how to enjoy paris - with three tiny children!

We decided  to embark on our ex-pat adventure to the Netherlands for a few key reasons, with one being that we wanted to travel more around Europe and beyond!

I sat talking with a mama at coffee when the kids first started school here.  She was a seasoned ex-pat with several kiddos of her own, and she had that fabulous, confident aura of wisdom about her.

So I asked, "Where would you recommend we take our kids first for a long weekend?"

"Paris!" was her immediate response, and she started rattling off all the amazing things that are kid-friendly in the City of Love.

I listened a bit doubtfully.  Paris? From what I remember on my high school German trip, it was kinda crazy, with a bunch of museums,  masses of tourists, and crazy drivers.  (Thankfully we were in a tour bus!)  However, I had once told Finola, my almost five-year-old, that I would take her to the Eiffel Tower and we would have a picture together there -- just here and I!  She loved the idea and we subsequently talked about it on a regular basis.

Now was our chance!

Despite my doubts, our first long weekend here - Easter! - we were hopping in our newly-acquired station wagon and driving across the border to France.

First, let me say, driving across Europe is a delight - if for the gas stations alone!  Forget dirty truck stops with Icee machines and an obligatory Subway or Mickey D's.  French gas stations are gourmet!  I was pleasantly surprised to find a hot food cafeteria, which sold fresh bread, IG-worthy desserts, and next to the checkout...bottles of wine!  Which they will uncork for you, but not re-cork...so...might want to have a wine stopper in your purse.  Just sayin'.  I threw away some perfectly good rosé.

And if you are judging me for drinking wine at a gas station while on a road trip with kids...then you probably don't have kids.  Or you don't have three kids.  Or your kids have devices which keep them quiet in the car.  And hey, I wasn't driving, so, I indulged.  Viva la France!

Without further adieu, here are a few mama tips for seriously enjoying Paris with your three small kids...

1.  Stay within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower.  We walked about 30 minutes to get there, taking in the charm of the Parisian streets, and stopping for crepes if we were hungry at the cafes that abound.  We have three kids - ages 6, 4, and 6 months - so thirty minutes was about our max.  We pushed the baby in the sit-n-stand and the older two took turns riding, too.  We also brought a baby carrier along to be able to mix things up!

One of the days stopped for crepes + coffee at Le Dome, a cafe super close the Eiffel Tower.

A mama-daughter 'cheers' to Paris!

2. When choosing a spot - rent a private Parisian apartment, rather than a hotel.  Find one with kid-friendly bedrooms and toys!  I much prefer having some personal space when traveling with kids, and when they have a separate bedroom everyone wins.  I mean everyone.  On every level.  Just sayin. ;)  I loved ours, as it was in the city and convenient to everything, and I felt for the weekend as though we were real Parisians.  Also, was no more expensive than getting a hotel in the same area.

we had a lovely terrace with city views.

our place was beyond adorable. you cannot get this charm at a hotel.

the blondies adored their bedroom.

Baby Whit probably enjoyed himself as well.

hubby did breakfast runs to the market each morning.

most of our meals were purchases at a little market across from the street.  oh, and we ordered pizza twice. #noshame

3. Go to the Eiffel Tower at dark!  Let the kids run around (you know, near you) while you and your love drink wine or champagne underneath it!  This happened for us at about 9pm. Just throw a reasonable bedtime out the window that night!  At 10pm the Tower started twinkling!   My advice is to bring your own bottle of wine (and that trusty bottle opener) or you'll spend 25 euros for a mediocre bottle of red.  Wine is inexpensive at the grocery shops along the walk there.

4. Spend an entire day hanging out around the Eiffel Tower.  (Do you sense a theme here?) With kids this is the way to go!  There are many super cute, fenced playgrounds that provide a beautiful view of the tower.  Pick up a baguette, some fancy cheeses, and an assortment of tapas at one of the supermarkets on your walk there.  Or there is the loveliest food stand with red metal tables right by the playground with the mini-carousel.  The pastries and sandwiches there are so, so delicious.  There is also hot mulled wine, and really good coffee.  You can sit and stare at the Eiffel Tower as you enjoy it all.  Your kids can act like fools and run around the lawns, which would normally make you crazy but cest la vie you are in Paris at a casual outside park and it is encouraged that they run and act like normal little kids.

5. Buy some cheap felt berets and then head to one of the two BIG carousels beneath the tower.  Buy a ticket and hop right on with your kiddos!  (There was no line when we went, even on a busy Saturday!)  One of my favorite moments was on that carousel, going around and around and looking up at the Tower.  It was pretty surreal.  I kept thinking, Is this real life, or an Audrey Hepburn movie?

6. Take a leisurely walk along the Seine River.  You could also take a river cruise if you've got the time.  We simply walked from the carousel to the ferris wheel, which wasn't that far (maybe took a half hour) and there was a lovely little playground along the way.  If you are walking on the same side of the Seine as the Eiffel Tower, towards the ferris wheel you can't miss it.

taking a break as we crossed the Seine.

7. Take a ride on the huge ferris wheel and see an amazing 360 degree view of Paris!  Our kiddos loved this!  The line was not that long, even for a Saturday on Easter weekend, and it provided a nice break from the walking.

I was legit terrified but did it for the kiddos!  

8. Visit the Louvre...even if you don't go inside at all.  The Louvre is totally worth the ticket price, and I've heard there are companies that do awesome private tours that cater to young children.  Had we had another day I may have booked it.  But we got to the Louvre at the end of a long day and pretty much all we did was walk around the glass pyramids and take some family pics.  Worth it!  The walk up to it is a lovely park with lots of sculptures, and when you get to the huge courtyard with the pyramids there is plenty of space for the kiddos to run, while listening to live music.

Our only family pic not taken with a selfie stick.  

9. Bring a selfie stick.  This is my favorite advice to give for traveling anywhere with tiny kids.  You're gonna want some family pics, obviously.  Sure, you can ask strangers to take them.  That could turn out completely fine.  But with tiny kids it is hard to get a good one in one or two shots.  Also, they love to see themselves in selfie mode, so you'll tend to get better smiles/expressions.  Also, you can take a billion photos and not feel like you are bothering anyone (except your family...but that's okay, they love you!)  Bonus tip : the best pics are when you yell "Everyone look silly!!!!!!"  but then you and your partner do NOT act silly but smile happily.  Your kids look adorable and will more likely be smiling, and you will not look annoyed because you're trying to coerce them into taking a nice family pic.  Win-Win.

10.  Embrace a laissez-faire attitude!  When traveling with littles, don't have a rigid schedule.  Keep it all very simple, and embrace all life's small pleasures.  Literally, my only agenda for this trip was to get our entire family up on the Eiffel Tower.  Guess what?  That didn't even happen.  We did, however, all make it to the Tower at night to see it twinkle.  They took pics of their mom and dad kissing and toasting with plastic cups of wine underneath it.  On the final night, the older two went with my husband while I stayed at our apartment with the baby.  They made it to the first level, walking up the stairs, despite a huge line and Finola almost having a meltdown before they got there.  We did all the other things mentioned above, at a very slow pace, and knowing that at any time the kids could decide it was time to grab an Uber home.

So was a weekend in Paris worth it with three littles?  YES.  Every moment.  Sweet memories were made, without any crazy drama from either parent.  Hurray!

That is what our kids will remember - that we were happy.

And maybe the Eiffel Tower, too.