Paris with Preschool Children, Episode 265

Jan 7, 2020

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Today’s episode is a trip report with Michelle Donnell Adzhemyan on a trip to Paris she took late August 2019 with her husband and two preschool children.

Paris with Preschool Children: Good Idea?

You may have wondered if taking your 4.5yo and 2.5yo to Paris is a good idea, and it probably wouldn't be for every family. But sometimes it works out great as you'll hear from Michelle on today's episode!

Since Annie lived in the US when her only daughter was born, she made the long trip home to France to visit my family on many occasions, and traveling with young kids is not something most people look forward to. But it can be done, with class and panache, and it can be a very positive experience for the whole family.

Tips for Enjoying Paris with Preschool Children

In the episode Michelle talks about why they decided to take their two children and how they prepared them for the trip. They asked themselves all the right questions but still ran into a couple of minor mistakes you should avoid.

And how difficult will it be finding bathrooms in Paris for a little boy who is in the middle of potty training? It wasn't hard in Paris, but it was a little more difficult in smaller cities.

Michelle gives some great recommendations for apps, books, children's camera, stoller rental, French music, and where you can store your bags in Paris while you wait for your apartment to be ready.

Discussed in this Episode

3 days in Paris [06:21]
Why did you decide to take your preschool children? [07:21]
Preparing preschool children for a trip to Paris [08:12]
Language Apps for children [08:39]
Most French people react positively to young children [10:25]
Learning about the Thinking Man before the trip [[10:44]
Paris Hide and Seek book [11:18]
Mission Paris book [11:50]
Bringing Up Bébé book [12:47]
Annie's Spotify French music playlist [[14:41]
Teaching the kids about pickpockets [15:53]
Getting cameras for the children [16:50]
Debating about taking a stroller or not [18:01]
Company in Paris that will rent you a stroller if you need one [18:37]
Strollers are not cheap in France [18:53]
Dropping off bags at Nanny Bag [20:04]
Check opening and closing hours! [20:50]
Kids loved Notre Dame because they had seen the Disney movie [21:10]
Quick visit to the Sainte Chapelle [22:02]
River cruise with Vedettes du Pont Neuf [22:03]
Don't schedule anything on your first day in Paris! [23:38]
Enjoying the Place des Vosges [24:58]
Listening to Annie's VoiceMap Tour in advance [26:08]
Getting food at Maison Plisson [27:07]
Plan on dinners at the airbnb [27:41]
The Louvre isn't good for preschool children [28:09]
Great visit to the Luxembourg Gardens [30:03]
Save your legs for the venues by using Citymapper [30:20]
No walking on the grass at the Luxembourg Gardens [32:16]
French people don't understand Mexican food at all [33:23]
Do a photoshoot! [33:55]
Pickpockets at the Eiffel Tower [34:54]
Preschoolers love the Eiffel Tower [35:21]
A lovely dinner at Qui Plume la Lune [36:18]
The Rodin Museum is great with preschool children [38:04]
Dinner at L'Entrecôte [38:16]
Going to Bordeaux and the Gers [39:38]
When traveling with kids it's good to get out of big cities [40:10]
The price of Uber rides in Paris [40:35]
L'Atelier des Lumières is great with kids [42:40]
Potty training in France [43:06]
Have a separate room for the kids [43:48]
It was all worth it! [45:20]
Thank you Patrons and Donors! [46:56]
Annie's Itinerary Review service [49:06]
Support the show without spending a penny more [49:56]
Top 10 Join Us in France episode of 2019 [50:34]
2020 plans for the Join Us in France Travel Podcast [55:35]
Share the word about the podcast! [58:39]

Show notes for this episode are here: https://joinusinfrance.com/265