The Ultimate Guide to Visiting Paris with a Toddler: Things to do + Top Tips

We recently visited Paris with our young kids (3 years + 7 months) and had such a great time. We had been planning this trip for a while and were so excited to make it happen. And let me tell you- visiting Paris with a toddler is not for the faint of heart 😅. However, it’s totally doable and you can have a great time (like we did!).

We spent one week in Paris with a baby and toddler and we definitely learned some things along the way. So I’m here to give you my top travel tips for traveling to Paris with a toddler. I’ll let you know what we learned, what we’d change, and what we’d do again.

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Is it possible to visit Paris with toddlers or Paris with a baby?

It’s definitely possible to visit Paris with young kids! As long as you go in with proper expectations, a great itinerary, and a good attitude you’ll have an amazing family trip to Paris!

This Paris with kids guide is here to help you know the best tips for visiting Paris with young children. Plus it includes the weeklong Paris itinerary that we used, and all of the things we learned during our time in Paris as a family.

Map of things to do in Paris with toddlers

*Use this interactive map to see the things to do in Paris with toddlers. Click on the full-screen icon in the top right corner to have this map open in your own GoogleMaps app*

21 Things to do in Paris with a Toddler:

If you are looking for what to do in Paris with toddlers, the good news is there is quite a lot! Like most major cities, you’ll still be able to see most of the major sites with your toddler in tow. However, you’ll also want to add some special sites and stops just for your little ones to help them have a great time!

1. Eat all of the yummy baked goods you can (pain au chocolate, madeleines, croissants, crepes, etc.)
2. Rent a toy sailboat or watch a puppet show in Luxembourg Gardens
3. See the Eiffel Tower
4. Ride the elevator to the top of the Arc de Triomphe (yes, they have an elevator you can use with young kids)
5. Snap a pic in front of the Notre Dame
6. Play at all of the super fun playgrounds in Paris
7. Ride the Little Train of Montmartre
8. Experience the magic at Disneyland Paris
9. Ride carousels throughout the city (find some of the ones we loved here)
10. Stroll along the Seine and tip street performers
11. Take a relaxing, 1-hour Seine River cruise past top city sights
12. Visit the children’s area of The Centre Pompidou art museum
13. Ride the funicular up to take in the views of Paris from Sacré-Coeur Basilica
14. Watch artists paint in Place du Tertre
15. Play among the columns at Colonnes de Buren
16. See Monet’s Water Lilies exhibit at Musée de l’Orangerie
17. Wander past the Louvre
18. Eat yummy crepes at Rosa Bonheur la Crêperie in Jardin des Tuileries
19. Shop for picnic goods on Rue Cler Market Street
20. Pick up a kid’s book from Shakespeare and Company bookshop
21. Ride the rides at Jardin d’Acclimatation

One Week Paris itinerary with toddlers:

Here is how we spent 7 days in Paris with kids. We tried to add plenty of things to do in Paris with a toddler but also a few things that we specifically wanted to see. These are the main things we did in Paris with our toddler but each day had some wiggle room in the late afternoon/evenings when we usually did some activities around our Airbnb or went out to dinner.

For more information about all of the playgrounds we visited, check out my article 10 Fun Playgrounds in Paris Near Top Paris Attractions.

DAY ONE: Arrive & transfer to Disneyland Paris Area

• Take a Baby Cab taxi ride from the airport to Airbnb near Disneyland Paris
• Grocery shop

DAY TWO:

• Full day at Disneyland Paris

DAY THREE:

• 1/2 at Disneyland Paris 1/2 day at Walt Disney Studios

DAY FOUR: Transfer Day

• Baby Cab taxi ride from Disneyland Paris to our Airbnb in Paris (we stayed near the Sacré Coeur)
• Play at a playground near Airbnb, go grocery shopping, and get settled
• Luxembourg Gardens if you have time (we did not)

DAY FIVE (Eiffel Tower Area):

• Walk around the Eiffel Tower
• Play at the two Eiffel Tower Playgrounds
• Take a 1-hour Seine River Cruise leaving from the Eiffel Tower (a great way to see more of Paris with kids without tiring them out and the dock is SO close)
• If you are up to it, ride the elevator to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for some awesome views

DAY SIX (Montmartre Area):

