You do not mention how long you would be on vacation.?
Have you been before?
Are you willing to rent an apt. For your stay?

Easter is on April 5th. That's early and Paris can be cold. We were there for our combined birthdays mid-April last year. Trees not leafed out yet, gardens not planted. We've also been to Paris over Easter. Mobs of people. Would recommend late in April.

Have you considered visiting the Netherlands? The flower fields are beautiful and the Thaylus train between Amsterdam & Paris is fast and easy.

We are locked in to including my daughters spring break{{gwi:807}} which falls across Easter. I'd like to plan 2 weeks at a minimum, 3 weeks is probably the maximum..

Will look into the Netherlands!

We have not been there before (I went as a teen on a high school trip but they have never )
And yes, would consider an apt.

{{gwi:1491575}}

This post was edited by kiki_thinking on Fri, Jan 2, 15 at 16:41

The first time we went to Paris (with our kids) we did London and Paris -- about 5 days in each, We took the train from London to Paris, which was easy and fun. I think it was in April, and the weather was great. About 7 years later, DH and I went to Paris in early May, and it was cold and rainy. So you never know!

I can't remember what hotel we stayed in during our first Paris trip, but the second time (DH and I only, 20th anniversary) we stayed at the George V (Four Seasons), which was amazing!

What fun! We took our oldest DD with us on a business trip to London when she was in 8th grade (about the age of your daughter?) and we rented an apartment in the West End. It was perfect. DH had to go into the office at times, so DD and I went sightseeing, dining and shopping. She ended up spending her junior year in college in London, in part to her fond memories from that trip.

DH and I have done Paris and Rome-5 nights in Rome and 4 in Paris. We stayed at http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187147-d198002-Reviews-Saint_Dominique_Hotel-Paris_Ile_de_France.html in Paris and when in Rome we stayed at Sant Ana Hotel:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g187791-d236156-Reviews-Hotel_Sant_Anna_Roma-Rome_Lazio.html

We really enjoyed the Paris/Rome combo. Please consider that as an option.

The last time we were in Paris we stayed at the Observatoire Luxembourg in the Latin district:
http://www.observatoirehotel.com/en/
Right near a RER (train) stop.

Both were lovely, but I much prefer the 7th arrondissement for easy access to the metro (subway). Happy planning! For me, a great part of the joy is in planning a trip!

I'll be interested in what folks have to say as we will be going to France in July...

I've been to Paris a few times, but the most recent was for 2 weeks. We rented an apt near the Bastille. The apt was definitely the way to go. While there, we did many of the Paris Walks tours (pariswalks.com). Each was about 2 hrs long and that might work with an 11 yr old. We walked most everywhere and used the Metro only 1-2 times. We did a few bus day trips to places like Fontainbleu and Arles. With a child, you could also look into EuroDisney but it's not as large as the US Disney properties. There is definitely enough to do/see in Paris for a 2 week visit.

London is my home away from home. I've spent at least 1 yr there over many visits and I always find new sights to see. If you try and visit both cities, you will get only a taste of each. My vote is to only cover one city and see it well.

Thank you for the advice, and Annie, I'll definitely share anything I learn from my trip when I get back.
My daughter is 11, but as an only child she just troups along with the adults and is good company. So we have to have a family pow-wow and figure out exactly what the trip will encompass and get plane tickets, and then I'll be back with a host of questions!

I'm a big fan of getting out and exploring the country side and small towns in addition to seeing the popular tourist stuff in the big cities. At a minimum you should get out to Normandy. We were in Paris many years ago and stayed at a hotel on the Place de Republique. There was a metro station right there and we took the metro everywhere while in Paris. We rented a car and drove to Normandy one day.

It was my first trip to Europe and I loved Paris but as soon as we drove out in the country I knew I wanted to spend more time outside the cities. Had to do that another time. We have stayed in Romantik hotels many times in Europe. They are relatively small historic hotels. There are some in larger cities but many in wonderful small town locations.

Ditto getting outside the big city and exploring the countryside. I've also spent many weeks in England, primarily London, but have spent many weekends in smaller towns and excursions via train or bus outside the city.

