There is SO much to see in Paris. It's tempting to try and fit everything in. It felt important to us this trip hit our highlights and keep a pace that felt energizing rather than exhausting. This itinerary *mostly* met that goal. Here is our 9 Day Paris Itinerary with a Toddler.
Day 1: Arrived in our hotel, ordered room service and immediately went to sleep, ha! For more details on our travel day we have a whole post about it here.
Day 2: Metro to Notre Dame Cathedral (it's currently under reconstruction due to the fire in 2019), breakfast and pastries at a nearby bakery, Jardin du Luxembourg, Boat Tour on the Seine, Eiffel Tower, a nearby playground with crepes/dinner on site.
Jardin du Luxembourg was the perfect place for Sunny to run around. It has stairs *her favorite,* green spaces and a walking path. She did somehow manage to slide her head through two metal bars. It happened so fast but fortunately we were able to get her out.
We opted for a private 90 minute boat tour knowing it would fall over Sunny's nap window which either meant she would be overtired or magically fall asleep. After a decent amount of research we found this company that seemed significantly more affordable than other private options and they just went above and beyond. Family owned and awesome. Sunny DID fall asleep! The gentle rocking from the waves lulled her right to bed. This was a real highlight for Aaron who had both the benefit of snuggling her and having a mini space heater.
Following our river tour we walked over to the Eiffel Tower. Paris was prepping to host the Olympics and several spaces were blocked off. It's surreal to see it up close and personal but I preferred the smoke free view from our boat.
Discovering this playground was the perfect end to an incredible day. It's off the beaten path and we loved getting to know some of the local families. Taking in views of the Eiffel tower during dinner was also a highlight.
Back at the hotel, we discovered our stroller had arrived! A welcome site after all the travel day commotion.
Day 3: Rental Car, Giverny to see Monet's house and the waterlily pond, The Paris Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint Temple, Sunny's first experience eating snails
The rental car experience was a fiasco. Aaron picked up the car while Sunny and I stayed back at the hotel but it involved a significant amount of back and forth between the garage and the desk (which were about 15 minutes and 6 floors apart from each other). Sunny's carseat was also a situation. They didn't have a rear facing option and initially wanted to give Aaron an infant carrier. All of this was done based on gesturing the approximate height of the baby due to a language barrier. Aaron persistently insisted that we needed a much bigger one. There's not a chance this carseat would pass safety laws in the U.S. At one point she literally escaped from it. Fortunately this was before we started driving and we figured out how to make it more secure but it gave my mama heart a lot of anxiety during our drive.
Driving in Paris is another story. Aaron has driven in Europe, the U.K., South Africa, Canada, Bali and Los Angeles, ha! He says Paris is "The absolute worst city to drive in." Fortunately Giverny is the most peaceful place and upon arrival the driving stressors dissipated.
We loved the Paris Temple grounds and happened to get there right as they opened Sunday afternoon. Completely coincidental as we hadn’t actually checked the the times in advance. Sunny especially enjoyed the fountain and we felt so much joy being in such a beautiful place.
Not pictured: random chickens running around the Giverny eating area and Sunny having the time of her life trying to catch one.
Day 4: Le Louvre, Tuileries Garden, Arch De Triomphe
We booked the earliest available time slot for the Louvre and went straight to the Mona Lisa before she was completely swarmed with other tourists. The Louvre has so many stairs, a toddlers dream, but a little tricky with a stroller in tow. We spent a lot of time with Sunny climbing up and down the marble stairs and she couldn’t have been happier. She fell asleep in her Ergo Baby Carrier after lunch and woke up while we were in the crowned jewels room. When she opened her eyes she looked up at the ceiling and pointed with toddler awe at the beautiful shapes and colors. We can’t say enough how much we love slowing down and seeing the world through her eyes.
Lunch inside the Louvre at Angelina’s was a highlight. The window behind us overlooked the central pyramid and the food was delicious as well!
Exiting the museum took us straight out to Tuileries Garden. The perfect place to rest our feet and let Sunny run around. Afterwards, we made our way to the Arch De Triomphe and of course ate more crepes.
Day 5: Disneyland Paris
Initially we had a day trip to Provins planned. Provins is a preserved medieval town a couple hours outside of the city. After navigating so many stairs with a stroller we decided a medieval town with our toddler wasn’t our best option and we opted for Disneyland Paris instead! Sunny’s first trip to Disney and a dream come true for us!
The park is smaller which makes getting around easier but it felt significantly more crowded as the day went on. We loved seeing the different interpretations of rides compared to Disneyland in California. Indiana Jones for example is a roller coaster. They also have a great toddler playground which Sunny loved once we were winding down for the day.
We did opt for their version of a fast pass, which allows each person to ride qualifying rides one time. We decided this was worth it for us as the lines were long and Sunny lasts about 5 minutes in a cue.
Our favorite family ride was Ratatouille. Something felt extra magical about experiencing it together for the first time in France.
When we first arrived I’d told Aaron I was pretty excited to have a smoke free day! Only to discover they actually allow smoking in the park. What a surprise! They do have designated smoking areas but they aren’t exactly tucked away.
We loved our Disney day and I feel so grateful we were able to go.
Day 6: Sacre Couer, family photos in Montmartre, check out of our hotel and left for Nanterre
We’ve never done family photos abroad and even though it was extra work we are so glad we did! Not only do we love having this memory preserved, our photographer showed us spaces that we likely wouldn’t have discovered on our own. The whole experience was a dream come true and we are grateful we had the opportunity to do it! I booked through the website Flytographer which offers photographers in tons of different locations. It felt like a little bit of a gamble but it was worth it, travel wrinkles and all! Also Mary our photographer was just an absolute gem. We felt like we made a new friend in Paris.
The Sacre Couer has a stunning view of the city. We loved taking it in for a minute after our pictures.
During our shoot, Mary shared with us that she’d been notified Taylor Swift was currently on the Sacre Couer front steps. We were at a cafe a few blocks away at that point, but thought that was extra fun since we were seeing her concert the next night.
Day 7: Walking through the park, playing at the playground and seeing Taylor Swift
Our Airbnb in Nanterre was easily one of my favorite places we have ever stayed. After go go going we loved slowing things down and relaxing here. It was very child friendly with tons of toys and stuffed animals for Sunny. With a beautiful park just a few minutes away we were in heaven.
Taylor of course was great! We were on the floor and I worried a little bit about my pregnancy body being able to stand for 3+ hours in one spot without passing out but the adrenaline definitely kicked in, ha! Our friend Tyson watched Sunny for us while Lara, Aaron and I enjoyed the concert. They had a great time and we felt so grateful to know she was in great hands!
Day 8: Our final full day in Paris! Versailles and the Catacombs
We definitely needed more time than we set aside. This felt like our busiest day and in hindsight devoting a full day to Versailles would have been better but we wanted to fit the Catacombs in as well!
Marie Antoinette’s area was by far my favorite. The grounds were beautiful and Sunny loved running through the hedges, climbing on benches and eating pasta.
The catacombs are SO eery. One thing we wish we knew before entering: they don't have a place to store any strollers. They also won't allow you to park the stroller outside the building. They told us we could ask a restaurant nearby if we could park there. Because we were with friends we ended up doing the catacombs in shifts. If you have a baby or toddler in tow I would highly suggest leaving it if at all possible!
Day 9: Flight home
We flew CDG to ATL and ATL home. The timing of the flight was perfect for Sunny and she even took a couple of short naps. Being back on US soil always comes with a sigh of relief. We are SO grateful we had the opportunity to do this together as a family! From beginning to end Paris was a dream come true.
Комментарии