• Play at Square d’Anvers Playground
• Snack on goodies from Boulangerie Léonie
• Ride the carousel at the base of Sacré Coeur & play at the playground
• Take the funicular up to see views of Paris from Sacré Coeur
• Admire the artists at Place du Tertre
• Pick up yummy lunch from Carette at Place du Tertre (easy-to-eat quiche, galettes, sandwiches, and more)
• Play at Square Suzanne Buisson Playground and wander the streets of Montmartre

DAY SEVEN (The Louvre Area):

• Play at Jardin Nelson Mandela playground (one of our favorites)
• Snap pics and play at Colonnes de Buren
• Wander past The Louvre (be sure to get skip-the-line tickets if you will be visiting The Louvre, the line we saw was HUGE). Or, if your kids are old enough to enjoy it, book this Kids and Families Skip-the-Line Private Louvre Tour 
• Relax in Jardin des Tuileries, play at the playground & ride the carousel
• Pick up galettes, crepes, and ice cream at Rosa Bonheur la Crêperie (in Jardin des Tuileries)
• See Monet’s Water Lilies exhibit at Musée de l’Orangerie
• Walk along the Seine River

DAY EIGHT: Departure day

• Transfer to the airport via Baby Cabs

18 Tips & Things to Know for visiting Paris with a toddler or a baby

1. Book a taxi ride with car seats via Baby Cabs

When we first arrived in Paris, our first stop was Disneyland Paris for a couple of days. I had done a lot of research on how to get to Disneyland Paris from the airport and it seemed like all of the ways were some sort of public transport like a bus or train.

We opted to take the Express TGV Train which takes you almost to the entrance of Disney Paris. It was manageable- since the actual ride is a short, 12-minute ride. However, with two small kids, a double stroller, luggage, and the time it took to purchase tickets (which were like $60 in all) the entire process took probably 2 hours (and was basically the same price as a 45-minute Baby Cabs ride which I’ll talk more about below).

After a couple of days in Disney, we then transferred to a different Airbnb in Paris via the RER train which was an easy 45-minute ride into Paris from Disneyland. However, once we got off the train in Paris we had to navigate an insanely huge underground Metro station with next to no elevators and endless stairs/escalators.

Let’s just say a ‘quick 45-minute train ride into the city’ quickly turns into a 2-hour excursion when you are doing it with two little kiddos and luggage in tow.

We were SO done with juggling our stroller, kiddos, AND luggage and I knew I needed to find a different way to get to the airport once our trip was over (a way that did not include any public transit at all😅).

I often hesitate at the idea of taking a taxi while traveling because we never bring our car seats with us. In Paris, you are still allowed to take a ride in a taxi with young kids even if you or the driver don’t have a car seat for the kids.

However, the fact it was legal didn’t make me any less nervous about our kids not being protected while driving on the freeway.

But then I came across possibly the best discovery we made while in Paris. There is a taxi company in Paris called Baby Cabs that specializes in transporting families who need car seats wherever they need to go! I sent them an email 1-2 days before our departure asking for a quote, they quickly got back to me and our ride to the airport was confirmed!

We paid €80 to be picked up at the front door of our Airbnb, comfortably driven to the airport with two comfy car seats (they asked ahead of time what car seat sizes we’d need) plus our driver helped us bring our luggage into the terminal when he dropped us off. It was seriously so amazing.

It was so crazy to us that we only paid €20 more than our train tickets from the airport to Disneyland Paris and instead we got a private transfer in a quiet, cozy car with extra hands to help.

I highlyyyyy recommend booking via Baby Cabs whenever you need a transfer in Paris. They have all different sizes of vehicles & car seats and will be able to accommodate what you need!

2. Purchase a Navigo Transit Pass or Paris Visite Pass for unlimited rides on all public transit

One of your biggest questions is probably how to use public transit in Paris with a toddler. The great news is that Paris has two different passes set up so that you can pay once and receive unlimited rides on the metro, tramway, bus, funicular, RER, and SNCF Transilien networks (does NOT include the high-speed TGV train from CDG to Disneyland Paris).

• Navigo Découverte Travel Card (less expensive but can only be bought at a ticket office in 7-day increments starting on the Monday of each week + you need to bring a small headshot to tape to the card)
• Paris Visite Pass ( more expensive but can be bought for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days + can be bought at ticket machines with no photo needed)

We chose the Navigo Découverte Travel Card because we were able to save a significant amount of money for the exact dates and zones we needed, however, it was a little bit more of a hassle.

It doesn’t matter which one you choose, just that you do choose one. It’s much easier tapping on and off a crowded bus than trying to pay the driver each trip while helping your family board.

