Is Paris Stroller-Friendly? A guide to Visiting with a Toddler

I’ll be honest: I was really nervous to visit Paris with our toddler. I did a lot of research before our trip and saw comments about how Paris is not stroller-friendly and not very toddler-friendly in general. I braced myself for the worst.

Well, all my worry was for nothing. We had the most amazing time in Paris with our toddler.

People were gracious and kind. We saw many beautiful sights. And I think our toddler had as much fun as we did.

I’m now convinced that Paris is a great place to visit with young children. This post provides all the tips I can think of to make your visit wonderful, too.

Is Paris a stroller-friendly city?

We wouldn’t have survived in Paris without our stroller. It was a lifesaver.

We did so much walking during our visit, and we were able to push the stroller pretty much anywhere. Most areas are paved and offer accessible ramps and pathways.

In some of the parks, like Jardin du Luxembourg or Jardin de Tuileries, there is gravel on the ground instead of cement, but it’s packed down so you can still walk across with a stroller.

I don’t remember going anywhere in Paris where we had a difficult time with the stroller. It was a very different experience from visiting Istanbul with our toddler.

What’s the best travel stroller?
We love the Baby Jogger City Tour 2. It’s lightweight and easy to fold, and it has a deep reclining seat (perfect for on-the-go naps!) and spacious storage compartment. Our #1 toddler travel accessory!

Is Paris a toddler-friendly city?

Yes! We found Paris to be a wonderland for our toddler. There are so many parks and playgrounds spread across the city to give your child a chance to release their energy.

We would often walk along and stumble across another random park where our daughter could play for a while. It was these little stops along the way that made it possible for us to enjoy other sights we wanted to see.

Another plus: Most tourist attractions are free for toddlers.

French attitudes toward toddlers

Despite articles to the contrary, Parisians were very kind towards us and our toddler—and we don’t even speak French.

Exhibit A: In a grocery store

When we stopped at a grocery store, I made the mistake of not weighing a bag of grapes before going to the check-out counter — while pushing my daughter in the stroller.

The cashier told me I could just leave my other groceries at the counter while I went to weigh the grapes.

There was a long check-out line, but everyone stepped graciously out of the way to make room for me and the stroller so I could finish checking out. No one made a fuss.

Exhibit B: At a restaurant

At one place where we got lunch, the waiter was so sweet to our daughter and brought her freshly squeezed orange juice that she loved.

I read that it can be difficult to eat in restaurants with a toddler in Paris. It’s true that you may not find a place with a high chair (which we didn’t need anymore anyway), but every place where we ate was accommodating.

We folded our stroller and stowed it near the restaurant entrance or by our table, and then our daughter sat with us at the table like anyone else. We didn’t get strange looks or anything.

Overall impression

Those are just two specific examples, but we encountered so many nice people during our trip. From the helpful clerk at a bookstore to the cashier at a fresh smoothie stand to the Metro attendants, we found everyone to be pleasant.

My advice: Don’t believe everything you read. Experience a place for yourself and draw your own conclusions. 🙂

Riding the Metro with a stroller

There are a lot of articles that describe what a nightmare it is to ride on the Paris Metro with a stroller. But my husband and I developed a system that made Metro travel easy.

• I folded the stroller and carried it up and down the stairs or escalator in the Metro while my husband held our daughter.

• In the train, my husband held our daughter on his lap while I held the stroller on my lap. (I carried the diaper bag on my shoulders.)

• We didn’t open the stroller back up until we exited the Metro station.

We loved riding the Metro throughout our time in Paris and found it to be a great way to get around with our toddler + stroller.

Are strollers allowed in the Eiffel Tower? The Louvre?

Folding strollers are allowed in the Eiffel Tower, but space can be limited. You may be better off using a baby carrier (if your child is still small enough to fit in one) or stow the stroller in a shoulder bag and carry your toddler/let them walk.

Conversely, strollers can be used anywhere inside the Louvre. It might make for the best napping location for your toddler while you explore the museum.

