A girl taking a selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower

Things to do in Paris With Teens

Eye-rolling teenagers everywhere will tell you, with utter conviction, that there are few things in life more embarrassing than going on vacation with mum and dad. Here’s your chance to prove them wrong in one of the world’s greatest cities, with our guide to the best things to do in Paris with teens. Demonstrate your cool credentials and wow your progeny with ideas that include selfies at the Sacré-Cœur, rollercoaster rides, spooky subterranean skeletons and more.

Instagram Inspiration

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Of course, your little darlings will be keen to document every moment of their Paris adventure online. And why not? Many literary and artistic greats have been seduced by the city’s beauty down the centuries, and your kids will likely be no exception.

A selfie in front of the Mona Lisa should be considered essential. But be warned: the Louvre’s vast network of galleries and buildings makes for a fair bit of hiking from one major exhibit to the next. Planning your visit carefully and making a list of must-sees before you arrive may help mitigate any family arguments once you’re inside.

Photo opportunities abound on a climb up the 674 steps to the viewing platform on the Eiffel Tower’s second floor. During the ascent, intrepid teens with a head for heights can step out onto the first level’s – gulp – transparent floor, 58 meters above the forecourt. Better still, kids over 12 can make the climb without parental supervision, meaning that, while they wear themselves out trying to bag the best selfie, you can get started on your picnic of cheese and wine on the sprawling lawns of Champs de Mars far below.

Tick off some of Paris’s other great views. The Ballon de Paris Generali is a lot of fun: this tethered helium balloon rises a whopping 150 meters over the Parc André-Citroën. Montparnasse Tower goes even higher at 200 meters (by elevator), while the climb to the top of iconic Paris landmark the Arc de Triomphe is a relatively exhausting 284 steps, but does benefit from being on the famous Champs-Élysées boulevard, for a bit of light window-shopping and some decadent Ladurée macarons afterwards.

Museums and Art

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Paris has a plethora of fine museums and galleries to keep teens entertained. Many, including big hitters like the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay offer free entry for under 18s. Centre Pompidou is a cultural mecca with cool ‘inside-out’ architecture; its colorful exposed pipework and air ducts making it something of a work of art in itself. There’s an entire floor dedicated to kids, including workshops, interactive exhibits and bags more hands-on fun. Workshops for teens don’t require parental supervision, leaving you free to explore the center’s vast collection of modern art, from Picasso to Pollock.

Play hide and seek among the box hedges, statues and ornamental pools in the Rodin Museum’s seven-acre sculpture garden and visit Europe’s biggest science museum in Parc de la Villette, where the Cité des Sciences (CSI) counts a planetarium, an IMAX theater, and even a submarine among its myriad attractions. Or, if your offspring roll their eyes dramatically at the very idea of enduring all that boring old stuff from the past, rent some Vélib bicycles instead, and take them on a self-guided tour of eye-popping contemporary Paris street art around the Oberkampf neighborhood, La Villette canal and Montmartre. They’ll thank you for the additional Instagrammable photo opportunities, if not the mild physical exertion required to get there.

Teen-Friendly Tours

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Bike isn’t the only fun way to see Paris though. Guided Segway tours are a great way to tick off some of the city’s big attractions with minimal effort. There are short tours, long tours, day tours, night tours, every kind of tour! All you need to bring with you is a reasonable sense of balance and in no time at all you’ll be whizzing to the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and beautiful Pont Alexandre III with its soaring arch and Art Deco lanterns. Teens are permitted to ride if joined on the tour by their parents.

Creepy and very cool – the perfect combination for any self-respecting teenager – the Paris Catacombs are an underground network of tunnels and caverns used to store the mortal remains of some six million or so Parisians, displaced from the city’s cemeteries in the 18th and 19th centuries. Kids will love this bone-chilling subterranean adventure, where wall-to-wall skulls and bones are stacked neatly from floor to ceiling. There’s a 1.5-kilometer circular route through this macabre ossuary: just about the right length for fidgeting teens before boredom starts to set in.

