family trip to paris

I%26#39;m taking my two sons to Paris this summer, aged 13 and 11. My sister will be joining us. Can anyone recommend things to do for the kids%26#39; age group? And a good itinerary for 10 days?

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Two things that spring to mind aside from the %26#39;normal%26#39; things like the Eiffel Tower etc are the Catacombs with millions of bones in tunnels below Paris and the Sewer Tour.

One thing I found that really worked with our teenage daughter the past 2 summers in Paris was to get her involved in the planning. Last summer I put her in charge of all Metro navigation and she got us to our destinations each time. (I didn%26#39;t let on that old Dad already knew which stops to change and get off at! LOL)

You%26#39;ll get lots more suggestions but I hope I got the ball rolling!

Have a great trip!

Rob

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Here are a few ideas:

http://www.aquarium-portedoree.fr/

http://www.bateaux-mouches.fr/

http://www.bateauxparisiens.com/

http://www.cirque-diana-moreno.com/

www.cite-sciences.fr/francais/indexFLASH.htm

http://www.grevin.com/home

http://www.provins.net/

http://www.jardindacclimatation.fr/

www.parismomes.fr/mag/mag_pariswidthkids.php

http://www.playmobil.com/index.html

http://www.villette.com/fr/

leszoosdanslemonde.com/html/zoo_monde/europe…

cite-sciences.fr/francais/…

A fun place to eat (NOT fine dinning) would be either of the two:

http://www.lesergentrecruteur.com/

http://www.nosancetreslesgaulois.com/FR/

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10 days, how great! I was in Paris last month for 6 days with my kids and I have some thoughts. Great sites listed by last poster and having your kids Metro navigate is a must, they love it.

-Lines are killjoys. Try to mix up things which will have lines with things that won%26#39;t. Look for any days that have odd hours and go then. For example, the Musee D%26#39;Orsay is open late on Thursdays. If you go then, the experience is much more enjoyable. When we were standing in the 1 1/2 hour line to go up the Notre Dame towers, the attendant said that in the summer the tower is open late and hardly anyone is there.

-Go on a bike tour, or two! We went on the Fat Tire bike tour to Versailles and had a blast. You can also rent bikes there and bike around at your leisure. If your youngest turns 12 before then, you can do the segway tour, great fun.

-Walk down from the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. The people walking up didn%26#39;t look so happy, but walking down is a breeze.

-Go to the Musee de L%26#39;Armee. It%26#39;s full of really cool armor and weaponry, facinating for boys.

-Get museum passes for you and your sister. The kids are free and can cut the line with you.

-Do something active on the day you arrive. Can%26#39;t take a nap or you%26#39;ll be messed up with jetlag. We went to Monmartre, walked up the stairs at the Sacre Coeur, walked around the Place de Tertre, had dinner, and made it to 8:30.

-Take them to the fair. In the summer, it%26#39;s in the Tuilerie gardens and the kids love it.

-I%26#39;ve always wanted to go to Paris Plage. They truck in tons of sand and create a beach at a spot on the Seine. How great is that!

-Consider splitting up for a day, one adult with one child. It%26#39;s a different experience and priceless.

-Tired kids are cranky kids. If they need to sleep in occasionally, let them.

-Hungry kids are cranky kids. Don%26#39;t do one more thing before feeding them lunch, you%26#39;ll regret it!

-Go to the top of the Montparnasse at night. Incredible views

Have Fun!!!