Where is it difficult to bring a stroller in Paris?

If you have a good travel stroller, there are few places that are difficult to access with a stroller.

As mentioned earlier, the Metro is easy to use with a stroller if you can fold it and then hold your toddler in your lap.

However, this is more doable if you are traveling with another adult. It would be harder to navigate the Metro with a stroller if it is just you and your toddler.

Some restaurants in Paris are very cramped, so you won’t be able to store your stroller inside unless it is folded. We always folded the stroller in restaurants and had no issues with dining in Paris.

The best travel stroller

We have been using the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 for over a year now and LOVE it. Not only has it been the perfect stroller to get around Boston where we live, but it has also accompanied us on many trips, including our trip to Paris.

This stroller is very lightweight and the seat back can be adjusted so your child can lie almost completely flat for naps. There is also a good-sized compartment under the stroller for storing things throughout the day.

Another nice feature is the zipper bag that comes with the stroller, which you can use to store the stroller for gate check-in on planes, and also to carry the stroller around when needed.

We have used this stroller for many, many miles, and it has remained in sturdy condition, even after being on bumpy terrain.

If you are looking for a compact, practical stroller to take with you to Paris, the Baby Jogger City Tour 2 is a great option.

Other tips for exploring Paris with a toddler

What to Pack

We packed as minimally as possible and had no regrets. These are the essentials to pack for your toddler:

• Clothing: Enough to last for the duration of your trip with a few backup outfits…you know, just in case. 😉

• Diapers and wipes: You could pack just enough diapers and wipes to last for your flight to Paris and purchase more after you arrive. However, we were only in Paris for three days and found it easier to pack diapers and wipes for the duration of our trip.

• Backpack with toys: Our toddler has a small backpack that she fills with her favorite toys, and this helped to keep her entertained several times during our trip.

• Diaper bag: We filled this with changes of clothes, diapers and wipes, snacks, and water to last for the entire day. Instead of carrying it on our back, we strapped it to the handlebar of the stroller, which made it easier to walk around all day.

• Stroller: Perhaps the most important item. This is where we did diaper changes on the go, where our daughter took her naps, and where we stored our things throughout the day.

What NOT to pack

There are enough things to worry about when traveling with a toddler, and overpacking should not be one of them. These are items people often recommend packing, and we did not find a need for them:

• Car seat: We reserved a taxi with a car seat to take us from and to the airport, and then we used the Metro or walked the rest of the time. Having to haul the car seat around was an extra burden we didn’t want to deal with.

• Portable crib: Our hotel had a portable crib that we were able to use for free.

• Portable high chair: We let our toddler sit in a regular chair in restaurants and she did just fine.

Getting from the airport to downtown Paris

We reserved a taxi with a car seat through BabyCabs and had a great experience. They waited over an hour for us at the airport after our flight was delayed and did not charge us extra.

The taxi was clean and spacious and was a worry-free way to get from the airport to our hotel after a long and tiring flight.

G7 is another official taxi company in Paris that offers vehicles with car seats.

It costs about 80 Euros one-way to hire a taxi with a car seat.

Note: You can take the RER train + Metro to get into the city, which is much cheaper. However, the entire trip takes about an hour and would likely be stressful with all of your luggage plus a tired toddler.

We love saving money where we can, but after a long flight, paying for a taxi was worth it.

Looking for toddler activity ideas for the airplane? Check out my list of airplane activities that have been a hit!

Getting around in Paris

After arriving at our hotel, we got around in Paris one of two ways:

Walking

Paris is a very pedestrian-friendly city, and walking is one of the best ways to explore it. You notice details you would otherwise overlook, and you can stop whenever you want.

We clocked tens of thousands of steps during our time in Paris and had sore feet by the end of the day. But it was completely worth it.

Metro

The Paris Metro is not hard to navigate if you know which direction you are going.

We looked up the best route through Google Maps, which told us exactly which train to take and the walking directions to get to the nearest station.

