7 Days in Paris with Kids: Our Third Trip Back (And Why We Keep Returning)

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Paris was our kids’ request this year. Not mine, not my husband’s. Our boys asked to go back, which honestly says everything about what this city does to kids.

This was our third family trip to Paris and my fifth time in the city overall.

Both my boys have ADHD, and my youngest also has sensory issues, which means travel planning looks a little different for us than it does for most families.

We’ve learned what works, what to skip, and how to build a day that keeps everyone genuinely happy. I’m sharing all of it here.

We’ve already done the classic first-timer Paris with kids itinerary (you can read my 5-day Paris with kids guide for that), Versailles, Giverny, and Disneyland Paris twice.

This trip was about going deeper and trying things we hadn’t done before.

What we ended up with: 7 days, 39 miles of walking, one medieval town, a Paris Marathon surprise, a freshly-reopened Catacomb experience, custom sneakers, and some truly great mussels.

Where we stayed: Residence du Lion Louvre

This was the most DM’d question I got on Instagram during the trip, so I’m covering it before the itinerary.

We stayed at the Residence du Lion Louvre in the 1st arrondissement, a short walk from the Louvre.

We booked the Studio Quadruple, which has a loft setup: my husband and I had the queen bed on the main level and the boys shared the full bed in the loft upstairs.

They thought it was the coolest thing. Honestly, they’d pick the loft bedroom over a fancy suite any day.

The main level had a kitchenette with a mini-fridge, coffee maker, and microwave, plus a dining table with four chairs.

Being able to stock snacks and breakfast items from the nearby Monoprix made a noticeable difference in our overall budget across the week.

One thing to know going in: the aparthotel building is across the street from the main hotel, and we were on the 4th floor with no elevator.

In Paris, floor 1 is not the ground floor, so it’s actually five flights up. After 8 miles of walking, those stairs were not fun. The space was worth it.

The location is excellent. Easy walking distance to the Louvre, Tuileries, tons of restaurants, and multiple metro stations. The neighborhood is quiet at night too.

Check availability at Residence du Lion Louvre on Expedia →

Getting from CDG to Paris

We landed at 1:40pm. The family immigration line took about 45 minutes, and our bags were already on the belt when we got through.

We took a taxi straight to the hotel, following the feet stickers on the floor to the official taxi stand. The flat rate from CDG to central Paris is 59 euros. No meters, no negotiating.

Getting around Paris: why we chose metro passes

On our last Paris trip, we avoided the metro and took taxis everywhere. We caught Covid anyway, so that argument was retired for this visit.

We bought 5-day Navigo passes and it was absolutely the right call.

Not having to debate the metro versus taxi question at every single stop made everything more relaxed, especially traveling with kids who already have a lot of opinions about what comes next.

One thing I only learned from a fellow travel blogger: Navigo passes also cover the regional train to Provins. We just added the round trip (about 5 euros each) to our cards. No separate tickets needed.

On days when the metro was packed, like during the Paris Marathon, we walked instead. We always asked the boys and let them decide.

Arrival day

Once we checked in and recovered from the stair situation, we headed to Monoprix for snacks and drinks. We also needed a sweatshirt for my youngest, who had left his on the plane.

The fresh-squeezed orange juice machine at Monoprix is a small thing that the kids look forward to every Paris trip.

For dinner we found Le Zinc d’Honore nearby, mostly because the sandwich board outside advertised burgers. My expectations were low.

I had the salmon tartare and it was genuinely good. My older son had croque monsieur with fries, my husband had foie gras, and my youngest who announced he was “not hungry” ate half our fries, an entire bread basket, and then ordered creme brulee. Every time.

Day 1: Paradox Museum, the Catacombs, and Chez Andres

We started the day with crepes at Happy Cafe near the hotel, then headed toward the Paradox Museum. What we hadn’t accounted for: the Paris Marathon route ran directly across our path.

