The October 7 war caught my parents and me in Barcelona, from where we were supposed to return to Israel. Since the flight was canceled, I traveled with my parents to Paris, because if we were going to be some kind of refugees and wait for a reasonably priced flight to Israel, it was better to do it in my favorite city in the world.
In my first few weeks I felt like a zombie, mostly running errands and working from the apartment. But slowly I started to get out of the initial market and started thinking about what I could do to help. Then, when we moved toApartment near Place de la ConcordeSuddenly an idea came to my mind.
In the days when I lived inGuernsey Island, I occasionally gave guided tours of Paris for my website followers. It was a great way to finance part of the cost of the trip and meet some Israelis. However, since I returned to Israel, I stopped giving tours of Paris because I no longer have a shortage of Hebrew speakers, and on the other hand, I preferred to spend my precious time in Paris visiting places I had not been to before and taking photos, rather than traveling to the places where Israelis like to travel (theMarais etc').
But now, with my parents and I stuck in Paris, I decided it was a great time to go back and travel with Israelis, who were also stuck in the city of lights, but this time on a completely voluntary basis and without charging a dime. So I posted in a WhatsApp group that deals with helping Israelis in Paris that I was offering, for anyone who wanted, to travel with me after my working hours in Paris.
Shortly after, I was contacted by Dikla, who later revealed that she worked for the wine tour company. Vinspiration, who published the on my websiteThis articleDikla told me that she and her partner, my brother, and their 4-year-old son, Rani, were in Paris and would really love to travel with me. At first I was worried because I had never traveled with small children, but I told myself that first of all, this was a challenge. Traveling in Paris with children And secondly, since I don't charge money for the trip, even if I don't get a horse, it's not too bad (a horse given as a gift doesn't have its teeth checked anyway).
We met at the entrance to the Tuileries Gardens and walked for several hours, until we ended up somewhere in the Saint-Germain district. It was one of the most fun walks I've ever had the chance to take. Rene was a little shy at first, but we quickly became good friends and even walked hand in hand.
Because this trip was really successful, I decided to publish its itinerary here, so that anyone traveling with children in Paris can use it and enjoy it.
Itinerary map
A trip with children from the Tuileries to Saint-Germain
To start the tour, you need to get to the entrance to the Tuileries Gardens, which is right outside the Tuileries metro station. Since my apartment was close to the gardens, I walked there, but if you don't live nearby, take metro line 1 and get off at the station I mentioned.
Tuileries Gardens
I chose to start the trip at this park, partly because it was close to where I lived, but mainly because I remembered how much I enjoyed visiting it as a child. Back in my day, you could ride ponies there, and to this day I remember how at the age of 6 (if I'm not mistaken) they rode me there, and I even got a picture as a souvenir :-).
There are no more ponies in the Tuileries Gardens today, but don't worry, it's still a perfect place for little kids. We went to the carousel, which is in the northwest part of the garden, and as you'll see, Renee had a great time.
And the truth is, I don't think his parents suffered much either 🙂
Beyond that, if you're lucky, you'll find not only a carousel in the Tuileries Gardens, but also an entire amusement park that comes there, usually at Christmas time and in the summer, and then the children's celebration will be even bigger. But even if there's no amusement park, the mere fact that you can run around the garden and burn off energy makes the place perfect for kids.
Before we continue, if you would like to learn more about the fascinating history of this garden, I recommend that you read The article about the Tuileries Gardens Here on the site, if you want to understand how the carousel was invented, you can find the answer in the article How the carousel turns.
The triumphal arch of the carousel
From the carousel we went straight to the carousel. The Arc de Triomphe of the carousel is located after the eastern exit of the Tuileries Gardens. At the time we walked (October 2023) it was under renovation, but I hope that by the time you get there it will be there in all its glory.
This is a great place to let your child see not only this Arc de Triomphe, built by Napoleon, but the more famous Arc de Triomphe located to the west of it on Place de l'Etoile. If you want to teach your child a quick history lesson, you are welcome to read the article The Arc de Triomphe in Paris – did you know there are four of them? And then tell him. I'm sure he'll be very impressed by the scholarly explanation and become a Francophile on the spot.
The Louvre Museum
From the Arc de Triomphe of the Carousel we continued into the main courtyard of the Louvre. I'm not sure most children will have the patience to visit the Louvre itself (unless you plan to go in, show them the Mona Lisa and leave), but if your children love art more than I think, you are welcome to read the article about The Louvre Museum And get all the important information there for visiting the place (opening hours, tickets, works that should not be missed, etc.).
What is certain is that the Louvre Pyramid is a perfect place for photos of children and yourself. Here is an example, from another trip, of two tourists taking pictures there and for a moment it made me feel as if a Caillebotte-style photo was created here.
Bridge of Arts (Pont des Arts)
After you have finished taking pictures near the pyramid, enter the Louvre's square courtyard (Cour Carrée) and from there head south. After you exit the Louvre and cross the road, go up the Pont des Arts, which was formerly called the "Bridge of Locks" by the Israelis.
Locks, thank God, have long since ceased to be a problem on this bridge, but here you can find some of the most charming sights of Paris, from the Pont Neuf to the east, the Academy building to the south, the Louvre to the north, and the Eiffel Tower to the west (if you arrive after the sun has set, you and your child can enjoy the view). Eiffel Tower The shimmering one).
It is no wonder that Yair Garbuz chose this place for the “right to have the first look at Paris.”
