A realistic, family-friendly guide to planning Paris + the French Riviera with kids
Planning a family trip to France had been on our wish list for years, but we finally reached the point where dreaming turned into doing. We knew we wanted Paris, we knew we wanted croissants, and we knew we wanted to give the girls a trip that mixed iconic moments with real-life experiences.
What we
didn’t know? Just how many decisions go into choosing where to stay, how to get around, and which city deserved our attention beyond Paris.
Here’s exactly how we planned our France adventure—what we booked, why we chose two cities, how we used points to save
$1,900, and how we kept the schedule flexible enough that it didn’t feel like a forced march through Europe.
Choosing the Cities: Paris + Nice
We knew we wanted Paris, but we also knew ourselves… if there’s an opportunity to explore one more place, we’re taking it. France has so many regions that all feel like their own storybook, so we started narrowing down by train routes.
I weighed the options: east toward Strasbourg, north toward Belgium, or south toward the Riviera. Every direction felt like a totally different adventure, which made choosing almost painful.
In the end, we asked:
“What part of this trip is new for all four of us?”
That question made our decision easy—we went south to
Nice.
Booking Flights (and Why We Flew on a Thursday)
Once we chose our cities, I started with flights. I searched all the usual suspects and quickly learned that flying out on a
Thursday saved us a pretty decent amount of money. Pulling the girls out of school for two days felt worth it for the savings.
I admit… I did briefly consider booking the cheapest Delta option where the kids wouldn’t sit with us. Greg shut that down quickly—apparently making your 8- and 10-year-old sit next to strangers on an overnight flight isn’t the “character-building moment” I was imagining.
Sometimes marriage is about gentle reality checks.
Choosing Where to Stay: Hotel or Apartment?
When Greg and I visited Paris years ago, we stayed in hotels with a tour group—which was nice but didn’t feel like the “let’s pretend we live here” experience I wanted this time.
So I started searching for apartments.
My criteria:
- walkable to the subway
- reasonably priced
- in neighborhoods where we’d feel like locals
- close-ish to food (because kids)
We wanted to save enough on lodging to have a budget left for actual experiences.
We spent
weeks sending each other listings, and we finally found a place we loved… only to have the host decline our request because the listing had an error and the owner would be there. Back to the list!
Eventually we landed on the perfect spot—great location, clean, cozy, and exactly what we needed.
Booking the Train to Nice
This was the easiest part… except it wasn’t. I tried to book the Paris → Nice train early and learned that I was too early. So I just made a note in my planning doc and bought the tickets when the window opened.
(Pro tip: The TGV opens seats about 3 months before departure.)
Planning Our Itinerary (Without Overplanning the Fun)
Here’s my truth:
I can plan the fun right out of a trip if I’m not careful.
So I made myself a rule:
1–2 planned activities per day, max.
Everything else? Wandering, exploring, snacking, and saying “let’s see what’s around this corner.”
I made a giant list of everything we might want to do in both cities. Then I grouped activities by neighborhood so we weren’t zigzagging all over Paris like confused Americans with sore feet.
We also decided our arrival day needed exactly one priority:
The Eiffel Tower.
Because if you don’t start Paris with the Eiffel Tower… what are you even doing?
The Planning Step That Helped the Most: Building a Custom Google Map
One of the best things we did—something I do for every trip—was create a custom map in Google Maps before we left.
Here’s how it helped:
1. I saved every single thing we might want to do on Google Maps.
Museums, landmarks, cafés, parks, playgrounds, bakeries—if it made the “maybe” list, it got a green flag.
2. Then I saved our Airbnb options as a favorite.
Seeing everything in relation to where we were staying made the city suddenly make sense and the favorite shows up as a heart and distinguishes itself from the other flags.
3. It helped us choose the right apartment.
Once I added the subway stops, restaurants, and attractions, it confirmed which neighborhoods would keep us from spending half our trip underground on trains.
4. It showed us natural “clusters.”
Paris looks huge on paper, but when you see everything mapped together, little pockets emerge—making it easy to build days around neighborhoods instead of zig-zag chaos.
5. Daily planning went from overwhelming to effortless.
When we woke up, we’d pull up the map and see which pins were nearby. It kept the trip flexible, but also helped us structure each day without feeling like we were living inside a timed itinerary.
It’s simple, but truly changed how I think about travel planning.
Using Credit Card Rewards (and What We Saved)
I was shocked by how many of the activities I wanted to book were offered through our credit card’s rewards program. Since we put almost everything on our card, we had a healthy stash of points to play with.
Here’s what we redeemed (and the out-of-pocket value):
- Bakery Experience (Paris): $342
- Cesarine Dining Experience in Sanremo, Italy: $405
- Car Rental (Nice): $72
- Seine Dinner Cruise + Champagne + Window Seating: $455
- Eiffel Tower Dinner at Madame Brasserie: $628
Total Value Saved: $1,902
Using points made every splurge feel guilt-free. If there’s ever a moment where stepping outside your comfort zone feels justified… it’s when it’s free.
What’s Coming Next in This France Series
This trip was too big and too memorable (and too full of hilarious moments) to cram into one post, so this is the first in a multi-part series.
Here’s what’s coming:
Post 2 (Day 1: Arrival & Eiffel Tower)
Post 3 (Day 2: Disneyland Paris)
Post 4 (Day 3: Bakery Class + Sightseeing + Dinner Cruise)
Post 5 (Day 4: Louvre & Paris Favorites)
Post 6 (Travel Day to Nice)
Post 7 (Nice Beach Day + Old Town)
Post 8 (Final Day + Travel Home)
If you’re planning France with kids, remember: a little planning goes a long way — but leave room for magic, discovery, and croissants around every corner.
Bon voyage!
