My good friend and author of the Ciao Bambino! book series, Danna Leahy, visited us in Switzerland this summer with her 7 and 10-year-old kids in tow. As part of her itinerary, she planned a four-night stop in Paris.

When Danna explained what she planned to cover during her time in Paris, I laughed. I know the Type A mom personality — ahem — well, as I look in the mirror each morning. Our husbands tell us that we pack too many activities into short periods of time. True.

“What in the world is that Mom?”

“That, believe it or not, is how we played movies in the old days when I was a child.”

Seriously?! I can’t believe we’re having conversations like this already with our kids. It’s crazy.

This banter was all inspired by our visit to the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris. Founded in 1794, this museum of “arts and crafts” displays scientific instruments and discoveries …

A recent trip to Versailles with our 5 and 8-year-old was a disaster. I had just finished reading “The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette” by Carolly Erickson and had visions of strolling in the gardens with the fountains on full display and playing with the kids in Marie Antoinette’s Hamlet.

This idyllic vision took a darker turn filled with tantrums and whining and felt more like a mini-French Revolution than the lovely family adventure I had planned.

“I’m booking that scavenger hunt in the Louvre for the Paris trip” is the snippet of a conversation I overheard at my son’s elementary school a month ago.

That “scavenger hunt” turned out to be the Paris Muse Clues: A Louvre Tour for Young Treasure Hunters. It’s a private guided family tour of the Louvre.

The Louvre is the world’s largest museum and it can be overwhelming trying to figure out …

Finding a family-friendly hotel on the Left Bank in Paris is not an easy task. Many of the boutique hotels are in the typical compact buildings of this area which means room configurations that sleep families are rare.

We’ve recommended a boutique property for years now in the 6th arrondissement called Victoria Palace Hotel.

Paris can be rainy. When traveling with a baby or toddler, it’s wise to have a list of indoor activities. Here are a list of great options known and appreciated by Parisian parents.

Cité des Sciences

At the Cité des Sciences, La Villette (Science Museum), you’ll find a dedicated section for children aged 2 to 7 (and another one for older children as well), “la Cité des enfants”. In this area, your toddler can experience …

One of our readers on Best Family Travel Advice asked a question about where to eat with kids in Paris. One of my suggestions for kid-friendly dining is to stop by La Grand Epicerie de Paris. Talk about a wide selection of fixings for a picnic, the array of wonderful, foods is staggering … and fun to peruse.

When we think about a Disney theme park, most Americans conjure up images of Orlando or Anaheim. When you live in Europe, there’s an additional option to add to the list, Disneyland Paris (often referred to as Euro Disney).

We visited Paris Disney over New Year’s weekend to celebrate our son’s 8th birthday. After living in Switzerland for 5 months, we all wanted a dose of something familiar. Admittedly, I don’t associate a Disney visit with …

I asked two Paris local travel experts for suggestions on the best holiday activities in the City of Lights. The first selection of ideas is from from Marlys and Michael Schuermann, the team behind @ParisBuff. Parisians by adoption, they offer budget tips to Paris and beyond. Michael is the author of the book Paris Movie Walks.

The second selection is from ParisKid, a family-focused tour company offering guided walks for non-French speaking children ages 6-12 and their families.

This is a guest post from Camille Spanjaard, founder of baby’tems, a baby equipment rental and supply company in Paris, France. Camille is a French mom with two small children who has lived in Paris for more than 10 years.

She decided to start baby’tems after traveling with her children and realizing that baby equipment rental and supply services existed in many cities, but not in Paris! Odd for one of the most visited cities in the world …