Paris – the city of love or a fun for the family?

When you think of Paris, what comes immediately to mind?  The iconic monuments, the acclaimed art galleries, shopping in les grands magasins such as les Galeries Lafayette or Printemps, sampling the delights of the small cafés or maybe you want to visit the city of love.

The city of romance?

Although it is not the only city in the world with that title, Paris is the one that springs to mind when you talk about romantic locations.  Genuinely interested to know how Paris gained this title, I discovered that there are two main reasons.  French is the indisputable language of love and this seems to be the main reason and the second is the general ambiance of the city with the Eiffel Tower being one of the top places to make a marriage proposal in Europe. It might sound a little unoriginal but if you have ever visited Paris and in particular the Eiffel Tower you can see why.

 Wherever you are in Paris, you will catch a glimpse of it and the best views of the city come from the top of the tower; it is breathtaking.

My own love affair with Paris started long before I had ever visited France.  Studying French at A Level, I dreamed of one day visiting this amazing city for myself and the language inspired me to continue studying French at University. My third year placement in France was in a town called Saint Quentin which being an hour away from Paris by train, was perfectly placed for regular weekend visits to the city.  It never disappointed.  Sometimes with friends and other times on my own, I spent those weekends exploring the city and being the typical tourist to begin with and gradually going deeper into the smaller, less tourist filled streets.  I could have stayed there.  I still love it and although I don’t get to go as often as I would like to, the walks along the banks of the river Seine, the cafés beneath the Eiffel Tower and mooching around the portrait painters under the watchful gaze of the Sacré Coeur still fill me with as much joy as they always did.

Image courtesy of  Tina Phillips / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

So is Paris still the city of love?  For me, it always will be.  There is an atmosphere in Paris unlike any other city I have ever visited.  Everything is slower and more relaxed (well, apart from the driving) and there is no sense of urgency.  The backdrop of the city holds so many places of beauty that it is the perfect place to walk hand in hand.  My husband proposed to be in Paris.  It was Christmas 2000 and he gave me the tickets for a trip to Paris the following week.  We spent New Year’s Eve being typical tourists and the most magical part of the day was a boat trip along the Seine at night.  It was beautiful.  Little did I know that my then husband to be was carrying an engagement ring.  We saw in the nouvel an beneath the Eiffel Tower but as it was so busy, he didn’t actually propose until we got back to the hotel.  Never the less, it was a trip to remember.

What about travelling to Paris with a family?

What about travelling to Paris with a family? Obviously things are different now and the days of romantic strolls along the Seine are gone for now but I would love to take the children to Paris and show them what a fabulous city it is and I think they would love it as much as I do.  It would be a good idea to stay centrally, near the Eiffel Tower as this would be a great base and Hotel Direct have a great list to choose from.  The children would love climbing the tower and exploring the park around it.  There is a giant carousel near the base of the tower which would certainly catch my daughter’s eye.  There are lots of shops and cafés around the tower and I remember a particularly nice chocolate shop from my last visit.  Not far away is Hotel Invalides with Napoleon’s tomb and lots of military exhibits that I think the boys would enjoy.  We would then pop to the gardens of the Rodin Museum to take a look at The Thinker before heading off on the Métro to explore the city further.

Of course, when you are travelling with children, they are not going to want to walk miles looking at monuments and statues but there are so many other things that you can do with the children.  Disneyland Paris is one place that all children want to go to.  On the outskirts of Paris, it is easily accessible and definitely worth a day visit if not two.  We went three years ago and the children still talk about it now and it really is a fantastic family day out.  The magic of Disney is contagious and the joy of meeting the characters alone was exciting but some of the rides there are great fun.

Also on the outskirts of Paris there is the Parc de la Villette which I have not yet visited but it is highly recommended.

Sources for image - Parc de la Villette -  https://flic.kr/p/3JCwQC

Parc de la Villette has different themed gardens and lots of space for the children to run around.  It also has a Chinese dragon slide, large climbing frames and a children’s art centre.  If thrill-seeking is more your thing, Parc Astérix will be perfect for you.  Based on the famous French comics, this theme park is all about Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire and more. A great selection of rides and attractions for all ages and you might even meet the odd Astérix character if you are lucky.  Aquaboulevard is Europe’s biggest urban water park and having been here with a school visit, I can say that it is an amazing swimming pool.  With wave pools, water slides, channels and even sandy beaches, you could happily spend a few hours here and the children would be very happy.  Children have to be three to swim here and always remember that in French pools, swim shorts aren’t allowed.

Of course no trip to Paris would be complete without sampling some of the renowned French cuisine and the city certainly has no shortage of places to try.  Every where you turn there are bustling cafés or restaurants to be found and a romantic meal à deux would give you the perfect opportunity to relax and enjoy your meal which would naturally be accompanied with a nice glass of the local wine or two.  French food is a wonderful thing and the range of freshly prepared meals is always a delight.  Food has to be savoured and time taken over meals, there is no rush and this is also a good thing if you are travelling with your family.  Meals are family affairs in France and although the concept of ready meals and fast food is slowly impacting there, meals are important; a time to chat and spend time together whilst enjoying the delights of a freshly prepared meal.

On reflection, I think that Paris will always be a romantic city but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a great family holiday there.  By their very nature, cities move with the times and Paris has a lot to offer the modern traveller whilst maintaining it’s old romantic charm at the same time.  I will definitely be taking the family there in the future and who knows, once the children are grown up, maybe I will drag my husband back there again to enjoy that romantic charm once more. Paris really is always a good idea.

This post was written in association with HotelDirect.