Once you've seen the major attractions in the city, there are always some smaller attractions to explore and I do recommend investigating those, such as small museums, walking tours (London Walks, Paris Walks), flea markets (Portobello Rd for example), or just taking a walk in one of the many parks for an hour or so. I'm sure there are several of us who can give you some of our favorite off-the-beaten-path 2-3 hour city sites to visit as well as some countryside locations.

Is this your first trip to Paris and or London? If you have three weeks, I would certainly plan to do more than Paris, especially if I had not been to Europe before and was not a frequent traveller ... you can do a lot comfortably in three weeks.

Let me start off by saying though, I really would not go to Paris in April. My first trip as a "grown up" was April in Paris, and I just assumed it was a good time ago (isn't there a famous song?). The song is probably just because the guy needed two syllables. April in Paris is usually cold and rainy. I have been there a dozen times on business and 4 times for pleasure, and I much prefer June or September. I totally understand the spring break timing. I am confronted with that every year too ... it seems you either go skiiing, go to the beach, or you have to go somewhere off season. Drives me crazy. But I truly believe April is suboptimal, and I had to say that upfront. One of the best things about Paris is just strolling about, and it is much nicer if it is green and pleasant. If this is a once in a lifetime trip, I'd do it in June. One of my favorite places in the world is the Bagatelle, a small tulip garden in the Bois du Bologne. In April it will be barren. So will Giverny, a great day trip to Monet's home.

Okay so I have said my piece on that and will desist!

The Georges V on the right bank is steps from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs Elyssees. Over the years it had been flagged as a few different brands, but it is currently a Four Seasons. I tended to stay there on business, and while it is excellent, it is not my first choice for leisure. I don't really like the Champs Elysee ... it has large, modern stores on that section .. and I would much rather be based on the left bank for leisure. My fave is La Lutetia, but I just looked it up and it is closed for renovations. I also like the Hotel Montalambert and Relais Christine, both left bank.

Do note that both cities are very pricey as I am sure you know. Moreover, unlike American brands, rooms are typically very very small and often cannot accommodate a third person. Lastly, try to be very specific about the actual room and get photos. Many hotels are in older buildings and the rooms are anything but cookie cutter. One person can have a fabulous charming room and the other a dump. But in my mind it feels much more Parisian to stay in an old building! So keep that in mind when looking into alternates.

As far as an itinerary, I would try to take the full three weeks so as to maximize the bang for your buck on flying over there. BTW I just read about a new all business class airline into Paris that, for business class, is quite reasonable. If you don't want to spring for a flat bed seat, fly during the day, land at night, and get right on the local schedule. Avoid caffeine, drink lots of water, get sun and exercise and you won't have any jet lag.

I would consider flying into London (frankly between Gatwick and LHR there are so many flights and carriers that you can usually get the best deals). I would consider excursions to Stonehenge and Bath. Then I'd take the Chunnel to Paris. No one needs to tell you what to see in Paris! Outside of Paris I'd consider train trips to Versailles of course, and maybe to Chartres to see the famous cathedral and have dinner. If you are going a full three weeks, I might throw in Belgium and do an open jaw, flying into one city and out of a different one.

I like the Hop on Hop off buses, tacky though they are, because they give you a quick lay of the the land. I usually research the "36 hours in" or "three perfect days in" articles in advance, to get ideas about what Id like to do. These are from the NY Times and periodicals so more timely than guidebooks.

I rented an apartment in Belgravia in London on Airbnb and one in Paris from...probably vrbo. Both great choices and relatively cheap.

We stayed in Montmartre in Paris and enjoyed the neighbourhood immensely although it was a bit of a walk downtown. It just so happened we were there over Easter and I caught the nuns singing during mass at Sacre Couer, which was otherworldly. We could not get near Notre Dame during Easter weekend so just enjoyed it from the outside.

We did a week in London and a week in Paris. Our only field trips were to Greenwich and Versailles, both very easy day trips and worth it IMO. Greenwich we took the ferry down, ferry ride was the best part. Versailles we took public transport and my recommendation there is to rent a golf cart to tour the grounds as you see SO much more with the speed of the cart. Plus it's fun. I had wanted to get out more into the countryside but there was so much to do in the cities that we just wandered around the whole time.

