Paris Family Trip Guide

My favorite, nice, and affordable hotel in the perfect location for a family trip: St. Germain des Pres, 6th district. Walking distance to all the major museums, great cafes, and stores. We love this hotel, though avoid the expensive breakfast. Go out to one of the many nearby cafes like Deux Magots.
Background:
Welcome to the Hotel Le Regent Official Site, charming 3 star in Paris France, near Saint Germain des Pres, Saint Michel and Pont Neuf.

Great friends stayed in here in spring, 2010. Rue Dauphine, just steps from Hotel Le Regent. A 4 star hotel, one step up Le Regent. Bar is open for late night café or drink unlike Le Regent.
Perfect area for family stay.
Hotel content:
Hotel d'Aubusson Paris, 17th Century private luxury mansion hotel, Café Laurent, winter garden interior patio, original beams, Versailles hardwood floors, cornices, period furnishings, huge Burgundy stone fireplace, genuine d'Aubusson tapestries, magnificent hotel dating back from 1630, 49 suites, junior suites and rooms with canopied beds, boulevard saint-germain, rue de Rennes, Saint-Germain des Pres, certified hotel ISO 9001

Hotel Bristol is closest Paris hotel to living in a traditional hotel particulier. Good friends have stayed here and love it. Perfect if you've hit the lottery.

The Ritz on Place Vendome is a true gem. The rooms, service, cuisine, and pool/spa downstairs are all very special. The chef offers a one day kids' cooking school, which my son did one time and loved it. You can do the cooking school without staying at the hotel.

Hotel is in great location on sublime Place Vendome in heart of Paris.

Right in heart of St. Germain des Pres, my favorite neighborhood, this is where Ernest Hemingway penned some great novels and enjoyed his surroundings. Great for breakfast coffee and muffins.

Very charming, low key restaurant near Bon Marche store in St. Germain des Pres, my favorite part of Paris. Favorite of our friends on spring, 2010 trip.

Bistro d'Henri doesn't have a web site so here is Zagat's recommendation. Had great friends dine here in spring, 2010 and loved it. Tiny bistro in heart of St. Germain. Great food and friendly service.

Classic Parisian steak house across street from Cafe Deux Magots. Expensive and you have to be ready for serious waiter attitude. Fun to have one dinner at one of Paris' old line steak houses.

Best ice cream in Paris. Located on beautiful Ile St. Louis. Good stop if/when you visit Notre Dame on Ile de la Cité.

Great friends loved this 'farm style bistro' on quiet, beautiful Ile St. Louis. Cozy with great food. Check out Berthillon for ice cream dessert. Great one-two evening!

Best hot chocolate in Paris, bar none. Viennese style. Just awesome. Drop in on a cool day during tea time. Right across Rue Rivoli from Tuileries Garden and around the corner from Place Vendome, a classic town square within Paris.

Fauchon and rival Hediard are two of France's finest delicacy stores next door to each other. You can find incredible cheeses, patés, meats, spices, chocolates and other sweets here. To grab your children some classic French cuisine for a park picnic or at-home dinner, check out this store and Hediard. You'll love it!

Hédiard is a national luxury French food chain with its mainstay store and restaurant in La Madeleine/Opera area near Galeries Lafayette and Palais Garnier (ballet, symphony). Expose your children to France's finest and creative culinary palette.

Epic view of Paris half way up the Eiffel Tower matched by fantastic cuisine. Very special treat for the kids if you visit the Eiffel Tower around lunch or dinner.

This is a 5 star restaurant at the top of Branly Museum near Eiffel Tower. Rooftop views right at Eiffel Tower and over surrounding neighborhoods. Very special treat for your better half. $40-50 main course prices...If you go, try to go for dinner and watch the Eiffel Tower light show every 10-15 minutes after the sun sets in Paris. Great fun. Might be too much $$ for a family though.

Friends highly recommended this small Italian restaurant for a night-off French cuisine at a high level of Italian cuisine. They don't have a web site, which you have to like.

Excellent 'Southwest' French cuisine in 14 arrondissement, next to 6th. Works for families too. They don't have a web site so I included this link. Be sure to call in advance for a reservation!

Joel Robuchon is a world renown chef with excellent restaurants in major cities including his hometown, Paris. Highly recomended, but expensive.

This site has a lot of good city overview stuff: hotels, restaurants, museums, maps

Paris convention and visitors office diffuses all information to organise your stay or your trip in Paris: hotels and loadings, museums, monuments, going out, events, restaurants. A guide may help you to discover them.

