I recommend Parc Asterix on the outskirts of Paris, just off Junction 7 of the A1 from Paris to Northern France and Calais. It was the best park we had visited in France, and that includes Disneyland Paris and Futuroscope. My family (two adults, three teenagers) thought it was brilliant - a great selection of rides that covered four different time zones in Asterix’s adventures. The rides vary from gentle to the terrifying (with lots of choice in between) and there lots of shows and animations too. The cafes are good, and there are shady places for picnics as well. It was quite easy to walk around – not too huge. We used Tesco vouchers for advance entry which helped our holiday budget, and have been twice now (2007 and 2009). Our accommodation was at a nearby Novotel (there are other chain hotels in the area) but there is public transport from Paris. For us it was a good couple of days on the end of our holiday, but could make a good mini break if you live in the south of England.

www.parcasterix.fr
BP 8, 60128 Plailly, France
+33 826 30 10 40
Google map: bit.ly/hDb974

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This is a truly beautiful park, which can be accessed from the Metro station Porte Maillot by a little eco land train. The park has a huge range of attractions, but these were our favourites: loads of animals (check out the huge bears and talking mynah -repeated our Brummie 'hello!'), relaxing boat ride, water park with huge flower showers, hall of mirrors and my favourite: carousel horses that move along a track like in Mary Poppins! Something for all ages and very reasonable. Take your own picnic though, as the cafe gets busy and is overpriced.

www.jardindacclimatation.fr/
Avenue du Mahatma Gandhi, 75116 Paris, France
+33 1 40 67 90 82
Google map: bit.ly/f70StY

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Just 45 minutes from Paris, La Mer de Sable is a great escape from the capital city.
Built on an incredible geological site - a perfectly natural expanse of sand - it was France's first theme park when it opened in 1963 but has truly survived the test of time. The best bit? No queues, cheap prices (14.90 EUR/day) and free parking.

www.merdesable.fr
60950 Ermenonville, France
+33(0)825 25 20 60
Exit 7 on the A1 motorway
Google map: bit.ly/hH7SHL

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Last summer in early July my 11-year-old son and I spent a week in Paris. Apart from the exhilaration at the top of the Eiffel Tower and the flypast on the Champs Elysees on Bastille Day, an unexpected highlight was the Parc Floral on a hot sunny day with water lillies to astound and impress even a pre-teen and the Mini-Golf des Monuments de Paris -some already visited and some yet to be seen- with not another tourist in sight.

Route du Champ de Manoeuvre, 75012 Paris
+33 1 49 57 24 84
www.parcfloraldeparis.com
Google map: bit.ly/fdnG82

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Everyone loves an underdog, and the Gauls were the underdogs par excellence when the Romans invaded. (Think also second world war and the German occupation, which inspired Astérix’s creation.) Most children have studied the Romans so will appreciate the historical details and Romans-bashing. Reading the brief introduction in any Astérix book to the main characters and to the magic potion which makes them invincible will add to the enjoyment.

Comparisons with Disneyland Paris (35 miles away) are inevitable. Parc Astérix – where even the wheelchair rider on the disabled signs wears a winged helmet - is far more compact and less expensive. There are plenty of white knuckle – and wet – rides for teens, and enough family rides to keep little ones happy. Meanwhile, the many French visitors and focus on all things Gallic, including areas for le pique-nique, make you feel you truly are en vacances in France.

As with any theme park, arrive before park opening midweek (definitely avoid Sundays), queue early for the shows - especially the dolphins - and save money by booking park admission a week ahead. North of Paris, the park is well signposted
from the A1, and a special Parc Astérix bus leaves from Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport terminal 3.

30 km North of Paris. A1 Paris/Lille motorway, direct exit Parc Astérix between #7 and #8. www.parcasterix.fr
Google map: tinyurl.com/39jxpq2

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It is almost that time of year again for barge loads of sand to float down the Seine and transform the riverbanks of Paris into an urban beach. Beginning on the 20 July and lasting for one month, the Paris Plage offers the complete beach experience ... almost. The creators put together what could be best described as a caricature of a beach, complete with palm trees, deck chairs, ice-cream sellers and beach volleyball. There are three separate sections to the beach, the latest addition being at Bassin de la Villette. Set on the canal where Amélie once skimmed her stones, this beach offers free pedalos and rowing boats to complement the array of activities available on the other beaches, including swimming pools and free concerts. It may be a somewhat bizarre sight to see bikini-clad Parisians basking in sunshine as small children build sand castles in the foreground of Notre Dame, but its peculiarity is one of the attractions. After all this isn’t the seaside, this is Seine-side!

