Few parents love crossing the Atlantic ocean with children. If you're like us and you're flying from North America, you will almost certainly be on an overnight flight. As you book your flights, you can't help but worry about how everyone will manage to get any sleep on the plane (unless you're lucky enough to be flying in a lay-down first class seat). The reality is that you will probably not get much rest and you will arrive in Europe tired. You will probably have to roam the streets of your destination until your accommodation is ready. And it will be a little exhausting. But you will be in Europe and it will be worth it! We decided to fly across the pond to visit Paris, Disneyland and the champagne region with the kids.
We flew from Toronto to Paris with a 1-year-old and a 5-year-old. We didn't buy a seat for our infant, although I would highly recommend it. We got lucky enough to have an empty row in front of us and took it over the instant the seatbelt sign went off. This meant that both children got to sleep on top of me for 80% of the flight and my husband had his own space. A word to the wise: use the washroom before kids fall asleep on top of you! Midway through the flight, my son vomited on me. I had a change of clothes in the carry on, but he got it mostly on the blanket, so I didn't bother changing until we were going to land. TIP: if you're flying to Paris, try to book a flight that gets you into Terminal 1. That is the real hub of the airport, where the car rentals and good food are. You also don't have to take a bus from your airplane.
We decided to rent a car in Paris. We were going to be spending a few days in Disneyland, so we wanted to have the ease of travelling with a car instead of taking a bunch of trains with the kids. In hindsight, it would've have been so bad. The down side about renting a car in a major European city is that parking is usually hard to come by. We mostly walked and took Ubers in the city.
In Paris, we stayed at a beautiful Airbnb close the Louvre and Le Marais. I booked it based on location and reviews. I try to book 'Guest Favourites' on the platform. Communication with the host is key too. You need to know things like the check-in instructions well in advance. It's also good to verify what type of access you'll have to get to the unit if you're bringing a stroller along. We love staying in 2-bedrooms when we travel, so that everyone has their space. It's also nice to have a kitchen, although we didn't use it in Paris. We had beautiful breakfasts downstairs and lunch and dinner on the go.
My favourite way to get around and explore a new city is on foot! With kids, this means I bring a stroller. It's actually quite convenient. Check it at the gate at the airport and hope it arrives at the gate on the other side - sometimes it will come out with the luggage. I like to place the stroller in a travel bag. We took our one-seat stroller (UppaBaby Vista) where my son sits and it has a stand for my daughter to ride along on. Another option with 2 kids is to take 2 umbrella strollers. And bringing a baby carrier is never a bad idea!
There's so much to do and see in Paris that you really just have to pick your favourites. Your trip will look different for anyone else's based on interests. Some visitors might just want to go shopping. Others are there for the museums and art galleries. Many go just to eat, which is fair enough! Whatever you want to do, it will be beautiful. Also, keep in mind that many things, like going up the Eiffel Tower, require prior booking.
For museums, we chose to visit the Louvre and the Musee D'Orsay. They were busy, as expected, so both visits were relatively quick - you see what you can with kids! We walked to both and then walked to Champs-Elysees to have lunch at L'Entrecôte de Paris. Along the way we found a typical Parisian carousel in Jardin des Tuileries and stopped for a few rounds.
As for the iconic Eiffel Tower, we did not ascend it. Instead, we arranged a family photoshoot at Trocadero, where the tower appeared in the background. It was beautiful! We decided to visit Le Sacre-Coeur Basilica. I just love visiting old beautiful churches (or any type of place of worship for that matter). The inside is as gorgeous as the outside. There's a free train that you can ride around the area. TIP: avoid eating in the area, the restaurants next to the basilica are tourist traps and although we found the service friendly, the food was of poor quality.
I went on a solo momma escape to Le Marais for a little shopping and lunch date with an old friend. Le Marais is famous for its chic boutiques, charming and narrow cobblestone streets, and trendy bistros. It's the perfect neighbourhood to spend a day walking around in, if shopping and snacking is your thing. And if you love macarons, you have to stop by Pierre Herme.
After a few days in Paris, we drove to our hotel in Chessy, where Disneyland Paris is located. It's about an hour away from the city, depending on traffic and where you start the journey from. The train from Paris to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy (Disneyland) is about 40 minutes and is pretty easy to navigate. The station at Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy is at the eastern end of Paris’ suburban line RER-A which links directly into the centre of Paris. Trains run every 10 to 15 minutes. You can buy tickets at the station before boarding the train.
We stayed at the Marriott's Village at d'ile-de-France. It's not an official Disneyland hotel, but it does have a regular shuttle that runs to and from the parks. What we loved about this hotel is that it is all suites. We stayed in a 2-bedroom townhouse that was very comfortable. I feel like the Marriott is consistently good quality across the world. The food at the hotel restaurants wasn't bad. The hotel had several outdoor playgrounds, an arcade and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
We bought 2 single day passes for Disneyland Paris with the idea that we would visit Disneyland one day and Disney Studios the second. We went at the beginning of September and it was pretty busy. The Disneyland app is definitely helpful when it comes to planing your day at the parks. It will show you what the wait times are for the rides. We always chose our next ride based on it. Normally, we didn't have to wait longer than 30 minutes for any ride. The app also enables you to book certain things in advance, like shows or character encounters. We booked our meeting with Spider-Man through the app and it was worth it! We just walked right through at our assigned time and met him right away. You can also purchase a fast pass for the day or for individual rides. We did this for one ride that was on our must-do list and the wait for it was consistently over an hour.
Disneyland rides not to be missed for kids 6 and under: It's a Small World, Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast, Ratatouille, Cars 4 Wheel Rally and Peter Pan. Careful taking little ones on Pirates of the Caribbean - the pirates are so realistic looking they may scare some kids, like my daughter. She was terrified! Two absolute musts when visiting Disneyland are the parade and the light show. For the parade, you have to get yourself a spot a good 10-15 minutes before it starts. I would try to catch it from where it starts, near 'It's a Small World'. It is dazzling! And the new light show where drones have replaced fireworks is spectacular. Go early.
A nice day trip from the Disneyland area is to Reims, the capital of the champagne region. It is just over an hour drive and around the same by train. Reims in a beautiful town rich in history and culture. It is also home to the world's best bubbly! I had visited Reims almost 10 years prior with a girlfriend as we toured France. On that occasion we went to the Moet & Chandon cellars for a tour. So on this visit, I thought it only fair to visit the cellars of Veuve Cliquot. We booked a guided tour that included a tasting. The kids were welcome and they quite enjoyed the whole experience. Apparently, lots of kids go on these tours with their families.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to France! Comment below with any questions.
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