The 'Bus boat' takes you up and down the Seine River cutting through the heart of Paris. Discover Paris through eight stops: Tour Eiffel, Musée d'Orsay, St-Germain, Notre Dame, Hôtel de ville, Louvre, Jardin des Plantes, Champs Elysées). Take this boat when you go Jardin des Plantes/Natural History Museum (if weather is good). You can stop at Notre Dame and then go to Jardin des Plantes stop for Garden & Museum.

The center of French Catholicism and all distances to Paris! Fun to visit by the Batobus along Seine.

Recently updated, absolutely beautiful, and very detailed history of man in nature. If spring or summer, you'll love their Plant Garden (Jardin des Plantes). There is also a mini zoo for younger children. Kids will love all of the animals and adults will appreciate the meticulous walk through evolution of man.

Check out this St. Germain des Pres church if you're having coffee at Deux Magots. Attend church on Sunday if you're catholic. Neat, relatively small church in heart of Paris.

The Grand Palais is a stunning building next to Place de la Concorde, Palais de la Decouverte, and Champs Elysees. The Palais has several educational and amusement activities for families. You can pair this visit with Palais de la Découverte.

Must See 'science discovery' museum right in heart of Paris just off Champs Elysees on Avenue Roosevelt. Great for kids of all ages and adults. Make sure to get their program list as soon as you arrive. Also, arrive early because crowds build towards late morning. They have excellent activities like chemistry and DNA search but all in French. You may want to look for an English guide. Depending on kids science interest, you could spend a good morning here and then grab lunch on Champs Elysees at one of many cafes/restaurants.

If children like the sciences, this is a Must See similar to Palais de la Découverte. The English web site will give you all the latest exhibitions. My wife and kids loved visiting the museum. This is a good half-day trip at the Porte de la Villette metro station, Line 7.

Home away from home if you need anything American

If you're a member of a US city social/dining club, you should check in advance for reciprocity with this special Paris dining club. Many US city clubs do have reciprocity allowing you to secure a guest card, have cocktails/dinner, and even use their gym/pool. Very special treat if it works out for you. Stop here for a meal if/when you do rue Faubourg St. Honoré street.

The official site of the Louvre Museum (Paris, France) : Collection & Departments, Exhibitions, Guided Tours, Virtual Tours, Calendar, History of the Louvre, Gardens, Concerts, Lectures & Symposia, Readings & Performances, Opening Hours

Known for its large impressionism collection (Monet, Manet, etc.).

The official Eiffel Tower website: 500 pages, 1,000 illustrations, 360° & 3-D virtual visits, videos of the millennium sparkling lights and fireworks display, documentation, games...

My favorite museum in Paris. Stunning museum building and gardens all surrounded by Rodin sculptures for an inspiring artist. Rodin challenged the status quo in the arts' community by humanizing his subjects, expressing the fraility of human condition and relations, and taking on unpopular subject matter (Le Burgers of Calais) to demonstrate his support of those defending their honor and that of their community, very much an autobiography of his own life.

The French Military history museum at Les Invalides in the heart of Paris. They have guided tours for children. Good for kids interested in military stuff and a little history. You can do this visit on same day as Eiffel Tour and/or Rodin Museum. Rodin is across the street.

Paris' newest major museum. The Quai Branly museum displays collections of objects from African, Asian, Oceanian and American civilizations. It also makes a contribution to research and teaching.

Great kids amusement park in Bois de Boulogne. Only go if it's a nice sunny, agreable day. Fun for younger kids 5-12. Mini, very nice amusement park with some restaurants on-site, etc.

There are two venues: 1. Palais Garnier located near the Galeries Lafayette and Theater Mogador (small musicals/plays). 2. New Bastille ampitheater location near La Bastille/Le Marais district. Check out schedule in advance of trip for an interesting family show at your preferred venue.

Beautiful, small traditional French theater used for musicals and plays. Very close to famous Galeries Lafayette store and French Opera (ballets and symphony productions). Check out this site in advance of your trip for good family shows. The Lion King musical was excellent.

Huge Picasso collection

Catch a French play in French!

This is the 'locals' nice shopping street in St. Germain des Pres along with rue de Sevres just a few blocks north. This is my Parisian wife's favorite shopping area You can find national and local boutique shopping at more local prices.

Men, make sure to lower your credit card limits before taking your wives to this street...! All the best French brands have stores along this street including Hermes. Start near Place de la Concorde and walk up the street. You'll pass US Embassy, US Ambassador house, and French White House (Elysée Palace).

Beautiful town square in the SoHo equivalent of Paris, Le Marais neighborhood. Lots of art studios and design stores. The Place des Vosges has a beautiful place with casual dining restaurants. Go here when you see the Musee Picasso.