3. Ditch the Metro and take the Bus instead

I highly recommend taking the bus with a stroller in Paris rather than taking the metro. Even if Google Maps says it’s going to take longer on the bus, I bet it will be the same amount of time or faster because you don’t have to navigate the huge underground metro stations.

After taking the train and metro a few times, we were so done with navigating unending underground stations with stairs on stairs on stairs. My husband had the genius idea to choose the ‘bus’ option as our preferred mode of transportation on Apple Maps rather than ‘metro/train’. It was a total game-changer.

It was so nice to wait on the side of the road for the bus and step right on rather than going underground for the metro via stairs (and if you’re lucky elevators).

Plus, there are designated stroller spots on buses so even when it was busy we were still able to find space (even with our double stroller!).

And stepping right off the bus and being right where we wanted to be at the end of our ride was amazing. It so beat getting off the metro and navigating unending stairs/escalators and elevators to get to the street level again.

Just take the bus- trust me.

4. Add so many playgrounds and parks to your Paris with kids itinerary

Before making our itinerary for Paris with young kids, I was sure to do SO much research on playgrounds in Paris. I found playgrounds right near (or on the way to) all of the places we wanted to see in the city. We had 1-3 playgrounds on our itinerary every day that we played at with our toddler.

It was so nice for our daughter to look forward to our playground visits if we were doing things that she wasn’t as interested in. And honestly, some of our favorite trip memories come from playing at these Paris playgrounds.

I even wrote an article with details about each of the playgrounds we played at + where to find them. Check it out here.

5. Prioritize just one sight to see per day

Before our trip to Paris, we had also visited London with a toddler and Amsterdam as a family of four. In London we realized we had added too much to our itinerary, so we made sure to cut down on our Amsterdam itinerary. However, in Amsterdam, we realized again that we had still added too much to our itinerary.

By the time we traveled to Paris, we knew that we (as adults) needed to choose just one major thing we wanted to see/do each day (with 1-2 bonus things to do if things were going well).

For example, on one day our priority was to see the Eiffel Tower but we were also able to take a 1-hour Seine River Cruise (which felt like a bonus!). Plus, we played at two different playgrounds and ate loads of ice cream and slushies.

Managing our expectations by setting realistic sightseeing goals was a game-changer for us.

6. Spend a couple of days at Disneyland Paris with your toddler

Some of the best parts of our trip to Paris, France with a toddler was during the two days we spent at Disneyland Paris. Disneyland Paris is super easy to add to your Paris itinerary since it’s just about a 40-minute train ride from the center of Paris.

I recommend spending 1-2 days at Disneyland Paris (we spent two days and it was perfect). I’d recommend staying the night near Disneyland rather than doing it as a day trip from the city to allow for a more relaxed time. However, if you do want to do it as a day trip, check out my guide to taking a day trip to Disneyland Paris.

Disneyland Paris is just as magical (if not more) than Disneyland in California. I mean the castle is absolutely epic.

Disneyland Paris is one of the most magical things to do with toddlers in Paris and I’m so glad that we added it to our itinerary. It was really nice to have two Disney days allocated just to our toddler so that we knew she’d have a great time on our trip.

Check out everything you need to know about Disneyland Paris in my article here.

7. Book an Airbnb/VRBO vs a hotel room

I am no expert on what areas of Paris to stay in, however, I do suggest you book a vacation rental (aka Airbnb or VRBO) rather than a traditional hotel room.

We booked this Airbnb just a 5-minute walk from Sacré-Cœur (which was an area we were very excited to explore). It was sooo nice to have a fully stocked kitchen, full living room, two bedrooms and even two bathrooms!

We stayed for four nights at this location so we grocery shopped nearby and had breakfast at the Airbnb, packed a lunch for on the go (at least for our toddler) and most nights went back for a relaxing dinner at home.

I can’t imagine not having a space to cook meals as a family and it’s so nice to put the kiddos down for bed and then hang out with my husband and reminisce about our day. Just say no to cramped hotel rooms!

8. Choose a museum to visit that is manageable for a toddler

When you think of Paris, you probably think of museums like the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. We knew that there was no way our toddler was going to want to stroll through any museum for an hour or two. However, the one museum exhibition I really wanted to visit was Monet’s Water Lillies exhibit at Musée de l’Orangerie. It was absolutely perfect.

