Paris Trip in April 2023

We spent Spring Break this year in Paris! It was incredible and I highly recommend as a first overseas trip for families.  We were concerned about the recent protests and strikes going on from the Pension age changing to 64 and no-confidence vote last week but everything was fine and these will likely occur for several months: DO NOT WORRY!  I found this website to be the most helpful for next Nationwide Strike days: https://worldinparis.com/transport-in-france-strike-news-tips-for-traveling-to-paris

WHEN TO GO: We loved going in April because we had some sunny days in the 60s, but it did get cooler a few days and we had some wind & rain. Last summer it was in the 90's and there is no air conditioning in most buildings so I would rather wear layers (wish I had brought a winter hat though).

WHAT TO BRING: We did all carry-ons. Packed: jeans, shirts, dresses x2, skirt x1, 2 pairs of shoes (wore 1 pair), 2 scarves (these are very big in Paris), wore trench coat, and sweatshirt.  When we got off the airplane the concierge asked us where all of our luggage was :) In photo my favorite luggage: Monos (left) and Away (right)

FLIGHT: We flew direct to CDG (Charles De Gaulle) Airport.  I highly recommend booking the concierge service. They met us outside of the gate, took us through customs, and called our driver, helped us with our bags.  On the way back they helped me to get my tax back from shopping as well  contact@myconciergerieorlycdg.fr

TRANSPORTATION:  We used Easy Go Shuttle (www.easygoshuttle.com) for airport transfers, as well as transfers to Versailles and Disney Paris.  They were very prompt, reliable, and communicated through WhatsApp.  They did request CASH a few times so be prepared.  We used Uber and Taxis for the rest of our travel.  The Ubers were better.

PHONE: We used Travelpass ($10 per day) through Verizon to activate our phones when needed but most places had free Wifi so we were able to only use our phone plans for 2 days of the trip.  

WHERE TO STAY: We loved staying at Hotel Signature in Saint Germain du Pres.   https://www.signature-saintgermain.com/en/ This is a hotel that has 2 rooms that are connecting and can sleep a family of 4.  There are 2 bathrooms (one with bathtub, one with shower), 2 twin beds, and 1 queen bed.  Included mini-fridge, safe, hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, etc.  Our rooms were cleaned daily and we were walking distance to many restaurants, brasseries, shops, and museums (Rodin, Musee D'Orsay, L'Orangerie, Louvre), Luxembourg Gardens

OTHER TIPS: Buy as many SKIP THE LINE tickets ahead of time as you can.  I recommend tickets to the Eiffel Tower, Museums, Catacombs, Versailles.  I'll include more info below.  We also booked private tours for the Louvre and Versailles with Kortryna (Kortryna kotryna.str@gmail.com)  Also most museums have a FREE day-- just check online and book ahead of time.

PRIOR to the TRIP: I used the time shifter app to adjust to Paris time quicker.  It worked!

Day 1: Arrive in Paris at 9AM.  We left our bags at the hotel and headed to Musee D'Orsay with our tickets (https://billetterie.musee-orsay.fr/en-GB/products?famille=2210255410170410108) that included Musee D'Orsay AND Rodin Museum valid ANY TIME.. We were able to walk in without waiting in line.  You do NOT need tickets for children under the age of 18 for most museums.  

- We ate lunch at the cafe then went shopping at Bon Marche which is a very expensive mall with all of the designer stores.  We then went to our hotel for a nap and ate dinner at a Souffle restaurant.

Day 2: We went to the Eiffel Tour with Experience First tour (used the Paris Pass).  If I could do it again I would do skip the line tickets.  It was cold and windy so we didn't go to the very top -- they had to close due to the weather.  We went to the Catacombs with a tour booked through Viator with audioguide and my kids enjoyed it.  I would recommend as something unique to do in Paris.

We had timed tickets to go to L'Orangerie which features Monet's Waterlilies.  I loved these and the museum was very small so could see most of it in around 30 minutes.  We went on the free day and just made reservations online: https://www.musee-orangerie.fr/en  

We had dinner near our hotel at Le Petit Chaise which was upscale but my kids did fine.

