Hi everyone.
I have planned a trip to Paris with my 13 year old son, between Dec 26, 08 and Jan 3, 09. This is going to be our first time in the city and I had a few questions that I hope to get help with.
Should I expect snow during my stay and should I bring an umbrella?
Is is worth going to Dinseyland Paris for a day?
We will be staying at the Warwick Champs Elysees, and will be hitting all the major landmarks and museums...so I guess we will be using public transportation quite a bit...so...
can we use the Metro %26#39;carnet%26#39; for buses and RER as well? And, is it advisable to purchase the %26#39;carte orange%26#39;(I think that%26#39;s what it%26#39;s called) instead of %26#39;carnet%26#39; or individual tickets for transportation? I%26#39;m confused as to what exactly the carte orange is for.
And finally...any recomendations for moderately priced (for Paris standards) seafood restaurants?
Thanks in advance to all.
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Snow is infrequent in Paris, but you should dress as if it might. An umbrella is a must.
Can%26#39;t imagine going to Disneyland while in Paris, but I%26#39;ll let someone else opine on that :)
The Carte Orange (now the Navigo Découverte) can be a good investment for you if you will be using the Metro a lot. It is a (in your case) weekly pass. You will need to supplement it for a few days at either end of your visit with either individual tickets (billets) or buy a carnet (ten individual tickets) and use them at the beginning and end of your visit. Consider having a look at this link: parisbytrain.com/paris-train-metro-week-pass… for information on the Navigo Découverte. It also has great general information on the metro system. Btw, you can use the same tickets for buses as the metro.
If you love seafood, go across town to Montparnass and have dinner one night at Le Dome in Montparnasse. It%26#39;s a wonderful seafood restaurant: paris-restaurants.net/dome-montparnasse-rest…
Have a good trip. It%26#39;s fun seeing Paris through the eyes of a young person.
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I think there is plenty in Paris to amuse and amaze
a young man rather than taking him to Disney.
Presumably he%26#39;s been to Disney in the US... I doubt the one in France is better.
Paris is the most beautiful and interesting city
in the world... I wouldn%26#39;t waste my time with the
bogus make believe world of Disney when there is so much real history and beauty to see.
Just my opinion.
Rob
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My 14 yr old son thought Disneyland was fun, but although we had a 2 day pass( it was on special only a few euros more then one day pass) he did not feel like it was worth seeing more then once. That said, I too assume your son has done the Disneyland in America, which, in my opinion are a bit better, so, I wouldn%26#39;t bother. But, like since we had never taken our kids to the American ones they thought the one in France was fine.
Frankly it would be a lot less fun to me in the cold or rain,, part of fun is walking around. In States both Disneylands are in much warmer( even in winter) places.
Both my 14 yr old sons enjoyed seeing the Catacombs much more. Google them, !!
Dress warmly, it likely will be cold and damp, and damp cold cuts through clothes I find. Bring umbrella if you are the type to use one, or a hat if not.
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Rob,
thanks for your input...the main reason for taking my son is so that he can see and experience the city/art/culture...etc... and maybe grow a little as a young man...I was thinking about Disneyland as perhaps a break in between (cultural overload), but now I think that going to Disney may defeat the purpose of the trip. We have enough commercialism is the US to keep us distracted....
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There are other fun things to do within the city that may break up the heavier stuff. He can expend some energy running around Luxembourg Garden, you can go admire the crazy sculptures in front of the Pompidou Ctr. Take in the catacombs; these seem to be right up the alley of a 13 yr-old boy. Go see the car dealerships along the Champs Elysées. They have some fun futuristic models that I bet he%26#39;d love.
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Great suggestions Happygoin...yeah, he%26#39;s really into cars so the dealerships on Champs Elysees will definately be something we take a look at. Have heard mixed reviews about the catacombs...I%26#39;ll have to ask him...
On a side note...anyone have suggestions on where to go for New Years?
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Remember now, I never said YOU%26#39;D enjoy the catacombs :)
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There is a magic museum in Paris which he might enjoy.
Does he play chess? Perhaps he could get into a game in Le Jardin du Luxembourg--if they plan in Dec/Jan.
You could have dinner at Dans Le Noir. This is a restaurant in the Marais which is run by the Blind Association. You get ushered in to a completely dark restaurant and eat your entire meal in darkness. The food is decent and it is quite an experience. You need a reservation in advance. You can make your reservation on line.
You could have lunch at Le Train Bleu. It is a large, belle epoque restaurant which is %26quot;really fancy%26quot; without being outrageously expensive. It is at the Gare de Lyon train station which might make it interesting too.
