Paris has always been one of my favourite European cities.

The last time I visited was back in 2019, before the full family circus had properly taken over my life. So when I started looking for a cheeky little getaway, I thought: hmm… nostalgia. Why not take a trip down memory lane?

Except this time, memory lane came with three children, a baby bump, snack demands, tired legs, metro stairs, sugar highs and enough side-eye to make me question all my life choices.

In theory, it was a lovely idea.

In reality?

Paris left me feeling a little bit bittersweet.

Still beautiful? Absolutely.

Easy with toddlers? My friend… let’s talk.

Quick Verdict: Paris With Kids

Worth it? Yes, but with conditions. Paris is stunning, full of iconic sights and has some brilliant family-friendly gems, but it is not the easiest city with toddlers or young kids.

Best for Families with older children, confident city travellers, parents who do not mind lots of walking, and anyone happy to mix sightseeing with slower park breaks.

Watch out for Metro stairs, lack of lifts in some stations, busy tourist areas, expensive food near major landmarks, and the general “move or be moved” energy in crowded areas.

Kid rating The kids loved the Eiffel Tower for approximately 60 seconds, then moved swiftly on to slushies, climbing walls, water mist, peacocks and chocolate samples. So basically, Paris according to children.

Would we go back? Not in a rush with toddlers. Maybe when they are older and can appreciate more than “big triangle”, “tall tower” and “can I have another snack?”

Parent tip Take a buggy, take snacks, take patience, and if you are travelling solo with young kids, seriously consider taxis for the arrival day. Your arms, back and sanity will thank you.

Getting There: Eurostar With Kids

As usual, we arrived early.

Our train was around 7.30am, so we got to the station at about 6am feeling organised, smug and very much like the kind of family who had their life together.

That feeling lasted about seven minutes.

I thought we would have enough time to grab breakfast, ease into the morning and maybe have a nice little pastry moment. But you know how time works when you have kids? One minute you are calm, the next minute someone needs the toilet, someone wants a snack, someone is sitting on a suitcase and suddenly you are in a queue questioning whether breakfast was ever real.

Now, this particular morning, I can only assume some of the Eurostar staff had also missed breakfast, because the customer service was giving: everyone is one croissant away from a breakdown.

We had shouting to get into queues like we were school children on a chaotic trip.

We had a gentleman at priority check-in asking who sent me to that lane, as if I had snuck in under the cover of darkness. Sir, I have three children and a baby bump. The large sign on the wall says we are allowed here. Unless the bump needs to produce ID?

Then came security, where my toddler apparently failed his first modelling assignment because he would not look directly into the camera. Mate, he is a toddler. His attention span is powered by raisins, chaos and whatever object he should not be touching.

And then, the cherry on top, an attendant kept shouting at me to get my toddler off the suitcase.

I heard you the first time.

And the second.

And the seventeenth.

But as you can see, I only have two hands, three children, luggage and a bump, so unless you are about to grow me another arm or lend me one of yours, please allow me a moment.

Not the smoothest start, let’s just say that.

And weirdly, it set the tone for what was coming next.

The Eurostar Ride: Two Hours of Peace, Eventually

The Eurostar ride to Paris is just over two hours, which is actually a dream compared with airport chaos.

No long flight. No baggage carousel drama. No four-hour chorus of “are we there yet?” Just seats, snacks and the hope that everyone behaves like members of society.

If you are travelling with kids, definitely pack snacks or grab food from the station before you board. If you are in a rush, there is a cafe on the train, so you will not starve, but I always say: never rely on public transport food when travelling with children. A hungry child is not a child. It is a tiny unpaid actor auditioning for a disaster movie.

The boys were very excited because the train felt different from our usual travel days.

The hype was real.

For about 20 minutes.

Then everyone passed out.

Honestly? Win-win for me. Sometimes the travel gods do throw you a crumb.