Day 3: We slept in. Late. Then went to a walking tour of Champs Elysee and Arch Du Triumph.  We did some shopping and had lunch on the Champs Elysee.  Again I would recommend getting skip the line tickets instead of the tour for Arch Du Triumph.  We went to Luxemburg Gardens and played at the playground and got hot chocolate from Mademoiselle Angelina-- I highly recommend! We also did a walking tour of Monmarte and Sacrecour and had dinner in Monmartre.  We decided to stay up and see the Eiffel Tour light up.  It lights up every hour starting at 9PM for 5 minutes.  Highly recommend!

Day 4: We slept in again and went to a boulangerie for breakfast.  We took the Easy Go Shuttle at 11AM to Versailles and did a private tour with Kortryna which was amazing.  She had a scavenger hunt for the kids (age 7 and 10) and took us into the palace and told us the history of Louis the XIV, XV, and XVI (the sun, fun, and done kings).  My kids got to identify things in the artwork and on the ceilings and then we got to explore the gardens.  The gardens were beautiful and we loved the fountain show.  We had lunch at the Italian Restaurant in the gardens and left at 4PM.  I wish we had more time in the gardens (it was a beautiful day) because they had boats you could rent and golf carts you can drive around.  I went shopping at Maje-- one of the famous Parisian brands and then walked to Georgette for dinner.  

Day 5 - We met Kortynra at the Louvre at 9:30AM and she got us in quickly and we got to see the castle, and did a "treasure hunt" looking for items in the paintings and sculptures.  We saw the Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and Mona Lisa.  Then we went to Mondu for a Prix Fix Menu-- Lily liked the Duck and dessert :) We went to Notre Dame (closed inside but did the Crypt-- could skip if you want), and went to Amorino and Bertillion for ice cream, San Chapelle (booked tickets ahead of time) and then dinner at TradiSwiss and had cheese & chocolate fondu (a favorite).

Day 6: This was the day of protests so we took the Easy Go Shuttle to Disneyland Paris.  We did the priority pass and were able to do all of the rides on the pass: Buzz Lightyear, Hyperspace Mountain, Star tours, Indiana Jones, Big Rock Railroad, and Peter Pan.  Also did the Carousal, Alice in Wonderland Labyrinth, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Lion King show (highly recommend).  We left at 4:30PM but could have stayed longer.  The traffic back to Paris was VERY slow due to the protests but our area in St. Germain was normal.  We had dinner at a local brasserie: Sevres and tried escargot! It was delicious.

Day 7: We did a photoshoot in the morning at 7:20AM with Olga (https://okphotoparis.com/) and got to see the sun rise over the Eiffel Tower from Place du Trocodero.  Then we went to the Rodin museum and went shopping & ate lunch on the Champs Elysee.  We did a walking tour "Emily in Paris" to take selfies of the spots where the TV show takes place and a Macaron Cooking Class at Galleries Lafeyette du Haussman.  We had dinner there and finally went to Mountparnasse Tower and saw the sunset over Paris.

Day 8: Easy Go Shuttle to airport, CDG concierge to get taxes back from shopping and through customs/ security.  We were able to use the Air France Lounge for free since we were flying on Delta and it was incredible (kids area, sleeping area, amazing food, clarins facials).

Favorite treats: Maison du Chocolat, Laduree & Pierre Hermes for Macaron, Bertillion and Amorino Ice cream, any Boulangerie or Patisserie for Chocolate Croissant (Pan au Chocolat), Chocolate Eclair, Chocolate Mousse, Cream puffs, Chocolate Cake, Nutella Crepes and French Wine is so cheap!

MONEY: Bring Visa cards-- American Express was not accepted many places.  We got cash from the ATM and ended up spending around 500 Euros in cash because the Easy Go Shuttle asked for cash.

If I were to do it again I would book more things in the evening and let everyone sleep in each day to adjust to the time difference more gently.  The kids did great and loved traveling to Paris!  I would also skip the Paris Pass-- the walking tours were not geared towards kids and the tour guides were hit or miss.  I would just pick what you want to do and book directly.  

Let me know if you have any questions! We got to do everything we wanted to and more-- but there is so much to do and see in Paris I wish we had had more time.