We spent about 10 minutes looking for a metro station to cross underground before eventually timing a gap in the runners and going for it. My husband was not happy about it. We laugh about it now.

Paradox Museum Paris

We’ve been to Paradox Museums in Seattle, Amsterdam, Edinburgh, and New York.

The Paris one is just as good. Creative photo ops, short waits, and both boys were engaged from start to finish. If your kids like interactive, photo-friendly museums, this one is worth it.

Book Paradox Museum Paris tickets on GetYourGuide →

Adidas customization on the Champs-Elysees

After the museum, we made a detour to the Adidas store on the Champs-Elysees. My 12-year-old had seen the shoe customization service on Instagram and was set on it.

He picked out a pair, requested a Chinese dragon be painted on them, and told us to come back at 8pm.

For lunch, we found a restaurant on the Champs-Elysees advertising mussels, which our whole family loves. We shared one big bowl with bread and fries between the four of us. Easy and delicious.

Paris Catacombs: among the first visitors after the 2026 reopening

The Catacombs were completely my kids’ idea. This was my fifth Paris trip and I had never been.

I was honestly a little anxious going in, because there are 6 million skeletons down there and the energy in those tunnels is something you cannot prepare for.

What we didn’t fully realize until we arrived: the Catacombs had only reopened three days before our visit, on April 8, 2026, after a five-month closure for major renovations. We were among the first visitors to experience the fully updated site.

The renovation is significant. The entire visit has been redesigned with a new tour route, new lighting that highlights details you would have missed before, and a completely rebuilt reception area.

The on-site ticket hall is essentially gone since reservations are now almost entirely online.

The audio guide has also been redone, narrated in the voice of the Catacombs’ 19th-century founder, Inspector General Louis-Etienne Héricart de Thury, and is available in four languages including English.

Book tickets before you go. The Catacombs only release slots for the next 7 days at a time and they sell out. We had tickets and were still surrounded by people who didn’t and couldn’t get in. Don’t skip this step.

Ticket prices: €31 full price, €25 reduced, €12 for children aged 5–17. The audio guide is included. Plan for about 45 minutes once you’re inside.

My kids loved it. My 9-year-old, who can be hard to engage at traditional sites, was completely locked in. The new audio experience adds a lot to what would otherwise just be a very long, very eerie hallway.

Book Paris Catacombs tickets on GetYourGuide (book well in advance) →

Trocadero and dinner at Chez Andres

We had time before our dinner reservation, so we wandered over to Trocadero to see the Eiffel Tower and let everyone decompress.

With ADHD kids, sometimes the most productive thing you can do is give everyone 20 unscheduled minutes.

Dinner was at Chez Andres, which is our Paris restaurant. We have been on every single family trip.

On our very first visit the kids were 6 months and 3 years old. We walked in with no reservation, restaurant was packed, and they squeezed us in and took great care of us. That kind of thing stays with you.

The steak tartare is excellent, the kids menu is solid and reasonably priced. We will keep going back.

Total walking: 8.5 miles. Most of it unplanned.

Day 2: the Louvre scavenger hunt tour and Jardin du Tuileries

Breakfast at Cafe de Carrousel

We had planned to leave by 7:45am. My 9-year-old had a rough morning (ADHD parents, you know exactly what that means), and we left closer to 8:15.

Cafe de Carrousel had indoor seating, good coffee, pastries, and egg dishes, and gave us exactly the calm start we needed.

Louvre scavenger hunt tour with Caroline

A few years ago, Caroline of The Little Art Seeker led us on a tour of the Musee d’Orsay.

Our kids loved it so much they begged us to do her Louvre tour on that same trip, but she was sold out. So booking it for this trip was our very first priority.

The tour ran 9am to 1pm, a full hour longer than planned because everyone was genuinely into it. Caroline arrived with custom booklets, pencils, and an iPad full of supplemental materials.

After my 9-year-old’s rough morning, I was shocked that he stayed completely engaged for four hours. If you know, you know.