We took the Chunnel train and it was convenient. You don't really get a good view from the train so you could really go either city first. At three weeks, you could plan a couple of days in Brussels as the train stops there I believe. Going London to Paris was FIL's suggestion as the flight into London is a lot better (cheaper and faster) so we'd start our vacation on more of a high note before dealing with Charles de Gaulle airport which is a bit of a disaster and just a farther flight.

We were there late March early April and it just so happened that we had lovely weather. Everyone in both cities was in a great mood as it was a relative heat wave. I dreaded the cold and wet so the sun was a nice surprise. I was planning our honeymoon and Paris and London were Father in law's suggestion. I was craving heat and sun (we live in Nova Scotia, both are in very short supply in March) so I wanted to visit more like the southern med, but it turns out the weather is pretty crappy almost everywhere in w Europe on average at that time of year, so we decided to go to cities where we could at least be inside museums and stuff if it rained.

In particular I enjoyed seeing some musicals in the West End in London.
REALLY enjoyed the Tower of London (much more than I thought I would), enjoyed walking along the south side waterfront path, loved the Victoria and Albert museum, the renovated Kensington palace, and particularly loved the food. Belgravia is a little boring but central enough and my husband never tired of looking at the luxury cars lining the streets with or without drivers.

In Paris I loved the food, the Pompidou, going to the Louvre at night to avoid the crowds, walking around Montmartre, going to the big flea market North of the city, the food, and visiting the gardening/taxidermy shop Deyrolles.

I downloaded the Tripadvisor city app for both cities, which can work without data. I also bought a SIM card for my phone in London (Orange, I think) which was very helpful. The tripadvisor app was priceless because if you couldn't tell, I REALLY love good restaurants and it never led us wrong when it came to excellent and unusual restaurants near us. Much better experiences than when we tried to pick on our own.

When we go back I'll likely take a tour from toursbylocals dot com, which I used on our trip to a Hong Kong. Loved the independent tour operator feel. And I'd also love to do the eat in a local's home thing...I'll check out what that website is. Basically they prep you a meal in their house.

The website is called eatwith dot com....I know almost nothing about it but it looks super interesting!

Ps I campaigned against London and just wanted to spend two weeks in Paris, but am so happy we went to London as I absolutely loved the city, much more than I thought I would. I would visit it again before Paris if I had the choice (and I had a great time in Paris).

Pps we both (as adults) really enjoyed Matilda the musical and a kid would as well.

This post was edited by robotropolis on Tue, Jan 6, 15 at 18:48

If I remember correctly, your family covered an amazing amount of ground on a NYC trip so I'm sure you'll do more than the average tourist.

If you do get to London (my favorite city), try to do the Ceremony of the Keys at the Tower of London. You need to apply for free tickets ahead of time. It's the official locking up of the tower for the night. It was interesting and, after the strictly serious ceremony, the guards were amusing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ceremony of the Keys

I traveled to Paris in April 2013 and 2014. I was there for Palm Sunday last year, attended services at Notre Dame de Paris (awesome and packed). Paris is very crowded and extra expensive during Easter, it was much more expensive last year than in 2013. It wasn't rainy either year except for the day of my arrival in 2013. They had a very warm spring last year, and many flowering plants (including roses) had some bloom in mid-April.

I stayed in the 7th Arrondissement, 10 minutes walking from Musee D'Orsay, another 7 minutes to the Louvre. The BatoBus is a boat that makes a loop around the Seine and stops at major sites, hop on/hop off. My favorite museums are the Orangerie (two installations of Monet's water lilies), Musee D'Orsay and the Rodin.

You have to check the restaurants, especially on Sunday, many are closed, but quite a few are open. I use a web site, The Fork, to make restaurant reservations. I have also made them via email. If you stay in a hotel, the concierge can also assist.

I took great tours with Paris by Mouth (walking tours that are food/wine oriented) and Set in Paris (great if you would like to see where movies set in Paris were shot). I took a bus tour to Giverny and Versailles, but you can take the regular train to Versailles. There is also a train to Giverny, but there is more walking involved to get to Monet's house. Oh, I also took a nice walking tour by Sandemans New Paris Tour (it is "free", but you tip the guide at the end of the walk), 3 hours, a great way to knock off the jet lag on the first day.

