You want to visit Paris in family but you fear that it will cost you a fortune? Follow our tips about what to do in Paris with kids without breaking the bank. You will find plenty of tips to save money on your activities, accommodation or catering choices. Activities to do in Paris with the family, things to do with children … Read our tips.
FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN PARIS
Whether you are with your family or not, there are plenty of activities to do in Paris. Here is a small non-exhaustive list:
- The Louvre Museum (especially the Egyptology Department)
- The Musée d’Orsay
- The Eiffel Tower
- The Cité des Sciences de la Villette (ideal with children)
- Walk or meal in a riverboat
- The Luxembourg Garden
- The banks of the Seine
- The Museum of Natural History
- The Jardin des Plantes and the Menagerie
- The Grévin Museum
- Jardin d’Acclimatation (in the Bois de Boulogne)
- Zoological Park of Paris
- The Aquarium of Paris
- Musée du Quai Branly: Musée des Arts Premiers
- Notre Dame de Paris
ACTIVITIES TO DO WITH KIDS IN PARIS
If you are coming to Paris for the first time, you will surely want to do many activities, visit the most beautiful monuments of the capital or enjoy the many Parisian museums. In this case, we recommend the Paris Museum Pass.
FAMILY WALKS BY BATEAUX MOUCHES ON THE SEINE
It sounds like a tourist trap, but a ride down the Seine is always a pleasant moment. When you are with your family, it allows you to see the most beautiful monuments of Paris from the Seine and without getting tired.
It is a very good idea to have a boat trip on the Seine River with kids.
You can even take the opportunity to have lunch during a cruise on the Seine. And you will not only see tourists because even Parisians sometimes treat themselves to a meal on the Seine.
The Paris en Scène dinner cruise is ideal for a solid family meal that is not too expensive.
>Find a river cruise on the Seine river
VISIT PARIS BY BUS
It is ideal for a first discovery of the capital when you have children. The various companies allow you to discover the many monuments of the capital such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Opera Garnier, the Louvre Museum or the Eiffel Tower.
Several deals are possible: a 2-hour visit, visit with multiple stops, night visits …
FAMILY PARKS AND GARDENS
Visiting Paris with your family also means spending an afternoon in one of the many Parisian parks. You can also take the opportunity to have a picnic.
You will have the choice!
The Jardin des Tuileries is one of the largest and most central. Located near the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Concorde, it allows a pleasant break between 2 tourist visits.
The Parc des Buttes Chaumont stands out for its unevenness. It is also the largest and most wooded of the capital. This makes it the perfect place for a family picnic.
The Jardin du Luxembourg is a must-see when visiting Paris. You can admire its flowerbeds in the French or English way, its lawns, its statues. Hemingway, Sartes… Many writers have pursued their habits here.
Have also a look on best activities in Paris with young adults or teenagers.
THE AQUARIUM OF PARIS
The Aquarium de Paris is one of the activities that appeals most to children. They will be impressed by the sharks and rays present in the many pools You can admire more than 500 marine or freshwater species.
THE PARIS MUSEUM PASS CARD
If you want to visit several museums and monuments, the Paris Museum Pass card is a good investment.
It can allow you to save more than 60 € on the entrance of very popular places such as the Louvre Museum, Pompidou, Orsay, the Pantheon, the Arc de Triomphe, the Palace of Versailles …
And above all, you will save waiting time in front of the monuments and museums of Paris because it will save you from queuing. The wait can easily reach 2 hours in front of the main attractions.
The price of the pass is 48€ for 2 days, 62€ for 4 days and 74€ for 6 days. (Admission for under 26s is free)
FREE MUSEUMS
Also be aware that some museums are free all-year round such as the Musée de la Ville de Paris.
These museums are definitely worth a visit. Among them are the Carnavalet Museum (History of Paris), the Museums of Modern Art of the City of Paris, or the Petit Palais.
Admission is also free all-year round to all museums for students under the age of 26 from the EU. On the 1st Sunday of the month they are also free to enter with a few exceptions.
If you are with family or with young children, know that each museum offers a special children’s rate and a group rate (if you are 5 or more).