Arriving in Paris: Gare du Nord and the 1€ Toilet Betrayal

When you arrive at Paris Gare du Nord, there are no big security checks to worry about. You just hop off the train and decide whether you are going by taxi or train.

We opted for the train because we like to keep things adventurous, affordable and occasionally stressful for no reason.

First stop: tickets. Or should I say billets. That is tickets in French, in case you were wondering. Look at us, basically fluent.

We grabbed our tickets, had a quick look at the map, worked out where we were heading and off we went.

Parent tip

Tiny tip before you leave the station: it costs around 1€ to use the toilet facilities. Kids are free, adults pay for the privilege. So if you do not fancy being emotionally and financially extorted just to wee, use the toilet on the train before you get off. A glamorous travel tip? No. A useful one? Absolutely.

First Paris Reality Check: The Metro With Kids

This is where the first proper Paris reality check kicked in. Navigating the station with kids and luggage made me realise very quickly that Paris does not slow down for you, your children, your suitcase or your slightly frazzled mum energy.

People are moving. Fast. And if you are in the way, the vibe is very much: that sounds like a you problem.

Also, be warned: some metro stations do not have escalators or lifts. So if you have luggage, young kids, a buggy, a tired toddler or all of the above, prepare for a full arm workout.

This is not the soft, romantic Paris montage you see online. This is you, sweating on the stairs, carrying bags, counting children, wondering why you did not just book the taxi and preserve your last remaining peace.

Parent tip

If you are one adult travelling with multiple young kids, I would honestly consider getting a taxi from the station, especially on arrival day. Sometimes saving money costs you your mood, your back and your will to live.

Where We Stayed: Ivry-sur-Seine

For this trip, we decided to stay in an Airbnb just on the outskirts of Paris, in Ivry-sur-Seine.

We wanted to be away from the full tourist madness and mix a little more with the locals. The area worked really well for that. We had the metro around a five-minute walk away, plus cafes, restaurants and a supermarket all within walking distance.

This kind of setup is honestly one of my favourite ways to do city breaks with kids. You get a calmer base, more normal prices and the freedom to do breakfast, snacks and emergency “someone is about to combust” meals without relying on tourist cafes every five minutes.

Once we checked in and dropped our things, we still had some time and energy left. So naturally, we went straight back out.

Because apparently we enjoy testing ourselves.

Day One: Eiffel Tower, Trocadero and Slushie Negotiations

For our first day, we kept it classic: Eiffel Tower, Trocadero and the Seine.

All close enough to make sense on paper.

With children, of course, “close enough” is a very flexible concept.

Seeing the Eiffel Tower again definitely brought back that nostalgic feeling for me. There is something about standing there, looking up at it, remembering previous trips, old versions of yourself and all the romanticised Paris moments.

Then you show it to your children and they give you approximately one minute of wonder.

“Wow, look at the tower!”

“It goes up up in the sky!”

And then, without warning…

“Mum, slushie.”

That was it. The Eiffel Tower had done its job. Paris had been completed. Bring on the sugar.

This is the thing about travelling with kids: you can stand in front of one of the most famous landmarks in the world, and their main emotional connection will still be to an overpriced frozen drink in a plastic cup

Honestly, humbling.

We spent some time around the Eiffel Tower gardens, which I would definitely recommend if you are visiting with kids. You still get those gorgeous views, but there is also space for the children to run around and burn off some of the energy that seems to regenerate every time you sit down.

From there, we made our way towards Trocadero for those beautiful Eiffel Tower views.

This part was mainly for me.

Let’s be honest.

I wanted the photos. I wanted the moment. I wanted the “family in Paris” content that makes it look like we are calm, coordinated people who do not argue over slushies.

Now for me, a 20-minute walk is nothing.

For the kids, however, this was apparently a pilgrimage across the desert. Even with slushies in hand, you would think one of them had been asked to walk barefoot to another country.

Parent tip

Do not be like me. Bring the buggy. Bring the carrier. Bring anything that saves your arms and reduces the dramatic “my legs do not work” announcements. I brought neither. I paid the price.