The session included art and history questions, drawing, and sculpting with clay. We got semi-close to the Mona Lisa before bailing on the crowd, which honestly felt right.

Caroline also told us about a jewel heist that had happened at the Louvre a few months earlier. My kids were riveted.

For families traveling with kids who have ADHD, a structured scavenger hunt format is so much more effective than a traditional tour.

The interactivity keeps them locked in when a standard walk-and-talk would lose them in 20 minutes.

Book the Louvre scavenger hunt with The Little Art Seeker →

Jardin du Tuileries

After the Louvre, we stopped at one of the park cafes to eat and rest. The food was unremarkable but the break was necessary.

The playground skewed too young for our 9 and 12-year-olds, but the carousel, cotton candy, trampolines, and toy sailboats on the pond were all a hit.

We’ve done the toy boats every Paris trip, usually at Jardin du Luxembourg, and we still slightly prefer Luxembourg for the ambiance.

Tuileries is just as fun though, and much more convenient if you’re already in the area.

We ended the day at Galleries Lafayette picking up foie gras for my in-laws (specific Seahawks party requests), then grabbed a simple brasserie dinner on the way back.

Total walking: 7.9 miles.

Day 3: a full day in Montmartre

This was one of the best days of the whole trip.

We took the metro to Montmartre first thing and had breakfast at Marlette: soft-boiled eggs with soldiers, good coffee, indoor seating. Best breakfast of the entire trip and I’d go back just for that.

Montmartre art class

This class was my 12-year-old’s pick because he loves sketching. I’ll be honest, art stresses me out and I signed up for him, not myself. Our guide Billy completely changed that.

He opened with a mini walking tour of Montmartre, pointing out where famous artists had lived and worked.

We stood at the exact spot where Renoir painted Bal du moulin de la Galette. Then we sat and sketched a scene on small canvases, walked to Sacre-Coeur, and painted a full canvas there with the basilica as our backdrop.

Tourists kept stopping to watch us paint. My 12-year-old did a focused, detailed sketch.

My 9-year-old spent a full hour painting with total concentration, which anyone who knows ADHD kids knows is not a given.

Billy was excellent at reading what each kid needed and adjusting. Both boys went home with sketch pads, pencils, and paint sets that have genuinely been used since we got back.

Book the Montmartre painting session and walking tour for kids on GetYourGuide →

Lunch and macarons

We walked until Au Cadet de Gascogne waved us in. The beef bourguignon was good. The mussels were overcooked. Mixed bag, but it refueled us for the afternoon.

Then we stopped at Carette for macarons. I’ve tried all the famous spots and Carette consistently has the most flavorful fillings. My favorite place for macarons in Paris, full stop.

Crepe class at Caramel Sarrasin

I wouldn’t usually book two classes in one day, but since both were in Montmartre, it made sense to make it a full neighborhood day rather than coming back separately.

Chef Stephan let us start 10 minutes early and kept everyone completely entertained. He covered the history of crepes, how to identify a good creperie before you sit down, and walked us through making the batter from scratch.

My 9-year-old had a stomachache from the macarons and announced he was sitting out the entire class.

About 15 minutes in, we convinced him to join when we split into teams to mix batter. He ended up cooking the first crepe and had the best time.

My favorites were the salted butter caramel and the one with gingerbread spices. We bought two jars of the salted butter caramel to bring home and they lasted less than a week.

Find this Paris crepe cooking class on Viator →

Total walking: 4.7 miles. Our most relaxed day.

Day 4: Provins day trip (our Disneyland Paris alternative)

We’ve done Disneyland Paris twice. It’s my least favorite Disney park and not the best fit for our family. After two visits, I decided we needed a different kind of Paris day trip.

We’d already done Versailles and Giverny on past trips, so this time we chose Provins: a UNESCO World Heritage medieval city about 1 hour and 15 minutes from Paris by train.

