Anyone with experience taking the family to Barcelona, London and/or Paris

My "kids" are 19 and 21. Everything I will recomend is something we'Ve done with them in the past 6-7 years which they've really enjoyed. Barcelona is one of our all time favourite cities so I am mostly focusing on that and will try to give some slightly off the beaten path advice.

In Barcelona something which I think would be great for your group is to do the Lock Clock escape room themed on Guadi's apartment. It is one of the best done escape rooms we'Ve ever done (and we've been doing them all over Europe for about 5 years now) and it is modeled closely on his actual apartment with many detials that you can then see when visting Sagrada Familia (makes visiting that so much more interesting---and it is already pretty cool and different).

The other big favourite in Barcelona is to go up to the Tbidabo Amusement park---especially for the late afternoon and into the vening, past dark. It is far more locals than tourists and kind of a "date spot" for teens and twenty somethings. Not a big park or full of coasters, etx---but fun, with a local feel and the views of the city up there are fabulous. There is a church right by the enterance which is more modern--my family loves to tour it and climb up to the top after dark. Again, great views, and the lights on the church give it a really unique ambiance.

Also highly recomended is to get a bit off the beaten path and follow locals into a tapas bar---ask to have soemthign brought out every 15-20 mintes until you ssay to stop and try whatever comes your way.

In London, the Harry Potter Studio Tour North of the city is a must do for fans. London is so full of amazing things it is hard to suggest any one in particualr. Thw West End shows were our favourite thing. DS19 reminds me that if you go to Tower of London, go at opening, seek out the crown jewels and see them FIRST. We were allowed to get off the conveyor belt and looks as long as we liked as almost no one was there yet. An hour later the line just to get into the room was over 45 minutes and it was ride by on the belt only.

The kids really liked picking up a picnic lunch at Tesco and taking a break in one of the lovely parks in nicer weather.

We agree with the above PPs who suggest the smaller musuems in Paris.
 
We spent a week in Paris last year with 14, 12, 10, and 5 year olds.

Boat trip on the Seine anytime but preferably at sunset - magical. If you are going in a busy time, make a reservation at least same day.
Sewer tour was surprisingly fun for my family (I'm an engineer and they were humoring me:) )
Climb the towers of Notre Dame - make reservations in the morning
Rodin Museum is lovely as is the Picasso Museum
I have all boys so the military museum that is part of the Invalides complex where Napoleon is buried was a huge hit.
We loved the view from the top of the Arc of Triomphe
The Marais is one of my favorite parts of Paris and we wandered around quite a bit
I hate to even mention...but there is a Starbucks near the Opera Garnier that is GORGEOUS. I was annoyed that my son insisted on going in to get a coffee so we were waiting outside. When I went in to hurry him up, I was floored.
Of course, the earlier you can get out and about, the better.

We used the Metro except for one night leaving the Eiffel Tower and we walked TONS. Walking is the way to see Paris, to get "lost" going from one place to the other. I used the Google Maps app and it was always spot on.

One thing I would have done different - I should have rented audio guides at each museum and attraction where they had them. They are fantastic and it really helps when you get greater insight to what is in front of you. We had a museum pass for my husband and me and we did tons of museums big and small. Even downloading Rick Steves or something like that and using your phone really pluses the experience. His quick tour of the Louvre was the perfect length.
 
We spent a week in Paris last year with 14, 12, 10, and 5 year olds.

Boat trip on the Seine anytime but preferably at sunset - magical. If you are going in a busy time, make a reservation at least same day.
Sewer tour was surprisingly fun for my family (I'm an engineer and they were humoring me:) )
Climb the towers of Notre Dame - make reservations in the morning
Rodin Museum is lovely as is the Picasso Museum
I have all boys so the military museum that is part of the Invalides complex where Napoleon is buried was a huge hit.
We loved the view from the top of the Arc of Triomphe
The Marais is one of my favorite parts of Paris and we wandered around quite a bit
I hate to even mention...but there is a Starbucks near the Opera Garnier that is GORGEOUS. I was annoyed that my son insisted on going in to get a coffee so we were waiting outside. When I went in to hurry him up, I was floored.
Of course, the earlier you can get out and about, the better.

