Paris can be warm and muggy during July and August and can be packed with tourists. It will even be busier in July this year, with the Olympic Games coming up. Saying that, Paris has got that irresistible je ne sais quoi that few other cities can lay claim on, and it is exactly that, that attracts so many tourists year-round.
How to keep your teenager happy in a big city?
Teenagers are an intriguing bunch: if they’re not on their devices, they are grumpy and eternally annoyed. So is mine. As soon as I mentioned a vacation for a few days in Paris, her eyes sparkled and her attention was fully captured. Having said that, it was still a challenge to find out what made her tick. We did succeed though… here are our top 5 picks.
Discover Paris by bike
Jump on a bike and join a tour! We started at 10am – not too early for the teenager – and got safety instructions before we took off. Our guide from Fat Tire Tours was an enthusiastic Irish chap, who shared the most amazing stories with us about the city. Highly entertaining!
Picnic at the Eiffel Tower
This is an easy one, and oh so nice. You can’t get more French than this! Simply go to the supermarket, fill your bag with goodies and head to metro stop Trocadéro. It’s the best spot to view the Eiffel Tower, either from the elevated square, or further down on the sloping grass.
Night walk through Quartier Latin
By night, Paris becomes even more beautiful, and Quartier Latin turns into a magical place. Walking across the bridges to cross the rivers toward the famous 6th arrondissement for a bite and a stroll becomes an adventure in itself.
Père-Lachaise
Slightly spooky, this world-famous cemetery is absolutely gorgeous and gives you a nice break away from the busy street life in other arrondissements. Celebrities like Jimmy Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and Chopin found their last resting place here. Do bring your walking shoes; the cobblestone lanes are neither suitable for elegant footwear nor prams.
Canal Saint-Martin
This famous canal stretches over 4.5 kilometres and connects the Canal de l’Ourcq to the Seine River. Constructed in the early 19th century, the canal was designed to provide the city with fresh drinking water and to facilitate the transportation of goods. Nowadays, the area is known for its picturesque scenery, tree-lined banks, and iron footbridges. Top tip: cars are banned on public holidays and Sundays, which makes this area perfect to discovered on foot. The underground canal boat rides are fun. We bought our tickets here.
How to get around
The metro is the best way to travel around Paris. On each corner and every main street of Paris, you will find a metro station to take you to your preferred destination. To get started, buy one of the blue Navigo travel cards, which you can buy at the machines at the bigger stations. More info here, including a timetable. To help you navigate the metro better, download Paris Metro Map.
Parisian food
Beware of the ‘croissant-and-coffee’ on that nice terrace-with-a-view… You could get charged about €30 for a simple cappuccino and a croissant! Also, a single crêpe at a stall next to the Eiffel Tower can set you back around €5, but tastes as good as the ones at a stall in a back street, only a few metro stops further out.
The best way to have a meal is to simply dash into one of the many supermarkets around to create your own breakfast or lunch, and head to a park to savour it there. Saying that, we found most restaurants in Quartier Latin very reasonably priced.
Where to stay
This is a tough one. The only thing I can say: prepare to spend more than a few bucks and opt for a place that has got a metro stop within walking distance.
Bonne journée!
If you’re looking for other Europe destination, how about family friendly London on the cheap?
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