Getting there

Here’s something I only learned from a fellow travel blogger: your Navigo metro pass covers the regional train to Provins. Just add the round trip (about 5 euros per person) to your Navigo card. No separate tickets needed.

We caught the 9:47am train from Gare de l’Est. Provins is the last stop on the line, so you cannot miss it. Easy ride. The kids played games on their phones and looked out the window.

Lower town and lunch

The train drops you in the lower, more modern part of town.

We had an early lunch at Val’se de Crepes before making the 15-minute uphill walk to the medieval center. Friendly staff, really good food. Start here.

The medieval city

The city is beautiful. We visited in April with wisteria blooming against old stone buildings, and it was so easy to picture different eras of history just standing in the streets.

My kids responded to this more naturally than any history lesson I could give them at home.

We walked the Saint Jean’s Gate Ramparts, which gave gorgeous views over the surrounding farmland. My boys loved seeing the arrow slits in the walls where soldiers would have fired from.

We had hoped to climb the Tour Cesar too, but energy was running low and we needed to pace ourselves.

Legends of the Knights show

This show was the entire reason we scheduled the day trip on a Wednesday. It runs on Wednesdays and some weekends during peak season, so check the calendar before you plan around it.

I expected something like Medieval Times. It was significantly better. Horse stunts, live animals, theatrical set pieces, and jousting, in a setting that looks like a film backdrop.

Totally worth building your day around.

Buy the Provins family pass in advance. It covers multiple attractions and saves money over buying individually.

We caught the 4:45pm train back and were in Paris by 6:10pm, ending with a low-key Italian dinner near the Louvre.

Total walking: 5.5 miles.

Day 5: Notre Dame, Shakespeare & Co, and the Cheese Museum

Notre Dame

This was our third time seeing Notre Dame. The kids were tiny on our first visit. On our second, restoration had just started after the fire.

Seeing it fully open and restored was something I didn’t expect to feel as emotional about as I did.

Notre Dame is free to enter, but we paid for a private guided tour and I’d do it again without hesitation.

With two kids who have ADHD and different attention thresholds, having a guide who could adjust pacing on the fly and answer whatever random question my 9-year-old had mid-tour made a real difference.

We left knowing what we’d seen, which is not always the case when you just walk in and look around.

Book a Notre Dame guided tour on GetYourGuide →

Shakespeare & Co Bookstore

The store is iconic, the selection is curated, and they stamp your purchase, which is a small thing that somehow feels like a big thing. I picked up a beautiful edition of Jane Austen’s Emma.

You queue to get in, but it’s worth it. They don’t let you take photos inside, so I just grabbed a shot of the exterior.

We planned to eat at their attached cafe (we’d had good quiche there a few years back on a Julia Child food tour).

This time they were only serving coffee and pastries, so we walked around the block to Ostera Paris. I had the oyster risotto, which was fine. The kids preferred the creme brulee and apple tart.

Musee Vivant du Fromage

My friend Vanessa from Wanderlust Crew had visited a few months earlier and recommended it. The format reminded me of the Butter Museum I visited in Cork a couple of years ago.

There are exhibits and interactive stations in the waiting area, then a 90-minute guided tour showing exactly how cheese is made in their own facility.

You taste six varieties at the end. I was genuinely proud of my kids for trying every single one with an open mind. That felt like a real win.

Book the Paris Living Cheese Museum guided tour on GetYourGuide →

La Grande Epicerie for French butter

If you’re flying back to the US and want to bring home real French butter, this is your stop. They vacuum seal it so it travels safely in checked luggage. Worth the detour.

All’Antico Vinaio

We first found All’Antico Vinaio in Florence. Finding the Paris location was genuinely exciting. Italian sandwiches, perfect end to a long day.

Total walking: 6.8 miles.

Day 6: Jardin d’Acclimatation (last day)

Since we weren’t doing Disneyland Paris this trip, I wanted another amusement park option for our last day. Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne had been on my list for years.

