My wife and I are taking our two nieces to Paris for 4 days at the beginning of July (ages 17 and 15). I have been to Paris several times, but having no children of our own, we are a bit anxious about what teenagers will like.
There are of course the obvious sights, but if anyone has any particular good experiences to pass on we would be very grateful.
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Oh, and does anyone know if it is possible to purchase Eiffel Tower tickets in advance?
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They should be pretty independent at that point. I went to Paris at 17 with my mom and meet some other American students and went around with them most of the time. You just have to make the 17 year old take the 15 year old along. Chances are they will have A LOT more energy than you. I know my mom couldn’t keep up with me then and I spent a lot of time doing my own things and going out at night. I think it would be fun and refreshing to have young adults with you, they really are not children.
I don’t know the count of your group but at Versailles you can take a golf cart with 4 adults and send the younger folks off on bikes. Don’t be afraid to suggest ways for them to go off on their own, they want to get away from you even more. Note: I am speaking from my own experience I wasn’t the most independent kid but u can probably tell from how social they are if they want to go off on their own.
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Take them shopping and also to the many stores on Champs Elysees.
Sent them by themselves while you wait at a cafe on the corner.
Try ice creams and French desserts.
Go on a cruise on the Seine.
Go to Trocadero when Tower sparkles (on the hour after dark).
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Math Princess, you are obviously very young still if you consider a 15 yr old an adult,, too funny... Do note OP did not call them children, she/he called them TEENAGERS, which , is what they are!
Deramore, a really fun idea is a bike tour.. the girls will have fun and so will you( I did it and I can anyone can, I had not been on a bike for 30 yrs at least! LOL)
Fat Tire does a Paris by Night tour, about 25 eruos, includes a night boat cruise on Seine. No reservations needed. They are run by young( college aged or just over ,, ) Americans mostly, so very fun and lively and will appeal to your young ladies.
Look up Fat Tire Bike Tours.
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Dear la photographe!
I just joined tripadvisor so that I can learn some good activities for a group of six teenage girls (15-17) for one day in Paris. I was thinking shopping and Seine cruise, so I am delighted to see your suggestion!
Thank you.
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I took my teen amie to Paris twice, once when she was 15 and last fall when she was 17. So I can likely help you. She was enthralled just walking around Paris. No special entertainment was necessary. It%26#39;s just SO different from what an American teenager is used to. But here are specific things she keeps talking about (in no particular order)
Virgin Record store on the Champs Elysées
Sargeant Recruteur (restaurant on the Ile St. Louis)
Riding the Metro (anywhere...doesn%26#39;t matter where)
The Eiffel Tower
The Arc de Triomphe
The falafel at L%26#39;as du Falafel in the Marais
The Ferris Wheel at the Place de la Concorde (not sure it%26#39;s even still there
The souvenir shops along the r. de Rivoli
Hope this helps. You%26#39;ll be surprised that you really don%26#39;t need to entertain the girls. I was rather anxious prior to my first trip with the teen amie, but it was really fun.
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All great suggestions. Fat tires also does segway tours, and this is incredibly fun. Shopping is central. Walking artound, taking in the sights. Stop at a patisserie every afternoon and eat pastry. Also stop at the wonderful choclate shops. Open air markets, flea markets are also fun. While I also was alone in Paris at 17, this really depends on whether your nieces have some travel experience and how their parents feel about them exploring alone.
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Wouldbeparisienne brings up a good point. For peace of mind, when/if the girls venture out on their own, have them both carry a piece of paper with the address of the hotel or apt you%26#39;re staying at, as well as enough money to get a cab. And actually it%26#39;s a good idea even if they don%26#39;t go out alone. In the unlikely event someone gets separated in a crowd, there will be less anxiety if everyone knows they can jump in a cab and get home.
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joan1, I do not understand what is so funny; I referred to them as young adults. I was trying to point out how independent people are at this age. I had my first job at 15 and I would not have appreciated being called a child. As for being very young, I may be relative to your age. My age range has always been posted on my profile so you need not make any assumptions regarding it.
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I have noticed your location is Belfast - Ireland? We have a grandson who just turned 16 who lives and was brought up in Southampton, England. In our many trips there via plane or train - we have noticed the %26quot;young%26quot; kids wandering around London, getting on and off the trains, alone not accompanied by adults. Here in the states I would never think of letting my grandkids loose even here, let alone Paris or London. Even when we took our now 24 year old grandaughter to Paris,London, Munich, Garmisch etc (she was 15 and 16 at the time) we did not let her loose in any of the places. I wasn%26#39;t too happy when the last trip her batteries went dead on some device she had, and she wanted more. There was a pharmacy down the street from the hotel and I let her go alone. I sure was glad when she got back. So to me it is the culture surrounding the kids and what kind of experiences they and their families have had.
Pat H
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