Read also: our selection of best activities in Paris
VISITING PARIS IN A BUDGET
PASS PARIS VISIT AND METRO TICKET BOOKS
During your visit to Paris, you will probably have to take the metro. And it will happen several times.
So don’t take single tickets when you want to take public transport.
It is better to either book the 10 tickets option or buy a pass for several days.
The booklet of 10 tickets costs for example 16.50 € This means the unit price is 1.65 € instead of 1.90€.
The Paris Visite card allows you to travel to Paris or the Paris region for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days. Thanks to this card that is priced from 11,65€ (1 day for Paris Centre) to 63,90€ (5 for Paris and Suburbs) you can save money.
DISCOUNTS FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
If you are visiting Paris with your family, please note that transportation is free for children under 4 years old.
Children from 4 to 10 years old benefit from a 50% discount on the booklet of 10 tickets.
For the Passe Paris Visite, the discount extends to children from 4 to 12 years old.
If you are travelling with teenagers, they can benefit from the young weekend ticket offer which offers unlimited travel on Saturdays and Sundays or public holidays for rates ranging from 4€ (zones 1-3) to 8.70€ (zones 1-5).
Read our guide to visit Paris in 4 or 5 days.
PARIS PASS LIB’: MUSEUM ACTIVITIES AND TRANSPORT
So that you don’t have to collect tickets when you’re in Paris, you can choose the Paris Pass Lib’. It combines the benefits of the Paris Visite pass and Paris Museum pass. Additionally, it also allows you to have a 1 hour cruise on the Seine, to enjoy an open bus ride, as well as to… MISSING IN ARTICLE.
The Paris Pass lib’ rates start at €109 for the 2-day adult pass. The rates for young people and children are much lower – respectively €65 and €35) – because the museums are free for under 18s and under-26s in the EU.
There is a Paris Pass Lib’ Mini deal for the day, priced at 40€.
TIPS FOR CHEAP ACCOMMODATION IN PARIS
The best way to save money during a stay in Paris is to book accommodation in the inner suburbs.
But to ensure that it is not too much of a hassle from a public transport point of view, you must make sure that your accommodation is less than 5 minutes from a metro (and I say Metro and not RER).
The cities bordering Paris and that are easily accessible by metro are Boulogne, Montrouge, Malakoff, Ivry-sur-Seine, Châtillon to the South. To the north, other cities bordering Paris are served by the metro such as Saint-Ouen, Clichy, Pantin, Les Lilas… To the eas.t Vincennes and Montreuil also welcome a lot of tourists. In the North Eas.t the cities of Pantin and Lilas are only 15 minutes from the Place de la République.
If you want to stay in Paris, the neighborhoods around the Place de Clichy, Belleville or the 13th arrondissement also offer accommodation at more affordable prices than in the center of the capital.
>Find a selection of affordable hotels in Paris
WHERE TO EAT WELL AND CHEAPER IN PARIS.
We arrive at the last chapter of our advice to enjoy your stay in Paris without breaking the bank. Follow our tips for a family restaurant.
First, there are some tourist traps to avoid. The restaurants of Saint Michel and the rue de la Huchette are part of it for example. Fake Breton creperies and fake Greek restaurants are also to be avoided.
Instead, try the restaurants of the rue Mouffetard in the nearby Latin Quarter. The selection is varied and the prices are reasonable.
Additionally, in the very touristic Montmartre district, there is no point in looking for an authentic restraurant in one of the many tables on the Place du Tertre. Choose instead for the originality and refinement of the neo-bistros on the side of Lamarck-Caulaincourt. The kitchen is better and the prices are lower.
Another good plan: the 13th district and Chinatown. Of course, you will find good Asian restaurants and cuisine from all over the world.
The Batignolles district also offers very good options for a family meal.
Among our favorites in the Marais district, we suggest the Red Children’s Market. There are many caterers, and you can sit down.
You can also opt, on Friday, for a couscous in one of the many bistros in the 18th district or in Belleville. It is perfect for a family meal.
You can also choose for a picnic in one of the many Parisian parks or on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin. The most popular parks for picnics are the Buttes Chaumont and the Bois de Vincennes.