On Location: Paris, France

By Erin Washington

Every year my husband has a work trip to Amsterdam, and this year our 2 year old son and I decided to tag along and make a big trip out of it. We knew we were going to start in Amsterdam and from there, knew we wanted to utilize the exciting adventure of European rail travel to go elsewhere. With it being our son’s first time on a long haul flight, we wanted to end our trip in a city that would have the shortest flight time back to DC. With all these factors in mind, we landed on two cities that made complete sense to us - London (where we have a lot of friends to visit) and Paris (a city we both love). Our time in Paris was magical, and worth re-counting.

Paris can sometimes get a bad rap, and although we had never experienced that in our previous visits, traveling with a kid made me a little bit nervous to see if we saw a different side of Paris and Parisians. At the same time, however, we had several friends go and tell us how kid-friendly Paris actually is. So as always, when it comes to traveling with kids, we went in with flexibility and an open mind. In the end Paris far exceeded our expectations - it’s a city full of museums, restaurants, and green space, but what took us by surprise were how many playgrounds there were! 

For this particular 3-day trip we stayed in the 3rd arrondissement at a Homes and Villas by Marriott (their version of home rentals). It was our first time using this service and our experience was positive. The apartment was well-designed and equipped with the space we appreciate typically given by Airbnbs, with the added bonus of being able to book with points and have the customer service interface from Marriott itself. After enough bad homeshare experiences, this was a huge bonus for us. 

Our time there was spent exploring different parts of the city and finding things that were specific to kids, and also things that my husband and I could explore together. To no surprise, our time in Paris was magical. Every time we visit, we are in constant awe of the beautiful architecture, chic residents, leisure-centric culture, and diverse population that fills its streets. And this time, we were able to see it from a completely new perspective, one where we noticed the family-focused amenities and services (which were a plenty).

SEE:

Louis Vuitton Foundation - Give me that French fry!

This place was our must-see list, but we didn’t have many expectations for what it would be like for a two year old. Designed by the star-chitect Frank Gehry, the curvaceous glass museum includes works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gilbert & George, and Jeff Koons with a special exhibit by Rothko while we were there. We generally have positive experiences at museums with our son when the art is full of interesting characters and animals, and they are spacious enough to get his legs moving. However, the unexpected surprise that we enjoyed the most was in the garden and grounds behind the museum: the splendid Bois du Bologne. As we exited the building and grabbed a snack at the food cart outside, we were promptly greeted by peacocks! They roam the grounds of the park and are clearly used to having people around them. Our son was fascinated, until one stole a french fry right out of his hand! To this day, whenever he sees a peacock he says “give me that french fry!"

Jardin d’Acclimatation - Amusement park

If you wander a bit beyond the Louis Vuitton foundation, we found ourselves at this perfect, little amusement park. It was chalk-full of rides and games that were perfect for toddlers. We had no idea this existed, but were beyond thrilled to discover it - it ended up being the highlight of our entire trip. We spent the afternoon on carousels and rides with Paris as our backdrop. As Ina Garten would say, 'how fabulous is that?' 

Luxembourg Gardens - Romance, revisited

One of the best days my husband and I have ever had together was in 2019 when we bought a bottle of wine, some cheese, and baguettes and had a picnic on the grounds of the Luxembourg Gardens. This park is everything we love about Paris - beautiful, social, and welcoming - all surrounded by palatial architecture. Even though this visit didn’t include wine and a tipsy walk home, it was still perfect. We watched the toy boats on the lake, looked at all the wonderful landscaping, and hopped from playground to playground with ice cream breaks in between. 

Anne Frank Memorial Garden - Tranquil play

Our friend tipped us off to this secret playground in the 3rd Arrondissement. Wander through the alleyway to find a tranquil space, never too crowded, where you can sit and read, or play. 

Musée des Arts et Metiers - For the train-obcessed

This one was a gamble that ended up paying off. The museum is dedicated to industrial innovations and was located right by our apartment so we decided to check it out. We have a vehicle-obsessed son, so as soon as we saw that there was a room full of airplanes, cars, and trains, we knew we had to stop in. While it may not have been the most thrilling for us, our son absolutely loved it, which always brings us joy.  

The Eiffel Tower - Playgrounds galore

I know this may seem obvious, but we knew we had to take our son there on his first trip to Paris. As I mentioned, when we travel with our son we often see things with new eyes. This time we found that the grounds of the Eiffel Tower are full of playgrounds! How lucky to be able to play and be free in front of one of the most iconic structures in the world. 

Photo Credit: Syllogi

Syllogi’s ‘On Location’ is a series of trip reports reflecting on our personal travels, as we research and experience the bounty the world has on offer.