You can purchase a ticket for unlimited rides for an entire day (around 15 Euros per adult — toddlers ride for free).

Since we only used the Metro twice each day, we found it more cost-effective to purchase individual rides (just under 3 Euros per ride).

There are machines at each station where you can buy tickets and pay with cash or a credit card.

Some stations also have a ticket counter where you can purchase directly from an attendant. However, the machines are easy to use once you get the hang of them. (There is an option to choose English or another language to place your order.)

Where to stay

The Novotel Paris Tour Eiffel is in an excellent location and is a great place to stay in Paris with a toddler. The hotel is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower and less than a 5-minute walk from the nearest Metro station.

Our room had a beautiful view of the Seine River, as well as modern furniture and bathroom facilities.

It’s not a fancy hotel, but we found it to be perfect for a few nights, knowing we would be spending most of our time exploring anyway.

Note that there is no elevator from the ground floor to the first floor in the front lobby.

After checking in, you will need to ask reception to program your room key so you have access to the elevator at the back of the hotel, which can take you to the ground floor.

➡️ Book a room at Novotel Paris now ⬅️

There are of course many other hotels in Paris if you are looking for a more luxurious experience. Families have also recommended reserving an apartment through Airbnb for a taste of Parisian living.

Where to eat

For most of our meals, we enjoyed a baguette or sandwich from a cafe, and we ate on the go. There are many of these types of grab-and-go shops around the city, which make for an easy and cheap way to feed the family.

We ate in restaurants a few times and had only positive experiences. Two restaurants in particular include:

• Le Danton: Despite our lackluster French abilities, our waiter was very kind and patient with us and our toddler. We enjoyed a traditional French lunch that even our daughter ate.
  
  This is the restaurant I mentioned earlier in this post, too, where the waiter gave her freshly squeezed orange juice that she LOVED.

• Gulyas: This is a Persian restaurant, which seems like a random thing to recommend in a post about Paris, but it was so good.
  
  I love trying local food in the countries I visit, but it’s interesting to see how international foods are represented as well. If you want something different while in Paris, you won’t be disappointed here. I highly recommend their chicken kabobs!

Another instant hit with toddlers, which should come as no surprise: crepes — especially when filled with chocolate. You can find crepe stands everywhere in Paris, and this makes for an excellent midday snack for your little one.

Where to change a diaper

In the United States, I am used to finding changing tables in most restaurants and stores. This is not the case in Paris. The only place I recall seeing a changing table was in the airport.

Most restaurant bathrooms are quite small in Paris, and other public restrooms usually do not have changing tables either. So what to do?

We ended up finding secluded corners outside somewhere and changing our toddler in our Baby Jogger City Tour 2, which could recline back really far. It was easy and no one seemed to notice.

Top 10 things to do with a toddler in Paris

There are many things you can do in Paris that a toddler would enjoy, but below I have narrowed the list down to the top 10.

1. Enjoy a picnic and playground in front of the Eiffel Tower

What better place to enjoy a meal with your toddler than right in front of the Eiffel Tower?

The Jardin de la Eiffel Tower and Champ de Mars are large parks on the south side of the tower that offer plenty of green spaces to spread out for a picnic.

There is also a playground near the Jardin de la Eiffel Tower that is a perfect spot for your toddler to burn some pent-up energy.

It feels surreal to watch them play in a sand pit with the Eiffel Tower looming in the background.

2. See a puppet show at Champ de Mars

There are several places throughout Paris where French parents take their children to see a live puppet show.

One of the popular ones is Marionnettes du Champ de Mars, which, as the name suggests, is located right within the Champs de Mars park.

To experience this timeless French tradition with your toddler, see the latest schedule on their website. The entry fee is just 6 Euros per person, and each show lasts about 45 minutes.

3. Take a hot air balloon ride at Parc Andre Citroen

For an unforgettable, birds-eye view of Paris, visit Parc Andre Citroen and take a ride on the Ballon de Paris, the city’s famous hot air balloon.

