One of the biggest concerns for families visiting Paris definitely seems to be about eating out at restaurants – and with good reason! The Paris dining scene has plenty of clichés – from pristine white tablecloths to refined multi-course meals that last for hours! While those clichés do ring true some of the time, there are plenty of laid back, family-friendly options out there … you just need to know how to choose! Here are some of my tried and true tips for eating out wit

About five or six years ago, we witnessed a mass migration of friends leaving Paris and moving to Brussels, attracted by the city’s high standard of living for bargain prices compared to Paris. The one upside of having so many loved ones choose to settle in Brussels is that we get to visit there quite often! Which is easy, because Brussels is a mere hour and 15 minute ride away, via the high-speed train Thalys ! This past month we had not one but TWO reasons to go visit the

I have a new goal of writing up some itinerary ideas for each city we visit – it’s a lofty ambition (for me:)), but it’s so hard to find family friendly plans online that it seems very worth it. AND with it being the end of the vacances scolaires , or two week school break that comes after each six week school session, I happen to have quite a few new cities to write up! We started this trip by heading to the south of France, in search of mild temperatures and sunshine. We k

Bruges is like a little fairytale city - each canal is more picturesque than the last, and each building with colorful bikes parked out front breaks the adorable-ometer just a bit more. I last visited Bruges about a decade ago, pre-kids, and I am happy to report that it is just as charming as ever and kid-friendly to boot! Quaint home in Bruges A mere hour train trip from Brussels, Bruges is a shoe-in for a quick day trip. Count about 30€ round trip for train tickets from Bru

Paris cuisine is known for many things – most notably wine, cheese and bread – but did you know Paris is also the home of some of the purest public water? One of the original water fountains in Paris Get ready for one of my favorite things about Paris – and a big euro saving tip! The Paris public water system, Eau de Paris, provides some of the best tap water in the world, and was even featured recently in Zak Efron’s documentary series on Netflix, ‘ Down to Earth .’ Parisian

I have some exciting news today – The Petit Guide has partnered with the Bilingual Nannies Agency in Paris to get you that dreamy night...

I am writing this from Houston, Texas, after successfully navigating all the hurdles to travel from France to the US! It feels great to...

Our Family-Friendly Favorites from Lyon, France Summer vacation is right around the corner here, and the pressing question everyone wants to know is ‘Where are you going ???’. This is a very important question in France, as families flee city life to find respite from the heat and routines of daily life at the beaches and in the mountains. Last summer, we decided to do a mini ‘Tour de France,’ visiting cities that had been on our travel list for a long time, but had never eke

A Proud Designer One of my favorite things is finding new, English language activities in Paris that are family friendly – nothing makes me happier than discovering that unique activity that will make your stay in Paris even more memorable for you and your kids. That’s why I am SO excited to share this new discovery with you! Last week, I had the opportunity to take a private leather working class and make a custom purse at the adorable Atelier Brune leather-working workshop

Hi! Spring is here in Paris, and with the French President’s announcement on how to progressively re-open France, I’m feeling the travel...

Who is in need of a staycation right about now??? One silver lining of the current travel restrictions is that we have more of a reason...

Today, I am excited to share a guest post from Nicolle Croft, a fellow Anglophone maman, author, tour guide and wine expert with over 30...

Hi! Today I am excited to share this guest post by Anne of Aquitaine Travel Guide, a fellow American maman here in France, and travel...

The Merits of… the French Countryside Vacation Next up on the list of vacations in France that are NOT Paris – the French countryside!...

We have officially said ‘au revoir’ to summer here in France – cold winds blew in, the forecast changed to constant rain and drizzle and...

This is one of my absolute favorite museums in Paris - an absolute must for any visit to the City of Light that lasts a couple days! Combining a varied and manageable collection in a gorgeous space, magnificent gardens and an on-site café, this is a great option for families. 'The Thinker' tucked into the sculpture garden The museum is housed in a 1700s mansion that was previously Rodin’s personal home and studio. He bequeathed it to the State near the end of his life, along

The Merits of… the French Beach Vacation We are back in Paris, and the summer is over –the ‘ rentrée ,’ or the mass return back to work and school after summer vacation, is in full swing. The weather coordinated perfectly with the end of vacation – starting September 1st, chilly fall weather blew in. Sweater weather is officially here! Over the summer, we were lucky enough to go on several vacations. After two months cooped up in a tiny Parisian apartment, cravings for the o

Rounding out the recommendations for the ever-pressing question “What are we going to do today in this cold weather?” is the newly re-opened Paris Modern Art Museum! I know, I know – that makes for a lot of museums. BUT this one is just such a great option for families , I just HAD to list it. This museum is a real gem, with over 15,000 works, representing the wealth of artistic creation from the last century or so. There are plenty of bright and graphic works , which tend t

Unleash your creativity with a kid-friendly cooking class, where you will learn French techniques and recipes that you can then recreate...

The local children’s museum, the Cité des Enfants , is a gem, and does not fail to delight kids from 0-12 years old. Especially in a city filled with so many ‘grown up’ museums, it is so refreshing and exciting for kids to be somewhere that touching and interacting is encouraged! The permanent exhibition at the Cité des Enfants is divided into two age groups – 2-7 years, and 5 – 12 years, with each section filled with age appropriate activities. Here’s the scoop: Permanent e