Gone with the Family

Visiting the Louvre with Kids

The Musée du Louvre is a landmark in Paris and at more than 650,000 square feet is one of the largest, and busiest, museums in the world.  There are more than 35,000 objects exhibited in the museum and it is said that it would take a visitor up to 9 months to see them all. Visiting a museum such as the Louvre with kids may seem like a daunting proposition but a successful visit is possible. 

Phantom Manor at Disneyland Paris

While visiting Paris for spring break we took the train to Disneyland and had a great day checking out the unique attractions and comparing the parks to Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. 

One of the attractions that Katie and I enjoyed the most was Phantom Manor. It's similar to Haunted Mansion at Disney World but there are enough differences to make it interesting to contrast the two.

Visiting The Palace Of Versailles With Kids

On a recent trip to Paris, our family (including my 15 and 8 year old daughters) took the train to the suburbs to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Château de Versailles.  I had first planned to visit Versailles on a trip to Paris in 1995 but a strike by museum workers foiled my plans and I had to wait nearly 17 years for another opportunity.

A Tribute to Storytelling at Disneyland Paris

If there is one thing that Disney excels at it's telling a compelling story.  Whether it's putting a new twist on an old classic or weaving an original tale there is a special magic in the storytelling that Disney brings to life on screen.  On a recent family visit to Disneyland Paris, we enjoyed the park's tribute to this rich tradition of storytelling.

Love Locks On A Parisian Bridge

On our recent trip to Paris, we saw famous landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe, viewed masterpieces like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo, walked the Champs Élysée and cruised the Seine but I imagine that one of the sights that made the biggest impression on my kids was seeing bridges covered with padlocks.

Big Thunder Mountain At Disneyland Paris

The theme for Disney (Almost) Wordless Wednesday this week is Disney Weenies.  I had no idea what that meant but it turns out that Walt Disney and his team of imagineers coined the phrase "Weenies" for the iconic structures which are focal points in each of the parks or lands. 

Paris With Kids? Mais, Bien Sûr

This past March, our family spent 9 days of our spring break exploring the City of Light.  Leading up to that vacation, I was asked many times where we were going for the break and when I answered “Paris” the reaction was invariably the same – complete and utter surprise that we were taking our children to Paris.  It had never occurred to me that I shouldn’t take my kids to Paris, however, it seemed quite clear that there are a lot of people who don’t think of the city as a child-friendly vacation destination.

Casey Jr. at Disneyland Paris

The theme for Disney (Almost) Wordless Wednesday this week is transportation which lends itself to a lot of possibilities.  There are cruise ships, monorails, safari vehicles, jungle boats, horse drawn trolleys, and even flying elephants and magic carpets but the most memorable ride our family has had at Disney was on Casey Jr. at Disneyland Paris. 

The Village des Bories in Gordes

The Village des Bories, located a short distance outside the trendy Luberon hill town of Gordes, was one of the more unique places we visited while vacationing in Provence.  

Paris With Kids - Balance My Life

My article this month at Balance My Life is about our recent family trip to Paris.  In the weeks leading up to our vacation, I discovered that most people were surprised that we were taking Katie and Emma to Paris as they didn't think of it as a likely place for a family holiday. In my view, however, Paris is a wonderful place to take the kids and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.  Some of our favourite activities included visiting both Luxembourg and Tuileries gardens; cruising on the Seine; visiting museums like the Musée d'Orsay, the Musée Rodin, and the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa; and seeing landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame Cathedral.  We even made day trips out of the city to Versailles, Disneyland Paris, Normandy and to Geneva, Switzerland.  There is so much to do in Paris and the city is so lovely that it left us longing to return for more.

 

RELATED LINK:

Paris With Kids? Mais, Bien Sûr! 

 

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