We used the Metro except for one night leaving the Eiffel Tower and we walked TONS. Walking is the way to see Paris, to get "lost" going from one place to the other. I used the Google Maps app and it was always spot on.

One thing I would have done different - I should have rented audio guides at each museum and attraction where they had them. They are fantastic and it really helps when you get greater insight to what is in front of you. We had a museum pass for my husband and me and we did tons of museums big and small. Even downloading Rick Steves or something like that and using your phone really pluses the experience. His quick tour of the Louvre was the perfect length.
Do you think walking through Paris is safe for a single mother & child?
 
Do you think walking through Paris is safe for a single mother & child?
I'm not the poster you quoted, but in any generally touristy area, yes.
Pick pockets are really the only very likely danger (as is the case in most big cities full of tourists), you can easily take steps against that.

DS and I first went to Paris just us when he was 12.
My oldest was taking the train in from DLP to go to museums alone, or meet a friend once there at 14.
Never felt in danger
 


Do you think walking through Paris is safe for a single mother & child?

I think that most any area where a tourist is likely to be (very broadly, the single digit arrondisements), are safe. I've been there multiple times alone, as a college backpacker, and with my family and I've never felt unsafe in an area (and I'm not particularly brave :) ). However, this last time, maybe because my kids were with me, the crowds at Sacre Couer made me a little nervous, as did the crowds at the Eiffel Tower late at night. There was quite a bit of visible security at the major sites plus, the touristy areas of Paris are also real Paris, so there are people walking, working, shopping all over that aren't tourists. I'm not sure I'm explaining it right, but except for those two instances I mentioned, I never felt that we were in a specifically touristy place that would be an obvious target for a small or big criminals.
 
I think that most any area where a tourist is likely to be (very broadly, the single digit arrondisements), are safe. I've been there multiple times alone, as a college backpacker, and with my family and I've never felt unsafe in an area (and I'm not particularly brave :) ). However, this last time, maybe because my kids were with me, the crowds at Sacre Couer made me a little nervous, as did the crowds at the Eiffel Tower late at night. There was quite a bit of visible security at the major sites plus, the touristy areas of Paris are also real Paris, so there are people walking, working, shopping all over that aren't tourists. I'm not sure I'm explaining it right, but except for those two instances I mentioned, I never felt that we were in a specifically touristy place that would be an obvious target for a small or big criminals.
Agreed.
Paris has joined many world cities (NYC and DC included) by increasing uniformed protection and some of them are armed with sub-machine guns; kind of disconcerting to see at first but also reassuring. Reiterating that pickpockets congregate around tourist attractions same as anywhere else in the world and you need to be proactive in protecting your belongings. Don't carry too much stuff; retain a full copy of your passport; keep a minimum of cash and only one credit card. Utilize your hotel's room safe for the remainder of your important items. I do something that's not recommended by the experts: I carry my passport copy or passport ID card instead of the actual book when day touring. Never needed to present any ID where my credit card dinna suffice with the exception of traveling near borders like w/i the Benelux countries or a city such as Basel which crisscrosses across 3 different countries. Then I walk with my actual passport.

Been traveling in Europe since the early '80's and the worst thing that ever happened was I lost my passport which was completely my fault. Think it took about a week to get it replaced. Probably it's even a shorter period of time now.
 
Do you think walking through Paris is safe for a single mother & child?

Paris is a very safe city to walk around especially in the center arrondissements. I've visited with my younger kids and also with just my 16 year old daughter. The two of us rented an apartment for a couple of weeks in Le Marais and walked and took the subway day and even late at night. There are heavily armed police officers walking around everywhere and also in the subway stations. As others have said you need to take precautions against pick pocketers. If you take the Metro you will probably run into beggars and gypsies walking up and down the cars asking for money. Just say no and they will move on.

Sacre Couer does have it's own problem with scammers trying to force tourists to buy bracelets that they will put on your wrist. I read about that before we visited but luckily that wasn't an issue. The church and view a must see.

Also agree on the Seine cruise near sunset. It's reasonably priced and very special.