Shopping and Entertainment

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Even the most apathetic teenager will struggle to feign immunity to the charms of a themed rollercoaster ride for long. Good news! Both Disneyland Paris and Parc Astérix are easily reached from central Paris, with trains taking less than an hour.

Teens can also take to the skies on a jetpack adventure with Flyview Paris. This thrill-a-second VR experience mimics the real-life sensations of jetpack flying and takes you on a dizzying flight over major landmarks including the Notre-Dame Cathedral, Eiffel Tower and more.

Back on terra firma, take them shopping for unique souvenirs in the atmospheric cobbled streets of the Marais and Montmartre districts. Here’s where you’ll find independent boutiques selling vintage fashions, old-fashioned sweets, handmade artisan crafts and jewelry, and much more. The cute funicular that carries foot-weary passengers up the hill to the top of Montmartre will melt all but the hardest of teenage hearts. After grabbing a chocolate crêpe – and, naturally, a selfie or ten in front of the Sacré-Cœur – head round the back of the basilica to the Place du Tertre, a traditional Parisian square that’s teeming with local artists who’ll be delighted to provide your kids with a souvenir they’ll treasure forever: a one-of-a-kind portrait or caricature of themselves. Who knows, they might – just might – even crack a smile for the occasion.

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Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
Freelance travel writer

Stu caught the travel bug at an early age, thanks to childhood road trips to the south of France squeezed into the back of a Ford Cortina with two brothers and a Sony Walkman. Now a freelance writer living on the Norfolk coast, Stu has produced content for travel giants including Frommer’s, British Airways, Expedia, Mr & Mrs Smith, and now Go City. His most memorable travel experiences include drinking kava with the locals in Fiji and pranging a taxi driver’s car in the Honduran capital.

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Moulin Rouge
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Things to do in Paris For Adults