The Musée de l’Orangerie’s main focus are just two, circular white rooms featuring some of Monet’s Water Lilies. There are also some exhibitions in the basement of the museum, however, we were there just to walk through these two rooms.

Unlike the Louvre, there was no line to get in, and our daughter loved walking around the large white rooms taking photos on our phone of Monet’s Water Lillies.

We couldn’t have asked for a better art museum experience. I mean, it’s only two rooms- the perfect size for a toddler’s attention span. We were literally in and out in like 20 minutes. It was amazing.

Plus we picked up lunch at the cutest creperie across from the Musée de l’Orangerie called Rosa Bonheur la Creperie.

Another great museum option in Paris for a toddler is the Centre Pompidou which has a special exhibit just for young kids. We were hoping to make it here but didn’t end up having time in our itinerary.

If you are set on visiting the Louvre, but you don’t think your kiddos will enjoy it, you could always split up and have one adult play with the kids at the playground near the Louvre while the other half sees some of the Louvre on their own.

9. Take a ride up the funicular when visiting Montmartre rather than taking the stairs

If you want to get up to Sacré Coeur you can either climb 200+ stairs (no thank you) or you can catch an easy, fun ride on the funicular! You will find the funicular adjacent to the carousel below Sacré Coeur and you can tap on and off with your Navigo or Paris Visite transit passes (or you can pay at the window for a one-time ride).

There was never more than a couple-minute wait and we used the funicular multiple times. Our little gal loved riding it and often asked to take it again (which we did since our Airbnb was near here). It is far superior to climbing over 200 steps with a toddler and baby in tow (obviously).

Another fun option we saw but didn’t get the chance to take is called The Little Train of Montmartre. It’s a little tourist train that takes you up the Montmartre Hill with some commentary and music along the way. It looks quite affordable, a fun way to learn a little bit about the area, and a great idea if your kids love trains!

10. Learn a few basic phrases in French (not everyone speaks English)

This may come as a surprise (I know it did to us) but only 39% of the French population speak English proficiently (compared to say 90% in the Netherlands). You can still easily get by only speaking English, however, be aware that if someone only responds in French, it may just be because they aren’t confident in their English.

The Americans in us absolutely loved being greeted by everyone with ‘bonjour!’ (it’s not nearly as common to greet strangers where we currently live in Denmark). And we loved teaching our toddler how to say hello, goodbye, excuse me, and thank you in French.

Some of our favorite memories were playing at the playground with local Parisians and getting along with only a few French phrases and smiles and nods. We were absolutely charmed by their kindness towards us and our kids in Paris and we were offered assistance so many times we lost count.

11. Bring some of your toddler or baby’s favorite foods and snacks with you

Our kids have a few things that we know they will always eat so we like to make sure we keep some on hand whenever we travel. Obviously, you can swing by any grocery store in Paris to pick up most of the things you need, however, if there are specific brands your kids like, I recommend throwing some in your luggage to make sure you have them.

For example, if your kiddo basically lives off Goldfish, pack some just in case you can’t find any in Paris (at least in Denmark it’s hard to find those).

We brought some specific baby food and sauce pouches with us to Paris, however, we picked up everything else from the local grocery store.

12. Ride every carousel you see in Paris

A very magical thing about Paris is that you’ll find beautiful little carousels dotted all over the city. We were sure to let our toddler take a ride every time she asked. The carousel rides usually cost €2.50 in cash which seemed very reasonable for a fun little moment in Paris.

Our two favorite carousels were one at the bottom of Sacre-Couer and one next to the playground in the Jardin des Tuileries.

13. Remember that meltdowns from both the kids and you are inevitable

Just like at home, meltdowns and tantrums are going to happen while you are sightseeing in Paris with kids. I often think about how we are asking a lot of our toddler and baby to be away from their home and routine for so long doing activities they aren’t used to doing. But I also know we can make precious memories as a family and have a great time when we travel.

We try our best to have proper expectations of the day to have as few meltdowns as possible, but meltdowns definitely still happen. And I dare say we as parents have them just as often as our kiddos (although we are trying our best to minimize them).

Just know that all is not lost if anyone loses their cool at some point. Usually, some good food and a break at one of the Paris playgrounds was the reset our fam needed 😉.

14. Book a Seine River Cruise for a relaxing way to see a lot of the city from the water

One of our favorite things to do across Europe is to hop on a boat to see the city from the water. Whether that’s a canal tour in Copenhagen or a family-friendly canal tour in Amsterdam– we’ve enjoyed them all.