Port de la Gare, Louvre to Pont de Sully, and Bassin de la Villette.
www.paris.fr/portail/english/Portal.lut?page_id=8208&document_type_id=5&document_id=34146&portlet_id=18969

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The first Sunday of the month is free, as everybody knows. Therefore, to avoid the crowds, the best time to go is on the day before - everyone's waiting for the free entry the next day!

We went on the Saturday and had the place to ourselves, apart from the usual crowd that is always gathered around the Mona Lisa. We went again on the Sunday and it was hideously busy. We didn't have to queue though: a nice security guard spotted our pushchair and let us jump the queue! It's a surprisingly child-friendly place, and of course the advantage of the free Sunday is that you can take the kids (they are always free on any day) and you haven't wasted the cost of your ticket if their behaviour is such that you have to leave after five minutes.

Place des Pyramides, 75001 Paris, France
+33 1 40 20 50 50
www.louvre.fr
Google map: bit.ly/mBzmkn

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The Velib 'free' bicycle system in Paris is really a great idea. I went for a five day extended weekend with my partner and checked my credit card statement the next month to discover to my delight that I had been all over the city; to the Eiffel Tower, along the Champs Elysees, a scary whirl around Place de la Concorde at rush hour (not recommended for the faint-hearted!) and all over the Grand Boulevards and along the Seine and had spent a massive total of six euros.
The system is user friendly and self-explanatory, you can do it in a range of languages. You tap in your credit card details for a small flat hire rate (no more than five euros, as far as I recall), then hoik the rather clumsy, heavy bikes out of their stand. The bikes are a little uncomfortable and it's important to examine which number bike you'll take before you select at the controls, because some have flat tyres, wonky seats that won't budge, or rattling chains. The bikes have - ostensibly - three gears. These are 'slow', 'slower' and 'snail's cycle-rate' and it can get hairy attempting to belt across a junction will a line of irate Parisian drivers attempting to turn right and cut you up.
If you dock the bike back into another station before 30 mins are up, the ride is free. Interestingly, my partner's credit card statement showed one euro more expenditure so perhaps he had docked in a second or two after me.
However, it's an excellent way to see Paris and a lot of fun.

All over Central Paris
www.velib.paris.fr

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The gardens which surround the Musée du quai Branly in Paris are free to enter. They are beautifully designed with lots of nooks and terraces. They even host parts of museum exhibitions such as the current TARZAN! exhibition which has sound effects hidden in the garden - great for kids. You can also view the Eiffel Tower whilst sat eating a lovely chocolate cake in the museum cafe also in the gardens.

musée du quai Branly
37, quai Branly
75007 – Paris
tuesday, wednesday and sunday : 11am . 7pm
thursday, friday, saturday : 11am . 9pm

- metro : Iéna (line 9), Alma-Marceau (line 9), Pont de l’Alma (RER C), Bir Hakeim (line 6).
- bus : line 42 Eiffel Tower stop; lines 63, 80, 92: Bosquet-Rapp stop; line 72 Musée d’art moderne – Palais de Tokyo stop
- river shuttle : Eiffel Tower stop (Batobus, Bateaux parisiens et Vedettes de Paris

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The Christmas window display in Galeries Lafayette is a must for all ages, but especially if you are travelling with children. The clever French even provide a little wooden platform with steps for the children to stand on. This year it is a pink Alice in Wonderland theme. While you are there don't forget the souvenir shop on the 6th floor which is surprisingly good value, and from there walk up the steps on to the roof to see all of Paris for free.

Galeries Lafayette, Boulevard Haussman, Paris 8

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Great French restaurant full of locals and great atmosphere! It is massive with two floors and the menu offers many dishes at cheap prices. Great for families travelling on a budget who want to visit a traditional French restaurant. Go early to avoid queues, however it shouldn't be a long waiting time.