It's one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
 


London is cool (said the Londoner) but Paris is the focal point of all things cultural in the world - AMAZING place to visit! Plus, if you fancy, you can always visit Disneyland Paris ;)
 
We spent three night in Barcelona when my children were 14 and 15. We did a one-day private tour to see all the highlights. What stood out to my boys were:
Montserrat - hiking up and getting to talk with some local s who were rock climbing.
Parc Guell
Las Ramblas - so much activity, it never gets boring ( and we live in NYC)
The waterfront area/ cafes
Barcelona zoo - surprisingly fun
Barca Stadium
Magic Fountain show (Montjuic)
Just walking around and listening to street musicians.
Picasso Museum

In addition to the above, we went on a segway tour and loved it. Our tour guide was Edgar Torres, and he speaks fluent English, which was great for my kids. He had them laughing so much. Here's the website if you're interested: http://www.barcelonasegwayglides.com/
 
In addition to the above, we went on a segway tour and loved it. Our tour guide was Edgar Torres, and he speaks fluent English, which was great for my kids. He had them laughing so much. Here's the website if you're interested: http://www.barcelonasegwayglides.com/
I'm planning a Euro trip for DGD this coming year and it will be her first time meeting her bio grandfather's family. Some of her cousins from that side (2nd, 3rd, who knows?) will meet her so we prolly wont bring any of her already known New World cousins with us but certainly want to not make her feel like she's traveling only with her elders. I bet a Segway tour would be fun on that level.
 
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We've done all three with truly little ones (6, 3, and 1), and Rick Steves never did me wrong. We did London last, and it was for sure my least favorite after the glorious-ness of Barcelona and Paris.
 
I'm planning a Euro trip for DGD this coming year and it will be her first time meeting her bio grandfather's family. Some of her cousins from that side (2nd, 3rd, who knows?) will meet her so we prolly wont bring any of her already known New World cousins with us but certainly want to not make her feel like she's traveling only with her elders. I bet a Segway tour would be fun on that level.

I met my maternal grandfather's family when I was 20. I'm very close to several of my cousins now. That is really nice you're taking her. I've done the segway tour in both Barcelona and Madrid - great experiences.
 
My pleasure!

We went to the British Museum because it's so amazing :) The Tower of London is sort of like a cool outdoor/indoor museum (to me). The British Library was wonderful (seeing the Beatles music handwritten in original form, the Magna Carta...a huge cool globe...special exhibits...). I'm sure I've been to others but those are the ones that stick out (because it's possible to do TOO many museums on vacation).
The next time I'm there (next year :)) I'm hoping to go to the Churchill war rooms- https://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/churchill-war-rooms.

I just wanted to echo the comment about the British Museum. I've traveled a lot, and we live near DC and go to the Smithsonians a lot. I feel relatively knowledgeable about museums in general.
But the British Museum is just head and shoulders above the rest. Standing at the Rosetta Stone literally took my breath away.
 
Wow. These are all great responses. Thank you!!

I've been lookin gat Air BNB's. It looks like this was a great suggestion for us as a family of 7. The website lets you pick a desired neighborhood. I was wondering what neighborhood I should look at for all 3 cities. I London, we'd like to have some things that we could walk to. I'm kind of thinking Hyde Park and a pub, or something that we can walk to with free time. In Paris, my husband thought it would be nice to be close to the Eiffel Tower....unless someone has another thought on a good neighborhood. Again, I'd like to have a nice area to walk if we have some dead time that we want to fill without needing to rely on transportation. In Barcelona, ideally, I'd love to be able to walk to the beach. It might be nice to be able to walk to Lar Ramblas and/or Park Guell….and/or, again a nice park or plaza.

Thanks again...
Jess
 
If you want to stay close to the Eiffel Tower and other sights such as Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe, then 8e arrondissement would fit fine. I go to parties (and they're fantastic!) there but generally stay with closer friends who live in somewhat more humble and less staid abodes, LOL. To put this in a nearer context I lived in Manhattan's East Side for a time but much preferred the West Side. Same type of buildings and amenities but more easy going.

