To Paris with kids: the most interesting places for little travelers

Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios parks

Disneyland is probably the most famous amusement park in the world, so it’s worth visiting first. Who among children does not dream of getting into the animated fairy tales and cartoons that have come to life?

The park is divided into two parts: Disneyland Park (in operation since 1992) and Walt Disney Studios Park (opened in 2002). Tickets are sold either to one park or to both parks at once. The legendary castle from the cartoon splash pages is located in the middle of Disneyland. There are five entertainment spaces: Adventureland, Fantasyland, Discoveryland, Frontierland and Main Street USA. There’s also a parade of heroes and a nighttime fireworks display over the central castle. The second park offers access to movie sets from different eras, learn the secrets of animation, and ride thrill rides. Allocate at least one day for each park, and it is convenient to stay overnight at one of the branded Disneyland hotels.

There are long lines in the parks, so it is better to come here in the off-season: fall and spring. With FastPass you can get to the attractions without queuing. Guests of Disneyland hotels have a pleasant bonus: the opportunity to enter the parks 1.5 hours before they open.

• The parks are open year-round from 10:00 am and close at different times, depending on the season and day of the week. For schedules and hotel rates, visit the park's website.
• The cheapest ticket to one park (weekdays, MINI fare) will cost from 62 € per adult, and a ticket to two parks 82 € and 87 € respectively. Buy tickets on the park’s website — there are often special offers there, especially when buying packages (hotel accommodation plus entrance to the park).
  
• You can get there from the airports by special Magicalshuttle bus, the trip will take an hour, check the schedule and prices on the website. From Paris take the RER, line A, to Marne-la-Vallée / Chessy station, and from there walk 3 minutes. From Ile-de-France station there are shuttle buses, tickets are available at RATP kiosks, see the schedule here.

Parc Astérix (Parc Astérix)

Asterix Park is located 35 km from Paris and is dedicated to the Asterix and Obelix comics. This family vacation park has 42 rides and 5 different shows per day.

It is considered that the park is no worse, and in many respects better than Disneyland. There is a lot of water entertainment, unusual roller coasters, beautiful landscaping with plenty of water and even its own dolphinarium, which has a great show with dolphins several times a day.

The ticket is slightly cheaper than Disneyland, the lines are smaller and you can sneak food — the park has special picnic tables.

• Due to the many water activities, the park is only open during the warm season, from April to September: from 10.00 to 18.00 (20.00). In the low season, the park is open on certain days, please check the website for the schedule.
  
• An adult ticket costs 51 € and a child ticket costs 48 €.

The park is located near the Charles de Gaulle airport.

1. A special shuttle runs from the airport every half hour from 9.00 until the park closes. The ticket costs 9 € for an adult and 8 € for a child.
2. There are two ways to get to the park from Paris: to Aéroport Charles de Gaulle 1 station and from there take a shuttle, or take a special bus from Palais-Royal — Louvre Museum metro station. Round-trip ticket price is 16—20 €, instructions on how to find the stop here.

Aquaboulevard parc aquatique (Aquaboulevard parc aquatique)

The Akvabulvar entertainment complex, occupying a 4-storey building, is considered to be the largest in Europe. In addition to the water park, there are many stores and restaurants, a cinema and a small botanical garden.

The water park consists of two parts: indoor and outdoor, with beaches and outdoor slides. There are various slides, pools, fountains and Jacuzzis, a special zone for children from 3 years old, and a huge hollow whale suspended in the air, the insides of which you can explore and then ride down. The whale model was designed by Jacques-Yves Cousteau himself. The list of attractions, rules and other information can be found on the website.

• The park is open on weekends, from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm.
  
• Adult ticket costs from 39 €, child ticket from 22 €, children under 3 years old are not allowed in the park. Evening rate (adults only): 20 €, entrance after 19.00.

You can get to the park by public transportation:

1. Metro: line 8 to Balar station or line 12 to Porte de Versailles Corentin Celton station
2. Take bus 39 (stop Louis Armand).
3. On streetcar 2 (stop Suzanne Lenglen Henri Farman).
4. Take the RER to Pont du Garigliano station.

Vincennes Zoo (Le zoo de Vincennes or Le Parc Zoologique de Paris)

The oldest park in Paris was completely rebuilt and renovated between 2008 and 2014. Now it is a space in which there are no cages and cages, and animals live in conditions close to the natural environment. The zoo includes 5 climatic biozones with unique flora and fauna: Europe, Madagascar, Patagonia, Guiana and Sahel-Sadan. Children will have fun here: in addition to watching the animals, you can have breakfast with a giraffe, ride ponies and camels, visit the observation deck with a view of the Vincennes Forest.

