuminations

   Castle Stage

   A nightly fireworks + projection show on the castle. End the trip on this high note. Stake out a spot on Main Street 30 minutes early.

   30 min · Included · 5 min walk

6. 20:00

   transit

   RER A back to Bir-Hakeim

   Marne-la-Vallée → Paris

   Trains run until midnight. The kids will be asleep before you reach Charles de Gaulle-Étoile.

   1 hour · Included in morning ticket · 5 min walk

Practical info

Budget: ~$280–350/day for a family of 4, excluding hotel and Disney ticket