Trocadero itself is beautiful. The views are stunning, the photo opportunities are everywhere, and if you get a good spot, it really does give you that postcard Paris moment.

Did the kids care? Absolutely not.

They had already seen the Eiffel Tower once, which in their minds was enough. The real highlight for them was the little walls and steps nearby, which they spent a good ten minutes climbing, running along and giving me tiny heart attacks.

But mama needed the Instagram content, so off they went. Safely watched, obviously. But also… content is content.

We had planned to wander along the Seine afterwards, but it was far too crowded. Between the crowds, the tired legs and the children running on slushie fumes, I decided not to force it.

Sometimes the best family travel decision is knowing when to quit while everyone is still speaking to each other.

Food-wise, there are plenty of cafes and restaurants around Trocadero, but if your wallet is on a budget like mine, pack snacks or food and use the Eiffel Tower gardens or seating around Trocadero for a little break.

Your bank balance will thank you.

Parent tip

Keep arrival day simple. Pick one main sight, allow space for snacks and meltdowns, and do not try to squeeze in too much. Paris is not going anywhere, but your toddler’s good mood absolutely is.

Day Two: Louvre, Rain and Reality Kicking In

Day two started with all the optimism of a well-rested family ready to take on more Paris.

We had planned a classic Paris day: the Louvre from the outside, Tuileries Garden, Palais Royal and a nice little park break.

Lovely in theory.

Then the weather said, “Bonjour, absolutely not.”

The day before had been around 23 degrees. Suddenly we had cold, miserable rain and that damp wind that makes you question why you trusted the weather app.

Parent tip

Pack layers. Pack a raincoat. Pack something warm, even if the forecast looks friendly. Weather apps do lie. I was getting Hamburg flashbacks all over again.

Between the wet spells and the mild wind, we still managed to make our way to the Louvre.

And once again, the kids gave it their full cultural attention for about 30 seconds.

“Mum, look, a triangle!”

Then the games began.

“Can we climb?”

“Can we chase each other?”

“Can we run?”

Children truly have a gift for turning every iconic landmark into a soft play warm-up area.

I had to remind them that mama needed the Instagram picture first, because they forget this is a work holiday.

They think we are here for fun. Cute.

Right opposite the Louvre is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel, with the Tuileries Garden nearby. On a sunny day, this would be a lovely family reset spot: space to walk, fountains, snack breaks, chairs and that nice Parisian garden atmosphere where you can pretend your children are calm and cultured.

On a wet day?

Let’s just say my kids were recreating the Peppa Pig muddy puddle episode.

If you know, you know.

And if you have kids, you already know exactly how that ended.

Because the weather was not playing fair, we cancelled the park visit and aimed for a walk around the Champs-Elysees and side streets in search of food that would not require me to remortgage the house.

That was an eye-opener.

Maybe Paris has always been expensive and I just did not notice before. Maybe travelling without kids gives you a different kind of financial confidence. But when you are trying to feed a family near the touristy bits, those prices hit differently.

At one point I saw four TINY eclairs for around 15€ and I am not being dramatic when I say my wallet cried.

This was also the day where my nostalgia really started to fade.

The city was still beautiful, but travelling through it with small children felt hard. There were moments on the streets and metro where it felt like people had no patience for kids being kids. The rushing, the bumping past, the huffing at metro barriers when you are trying to get three little ones through safely.

Not every person, of course. I am not here to drag an entire city.

But enough moments happened that by day two, I felt worn down.

The number of times we got on a train with three kids in tow and no one offered a seat was surprising. Again, no one owes you the world, but when you are visibly juggling little ones, bags and a bump, a tiny bit of humanity goes a long way.

By the end of that day, the romantic Paris in my head and the Paris I was experiencing with toddlers felt like two very different places.

