Once your kids can ride a bike there's no better way to see Paris than cycling about it. The high spot of our recent half-term break was a morning spent exploring the Marais, Bastille, Louvre, St. Germain de Pres, Les Halles and many back streets in between.


Our guide, Paul, founded Bike About Tours with a friend and gives a charming and personal view of a city he clearly loves. Some of his enthusiasm rubbed off on the kids who particularly relished spotting locations from Ratatouille, or finding out how many Parisians slip in dog poo each day. Paul takes only safe back streets and cycleways, stopping for lunch at a boulangerie on the way.

Every so often we would park the bikes and explore a secret garden or a hidden alleyway on foot, letting Paris work its magic on children and adults alike. By the end of four hours we felt like we belonged. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

www.bikeabouttours.com
www.pret-a-rouler.fr
+33(0)624580215
Meet 10am by Charlemagne's statue in front of Notre Dame Cathedral

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Paris is perfect for those with kids, and especially the park at La Villette. On the Canal de l'Ourq there is the awesome dragon slide (almost two stories high), playgrounds designed for specific age groups, a submarine my five-year-old nephew wants to return to with his big brother and cat (!) (3€ each). Just by the park bikes can be hired that take the whole family along the traffic-free canalside to the forest of Sevran, where coffee and ice cream can be had in the old poudrerie, where Nobel of the Nobel prize worked - well worth a visit. And if it rains, back at La Villette there is always the Cite des Sciences - again with exhibits tailored to tots and to slightly older kids. Further afield, there's Paris Plage for sunbathing, sandcastles, misters, boules, rock-climbing (5 years old and upwards), the fountains and concerts at Parc Andre Citroen, the fireworks on July 14, or the swimming pool on a barge by the Francois Mitterand Bibliotheque, or the fantastic mini Paris Plage at Canal St Martin where another five-year-old loved her tot-sized pedalo and the tea dances and water fountains. Paris is perfect for families, especially in the summer, and since almost everything referred to above is free or cheap, it won't break the bank. Plus - no hours spent travelling to, or queueing at, airports.

Just get on Eurostar and you are within 15-20 minutes walk of most of the above.

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Hire a bicycle from Vélo et Chocolate by Canal St Martin just around the corner from Rue Riquet Metro and peddle around Paris.

It is a lovely cycle to the Sacre Coeur where you can view the whole of Paris. The more adventurous might want to peddle out to St Germaine En Laye where you have more wonderful views, but this time you can park up in the park by the Chateau and sip chilled rose wine while seated in a hired deckchair. Take your own knotted hanky to feel at home.

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Forget the Tour de France, do the tour de Paris with one of the city's bike rental companies. Mike's Bikes does a dawn trip but don't forget a peformance enhancing cafe au lait before you set out.

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The new communal bike scheme operating since July 2007 is fantastic! Easy to use (once you get the hang of the terminals) you can cycle around Paris and cover far more ground than on foot and get a better view than you would by bus or car or metro!

There are over 10,000 bikes which are very solid and adjustable, and numerous 'bornes' or terminals where you can pick up and drop off.

You can get a day ticket for one euro and, provided you drop off each bike within half an hour of pick up, it won't cost any more. You can pick up and drop off as many times as you want within the 24 hour period. There are plenty of cycle lanes and, provided you have some road sense, it's a safe, interesting, very cheap and much healthier way to get to know Paris.

Mairie de Paris say there have been more than 2 million individual hires in the first 39 days of operating. Vive le velo! / Get on a bike!

Terminals all over central Paris. Go to www.velib.paris.fr/

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