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Get stuffed: Galerie de l'Evolution

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Paris for families
Pony rides and merry-go-rounds are among the star attractions for petits visitors

Disneyland aside, there is no shortage of activities to keep les enfants amused. Many attractions are in, or linked to, the city’s green spaces. The enchanting botanical garden Jardin des Plantes, is home to a veritable Noah’s Ark of animals, both live and stuffed. The Grande Galerie de l’Evolution is as close to ‘Night at the Museum’ as you’ll get. On the first floor of the nineteenth-century, iron-roofed structure, an impressive line-up of stuffed African wildlife – elephants, giraffes, plus Louis XV’s pet rhino – is on parade. The park’s small zoo (formerly the royal menagerie) includes a red panda.

More creatures great and small reside at the zoo in the Bois de Vincennes, the city’s biggest park, which contains a boating lake and numerous other attractions including a butterfly garden and a huge adventure playground with slides, swings and climbing frames. When exhaustion sets in, take a ride on the miniature train (€1.50), which tours the zoo.
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The bourgeoisie congregate on Sundays in the Jardin du Luxembourg, a charming park with plenty of activities, including an old-fashioned merry-go-round, pony rides, and toy boats. Be warned, though – even the playground incurs an entrance charge. Also popular is the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in the more down-at-heel north east. A former quarry, its landscape of cliffs, waterfalls and a huge lake is great for older children (and adults) to explore; younger siblings might prefer the puppet shows, pony rides and swings.

The entrance fees at the new audio-visual aquarium, Cinéaqua, beneath the Trocadéro gardens, may make your eyes water, but the 11-metre, 2.2 million litre transparent tunnel, housing blue-spotted stingrays, giant guitarfish and nurse sharks is a stunning centrepiece, and there are three animation cinemas. Even if you don’t visit the museum, it’s worth trekking up to the Troc for the panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower. Popular with petit Parisians, the Musée de la Magie, in the vaulted cellar of an old Marais house, exudes a delightful air of mystery. Curiosities include a hall of mirrors plus a 20-minute magic show every half-hour.

Where to eat
Despite the plus haute of the haute cuisine, children are made welcome at most cafés and restaurants. The thrill of eating in the Eiffel Tower should compensate for any shortcomings of the food at Altitude 95, which, although pricey (lunch menu €22.50), allows you to jump the tourist queue. Fabled ice-cream parlour Berthillon on the Ile St-Louis is justifiably famous for its traditionally made confections, but little ones may wilt in the queue. Bright and modern Scoop, behind the Louvre, is an excellent alternative, serving healthy wraps, soups and savoury tarts as well as the cold sweet stuff.

Where to sleep
With 16 locations – including one on the Seine in St-Germain and one near the Eiffel Tower – Citadines Aparthotel offers families a fuss-free, modern environment with concierge, cleaners, and a well-equipped kitchen. Accommodation ranges from small studios to spacious two-bedroom flats. Many properties can provide baby equipment such as highchairs and cots. A breath of fresh air in the heart of the Latin Quarter, the country-style Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles is set in a leafy garden. A babysitting service is available and you can get an extra bed for a €20 supplement.

Addresses
Altitude 95 1st level, Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, 7th (00 33 1 45 55 20 04/www.tour-eiffel.fr) Métro Bir-Hakeim. Open daily 12noon-2.30pm, 7pm-9pm.

Cinéaqua 2 av des Nations Unies, 16th (00 33 1 40 69 23 23/www.cineaqua.com) Métro Trocadéro. Open daily 10am-8pm. Admission €19.50, €15 students, €12 under-12s, free under-3s.

Citadines Aparthotel Reservations (0800 376 3898/00 33 1 41 05 79 79/www.citadines.com) Studios from €110.

Hôtel des Grandes Ecoles 75 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine, 5th (00 33 1 43 26 79 23/www.hotel-grandes-ecoles.com) Métro Cardinal Lemoine. Doubles from €110.

Jardin du Luxembourg Pl Auguste-Comte, Pl Edmond-Rostand or rue de Vaugirard, 6th (01 42 34 23 89/www.senat.fr/visite) Métro Odeon or RER Luxembourg. Open Summer 8am-dusk daily. Winter 9am-dusk daily.

Parc des Buttes-Chaumont Rue Botzaris, rue Manin, 19th. Métro Buttes Chaumont. Open daily Oct-Apr 7am-8.15pm; May, Mid Aug-end Sept 7am-9.15pm; June-mid Aug 7am-10.15pm.

Parc Zoologique de Paris 53 av de St-Maurice, 12th (00 33 1 44 75 20 00/www.mnhn.fr) Métro Porte Dorée. Open (summer) Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun & bank hols 9am-6.30pm; (Winter) Mon-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun & bank hols 9am-5.30pm. Adm €5, free under-4s.

Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle 36 rue Geoffroy-St-Hilaire, 8 rue Bouffon, 57 rue Cuvier, pl Valhubert, 5th (00 33 1 40 79 54 79/www.mnhn.fr) Métro Gare d’Austerlitz or Jussieu. Open Mon, Wed-Fri, Sun 10am-6pm (last admission 5.15pm), Sat 10am-8pm. Admission

Grande Galerie de l’Evolution €8, €6 under-13s, free under-4s. Galeries de Paléontologie et d’Anatomie Comparée or Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie. €6, €4 under-13s, free under-4s.

Musée de la Magie 11 rue Saint-Paul, 4th (00 33 1 42 72 13 26/www.museedelamagie.com) Métro St-Paul. Open 2-7pm Wed, Sat, Sun (longer during school hols). Adm €7, €5 under-12s.

Scoop 154 rue St-Honoré, 1st (00 33 1 42 60 31 84/www.scoopcafe.com) Métro Palais Royal Musée du Louvre. Open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm, Sun 12noon-7pm.

For the full guide visit our Paris site