So, in Paris, we were sure to book a 1-hour Seine River cruise which was very family-friendly and a great way to see a lot of major Paris attractions like Notre Dame and Musée d’Orsay. We were even able to push our double stroller right onto the boat and keep it to the side during the cruise.

The most convenient thing about the Seine River Cruise we booked was that the loading area was right by the Eiffel Tower which made it easy to do those two things on the same day. Or if you could also book an evening cruise to see the lights on in the city. Either way, I definitely recommend booking a river cruise on the Seine!

15. Make plenty of stops for crepes, ice cream, and other goodies

We had a friend give us some tips for visiting Disneyland with toddlers (since we were heading to Disneyland in Paris) and he suggested saying ‘yes’ anytime your toddler asks for a treat. We took this to heart and it was honestly a great suggestion.

We used this tactic our entire time in Paris and it was great (not to mention that I just love to pick up loads of goodies anyways when we travel). A few of our favorites we tried were pain au chocolat, madeleines au citron, chocolate crepes, and ice cream.

16. Bring a great stroller for your toddler + a baby carrier if needed

This probably goes without saying, but if you are going to Paris with a toddler or baby, you definitely will want to bring along a reliable stroller and if you have a baby, also a carrier.

We visited Paris with an almost 4-year -old and a 7-month-old and we brought with us our Zoe double stroller, plus our baby carrier for when our little babe was tired of being in the stroller.

Our toddler hasn’t taken naps for about a year, however, she took a nap every afternoon in our Zoe stroller and our baby took 2-3 naps each day in the stroller.

If you’re looking for a great double stroller to take to Europe, we absolutely love our Zoe stroller. Check out my post here about why it’s the best double stroller for travel to Europe. Zoe also sells an awesome single stroller if that’s all you need.

The only area of Paris that was a little tricky with a stroller was the Montmartre area (and the entire Metro underground metro system as I mentioned above ha ha). Montmartre is a heavily cobbled area which was doable with our stroller but wasn’t the best option.

Since our Airbnb was near Monmartre, we visited the area twice and opted to have our toddler walk and our baby carried in the carrier on our second visit. However, we did do it once with a stroller and it wasn’t all that bad.

17. Pick easy-to-eat food while out and about

We love picking up yummy food when we travel, however, that can be a little tricky when traveling as a young family in Paris. This means we usually opt for street food or counter-service type food that will be ready quickly and can be taken on the go if needed.

Our first favorite spot was Carette, in the square Place du Tertre of Montmartre. We picked up a delicious quiche, a galette a crepe, and some ice cream. It was so yummy and fast that we actually visited twice during our time in Paris.

And our second favorite easy-to-eat stop was Rosa Bonheur la Crêperie . It’s the cutest place right across from Musée de l’Orangerie in Jardin des Tuileries. I got the yummiest veggie and goat cheese galette and chocolate crepe.

We also were sure to bring a packed lunch along for our toddler that we knew she’d eat in case we couldn’t find anything that she wanted while we were out for the day. Plus we always had plenty of healthy snacks to make up for the loads of goodies we were eating😅.

18. Take advantage of the free drinking water fountains in Paris

We are huge water drinkers and we also love to keep our kids hydrated. In many European cities, it can be tricky to find free drinking fountains.

However, Paris has these beautifully ornate drinking fountains ALL over the city. In fact, there are 1200 fountains (some more ornate than others) all managed by the city and safe to drink.

If you see the small plaque at the bottom of the fountain that says ‘Eau de Paris’ then you are good to fill up your bottle. It’s amazing! It’s like the beautiful Parisian answer to America’s water fountains.

Conclusion

And that’s everything I think you need to know to have an awesome trip to Paris with a toddler! I hope these Paris toddler activities and tips and tricks for visiting Paris are helpful to you.

Please let me know in the comments below if you have any questions about visiting Paris with young kids- I’m happy to help based on our experience and I will be sure to get back to you.

Check out these other posts, I know you’ll love them:

• 10 Fun Playgrounds in Paris Near Top Paris Attractions
• 3 Days in London with a Toddler: A Realistic Itinerary + Tips & Map
• How to Plan a Day Trip to Disneyland Paris in 2024 + 2 Example Itineraries
• 27 Essential Paris Travel Tips: Things to Know Before Traveling to Paris
• 15 Essential Tips for Disneyland Paris Planning
• The Best Double Stroller for Travel to Europe From Personal Experience

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