This is THE question I get asked the most frequently… and I cannot really help you with it!
UPDATE! I just wrote a more thorough post on where to stay in Paris with kids over on the Kid&Coe blog - check it out for more detailed info!
Here’s why:
Well… There are hundreds of hotels in Paris – it is one, if not THE, most visited city in the world. While there are tons of hotels, in general, they are much smaller than in the US for instance. They maybe have 20 rooms, and maybe one of those is appropriate for families. Those rooms get booked very quickly. Same goes for apartment rentals – there are so many to choose from!
Then you throw in everyone’s different constraints – number of people, dates, budget, neighborhood preferences…
It is so time consuming to go through and see what is available when, and then who knows if the person will even like them!
Although I would love to have a magic solution for recommending specific spots, there isn’t one. It is time consuming to find the perfect spot!
What I CAN say about choosing a hotel is this:
I recommend staying in arrondissements 1-7, anywhere near the river, and a metro stop or 2. My personal favorite neighborhoods are the 6th arrondissement, near the Luxembourg Gardens, or the 1st arrondissement around the Palais Royal Gardens / Louvre / Tuileries Gardens. Both those areas are very central, with good parks for kids, and plenty of public transportation options.
When looking for a hotel for our family, I always start on www.booking.com. This is the most efficient way I have found to get a shortlist of options. There are tons of filters, and you’ll be able to find hotels that have availability during your dates for your party size, and have any other ‘musts’ you need (hello, AC in summer!). Once you narrow down which hotels have rooms that will accommodate your group, head to the hotel’s direct website. I personally trust booking directly more than through a 3rd party, AND they will sometimes have much better rates, or other perks, when you book directly.
For apartment rentals like AirBnB, it’s the same drill. Set up all your filters, and zero in on what is available in your neighborhoods of choice.
If you use my travel planning services, I am happy to look over your list of potential hotels / AirBnBs and tell you my thoughts on them.
Have you stayed somewhere you loved with your family??? Feel free to share the name below - maybe you can help someone out with a great lead!