Paris, France
So much to see, do and experience - it’s hard to know where to start in Paris.
GO. This visit to Paris was done via car - as we called in after a night at Disneyland Paris. Choosing not to risk venturing any further into Paris than the outer ring road (the Péripherique), we found parking using the OnePark app very close to the hotel. A word of warning… underground garages in Paris, even on the outskirts, are very tight, proceed with caution!
STAY. Once we had squeezed a Kia Sportage into a space the size of a Fiat 500, we took the short stroll to the Best Western Plus 61 Paris Nation. Paris is one of the most expensive cities in the World for hotels, and even out here by the outer ring road we were talking about £150 a night for a small family room. However, just 5 mins walk from a Métro station that took 15 mins into central Paris, this was a great trade off. We were almost seduced by a hotel closer to the centre, but thankfully picked this option. As an added bonus, the Metro line (1) that took us in and out of Paris had driverless trains, so B (and definitely not his dad) could spend his time pretending to drive the underground train.
Dad absolutely did not make train sounds…
EAT. With a few days in Paris, we clearly ate at quite a few places; but here are the main events:
Bouillion Chartier. Found through a website advising on family eateries in Paris, this has been one of our favourite meals whilst travelling. Working on the principle of “a proper meal for a modest sum”, these restaurants have been servings Parisiennes and visitors alike for over a century. The largest and most iconic of the three is the Grands Boulevards site - a large open plan restaurant where you feel like you are joining a huge family to eat, but still retain the privacy of your group. The menu is packed full of absolute classics: snails, shrimp cocktail, steak frites, beef bourgingon, sea bass, cheeses and a whole range of desserts. Dishes range from 1 Euro (yes, that’s 1), up to about 15 for the most expensive main course. It’s outstanding value in the hear of Paris - and the waiter even convinced us to have a whole bottle of wine as it was about as cheap as a couple of glasses - arm well and truly twisted! For us, this is an absolute must when visiting Paris. You can’t book, just rock up - maybe going outside normal meal hours (it’s open 11:30am to midnight) is best to avoid a queue. We did also try the Boullion Chartier Montparnasse, which wasn’t quite as good, but still great value.
Hippo Bastille. It’s hard to know the reputation of restaurants inside a country when you’re not from there. We’ve no idea if Hippo Steakhouses are viewed as a Miller and Carter, a Beefeater, or a Hungry Horse of France - but they tend to deliver a good meal at a good price. We were staying in the eastern suburbs of Paris so this Hippo was perfectly placed only a 10 minute metro ride fro the hotel - and the Bastille area also has some nice streets to wander and take in the Parisienne evening. Hippo restaurants have a bit of something for everyone, and the steaks are nicely done. We enjoyed the friendly service and warm atmosphere. Le Cafe des Chats (below) is only a 5 minute stroll away for pudding, or a post dinner drink, and the Bastille square has some cool skateboarders to sit and watch plus an impressively lit column in the evenings!
DO. Paris is absolutely stacked with things to see and do - a mountain of landmarks, museums and activities. You could spend two weeks here and still not fit it all in.
Eiffel Tower. Can you go to Paris and not go up the Eiffel Tower? If you have not done before, then I would say it is something that should be on every to do list. I can’t imagine you would feel like you had “done” Paris without taking a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The views are of course expansive, across the whole of Paris and beyond, and there’s the opportunity to buy a wide range of tat.
The Louvre. We didn’t actually go into the Louvre - because to be honest a 7 year old is not going to find the Mona Lisa very interesting - but the Louvre square with its fountains and pyramids provided a great place to grab some cool photos.
Trocadero. This is a great spot to grab lovely view towards the Eiffel Tower - perfect for photos of the iconic Paris landmark. There are also usually a number of street performers here to stop and watch - and the walk down towards the Eiffel Tower is really pleasant - on a warm day!
Arc de Triomphe. Situated in the centre of the Place Charles de Gaulle; traffic carnage reigns on this roundabout where 12 roads meet and there appear to be no rules! Use the underpasses to reach the centre, where you can see up close the Arc de Triomphe, climbing to the top (for a price) for a view back down the Champs Elysees. The Tomb of the Unknown soldier is situated underneath the Arc de Triomphe - a memorial to those soldiers killed in war who remain properly buried.
Place de la Concorde / Tuileries. During the summer we found a large funfair here. Whilst we might normally avoid this sort of expensive city centre activity, the big wheel beckoned as it gave a fantastic view of the centre of Paris. The whole Concorde area and Tuileries gardens are a nice place to walk around on a nice day.
Sacre Coeur. The famous landmark is worth a visit if for nothing else the fantastic view back over Paris. Whether you go in or not is probably one for individual preference - we decided not to with a little one, but embarked from here on a stroll around the narrow streets of the area, taking in the atmosphere and finishing up at Place du Tertre. This busy square is well known for being a tourist hotspot surrounded by expensive (even for Paris standards) cafes and restaurants. Value is what you make of it - and we were happy to grab a coffee and a drink and watch the world go by for 30 minutes in the square. We then got a pencil drawing of B done - something that maybe many will baulk at due the cost (they can range from 40 to 80 euros depending on who you chose.
Seine Cruise. There are tens of different offers for Seine Cruises - take your pick from a simple 45 min trip to a 4 hour multiple courses candlelit dinner. We did a Cat Noir / Ladybug themed cruise which was quite fun but a bit lost on our little one no matter how much it had been chain-watched over the past year. A nice simple sightseeing one would have done!
Le Cafe des Chats. Out of the centre slightly in the Bastille area was this cool little cafe. Here you grab a coffee, soft drink or beer with a friendly troop of likeable cats. It’s different, yes you can do it in pretty much any big city, but a fun way to finish off an evening out and about.
Trip Date: Aug 2023.