We had a lazy morning since there was no strict start time. Back to Happy Cafe for crepes and coffee. The kids got milkshakes because it was the last day of vacation and some rules should be loosened.

My youngest had a sensory issue with his shoes mid-morning, and we made an unplanned detour to the Adidas store so he could get a comfortable pair immediately.

My husband also walked out with a new pair. We didn’t arrive at Jardin d’Acclimatation until 2pm, which still gave us four solid hours.

Buy tickets online before you go. It’s cheaper than the gate and skips any wait. We got unlimited ride passes, which the boys absolutely maximized.

We only covered about half the park in four hours, which means there’s plenty left for next time.

My 9-year-old loved the tropical birds and the peacocks. My 12-year-old went straight for the dragon roller coaster. The kids want to come back next trip. Always a good sign.

Book Jardin d’Acclimatation tickets on GetYourGuide →

We closed out the whole trip with mussels at l’Alsace on the Champs-Elysees. Two orders, because that’s who we are. Pavlova, creme brulee, a genuinely perfect last dinner.

Total walking: 5.7 miles.

Paris restaurants worth knowing

The places that earned a strong recommendation or a return visit:

• Chez Andres: Our Paris family staple. Excellent steak tartare, solid kids menu, genuinely welcoming to families.
• Happy Cafe: Good crepes, neighborhood vibe, reliable for a quick breakfast.
• Cafe de Carrousel: Great near-Louvre breakfast with indoor seating. Exactly what you need before a big museum day.
• Marlette (Montmartre): Best breakfast of the trip. Soft-boiled eggs with soldiers.
• Carette (Montmartre & across Paris): Best macarons in Paris. The fillings are more flavorful than the more famous spots.
• l’Alsace: Order the mussels. Then order them again.
• Val’se de Crepes (Provins): Friendly staff, great food, perfect fuel stop before the uphill walk to the medieval center.
• All’Antico Vinaio: Italian sandwiches. Go.

What actually works: Paris with ADHD kids

I get a lot of DMs from parents who follow along on Instagram asking some version of “is Paris actually doable with ADHD kids?” The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that it depends entirely on how you plan it. Here’s what made the difference for us:

• Choose interactive over passive. The Louvre scavenger hunt, the Montmartre art class, the crepe class: all kept my kids engaged in a way that a standard guided walk never would. Structure plus interactivity is the combination that works.
• Build buffer time into every morning. We had rough starts on multiple days. Scheduling breakfast and our first activity with a loose arrival time meant a 30-minute delay didn’t derail everything.
• Book private tours for big landmarks. For Notre Dame and the Louvre, having a private guide meant we could move at our pace and skip sections when attention was wearing thin.
• Let the kids have real input. My 12-year-old picked the art class and the crepe class. The boys asked for this Paris trip in the first place. When kids have ownership over the itinerary, they show up differently.
• Pack a backup pair of shoes. My youngest has sensory issues and we’ve now learned this is non-negotiable. When shoes stop feeling right mid-trip, everything unravels quickly.
• Keep one day unstructured. Jardin d’Acclimatation had no fixed arrival time and no agenda beyond “have fun.” That flexibility made it one of the best days of the whole trip.

Paris family photos

For family photos that actually capture the trip rather than everyone squinting at a selfie stick, I always recommend booking a session with Flytographer.

Use my link to save $20 on your booking. Paris is one of their most popular cities so photographers fill up fast. Book it before you finalize anything else.

Plan your Paris trip

If you’re working through the logistics, I have a free Paris trip planning email course that walks you through exactly what to book in advance, how to get around, and how to build a week that actually works for families.

For a first or second family trip, my 5-day Paris with kids guide covers the essential itinerary with the big landmarks and best areas to stay.

If your family has been to Paris once and you’re wondering whether it’s worth going back, I’ll put it this way: our boys asked for this trip. They chose the activities, they pushed for the Catacombs, they’re already negotiating what comes next time.

That’s the thing about Paris with kids. The first trip is yours. After that, it starts becoming theirs.