• Zoo website
• The mode of operation depends on the season: in winter the park is open from 10:00 to 17:00, in the warm season — from 9:30 to 18:00 or 20:30.
• An adult ticket costs 20 €, children 15 €.
• The easiest way to get to the zoo is from Porte Dorée station (M8): 8—10 minutes on foot. You can also take buses 86, 325 and 46 (Zoological Park stop) from Saint-Mandé station and Château de Vincennes station (M1). Buses 77, 201 and streetcar 3 (Porte Dorée stop) also take you to the zoo.

Jardin des Plantes and La Menagerie Zoo

The Botanical Gardens of Paris were founded back in the 17th century to grow medicinal plants for the king. Now it is a huge, beautifully decorated area, including greenhouses, winter garden, alpine garden, rose garden, green labyrinths, zoo, aquarium and several departments of the National Museum of Natural History. The zoo is small but very clean and pretty — more suitable for walking with little ones. You can see more details on the website.

• It is open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm, in winter until 5:30 pm, and the zoo from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm (depending on the season).
  
• The plant garden is free to enter, while children’s and adult tickets to the zoo cost €5 and €7 respectively.
• The site can be reached on foot from the following metro and RER stations: Gare d’Austerlitz (M5, M10, RER C), Jussieu (M7, M10), Place Monge and Censier-Daubenton (M7), and by buses 24, 57, 61, 63, 67, 89, 91.

Jardin d’Acclimatation (Jardin d’Acclimatation)

In the Bois de Boulogne on the outskirts of Paris, the Aklimatasyon amusement park for children is open. The rides are simple but cute, more suitable for preschoolers. There is a water zone and a mini zoo. A small train runs through the park, playgrounds are arranged, peacocks and ducks walk freely, you can ride ponies and camels, have a snack. It is a very pleasant place for walking with children: families who have been there are delighted.

• Hours of operation: depending on the day of the week from 10:00 -11:00 to 18:00.
  
• Admission costs 5 € for adults and children from 3 years old. The list of attractions and their prices is here.
• The easiest way to get to the Bois de Boulogne is from the M1 Les Sablons metro station, a 150-meter walk. The park is also accessible by buses 43, 73, 82, 93, PC1, 174, 244.

Jardin des Tuileries and Jardin du Luxembourg

These two parks are located in the historical center of Paris — you can take a break from busy excursions. There are well-maintained lawns and flower beds, fountains, sculptures and pavilions, and playgrounds for children. In the warm season amusement parks are open, you can launch wooden boats into the local ponds. There are resting chairs everywhere, which can be moved to comfortable places.

• The Tuileries Garden can be reached from Tuileries (M1), Musée du Louvre (M7) and Concorde stations (M1, M12 and M8); the Luxembourg Gardens from Odeon, Notre-Dame-des-Champs or Cluny — La Sorbonne metro stations, from the RER B Luxembourg station.
• Admission to the parks is free.
  
• The parks are open daily from 7:00—7:30am-noon in the summer and until 5:30—7:30pm during the cold season.
  

City of Science and Technology (Cité des sciences et de l’industrie)

The City of Science and Technology is a complex of futuristic buildings in the huge green park of La Villette. It includes an amusement park, a museum, a movie theater, a planetarium and a real submarine that can be explored.

The museum is full of interactive exhibits that can be touched and tested, for example, to experience the state of weightlessness. The movie theater with a huge hemispherical screen fully immerses you in the events of movies, and you can fly on a real spaceship on the virtual attraction «Sinax».

Entertainment is more suitable for children from 7 to 12 years old, and for kids there are playgrounds in themed mini-parks: bamboo, mirrors, shadows, children’s fears, etc. In the park you can ride horses and a boat, visit the circus and theater.

• The park is open from 6:00 to 01:00. The park is open every day except Monday. The opening hours of the attractions depend on the season.
  
• Admission to the museum costs 12 € for an adult and 9 € for a child. Tickets to the children’s playground, which includes a visit to the submarine and movie theater, cost the same price. Other prices and the schedule of events can be found on the website.
  
• The easiest way to get there is on foot from two metro stations, Porte-de-la-Vilette and Porte-de-Pantin.

Paris has a huge number of parks, gardens and museums of interest to children. If you plan your visit well, you can have time to see a lot of interesting things and give your children a lot of fun.