Seven Tips for Paris with Kids

Little girls and their grown up moms dream of Paris. Here are seven tips to make Europe's most romantic city a treat for your tots as well.

1. Flights -- With tons of flights from just about every US hub, Paris is typically an affordable stepping off point for a European adventure. Plus the airport taxes and fees are not as bad as London.

2. Apartments -- Skip the hotel options and rent an apartment. You'll feel like a local in no time and can more easily find the specific amenities you need for kids like a tub or a washer/dryer. Between AirBNB, Booking.com and VRBO you will find tens of thousands of apartments for rent. Splurge for a place with a view of the Eiffel Tour for easy, Christmas-card worthy photos.

3. Neighborhoods -- Paris is organized into numbered neighborhoods called "arrondissements" each with a distinct personality. Pick one in the single digits to ensure that you are centrally located to cut down walking and subway time for your kids. The Latin Quarter is probably the most famous, but Saint-Germain-des-Prés (the 6th) is our personal favorite for the combination of great, yet approachable restaurants, local feel and proximity to Luxembourg Garden.

4. Parks -- There are parks throughout Paris. Luxembourg Garden is a great option with tons of room to romp for the kids and stunning views of the Luxembourg Palace. There is a carousel, model boats for rent, pony rides and playgrounds--but be aware the playgrounds charge a few Euros to enter.

When searching for an apartment, try to find one with a park nearby. Plan at least one picnic lunch during your stay because what could be more Parisian than a charcuterie lunch with a nice bottle of wine.

5. Museums -- Choose wisely and be efficient with your time. The Louvre is an easy top choice with a long list of iconic works for art. Boys will like seeing the weaponry at Hôtel Des Invalides. The D'Orsay is architecturally stunning. The Luxembourg Museum is a good option if you need to follow a divide and conquer strategy with your kids.

6. Food -- While certain French foods are too fancy for finicky kids, there are still tons of easy and approachable options to keep your little ones from starving. Once you tell your kids that crepes are just French pancakes they will be on board for noshing and you'll never be more than a stone's throw from a cafe with a crepe maker up front and a sandwich station inside.

But don't arretez there, steak frites, quiche, and coq au vin are kid-friendly French classics on just about any brasserie's menu. Offer a mousse or a trip to a patisserie for desert. It also wouldn't hurt to have them watch Disney's Ratatouille before the trip to prepare.

7. Souvenirs -- Like any major city, Paris has a seemingly endless supply of souvenirs from silly to sophisticated. An Eiffel Tower key chain will cost you about 1 Euro and looks oh so stylish on your kids' backpack. Following our philosophy on souvenirs, our most recent trip to Paris included the following souvenirs:

• Four Eiffel Tower key chains (one for each set of keys so that the family would all match)

• Two replica Eiffel Towers (one for each boy‘a souvenir shelf)

• One Mona Lisa Rubics Cube from the Louvre picked by the older boy

• One set of French green army guys from the Musee D'Army picked by the younger boy

• One kids dining plate for the toddler

All-in that haul cost about $25 dollars but proved to be sources of entertainment for the rest of the trip.

Bonus tip: Charles De Gaulle airport has a kids lounge with free video games, foosball and toys for younger kids. It’s located next to the McDonalds and is a great spot to kill a few hours waiting for your flight.