How to have a successful family holiday!

Posted 9 years ago

Travelling with children of any age, including teenagers can be a challenge to keep the entire family happy.

Here are some of our tips!

1. Involve the entire family including children, in the preparation of the itinerary.
   * It will make them feel part of it and responsible in selecting activities for everyone. 
   * There has to be something for everyone so give each family member ownership of a portion of the trip.
   
   
2. Do not hesitate to get out of your comfort zone in selecting activities that you would probably not usually do, such as:

• Family walking tour in Paris with a mix of educational visits like museums or monuments, neighbourhood like the Marais quarter, parks and gardens. They are tours specially geared toward the kids.
• Renting your own boat for a week on the canals of France, the best family holidays you may ever have, and with great values. It is easier than you think with no permit required, and bikes option to easily access villages and points of interest on the way.
• Theme parks for a day can be a good option for all too. There are numerous parks in France other than Euro-Disney, there are educational parks like FUROSCOPE in Poitiers, Asterix park near Paris, Vulcania Park near Clermont Ferrand, or Mini Chateaux in the Loire Valley….
• Cooking classes for children and adults in Paris and regional France are also very popular. Cooking class help the children to be creative, teaching them life-long skills, and introduces them to French local cuisine? It is also a lot of fun for everyone being the most important for every family’s holidays.
• French ABC - The best introduction for your stay in Paris! In a very traditional Parisian café in the heart of Paris, you will enjoy a private beginner French lesson given by an enthusiastic, qualified language teacher. Playful, lively and anchored around Parisian vocal, the lesson will allow both the old and the young to put their new skills into practice throughout the rest of their stay. All the family will enjoy learning French in a funny way and in a very Parisian and cozy atmosphere.
• Science immersion - In a laboratory in the former school of Marie Curie and four others Nobel Laureates, step into the shoes of France’s most famous scientists. Discover fun and wacky experiments and have a chance to reproduce them at home. Put on your white coat and gloves and become a qualified crazy scientist!
• See Paris from behind the lens - Around the Louvre and the Jardin des Tuileries, you will discover the techniques of the eighth art with a professional photographer. Each child in the family, from beginners to experts, will be able to use an SLR camera and take snaps of their family or the beautiful architecture. Return home with your best pictures of Paris’s highlights.
• Become a parfumeur - In the comfort of a very traditional Parisian house, or outside on a terrace during the summer, you will discover the secret of the French art of parfumerie. After blind sampling the different scents, you will choose your favourite and mix them to create your very own perfume to bring back home.

   3. Finding accommodation kid-friendly.Again my recommendation is to rent an apartment in Paris which will become your home for the duration of your stay. Beside the higher costs of hotel rooms, it can be a nightmare when you have 2 or 3 children to contain in their rooms, when you can have the luxury of your own apartment space and fully equipped.

Renting a property for a week in the French country side is also a great holiday concept. Both will make you experience the French life like the locals, going to the markets, preparing your own meals, mixing with the locals, and occasionally using the local restaurants.