Paris is a veritable playground for grown-ups. There are literally hundreds of museums and art galleries to explore, plus superb shopping – from high-end brands on the magnificent Champs Élysées to haggling for antiques and knick-knacks in the world’s biggest flea market. There’s top-flight entertainment too (spot of Paris burlesque, anyone?), not to mention some of the best gourmet dining on the planet. Dive in to discover our pick of the 10 best things to do in Paris for adults. Dine in the Eiffel Tower There are surely few things in life more decadent – or romantic – than having dinner halfway up the Eiffel Tower, as the sun sets and lights begin to twinkle in the city streets far below. Eating out at Le Jules Verne doesn’t come cheap, with the five-course tasting menu starting at north of €200. But what price delicious French cuisine from a Michelin-star-awarded chef? Pair your dishes with wines hand-picked by the restaurant’s master sommeliers for a meal you’ll never forget... unless of course you accidentally finish the bottle. See Some Great Art A short stroll through the leafy Jardin des Tuileries from its more famous (and much bigger) neighbor the Louvre, the Musée de l'Orangerie is a relatively diminutive but no less enticing treasure trove for art lovers, perhaps best known for its collection of eight of Monet’s Water Lilies paintings. Here on the banks of the Seine, fans of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism will find much to admire, with many fine masterpieces from Picasso, Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, Modigliani and more. Shop til You Drop Love to shop? You’ve come to the right place! Head to the Champs-Élysées if you want to give your wallet a real workout. Here, brands including Louis Vuitton, Tiffany, Apple and Chanel all but guarantee you’ll get a panicked call from your credit card company before the day’s out. Paris’s historic covered passages invite you to browse antique stores, independent boutiques, artisan jewelers and much more beneath amazing glass canopies. Or, if it’s knick-knacks, vintage fashions and old vinyl records that float your boat, put on your haggling hat and make for the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, only the biggest flea market on the entire planet. Go Wine-Tasting Back in the 18th Century, France’s King Louis XV was reviled by his subjects for his flamboyant overspending, which included the establishment of a discrete network of caves and tunnels beneath the streets of Paris, in which to store his wine. Today, you can reap the benefits in these atmospheric royal cellars at Les Caves du Louvre, where a fascinating tour concludes with a tasting experience of three different French wines. Santé! Take to the Skies Soar high above the city on a ride aboard the Ballon de Paris Generali, a huge tethered helium balloon that rises 150 meters above the Parc André-Citroën, affording panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Sacré-Cœur Basilica and more. Or make a day of it on an amazing hot-air balloon experience just outside of Paris. This flight takes you high above the undulating French countryside for a bird’s eye view of its lush woodlands, picturesque villages and grand chateaux. You can even upgrade to include dinner and champagne if you’re feeling particularly decadent. Unwind at the Spa Do as the Parisiens do and make for the Latin Quarter’s exquisite Mosquée de Paris, where the beautiful byzantine-style hammam with its gurgling fountain and inviting steam room provides an idyllic setting for an vigorous exfoliation treatment or massage. Pro-tip: sip a mint tea afterwards in the leafy courtyard to complete your journey to the state of pure zen. Big spenders can also pamper to within an inch of their lives at luxury spa facilities in the likes of chic Maison Sisley, just off the Champs-Élysées, and the spa at La Réserve Paris, one of the city’s most luxurious hotels. Buy Macarons at Ladurée The modern ‘Paris macaron’, a super-sweet confection comprised of two small meringue discs around a ganache, jam or buttercream filling, is widely credited to upmarket French pâtisserie Ladurée. Head to their highly Instagrammable flagship store on the Champs-Elysées to stock up on these dainty treats, which come in a rainbow of colors and flavors, including chocolate, pistachio, cardamom and dozens more. Better still, pause for an indulgent afternoon tea in the opulent salon. Visit a Château Paris is practically encircled by amazing chateaux and palaces, regal homes of the great and the good (and the not-so-good) over many centuries. Hop on a train to the insanely grandiose Palace of Versailles, a favorite dwelling of French Kings and Queens in the 17th and 18th centuries, later used by Napoleon as a summer residence following the French Revolution. Fairytale Fontainebleau has been around since medieval times: another favorite of our old pal Napoleon, it contains the only Napoleonic throne room still in existence, plus miles and miles of ridiculously sumptuous galleries, corridors, halls and boudoirs to explore. Take in a Show Since time immemorial the great philosophers have pondered the question: if you went to Paris but didn’t see a cabaret show, did you even go to Paris? Have no doubt: this is one of the most fun activities for adults on a night out in Paris. There’s a sparkling roster of shows available across dozens of venues, the most famous of course being the Moulin Rouge with its neon-lit red windmill. Which you choose will really depend on how you like your cabaret and burlesque, from the très risqué to the positively demure and from traditional high-kicking can-can dancers to death-defying acrobatics and dazzling light shows. Watch a Sunset Experience a sunset just once in Paris, and you’ll soon understand why it has so inspired artists like Monet down the centuries. Watch the sun go down from a bateaux on the Seine, as the city’s great iconic monuments begin to light up. Or head for the hills – specifically Montmartre – where a chocolate crêpe on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, as the sky blazes in various shades of orange, pink and purple, and lights begin to flicker on across the city, really might feel like a life-changing experience. Save on things to do in Paris for adults Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak
A tourist studying her map in front of the Eiffel Tower
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Is Paris Safe?

