Once you have climbed the Eiffel Tower and visited the other ‘don’t miss’ attractions, Melanie Dakin has some suggestions for child-friendly itineraries that are off the beaten track.

Places to Visit

Musée de la Poupée Impasse Berthaud
22, rue Beaubourg
www.museedelapoupeeparis.com
Metro: Rambuteau
In a quiet street opposite the Pompidou Centre, this fascinating little museum features dolls and their accessories with exquisite miniature furniture. Dolls’ hospital next door.

Musée de la Magie
11, rue Saint-Paul
www.museedelamagie.com
Metro: St Paul
Pictures that move, optical illusions, slight of hand show and the latest addition, a room full of ingenious, push button automata.

Les Etoiles du Rex
1 Boulevard Poissonnière
www.legrandrex.com
Metro: Bonne Nouvelle
Art deco cinema with leather seats in a mock cityscape. Plus an interactive behind-the-scenes cinema show that knocks spots off Disney. Note: all films are dubbed into French.

Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie
30, avenue Corentin-Cariou
Tel +33 (0)1 40 05 70 00
www.cite-sciences.fr
Metro: Porte de la Villette
This vast undercover scientific city lives up to its name with experiments for the very young (separate sections for 3-5 and 5-12 year olds) and their older siblings and parents.

CinéAqua Trocadéro
2, avenue Nations Unies
Tel +33 (0)1 40 69 23 23
www.cineaqua.com
Metro: Trocadéro
Cinema-themed aquarium. Part of the London Aquarium group.

Grande Galerie de l’Evolution
Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle
Jardin des Plantes
Tel +33 (0)1 4079 5479
www.mnhn.fr
Metro: Jussieu
In the heart of the Botanical Gardens, a state of the art taxidermy of animal species. Don’t miss the carousel, made up of extinct animals (dodo etc) in the gardens.

Festivals/Holiday Celebrations

January New Year's Day Parade
June Fete de la Musique
www.fetedelamusique.culture.com/fr
July 14 Bastille Day Features a procession, fireworks and neighbourhood celebrations.
July Tour de France www.letour.fr Join the throngs receiving samples and gifts as the pre-race cavalcade passes through the city.
Summer Paris Plage: The banks of the Seine are transformed into a seaside paradise.
November Illuminations More sophisticated than Blackpool.

Insider’s Tips

Don’t miss out on a traditional marionnette show. Try Le Guignol de Paris (Weds and weekends 3.30pm) in le Parc des Buttes Chaumont (Metro: Buttes-Chaumont).

Fabulous interactive workshops (Atelier Jeunes Talents) are run twice daily (11am and 4pm) in the basement of the Pompidou Centre. www.centrepompidou.fr

Check Pariscope for listings and temporary shows. There is also a good children’s section in Libération on Wed. (Both of the above are only available in French.)

Eating out

Hippopotamus
Child-friendly chain with branches on the Champs-Elysées and Boulevard Beaumarchais.

Partie de Campagne
36, cour Saint-Emilion,
Bercy Village
Tel +33 (0)1 43 40 44 11
A great creperie where you can watch the birds fluttering above your head.

L'Atelier Renault
53, avenue des Champs- Elysées
Metro: Franklin D. Roosevelt
Tel +33 (0)1 49 53 70 70
Chic restaurant in the former car factory has TV screens showing sport.

L'Appart
9, rue du Colisée,
Tel +33 (0)1 53 75 42 00
Highlight is Sunday brunch with cake making workshops at 1pm and 2pm. Booking essential.

Le Jardin d'Acclimatation
Pavillon des Oiseaux
Tel +33 (0)1 45 02 11 61
Cheery restaurant at the heart of Paris' great park.

Mosquée de Paris Tearoom
2 bis place du puits de l'Ermite
Metro: Jussieu
Refuel here with mint tea and baklava after the Natural History museum (the mosque is opp the Botanical Gardens). Beautiful mosaics, fountain, peaceful courtyard with birds.

Berthillon Glacier
31 rue St-Louis en l'Île
Paris’ famous ice cream parlour on the Ile st Louis.

Shopping

Au Nain Bleu
5, Boulevard Malesherbes,
8th arrondissement
www.aunainbleu.com
Lovely pocket-money priced wooden toys, a wide range of French puppets and soft toys.

Passage Jouffroy across Boulevard Montmartre is a great destination for dolls' house lovers at www.joujoux.com and Pain D'epices featuring a complete array of dolls' house accoutrements.

Passage des Princes, at the top of rue de Richelieu, is a children's retail paradise with hairdressers, model shops, a babywear shop and a kids' club.

Bercy Village Former wine warehouses converted into artisan shops including Nature et Decouvertes (www.natureetdecouvertes.com) environment-friendly books, games, toys and clothing.

Getting around

The best way to get about is by Metro – buy a block of family tickets. Get your bearings on a sightseeing bus trip: www.carsrouges.com or board a boat near the Eiffel tower for a trip down the Seine: www.bateauxparisiens.com.

Where to Stay

Normandy Hotel ****
7, rue de l'Echelle
75001
www.leshotelsdeparis.fr
Tel +33 (0)1 42 60 30 21
Smart, chic,central.

Hotel des Arts
7 Cite Bergere,
75009
www.arts-hotel-paris.com
Tel +33 (0) 01 46 06 30 52
The posters on the stairwells will delight children at this quiet Montmartre set up. Reasonable prices.

Novotel
www.novotel.com
France's great child-friendly chain offering welcome packs, free breakfast and accommodation for children, plus kids meals and recreation areas.

Aparthotels Citadines
www.citadines.com/fr
Serviced apartments good for larger families.

Camping du Bois de Boulogne
2, allée du Bord de l'Eau 75016
Tel +33 (0)1 45 24 30 00
www.campingparis.fr

Getting there

A standard return journey on Eurostar in
July for four people starts from £227.
www.eurostar.com
www.britishairways.com
www.airfrance.com
www.parisinfo.com