I think you should figure out your itinerary for Paris and then decide what "nabe" to stay in.
JMHO.
 
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I live in the UK (North) but my 18yr old daughter and I love trips to London.
Some of the things we enjoy most are wandering along Southbank - between the London Eye and London Bridge or sometimes further to Tower Bridge. There is usually a small Christmas market (mainly food and drink stands) along here in December for the poster who asked about that.
We also like wandering around Covent garden and also Hyde Park. You can get a picnic to eat in Hyde Park or there are cafes in there where you can sit by the lake and watch the world go by.
You also need to go and look at Harrods just to say you've been - especially at the food section in there.

We've never done the British Museum but have done the Natural History Museum which is really interesting and is free.

I also love Paris - I worked there for a few months lots of years ago and enjoyed just wandering round taking in the sights and people watching.
My favourite walk was from Notre Dame (go and look at the back of it as its so beautiful compared to the angular shape of the front) along the river browsing at the bouquinists (book stalls ) along the bank and into the grounds of the Louvre and through Tuileries Gardens. From here you can look right up the Champs Eysee to the Arc de Triomph. The original Angelina's tea rooms which serves the best hot chocolate (and cakes) in the world is on Rue de Rivoli alongside Tuileries Gardens.
I like looking at the Eiffel Tower from Trocadero which gives you a really good view from above and then you can walk down towards it past the fountains and across the river. (This may also be a good area to stay as you are close to the Tower )
One thing you can do in Paris is get a day ticket for the Batobus (Literally boat bus ) which is a hop on hop off boat along the river. Its a different way of getting around.
 
I live in the UK (North) but my 18yr old daughter and I love trips to London.
Some of the things we enjoy most are wandering along Southbank - between the London Eye and London Bridge or sometimes further to Tower Bridge. There is usually a small Christmas market (mainly food and drink stands) along here in December for the poster who asked about that.
We also like wandering around Covent garden and also Hyde Park. You can get a picnic to eat in Hyde Park or there are cafes in there where you can sit by the lake and watch the world go by.
You also need to go and look at Harrods just to say you've been - especially at the food section in there.
I second the Southbank location in London. I stayed in a VRBO apartment 5 minutes from the London Eye and it was an excellent location and apartment. I have rented another apartment in the same area next month.
 
Would you recommend any neighborhoods to look at for Airbnb?

Thanks
Jess


London-Harry Potter if any are a fans of him in your group, theater, if you have girls who like sparklies or boys who like ancient war things-Tower of London. There are all sorts of museums, the Globe Theater, a day trip to Brussels or Paris (if you don't spend more time in Paris), a day trip to Windsor and/or Stonehenge. There are some really interesting walking tours with specific themes all around the city as well (walks.com).

I love London and DD (now 17) has been several times.

Barcelona has Picasso museum, Gaudi tours for some truly amazing architecture; a fairly famous football stadium if anyone is into sports (FC Barcelona); eating!; a beach; oh and excellent shopping.

I've spent the least time in Paris but DD really enjoyed the Louvre and eating :)

Perhaps you could look at the Adventures By Disney itineraries (not to do the trips) to see what kinds of things they include.

As for hotels, I guess I'd suggest looking at B&Bs and/or AirBnBs since European hotels (unless they are owned by American conglomerates) tend to hold only 2 people unless you get a suite or family room. For Barcelona ideas, there are some threads on the DCL forum and people definitely have their favorites! For London and Paris, I'd pick an area of the city you want to base yourself out of and look on tripadvisor. My preferred location in London is in Belgravia (short walk to Victoria bus and tube station) and the Lime Tree Hotel. Have fun planning!
 
In London, don't miss the Imperial War Museum, both the main installation (which is housed in the building that once was the infamous "Bedlam" mental hospital), and the Cabinet War Rooms. Part of the main building is rather like the Smithsonian's Air & Space museum, but there are fascinating exhibits that really make you understand what it was like to be on the home front during both World Wars. The Cabinet War Rooms (aka Churchill War Rooms) are the underground bunkers where Churchill and his Cabinet ran the UK's government during the Blitz.
 

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