Is Paris with kids worth it?
Yes, with two adjustments. Paris is a city of small distances and big parks, and a surprising amount of it is free for anyone under 18. It is also a city of stairs, narrow pavements and restaurants that don’t open for dinner until you would normally be running a bath.
Plan the days around the children’s clock, not the city’s, and most of the friction goes away.
What is free for kids in Paris?
More than you expect. National museums and monuments are free for visitors under 18, whatever their nationality. That covers the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay and the Château de Fontainebleau, among others. Young people from the European Union get in free until 26.
The adults still pay, and the big museums still want a time slot booked online, children included. Free does not mean walk in.
Some museums are free for everyone on the first Sunday of the month, among them the Musée Picasso and the Musée de Cluny. Expect everyone else to know that too.
The parks, the playgrounds and the quays cost nothing at all, which is the real advantage.
How do you get around Paris with kids?
On foot, mostly, and by metro when the legs give out.
- Under 4: free on the metro, RER, bus and tram, as long as they don’t take a seat of their own.
- Under 10: half price on a carnet of ten T+ tickets.
- Strollers: most metro stations have stairs and no lift. A light, foldable stroller beats a big one. The bus is easier, and you see the city.
Taxis are fine for the trip from the airport; ask for a car seat when you book, and check what is offered rather than assuming.
What are the best things to do in Paris with kids?
The best of Paris for children is outdoors, and most of it is free. A short list that works for most ages:
| Place | Why kids like it | Know before you go |
|---|---|---|
| Jardin du Luxembourg | A large playground, the puppet theatre and the toy sailboats on the pond. | The playground charges a small entry for children and adults. |
| Jardin des Plantes | The Grande Galerie de l’Évolution and its parade of animals, and the small zoo. | Galleries and zoo are ticketed separately. |
| Cité des sciences: Cité des enfants | Hands-on science spaces for ages 2 to 7 and 5 to 12. | 90-minute timed sessions. Book ahead in school holidays. |
| Jardin d’Acclimatation | A small amusement park in the Bois de Boulogne. | Rides are paid. Best on a dry day. |
| Eiffel Tower | It is the Eiffel Tower. | Book a timed ticket. Windy at the top. |
| A Seine boat | Sitting down while the city goes past. | Covered boats in cold weather. |
| Disneyland Paris | You know why. | About 40 minutes on the RER A to Marne-la-Vallée–Chessy. |
Opening hours and prices change. Check each place’s own site the week before you go.
When is the best time to visit Paris with kids?
Outside the French school holidays, if you can. The Paris area is in zone C, and in 2027 its holidays are:
- Winter: Saturday 6 February to Monday 22 February 2027.
- Spring: Saturday 3 April to Monday 19 April 2027.
- Ascension bridge: no school on Friday 7 May 2027, so expect a long weekend crowd.
Those are the weeks the Cité des enfants sells out and the playgrounds are full. Late May and June have long evenings and fewer local families on holiday. August is quiet in a different way: a lot of Paris has closed and gone to the coast.
For the light, the weather and the holidays that close things, see Paris in spring and Paris in December.
How do restaurants in Paris work with kids?
The French eat dinner around 8, children included, and many restaurants don’t serve before 7. The way through is the goûter, the 4 pm snack: bread and chocolate, a pastry or fruit, and nobody arrives at dinner hungry and furious.
Brasseries and cafés serve all day and many have a menu enfant. The idea that there is a separate children’s menu for everything is American; in France children mostly eat what the adults eat, in smaller portions.
Lunch is the easier sit-down meal. It is also the one most Paris restaurants do best.
Questions, answered
Is Paris good for kids?
Yes. The parks, playgrounds and quays are free, national museums are free under 18, and distances are short. Plan for stairs in the metro and a late dinner hour.
Are museums free for kids in Paris?
National museums and monuments, including the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay, are free for visitors under 18. You still book a time slot.
Do kids pay on the Paris metro?
Children under 4 ride free if they don’t take a seat. Children under 10 pay half price on a carnet of ten T+ tickets.
What age is the Cité des enfants for?
It has spaces for children aged 2 to 7 and 5 to 12, in 90-minute sessions.
When are the French school holidays in 2027?
For Paris (zone C): winter holidays 6 to 22 February 2027 and spring holidays 3 to 19 April 2027.
Is a stroller a good idea in Paris?
A light, foldable one. Most metro stations have stairs and no lift; buses are easier.
Sources
- Paris je t’aime (Paris tourist office): free admission to national museums and monuments for under-18s; first-Sunday free days at some museums; transport free for children under 4. parisjetaime.com
- RATP: children under 4 travel free without their own seat; under 10 pay 50% on carnets of ten T+ tickets. ratp.fr
- Onisep: 2026–2027 school holiday calendar, zone C winter and spring dates, and no school on Friday 7 May 2027. onisep.fr
- Snippets of Paris: Cité des enfants age groups (0–2, 2–7, 5–12), 90-minute sessions, booking in peak periods. snippetsofparis.com
Verified October 2026.
