Paris with Teens: A Stress Free 3 Day Itinerary for Families

Traveling with teens can feel overwhelming in big cities like Paris. This Paris with teens itinerary keeps things simple, walkable and flexible.

Each member of our family chose one sight that we wanted to see and built that into our daily schedule. We had plenty of unplanned stops in at delicious patisseries each day.

Where to Stay: Central Paris location

• We chose the 5th arrondisement for its walkability and proximity to lots of family-friendly neighborhood bistros.
• We loved the Hotel Les Dames du Pantheon. We used points from Chase Ultimate Rewards to book for $0.
• How to Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt
• Check out other Hotels and Rentals in the 5th Arrondisement

Day 1: Arrival + Montmartre + Local Bistro Dinner

We took the Eurostar from London to Paris, so we got into Paris with a full afternoon ahead of us. We checked into our hotel and then headed on the metro over to Montmartre. I was inspired after having recently rewatched one of my favorite movies, Amelie.

We used points to pay $0 on Eurostar tickets by using this card.

Montmartre

• One of the best things we did was climb the tower to the Dome of the Basilica de Sacre-Coure, where we got 360 degree views of the city.
• We did a self-guided tour, but there are plenty of recommended walking tours in Montmartre that you can book.
• We strolled through some of the side streets and did some great shopping. My husband and I got new sweaters and my daughter got a great Paris purse.
• We stopped in at a cafe and got drinks before heading back to our hotel for some downtime. We find that our teen and tween are happier with lots of food stops and time to decompress.

Bistro Dinner

• Back in the 5th Arrondisement, we walked over to the Place de la Contrescarpe, where we found lots of great local bistros serving steak frites, burgers and classic French desserts. These were our top food options for our teen and tween throughout the trip.
• One of our favorite family traditions is to play card games after we order while we wait for our food. It keeps everyone’s phone away and is fun family bonding. Check out our current favorite card games.

Day 2: Great Mosque of Paris + Eiffel Tower + Bistro Dinner

Great Mosque of Paris

• One of my favorite places in Paris is the hidden gem, the Great Mosque of Paris. It’s a great spot to stop on the way to another activity.
• Explore the beautiful gardens
• Stop in the cafe for tea, hot chocolate and sweet treats. They also have a great restaurant for lunch.

Eiffel Tower

• We booked tickets to the top – reserve Eiffel Tower Entry Tickets with Summit Access here.
• We timed it so that we got there in the daytime, saw sunset at the top and got to see it lit up. The Eiffel Tower is a major tourist destination but we did not think it was overrated.
• This was our teenage daughter’s favorite part of the trip.

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Bistro Dinner: Académie de la bière

For our second bistro dinner, we headed over to Académie de la bière, where they have a great selection of Belgian beers, mussels and of course, steak frite, burgers and French desserts.

Day 3: Boulangerie Breakfast + Louvre Museum

Boulangerie Breakfast – La Boulangerie Moderne

• We actually went to this boulangerie every morning of our trip. It was right behind our hotel and everything was so delicious that we had to make it a daily stop. Fun fact – it is the same boulangerie that is featured in Emily in Paris.

Louvre Museum Paris

• We walked from our hotel to the museum, which was a beautiful walk through central Paris that took about 30 minutes.
• We did a guided tour of the Louvre, which was a great way to see the Mona Lisa (not worth it in my opinion) and a few other highlights vs spending the whole day there. I think I would have preferred the Museum d’Orsay and I wish I had known that Many Museums are Free for Under 18s.

What Made This 3 Day Paris with Teens Itinerary Easy:

• No over planning – we chose one main stop each day and built others in if we had time or felt up for it.
• Stopping by patisseries for snacks throughout the day.
• Casual, local meals where everyone could get food they wanted.
• Walking instead of commuting – we saw so much more of Paris this way
• Taking the metro for father distances and letting our kids be the ones to navigate. They felt independent and it helped to build life skills.
• Teens had choice and downtime every day.

Check out more teen-friendly travel ideas on my Instagram.