Parc Andre Citroen itself is a labyrinth of a park that our toddler enjoyed running through. It’s easy to spend an hour or two here during your Paris adventure.

Balloon rides start at 9 a.m. and run until 30 minutes before the park closes. The line for tickets can get long, so it’s best to come early in the morning.

Adults ride for 15 Euros, children 3-11 ride for 8 Euros, and children 3 and under go for free.

4. Rent toy boats at Jardin du Luxembourg

The Jardin du Luxembourg is sure to delight any toddler with its spacious walkways, gardens, and fountains.

In the fountain just in front of Luxembourg Palace, you can rent a vintage toy sailboat for your toddler to guide across the water.

The sailboats have been a tradition in Paris for the last 90 years. The boats used today are the same ones used since the beginning — just repainted with newer sails.

5. Wander around Jardin de Plantes

Another fun park for toddlers is Jardin de Plantes, which literally means “Garden of Plants.”

There are actually 11 different gardens that make up the Jardin de Plantes, which include a rose and rock garden, a maze, and endless pathways for your toddler to explore.

Public parks like these are such easy entertainment for young children. I love that there are no cars so you can let your toddler safely wander around.

6. Explore the Louvre and Jardin de Tuileries

While the Louvre museum is known for being kid- and stroller-friendly, the outside of the Louvre can be equally — if not more — entertaining for children.

Our toddler could have run around the plaza in front of the Louvre for hours if we let her. She was fascinated by the touchable architectural features at her level and the vast open space where she could explore freely.

Just across the street from the Louvre is the Jardin de Tuileries, Paris’s oldest and largest public garden. This is another place for toddlers to safely roam and enjoy a playground.

7. Order ice cream from Berthillon Glacier

Berthillon Glacier is a beloved ice cream parlor in Paris and the perfect place to take your toddler for a sweet treat. There is one Berthillon location not far from the Notre Dame cathedral.

Our toddler loved their chocolate ice cream and serenaded the entire parlor loudly once she was on her sugar high. Thankfully everyone seemed amused. 😉

8. Take a long walk along Champs Elysees

Walking along Champs Elysees is a great naptime activity. The walk from Jardin de Tuileries to Champs Elysees takes close to 30 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time for your toddler to fall asleep in the stroller.

Then you can enjoy some window (or actual) shopping on this famous street while your little one gets some much-needed rest. Of course, the Arc de Triomphe is also a must-see while you are here.

9. Ride the Little Train of Montmartre to Sacre-Coeur

Rather than walk to the famous Sacre-Coeur church, why not ride on a miniature train that your toddler will love?

The Little Train of Montmartre begins at Place Blanche and works its way through the quaint neighborhood of Montmartre before ending at the Sacre-Coeur, with amazing views of the city.

The train runs every hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during cooler months and every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. during warmer months.

It costs only 6.50 Euros per person, and it’s free for children under 2.

Note: Since the train is small, you will need to fold your stroller and place it on your lap or in front of your seat—similar to the Metro.

10. Watch the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower

If your toddler can stay up until after dark (ours didn’t last that long during our summer visit), they are sure to love watching the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower.

Every hour after sunset, the light show begins and lasts for 5 minutes. It is a truly magical moment that is the best way to cap off your visit to Paris.

We enjoyed watching the lights along the Seine River across from the Eiffel Tower, but the views from Trocadero are amazing as well.

Wrap-up: Is Paris a stroller-friendly city?

All in all, Paris surprised me with how toddler- and stroller-friendly it was.

Like so many places in the world, this city can get a bad rap based on people’s subjective experiences.

I am glad we made the decision to give Paris a try with our toddler. Hopefully I have also convinced you that a visit to Paris with a toddler is worth it.

Have fun making unforgettable family memories in the City of Lights!

Enjoyed this post? You might also like Family Trip To Paris: 8 Tips For A Fun Trip To Paris With Kids.