I also use the TripAdvisor City Guides app (different from the main TripAdvisor app). I will probably stop in again this year.

Kiki, you can have a good time in bad weather in Paris. My husband and I once spent several days there in a snowstorm and still managed to have fun :-). It's not ideal, of course, but you go when you have the time.

Many excellent recommendations here, including staying in the 7th Arrondissement. I will add only one more: if you want to visit the Louvre or Musee D'Orsay, consider hiring a private guide for these visits. Michael Osman is a well known private guide in Paris, an artist with an art school background--- and he is an American who has lived in Paris for many years. He will email with you beforehand to find out what you are especially interested in, and will plan the museum trip so you will not miss the must see works you've chosen as well as others relating to your preferred parameters of time period, style, artist, etc. The Louvre especially is a huge place and it's easy to spend an exhausting day there without getting that much out of it. He can tailor his explanations to a child's age and he is brilliant at knowing how to avoid the long entry lines.

The Paris trip during which we used his services was definitely the most efficient with respect to museum tours. We've been back and I regret not booking him for that visit as well. I especially regret not having him when I took DS during a spring break.

Highly recommend you visit the Europe forum at fodors.com, where there are people with a wealth of hotel recommendations and other very practical advice right down to which trains to take at what times of the day.

Here is a link that might be useful: Michael Osman

This post was edited by kswl on Sun, Jan 11, 15 at 20:11

Wow, just checked my thread, so much help here!
Thank you very much. I will read it closely, digest it, research and check back in!!!

(Sorry for the sporadic checking, life has gotten very busy since my mom had a stroke. I don't come here daily like I used to! Hopefully things will settle down, and I can play again. Have done almost nothing on my home for a whole year! )

I do understand your restrictions having raised two daughters.

My advise is to really consider the weather factor. We went to Italy last June and it was hot and muggy. Since these trips that are more educational than physical, you have to be in the mind set to really be able to concentrate.

I would have chosen a different time, but I wanted to be there for my birthday and our anniversary. Looking back though, I would have done things differently.

Are you the type of person that can be outside in the cold and rain and still enjoy seeing a landmark?

Between DH and I, we've lived several years in the UK, Switzerland and Italy.

I think you really got some wonderful recommendations. I don't know you budget, and I've done trips at both ends of the spectrum. Paris is wonderful, but I second the suggestion to split a second week in another location if you haven't done a lot of European travel. Many people like to stay in the 6th or 7th district, but be aware that some of the worst tourist trap restaurants are in the St Germain de Pres area.

Ile de la Cite is a central, quiet, off beat choice, and for lower price yet central accommodations, the 1st district is very convenient. (Just not to close to les Halles, which attracts pickpockets). The Metro and trains can take you everywhere, from Versailles to the flea markets, while the central location will keep most attractions in walking distance.

In terms of side trips, I was just in Normandy. I agree the countryside is beautiful but a lot depends on your child's interest The side trip to Mont St Michel is among France's most popular sights outside of Paris, but the towns nearby are heavily touristic (except copper cookware fans will need to take a side trip to Villedieu les Poeles, home of Mauviel). The north coast can be still pretty soggy in April. When visiting our friend's farm, we took lunch at La Couronne in Rouen recently. This is the same restaurant where Julia Child had her french food epiphany. It is the oldest auberge in France (12th century) and overlooks the spot where Joan d'Arc was burned at the stake.

I personally think London is a great place for kids, and many of my coworkers would bring their families to London for vacation (when I was based near Geneva). The Museums, the attractions, the West End shows, the use of English etc make for an easy introduction to an overseas experience. I would stay in Kensington, St James (St Regis, Sofitel), or Mayfair (Marriott). A bit further afield, Chelsea and Bloomsbury. I concur that air fare to London can be the cheapest options, especially from the US West Coast. There are tons of low fare carriers in the UK that fly into Europe. However, take care because they fly into the secondary London airports and it can be problematic to get between airports or even get there from Central London.

The weather in Rome would be better, but it can be quite crowded at Easter. Our last visit, we stayed in an AirBnB quite close to St. Peters. Switzerland can be expensive, but the mountains are wonderful. Florence and Tuscany/Pisa can be a good introduction to Italy as well. And the weather will be a bit better.