Paris with Kids

Of Paris's many parks, Jardin du Luxembourg has special appeal for youngsters, with toy sailboats in the pond, puppet shows, a carousel and a large playground. Bois de Vincennes is another good choice for families. The huge park has plenty of open grassy space for running and tumbling, farm animals, rental boats, and the Parc Zoologique de Paris. The Jardin des Plantes is lovely, too, and if the kids start to get bored you can slip into the Musée National d'Histoire Naturelle and look at the dinosaurs or the Grand Gallery of Evolution, which is sure to enthrall them.

Other top sights for families include the more obvious, such as Disneyland® Resort Paris and La Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie (a fascinating interactive science museum). But for something a little more "local," check out Parc Asterix, a theme park that's just as fun but all European. Palais de la Decouverte is smaller than Cité des Sciences, and not usually as crowded, but you'll need to translate because most of the explanatory notes are in French.

For watery fun, check out Aquaboulevard, a wildly popular public water park with slides and a wave pool. Plan ahead though – it gets ridiculously crowded on Wednesdays and weekends. And be sure to include Cinéaqua on your itinerary. One of the city's newer attractions, it's a vast aquarium with more than 15,000 marine critters and three cinemas.

If your traveling companions are a bit older, add the Catacombs to your list, and perhaps Pere Lachaise and Montmartre, where you can look for the gravesites of famous people, marvel at the beautiful tombs and sculptures, and remark on how crowded the cemeteries are. Older kids and teens may also enjoy one of the city's more esoteric museums such as the Musée des égouts de Paris (Sewer Museum – interesting too if you've seen or read Les Miserables) or Musée de l 'Armee (Military Museum).

Where to Eat

When you have kids, eating in restaurants can sometimes be dicey, especially when they're tired, hungry and cranky from an exciting but full day. Your best bets will be cafés and bistros, where you can usually get a quick, inexpensive meal that all of you will enjoy, and the grown ups can indulge in a glass of wine. The typical café menu features croque-monsieur (a grilled ham and cheese sandwich), sure to be a hit with many little ones. But if not, there are plenty of other choices, from omelettes (fancy scrambled eggs) to roasted chicken, so the yellow arches can remain firmly off your radar. Be sure to let your children splurge, too - it is a vacation after all. The ideal, and oh-so-French, treat is a pain au chocolat (a chocolate filled croissant).

Bon Appétit and Bon Voyage!