Day Three: Jardin d’Acclimatation and the Chocolate Museum

Day three arrived with the weather still sitting on the fence. A bit of cloud, a few light spells, the sun trying to make a dramatic comeback.

So we chose something properly child-friendly: Jardin d’Acclimatation.

And honestly? This was one of the best decisions of the trip.

Jardin d’Acclimatation is a beautiful family park on the edge of Paris with rides, play areas, open space, animals, water features and that magical combination parents love: things for children to do and places for adults to breathe.

Entry was around €7 for access to the park, without rides included. You can then either pay separately for rides or buy a day pass if you plan on doing loads.

Parent tip

My honest suggestion: If your kids are ride lovers, consider the day pass and play it by ear. Once they spot the rides, your “we will just do one or two” plan may collapse faster than a toddler who skipped nap time.

The best part for us was that finally, we found somewhere where the kids could actually enjoy themselves properly.

Z and E got to go on rides and have their fun, while M was having his own emotional festival because he wanted to chase the peacocks.

The simple things, hey.

There were also thick water mist areas dotted around the park, which the kids found absolutely hilarious. Forget Paris landmarks, forget carefully planned itineraries, forget meaningful cultural moments.

Give children water spraying from the ground and they are living their best life.

From a parent’s point of view, Jardin d’Acclimatation felt like a much-needed reset. It gave the boys space to be children rather than constantly being told to walk, stop, wait, move, hold hands, do not climb that, come back here and please for the love of all things holy stop licking your fingers.

After all the fun and games, we slowed the pace down and headed to the Chocolate Museum.

Yes. Chocolate. Cue hyper kids.

The Chocolate Museum was actually a lot of fun. The kids got to follow the trail, learn about the origins of chocolate, see how it is made and, most importantly in their eyes, taste samples as they went through.

Educational? Yes.

Delicious? Also yes.

A good idea before getting back on public transport? Debatable.

At the end, we decided to get them chocolate slushies because apparently I had learned nothing from day one.

Big mistake.

The journey back was a spectacular mix of tired children, hyper children, chocolate energy, public transport chaos and what I am convinced were some very poetic French side-eyes.

I am sure they were saying lovely things about us. Very lovely. Very supportive. Definitely not judging.

Final Day: Macarons, Gardens and the Museum of Illusions

For our final day, we threw caution to the wind and freestyled it.

I booked a macaron cooking class through GetYourGuide, because when in Paris, why not let the child live his pastry chef dreams?

Also, if you book through my link, you support the cause. And by “the cause”, I mean keeping these children in snacks and keeping mama’s travel content dreams alive. Everyone wins.

Z got the chance to get his pastry chef on and cook up a storm, and it was such a lovely experience. From a child’s point of view, there is something really exciting about being allowed to make something properly, especially something as fancy as macarons.

From a parent’s point of view, I loved that it was an actual hands-on activity rather than just another “look at this beautiful building” moment. Kids need to do, touch, mix, taste and feel part of the experience. This gave him that.

Nearby, we visited the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle area and the surrounding gardens.

The grounds were beautiful and free to explore, which is always a sentence that makes parents breathe a little easier.

The kids got to run through the gardens, explore the plants, wander through little paths and find their own tiny secret-garden moments. It was one of those slower travel wins where nothing huge has to happen, but it still becomes memorable because the kids are free to just be curious.

No big pressure. No forced sightseeing. Just gardens, wandering, little discoveries and a bit of breathing space.

From there, we went to the Museum of Illusions.

This was another good shout for kids. It is interactive, playful and full of optical illusions, visual tricks and little rooms that make your brain question whether it is still clocked in.

E especially got to live his best life here.

It was fun, easy to engage with and gave the kids something they could actually react to. Sometimes with children, museums need to meet them halfway. The Museum of Illusions did exactly that.

Food, Snacks and Protecting Your Wallet

Let’s talk about food, because Paris is one of those cities where your budget can disappear very quickly if you are not paying attention.