Paris is one of the most-visited cities on the planet, with millions of tourists pouring in every year. And it’s not difficult to understand why: beautiful parks, world-class museums, gourmet dining and Instagrammable monuments galore mean it’s packed with great things to see and do. Never mind that it's simply one of the most romantic places on earth. But is Paris safe for tourists to visit? Find out in our guide below. How Safe is Paris? Paris, like most major cities, has its fair share of petty crime, with pickpocketing and bag-snatching highest on the list of things to watch out for. Tourists and newcomers to the city are, of course, far more likely to be targeted than locals, especially those who appear lost, disoriented or confused by their surroundings, or who generally stick out like a sore thumb. So it’s important to know what to look out for to stay safe and ensure you enjoy an incident-free break. Opportunistic thieves tend to ply their questionable trade in and around major attractions, where large crowds of tourists can make for easy pickings. So it makes sense that the places you’re most likely to be relieved of your cash and possessions are around the likes of the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Élysées and Notre-Dame Cathedral, as well as in popular neighborhoods including Montmartre, the Marais and the Latin Quarter. Avoid flashing around large sums of cash, keep your bags zipped up and be aware of your surroundings when, for example, using your phone or taking money out of an ATM. Thankfully, violent crime against tourists is relatively low in Paris. So the best response if you do fall victim to petty theft on the streets is not to give chase and instead report the incident to local police as soon as possible. And remember that, as long as you take sensible precautions like keeping an eye on your belongings and not falling for obvious scams, it’s likely the very worst thing that will happen to you in Paris is having to endure your waiter’s scorn when you order your steak well-done. Common Scams in Paris Thieves in Paris employ a quite extraordinary range of techniques to part you from your belongings. All are designed to fluster or otherwise bamboozle you for just long enough to get what they want and melt back into the crowd. A common trick is for the thief to pose as a lost tourist and approach you when you’re sitting at a café or restaurant table on the street. Placing an oversized city map on your table they will, on departing, pocket the map as well as whatever else was underneath it: your purse, your phone, and so on. Avoid this by keeping items in your pocket or a secured bag rather than in full view of opportunists. Also be wary of anyone who approaches you to sign a petition, or to donate to a charity: it’s highly likely these are not legit. Likewise someone who spills a messy liquid – coffee, ketchup, etc – on you, then makes a show of helping you clean up. These are distraction techniques pure and simple, so secure your belongings and walk away. Gold rings and roses are some of the other common scams that many visitors to Paris fall foul of – especially hopeless romantics. In the first of these, the the tinkle of metal hitting concrete is rapidly followed by a lady asking you if you have dropped your ring. When you say it isn’t yours she will then insist you take it as a lucky charm. But take care: as soon as you agree she will aggressively demand payment for the item. Beware also of men bearing flowers. These will be held out for you to take, but are never, ever free of charge. So only accept one if you’re happy to line this particular scammer’s pockets. The game of bonneteau – also known as find the lady and three-card monte – has been operating on the streets of Paris for centuries. Simply keep your eye on your chosen color of ball as it disappears beneath one of three cups, correctly identify the cup and hey presto, you win! Right? Wrong: it’s a confidence trick and you are the dupe. Keep your cash in your pocket and walk away. Is Paris Safe for Solo and Female Travelers? Not only is Paris safe for solo and female travelers, there are also loads of great things you can do on your own here, from learning to make macarons to seeing the city by bike and joining one of the city’s fab weekly rollerskating events. Otherwise the rules are much the same as for everyone else: take sensible precautions like letting family and friends know your plans if you’re going out alone at night and avoid trouble hotspots like quiet streets and late-night trains. A night out in Paris can of course be a lot of fun, with its buzzing nightlife and great entertainment scene: think world-class opera, high-kicking cabaret shows, and late-night bars and clubs. It’s always safer to politely decline offers of drinks from strangers and indeed to go out in a group if you can. Drink in moderation and ideally take a cab home rather than using public transport at night. Apps like Uber operate in Paris, or you can hail a Taxi Parisien, identifiable by the name on their cab light. The cab will also have a meter and display a badge with the driver’s license number. Note that if you do opt to take the Paris Métro, you should only buy your tickets from an authorized vendor or ticket machine in the station. Do not pay touts in and around the station for what might appear to be bargain tickets – you are most likely being scammed. Follow these simple tips and chances are your holiday in Paris will be every bit as fun and trouble-free as it is for the millions of tourists who visit and fall in love with the city every year. Save on things to do in Paris Save on admission to Paris attractions with Go City. Check out @GoCity on Instagram and Facebook for the latest top tips and attraction info.
Stuart Bak
Stuart Bak

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