How about Le Double-Fond, 1 Place du Marche in the Marais District. It is a bar, but downstairs they do magic shows. It is in French but I went and you can figure out what is happening without speaking French. There were several boys your son%26#39;s age there when I went. The website is www.doublefond.com. I made a reservation in advance. The room for the magic show is a little cellar. He might like that.
On Sundays Louis Lepine Place (near Notre Dame) has birds at its large flower shop. It is great people watching.
Street markets are always fun. You buy what looks good and eat that either for lunch or dinner.
I don%26#39;t know if they do this while you will be there because of bad weather but going on a segway ride is a blast. I went on the evening ride where you see the lights of the city. They have a morning ride too. It is just so much fun. People stop you as you go to point, ask you about it, and just plain be envious. You can find out more from viator.com or Fat Tire Bikes (same group regardless of which of these methods you use to find them).
Walk along the Canal St. Marin in the 10th arrondissement (Between Jaures Metro and Republique Metro stops). You see boats go through various different locks in the canal. Don%26#39;t take the boat ride--takes too long and gets boring eventually. But the walk is enjoyable.
Musee de la Contrafacon, 16 Rue de la Faisanderie, Metro Porte Dauphine. This museum of counterfeits is open Tues-Sun 2-5:30pm. They have authentic next to counterfeit for all types of things. It is fun to guess which is which. The building itself is beautiful too.
Parc Andre Citroen has hot air balloon rides. The balloon stays tethered and rises to about the height of a 6-story building. It only goes up in good weather. It is very inexpensive.
Great option: Musee des Arts Forains, Bercy Village, Metro Line 14. This is antique fairground arts. Its in French but you understand what is going on--very cool! You MUST have advance reservations. Contact: diane@pavillons-de-bercy.com. It too is very inexpensive.
He might like Musee du Moyen Age (the Cluny). Very Old stuff!!
Place du Tertre in Montmartre behind Sacre Coeur is interesting for kids. The artists paint there and cut silhouettes.
How about Le Chateau de Monte-Cristo (3 Muskateers/Alexander Dumas)? The website is:
dumaspere.com/pages/…chateau.html
And then there are pastry shops!!!!!
I agree the car showrooms on the Champs-Elysees are really interesting.
Take him to the Memorial de la Deportation in the Square de l%26#39;Ile de France very near Notre Dame. It is very moving!
Pantheon--see the Foulcault Pendulum
On the outside of the Musee de Quai Branly there is a vegetation wall which consists of 15,000 plants and goes up the 5-story administration building. You don%26#39;t pay to see it and it is very near the Eiffel Tower.
There is a Ferris Wheel at Place de la Concorde (although I am not sure it is there in Dec/Jan).
You could eat at Nicolas Flamel restaurant which is either the oldest or second oldest residence in Paris (only the main floor where the restaurant is remains in the original state. The upper floors have been remodeled.)
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No, unless Disneyland is a MUST, I would avoid even mentioning there is a Disneyland in Paris, go to Orlando or Anaheim on another trip!
I suppose a 13 y/o boy has read the Harry Potter books? If so, I would also recommend Nicolas Flamel. In Harry Potter lore, he was the inventor of the Sorcerer%26#39;s (Philosopher%26#39;s) Stone. He might enjoy that bit of trivia and you could enjoy a decent meal.
Most boys (and grown men too!) enjoy the military museum at Les Invalides (including Napoleon%26#39;s sarcophagus). Lots of cannons all over the place, numerous displays (mostly in French).
Some younger people enjoy the sometimes whimsical nature of the art at the Pompidou Centre (I don%26#39;t particularly enjoy it but many do).
Again, depending on the weather, a Segway tour would be a fun way to see the city. Boys (and men!) love gadgets........
I also suppose that if you%26#39;re a 13 y/o boy, you pretty much MUST go to the top of the Eiffel Tower.......
Bon Chance!
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Have a great time with your son! I took my 12 year old son to Paris for a long weekend last January. We had a fabulous time and enjoyed unseasonably warm weather. His favorite things to do were the Segway tour of Paris and Musee d%26#39;Armee. Both were fantastic! Here is my trip report for some other suggestions:
tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187147-i14-k17014…
He really wanted to take a dinner cruise but I decided against it as the regular crusies were so unimpressive. I now regret that we didn%26#39;t as I took the Bateaux Parisiens dinner cruise with my daughter in March and it was so enjoyable. If DH and I ever get back to Paris alone with our son, we will most certainly take the dinner cruise with him.
Another suggestion is to take a bike tour of Versailles. The grounds are fantastic and if the weather is nice, I am sure he would enjoy it. Moms
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