7 rue Faubourg, Montmartre, Paris

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While Paris is wonderful, if you want to spend a day in the countryside you can consider either Champagne or the Loire Valley. From Montparnasse to Tours it's 55 mins via TGV, so you can be ready to explore one or two chateaus in a day and return in the evening.

There are buses to take you to the chateaus from Tours Gare and cost around 49 euros per person for a full-day tour- you'll visit Chenonceau, Amboise then Chambord which is quite a lot in one day.

While I would recommend a full day for each of these attractions, if you haven't the time it's a great day for the whole family and no need to drive or hire a car. Lunch is usually at Amboise which has lovely cafes, nothing really really gastronomic but good for lunch.

You can probably organise tickets for the chateaux pick-up via SNCF (gare) or www.tourevasion.com for more Loire Valley activities

Paris-Tours 55 mins via TGV
www.myweekin.net

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Boulogne is right on the edge of the 'true' Paris, bordering the 16th arrondissement. It's very easy to reach by the usual Paris buses and trains, and offers a welcome escape from the usual city noise and masses. It's in a nice trouble-free area, where you can relax on grass fields. There are sightings of kingfishers, and in one of the ponds live terrapins and coypu, which is fun for both adults and children.

www.paris-in-photos.com/edmond-de-rothschild/bologne-park-guide.htm
3, rue des Victoires
92100 Boulogne-Billancourt

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Les Tuileries is the most central park in Paris. It stretches its 'à la Française' alleys and lawns along the Seine river from the Louvre museum to the Concorde square. There is a large round central fountain where an ancient Parisian hires out beautiful yachts made by himself - the boats sail across the fountain and the kids are armed with long canes to push them into another direction. We grabbed a coffee and sat around the fountain watching Paris go by and the kids were entertained by the boats for an hour - what more could you ask for 15 euros!

Use les tuileries metro station on line 1

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It is a sprawling park area with amazing outdoor play facilities and a huge children's museum and science museum. You could easily spend 2-3 days just exploring this area. There are theatres and restaurants as well.

www.villette.com/fr/mainprog.htm

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If you’re heading east from Paris and you’ve got some time to kill, there’s a quiet little park hidden away about 20m from the Gare de l’Est, but not that easy to find.

Stand with your back to the station and head down the road on the left, to the corner. Look for a green metal gate down the side of the rather imposing stone building. It leads into a small ornamental park with a great kids’ playground, and public toilets and baby change on the far side of the park.

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Particularly if you are visiting with children make sure you take a trip on Metro line 14. This is a new line from St Lazare to Olypiades and the trains are driverless. If you get in the front carriage you can sit right up front and pretend to drive! It is great.

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Traveling with kids to Paris? Need a place to let them burn off steam between the bateau-mouches and the Louvre? Then hit the trampolines and carousel in the Tuiliieres gardens.

After they get thirsty head to Angelina's (Angélina 226, rue de Rivoli) for chocolat chaud. Do this before the crowds arrive here and at the Louvre.

Another tip for children is to head to Sacre Coeur for the farmers' market on top of the hill on weekends, jugglers on the church steps and the carousel at the bottom.

Need a new children's shirt to replace the one covered in hot chocolate? There are some good bargain department stores on your way back to the Metro station.

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Kids all cultured out? Take them to Aquaboulevard for the day (near metro Balard, southwest Paris) to let off some steam.
It's a great swimming complex with pools and hot-tubs, wave-machines, water-sprays, flumes you go down in inflatable boats, mini-golf, a "beach", and poolside cafes where you sit in your bathing-suit ... outdoor swimming is lovely and so are the outdoor hot tubs. It was the hit of our holiday.

4 Rue Louis Armand, 75015 Paris, France
+33(001 40 60 10 00
www.aquaboulevard.com
Google map: bit.ly/kQ6m9S

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One lesser-known museum that was very enjoyable was the café in the Musee Jacquemart André, the café is a wonderfully elegant old-style tea room which had everything we don’t have in the U.K. Great gateaux, various delicious teas and coffees, a stunning Teipolo ceiling, polite service, watch out also for the muted conversation, maybe because it’s a museum!

There were also free activities for the kids, the best bit being that they had period costumes the kids could dress up in and then a large frame you could take photos of them in, all in a French aristocratic style.

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