And before we move on, if you would like to read about the bridge and the academy building, I recommend you go to the article The story of Von des Aars and the Collège de France.
Von Nef and Place Dauphin
Cross the Pont des Arts towards the Academy and walk east along the Seine. Along the way you will find theBookstores And maybe buy your child a nice picture or a comic book. Continue until you reach the Pont Neuf.
Despite its name (the New Bridge), it is currently the oldest bridge in Paris and thanks to it we have bridges without buildings, sidewalks and even stand-up comedy (don't believe me? Read the article Pont Neuf – the revolutionary bridge that changed Paris).
Here you have two options. If you are tired and want to rest but not stop walking, go down to the small peninsula below (Square de Vert Galant). Down there you will find the Vedettes de Pont Neuf, tourist boats that cruise on the Seine (you can buy a ticket in advance and save time by using theLink this).
On the other hand, if you and your heir have enough energy to continue walking, you are welcome to enter the Crown Prince's Square, aka Place Dauphine, named after the son of Henri IV (did you know that the title of the Crown Prince in France is "dolphin"? I'm really not kidding, if you don't believe me, look up the word Dauphin in the dictionary and you'll see).
This is a beautiful 17th-century square, where Yves Montaigne and Simone Signoret once lived. Did we happen to meet them in one of the windows overlooking the square?
The truth is that the skeletons, which were brought there for “Halloween,” didn’t make a special impression on little Rani, but he was definitely happy to run around in the little garden, so I believe your little children will love it too.
The Concierge and the Sainte-Chapelle
Leave Place Dauphin at its northeast exit and walk along the Seine. On your right you will see the towers of the Conciergerie, the palace of the King of France's personal secretary, which later became a famous prison (you can read about it inThis article).
Continue to Boulevard de Palais and look up at the wall. There you will discover the oldest clock in Paris, created in the 14th century and renovated in the 16th century by King Henri III (reigned 3-1574).
To learn more about this watch, you are invited to read Amiram Tzabari's article – The ancient clock tower of Paris. Everyone else is welcome to continue on Boulevard de Palais and decide whether it is worth visiting the Conciergerie. I think small children might be scared and not feel so comfortable, but older children might actually enjoy this medieval maritime structure. If you decide to visit there, you are more than welcome to buy tickets in advance via theLink this.
If you continue on the Boulevard de Palais, you will come to the Sainte-Chapelle, a church built by Louis IX to house what he believed to be Christ's crown of thorns. I don't know how suitable this church is for small children, but if you happen to be walking around during good natural light, it is definitely not worth missing a visit.Sainte Chapelle, thanks to the beautiful stained glass windows there (if you would like to visit there, you are welcome to buy a ticket through theLink this).
Saint-Michel Square and Cour du Commerce Saint-André
After we finished admiring the Conciergerie and Sainte-Chapelle (from the outside), we continued on the Boulevard de Palais and crossed the Pont Saint-Michel towards the Left Bank. There I had to stop the trip for a moment because I urgently needed to visit the bathroom. To my great joy, right on the square there is a great cafe called Le Depart Saint Michel.
If you're in the area and need some convenience, I recommend you do what I did: enter Non Shalentiot and just go downstairs. The restrooms there are clean and nice, and since there are a lot of customers, the chance of a snoozing waiter stopping you is low. If you want to be safe, sit outside, order a drink, and then go to the restroom.
After we finished this methodical break, it was time to take a look at this beautiful fountain that was built here by Napoleon III, during the construction of the Boulevard Saint-Michel (originally he wanted to put a statue of his uncle here, but after receiving strong recommendations to give up on the idea, it was decided to put a statue of the Archangel Michael here).
By this point, Rani was already hungry and tired and it was time to find a place to sit and eat. I didn't want him to eat the garbage served in the tourist traps of nearby Rue de la Huchette while I was walking with him, so I made the boy and his parents an offer they couldn't refuse: we'll walk another 10 minutes and in return we'll eat. crepe Great, at one of my favorite crepe restaurants in Paris.
The offer was accepted and we set off for Rue Saint-André-des-Arts. We walked down this street until we reached Cour du Commerce Saint-André. Since René is a 4-year-old boy, I did not show him the erotic paintings in the La Jacobine cafe or tell him about the fact that the first guillotine was built and tested in this place. However, there is no reason why I should not tell you all about it through the article Cour du Commerce Saint-André The charming passage of the Left Bank.
Breizh Café
I promised an excellent crepe and it was time to cash the checks I had signed. We left the cold Saint-André straight onto Boulevard Saint-Germain, crossed it and walked to 1 Rue de l'Odéon. That's where the creperie is. Breizh Café (It is pronounced as “barz”).
True, the most authentic crêperies are on Rue Montparnasse (please do not confuse this street with Boulevard Montparnasse), where immigrants fromBrittany region (where the crepe was invented), but this restaurant is also very good and was an excellent option for dinner with a small child.
We enjoyed a Sarazin, a crepe made with buckwheat (I had a crepe with salmon, but I forget what the parents had). Rani ordered a crepe with salted caramel and vanilla ice cream, and for me it passed the Francophile test. I decided to go with a crepe Suzette, which was simply wonderful.
It was already 20:30 PM, Rani was almost asleep and we decided that this was the best time to end the trip. Therefore, I will leave you here too, hoping that you enjoyed it as much as we did.
Want more information about traveling to Paris with children?
Here are some excellent articles on the subject: