Recommendations for a trip to Paris with children and teenagers by Einat Nahari “Young Europe”

A trip to France with your children is a wonderful experience. You spend quality time as a family and get to be with each other outside of the tiring framework of kindergarten, school, homework, classes and work. This is your time to disconnect for a moment, to experience a new reality, a new culture, different food and treats and entertainment that you usually don't get to in Israel.

However, family time in France needs to be planned properly. There are many factors to consider that sometimes seem unimportant or even banal to us, but in another country can greatly affect your enjoyment. I will try to explain from our experience the points that are worth paying attention to when traveling abroad with children and teenagers. We will start with the basics and move on to the complex.

Why do you have to worry when traveling in France with teenagers?

good nutrition

When children are hungry (especially teenagers), everyone around them feels it. You need to make sure they have real, nutritious food, not just pastries and desserts. If you know your child doesn't like to try different foods, try to find places in advance that are suitable for them every day during the vacation.

Good sleep

If your child hasn't gotten the sleep they need, they'll be irritable and impatient, which will affect the rest of the day. If you're already on vacation, give them a late morning. You don't have to get up and run straight to some museum, let them enjoy one of their favorite hobbies (just don't get up at two, okay?).

Hygiene and toilets

In Europe, everything is accessible almost all the time – pharmacies and booksellers are on every corner. In Spain, they will let you into almost any bar if you need to use the bathroom, in Paris it is a bit more problematic. By the way, this is not something they do on purpose for tourists, the French also suffer from the same accessibility problem. The best solution is to buy an espresso or a bottle of water and go to the bathroom.

Feminine hygiene

You can find it everywhere, but it's important that you also take a small spare with you, in case the teenager changes her bag or forgets it at the hotel.

Teenagers need space

Teenagers need their “space.” This is a real need. They don’t indulge, they don’t act antipathetic because they feel like it, and they don’t do “just because.” On a family vacation, they are stuck with their family all day – they have to go everywhere together, sleep in the same hotel room together, eat in restaurants together…

Wherever they go, they will run into their parents and younger siblings. And they have to smile in all the pictures, because it looks like they are not enjoying themselves. This is a very important point that sometimes leads to a lot of fights and stress. After all, you invested a lot in the trip, so why can't they make a little effort?
So first of all, know that this has nothing to do with the family, it's simply their reality right now.
How can this be solved (or at least made a little easier):

Trust them.

Let them be responsible for themselves and those around them. Let them pack their own suitcase. They will decide what to take and what to leave behind. You can give them some tips (for example, the weather forecast and what to pack), but don't stand over them. If they forget something, it's okay. You're traveling in Europe, not Bolivia, and you can buy and complete anything that's missing.
Let them order their own food at a restaurant, pay for things here and there, ask for the bathroom on their own, and even small tasks that will show that you trust them and need their abilities in the family fabric. (Going to the supermarket alone to buy something, asking for information at the hotel desk, and so on).

independence

If they don't want to join you one night for a night out, let them have some time alone. Bring food from the restaurant or leave them money to buy something downstairs. Don't make a big deal out of it.

Friends

It is recommended to have some kind of direct line of communication with your friends in Israel. Maybe they will want to complain a little, or maybe they will share a great experience they had that day. Teenagers are very attached to their friends, and the ability to communicate with them can do wonders for their mood.

division

If you are traveling with two adults and a few children, I recommend planning a few separate activities. It's true that you are on a family vacation, but it's not something you are used to. At home, you are not with each other 24 hours a day, and even on vacation, you don't have to be glued to each other.

Usually, from the third day onward, there is a need for some separation, and this is very natural. Try to decide on this in advance when planning the trip. It may be that the daughter wants to go to a museum and the son wants to buy sports equipment that is not available in Israel. Try to have several small time slots throughout the vacation where everyone can choose what they do (accompanied by one of the adults). You can get two SIM cards / two packages from Israel so that you can be in constant contact. It is not complicated and it contributes a lot.

Family vacation content

A family vacation, unlike a couple's vacation, cannot be spontaneous. You must plan your days well – places and sites you want to see, special markets , operating hours of each site, directions, and of course places to eat in each area. On a trip as a couple, you can afford to be surprised or “get lost” in the picturesque alleys of the Old City… With children, it will get you in the mood. Here are some suggestions:

Democratic planning

Talk to your kids while planning the trip, let them voice their wishes. Even if you think it's more important to go to a cathedral instead of a special skateboard shop, it's still their trip too. Try to combine the places you think are important and interesting with the places that speak to them.

Customized content

History, art, architecture, new culture. These are all wonderful things. Try to find a way to make them accessible to your children and teenagers. These are not boring subjects but the heart of our being. Let them enrich your child's world, teach new ideas, learn about men and women who have done great things, be inspired.

Buying a ticket to a museum and walking around the floors won't do the job. You need to find a way to speak to them, in their language, each according to their own character.

A little peace and quiet

Try to take a lighter approach to your vacation. You’re only visiting for a short period of time, and the city is indeed very large, but don’t try to “cram in” as much as possible. Devote yourself to the place you’re visiting, try to truly enjoy it, even if it’s just sitting on a bench with a pastry and looking out at the square. Because in the end, and I guarantee it, two weeks after your vacation you won’t remember whether you visited the beautiful church of Saint-Severin or the (no less beautiful) church of Saint-Étienne-des-Monts.

You will remember small, special moments that you enjoyed as a family. After all, running from point to point in the city, getting on the metro , changing lines, looking for the right exit to the street, turning the map 8 times…all of this requires time, effort, and a lot of focus. It is very tiring, both for you and the children. I recommend slowing down.

There is no such thing as must-see sites in Paris.

And finally. A small note, and I apologize in advance for the blasphemy, but there are really no “must-see sites” in Paris, or any other city. Not the Eiffel Tower , not the Arc de Triomphe, not the Louvre , and not even the most delicious ice cream on the Île Saint-Louis. You are at the center. Your rich inner world, the hobbies and interests of each of you, and the pace that is right for you as a family.

You want to enjoy your time together, be left with a desire for more, and bring back memories and smiles long after you return to Israel.

May you all have a wonderful holiday!

A few words about Einat Nahari

The writer is a co-director of the Young Europe Company , a company that specializes in special tours for children and teenagers in various European cities (and is also a mother of two sons who are fans of historical battles and Greek mythology.)