Paris Trip Itinerary help

I’ll look into those sights.

I would suggest not doing any other places in 6.5 days. Usually going into a new city requires minimum of half a day for travel. Then it can take longer for getting settled etc.

There is a direct train from Paris to Brussels. Very quick too.

Plenty of excursions in the greater northern France area.

Also, I've been partially living in Paris for nearly a year now, and I'm still finding new things to do.

2 kids and possible parents...stick with one home base and enjoy the city with possible outings. Nothing better than waking up in Paris and walking down the street for a croissant or going by a cafe in the morning.

How old are the kids?

Would recommend, if you like Champagne and/or history, taking a day trip to Reims. Plenty of Sites to see and many Champagne houses based in Reims. Great day trip.

Glad you asked this question. Wife and I were thinking about doing the same thing. Train to Amsterdam and spend one night then train to Brussels and spending the night, then back to Paris. I figured a 3:30 train ride wouldn't be to bad. I'd hate to go all the way over there and not get to see those other places, but I trust this board.

What's worse, going all the way over there and not seeing "other places" or going and not actually seeing Paris? Travel isn't a once in a lifetime thing. Plan like you're going to go back. Don't act as though you'll never get another chance to take a European vacation ever again.

I've posted this advice before, but I'll offer it again: have each person going on the trip make a list...what is it that he/she really wants to do/see? One person may want to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, another really wants to sit in a cafe and drink absinthe, someone else wants to buy a scarf at Hermes or tour Pere Lachaise cemetery and leave a trinket on Jim Morrison's grave. Or go to Montmartre and pretend to be in the movie Amelie, or try as many different kinds of cheese as humanly possible (or white wine, or different pastry shops). Or visit key sites from the French revolution, or see every Monet in every museum in Paris.

Think of the list-making as pleasant homework; download some ebook guides, share them with your traveling group. Cook some French food & have everyone over to share their lists. THEN start your detailed planning...

But don't waste 3.5 hrs (one way) on the train rushing off to another city when you have a week in Paris. If you get itchy feet, a day trip or two will suffice.

I especially wouldn't combine London/Paris if you've never been to either one. You'll definitely feel rushed. Both are incredible places; neither is best experienced by checking off the highlights.

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Normandy, Versailles, and Reims

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Doing all 3 of those is ambitious for the short amount of time you are there. I would pick two at most.

Personally, I could have lived without Versailles but I didn't have kids with me, so maybe that's something they would enjoy.

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Another thing: with your extended family group, consider renting an apartment (or two adjoining ones) over a couple of hotel rooms. Air BnB has a huge array of properties that are easily price competitive with central Paris hotels. In an apartment, you'll gain space, a kitchen, often a washer/dryer--all great things to have for a family. You'll be able to visit the local shops & do basic cooking (or at least have evening wine & cheese at your leisure). Paris hotel rooms can be miniscule, which is fine for a day or two but really confining after day four or five (esp w/ kids).

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This. Airbnb is what we do when we're in France and we've never had a bad experience. You can get a nice apartment close to a metro station and be anywhere in the city in no time.

I agree with everyone else. Stay in Paris. Rome the neighborhoods away from tourist sites. That's where you'll find the most authentic restaurants and all. Le Jules Verne is worth the money though. There's so much good food there and the markets are amazing.

One of my favorite things to do is sit along the Seine or in a park and have a relaxing picnic with some sandwiches, particularly a jambon buerre, or cheese trays and a bottle of wine.

You could stay in Paris for a month and still not see everything that it has to offer.

Be careful about the apartment idea. In past years we have rented apartments in Paris for a week or more at a time and had great results. parisbestlodge.com was our favorite. However, in the past couple of years, Paris has enacted laws to make many if not most short term rentals illegal. Before you rent an an apt. and before you pay a deposit, make sure you are dealing with someone reputable.