An American Family in Paris: Finding Balance
The gateway to our very first summertime European family travel was three days in shimmering Paris. After a long flight, we arrived at our rented Airbnb flat – highly recommended to rent an apartment on a family trip to Paris…offers plenty of room for the family to spread out, cooking options can make meal times easier and cheaper and staying in a local neighborhood immerses you in Parisian culture. Our flat was near the Eiffel Tower, so we walked over to say “bonjour”. The sun swirled through her regal arches and summer bloomed in the surrounding park. People stretched in every direction and there was a steady chime of vendors calling out for buyers.
On the way back to the flat, we passed a Subway sandwich shop and the kids’ jet-lag hunger kicked into full gear. They begged to have a sandwich and so we found ourselves sitting on a rickety table while the boys debated how the chips “just taste different” and, in Paris, lunch can be dinner. And with that, the Americans had fully arrived.
Culinary Discoveries Determined not to visit only American eateries, we sampled crepes, Nutella, chocolate croissants, macaroons, and sauces on everything. Parisian waiters would overlook our fumbling French as long as the boys wore their plaid bow ties and said “s’il vous plaît” frequently – it’s always good to teach the kids at least a few words in the local language. They were then bemused when my native Chicagoan husband would greet them with “How ya doin’?”
The kids were never as thirsty as when bottled water was 8€ a litre! And I was entertained by the idea that what’s old became new. For example, one night, 12-year-old Zack happily munched on salad at dinner.
“What is this sauce on the leaves?” he asked.
“It’s dressing,” I said.
“Why don’t we have this back home?” he exclaimed – proof that things just taste better in Paris.
Stairs & Shortcuts With long, winding lines at every Eiffel Tower entrance, we opted to take the stairs instead of the elevator, which cut our wait time from 2 hours to 10 minutes. There are 669 stairs from the base of the Eiffel Tower to the second floor and with all that climbing a snack – hungry, growing boys! – was in order. Ironically, it takes longer to wait in line for an Evian and hot pretzel once you’re up on the Eiffel Tower than it does to walk up all the stairs.
Climbing the Arc de Triomphe takes you up another 284 stairs (there is a side elevator, if needed). The kids stayed busy taking pictures on their phones, which was a great way for us to see how they experienced it. Later, they said their favorite things in Paris were the “landmarks” because they were able to capture details of each place on their own. One of the best things about traveling with kids is to see things from a different perspective…fresh eyes that are often on a different level, or looking at different things than you!
Next up on the agenda…the Louvre! We had read about an underground entrance to the Louvre that usually had a shorter line than at the outdoor pyramid. The Louvre is clearly marked on the Metro line and we followed the signs from the train to the underground shopping area. I got in line while my husband happily visited the Starbucks.
The line itself is for security and, once inside, there are several ticket counters and self-serve kiosks. Most people went from security line to ticket line but if you have a credit card you can use the kiosks with little or no line. That part was much easier than battling the selfie sticks around the Mona Lisa.
It’s hard to see the bulk of the Louvre in one visit, so we interspersed our adult must-sees with kid picks to make it more like a treasure hunt while ignoring giggles at all the naked butts on the statues.
A happy family vacation means striking that balance between adult fun and kid fun…or sometimes even turning what might be a more traditional adult activity – like an art museum – into something fun for the kids through activities like kids’ audio tours or a scavenger hunt for famous art works. The balance comes in the food as well – sometimes caving into a little comfort food from a fast food chain can make all the difference for the kids after a long day of touring, while still reserving plenty of chances to try the local foods as well. Paris can be a fantastic destination for families with a little planning and balancing!
About the Author:
After eight years as an executive at online travel giant Expedia, Kristin Graham set off this summer for a travel sabbatical with her family. Kristin has been telling stories since she borrowed a typewriter in elementary school. After 20 years writing for companies, she took a sabbatical from corporate life to travel with her husband and their two boys. You can follow Kristin’s adventures on her My Year of Life blog or on Twitter at @kristingraham.
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