Near the major tourist spots, prices can be wild. I am still emotionally recovering from the tiny 15€ eclair situation.

If you are travelling as a family, I would definitely recommend doing a supermarket stop and keeping snacks, drinks and easy food with you. Not every meal needs to be a sit-down cafe moment, especially when your children may take two bites and then announce they are full, only to ask for a snack seven minutes later.

Eating outside the main tourist areas can make a huge difference. The prices are more reasonable, the atmosphere can feel more relaxed, and you get a better sense of normal Paris life.

Also, do not feel pressured to chase every viral food spot you have seen online. Half the time, you are queuing for ages, paying more than you planned, and your child still only wants chips.

Save your energy. Save your wallet. Find good local spots, use supermarkets, and keep snacks on you like your peace depends on it.

Because it does.

Would I Recommend Paris With Toddlers?

This is where I have to be really honest.

Paris is beautiful.

It is iconic.

It has history, architecture, parks, museums, food, style and that unmistakable “I am in Paris” feeling when you turn a corner and suddenly the Eiffel Tower appears like it knows exactly what it is doing.

But Paris with toddlers?

It is not for the faint-hearted.

Getting around can be hard. The metro is useful, but not always buggy-friendly. Some stations have no lifts or escalators, and if you are carrying luggage, children or both, it can feel like an extreme sport.

The tourist areas are busy, food can be expensive, and the pace of the city does not always feel gentle for families with young kids.

For me, the hardest part was not even the walking or the weather or the stairs. It was the feeling that travelling with small children made us an inconvenience. The impatience, the lack of help on public transport, the huffs at barriers, the pushing past on busy streets – it all added up.

And by day two, I was tired.

Not just physically tired.

Emotionally tired.

Maybe it was the stage of life we are in. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe it was the bump, the toddlers, the nostalgia and the high expectations. Maybe I remembered Paris through a pre-kids filter and this trip showed me a completely different side.

But either way, this one did not feel as magical as I had hoped.

Final Thoughts: A Beautiful City, A Bittersweet Trip

Paris was a city very close to my heart.

A city I had fond memories of.

A city I was excited to show the kids.

And in some ways, I still loved parts of it. Seeing the Eiffel Tower again, watching the boys run through gardens, finding family-friendly gems like Jardin d’Acclimatation, doing a macaron class, exploring little pockets outside the tourist chaos – those moments were special.

But overall, this trip left me disappointed.

Not because Paris is not beautiful.

It absolutely is.

But because Paris with toddlers felt harder than it needed to be.

If you are going with young children, my honest advice is this: slow the trip right down. Do not overpack your itinerary. Stay somewhere with easy transport links but away from the most expensive tourist areas. Use taxis when needed. Bring a buggy. Pack snacks. Avoid chasing viral spots just because the internet told you to. And build your days around one main win, not ten tiny battles.

If you are happy using the metro, staying just outside the tourist hotspots can be a great option. You still get access to central Paris, but with more local vibes, calmer streets and prices that do not make your debit card sweat.

Would I rush back with toddlers?

Honestly, no.

Would I go back when the kids are older and can handle the walking, the museums, the food and the pace a bit better?

Probably.

Because Paris did not stop being beautiful.

It just stopped being easy.

And sometimes, that is the honest family travel verdict.

Not every trip is a fairytale.

Some trips are beautiful, chaotic, overpriced, emotional, funny in hindsight, and full of lessons you only learn once you are already sweating on a metro staircase with three kids and a suitcase.

So Paris, maybe we will meet again.

But next time, I am bringing older children, better shoes, a bigger snack bag and absolutely no romantic expectations.

Need Help Planning a Family Trip?

If you are planning a family trip and want someone to help take the stress out of finding the right stay, location and setup for your actual family – not the imaginary calm family from travel adverts – I can help. Pop your details through my family travel planning form and I will help you make the trip feel less “how are we going to survive this?” and more “okay, we have got this.” Start here.

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