Where to stay in Paris
with four people.
The 7th, near the Champ de Mars, or the 1st, by the Tuileries. What we actually filter for is simpler than picking a neighborhood: a kitchen, a washer, an elevator, then the quiet street. We stayed near the Louvre, on a train line.
The 7th for first-timers, the 1st for walkability.
Near the Champ de Mars and Rue Cler. The most stroller-friendly option for a family visiting Paris for the first time, with the Eiffel Tower lawn as a built-in park.
By the Tuileries, near a train line. Central and walkable, close to the Louvre and the river, the base we actually used.
Kitchen, washer, elevator. Then the quiet street.
Neighborhood matters less than these three filters. A kitchen keeps food costs down and gives you a fallback when a kid refuses every restaurant in sight. A washer means packing five outfits instead of fourteen. An elevator matters more than it sounds, especially with a stroller and a fourth-floor walk-up that looked fine in photos. Pick the quiet street last, once the first three are covered.
We stayed near the Louvre, on a train line: close enough to walk to some things, an easy Metro or RER ride to the rest.
What families ask us.
What is the best area to stay in Paris with kids?
The 7th arrondissement, near the Champ de Mars and Rue Cler, is the easiest, most stroller-friendly first-timer base. The 1st, by the Tuileries and near a train line, is more central and walkable.
What should you filter for when booking a Paris apartment?
A kitchen, a washer, and an elevator, then pick the quiet street. Those three filters matter more for a family of four than proximity to any single landmark.
Where did you actually stay in Paris?
Near the Louvre, on a train line, close enough to walk to some things and an easy Metro or RER ride to the rest.
Should a family book a hotel or an apartment in Paris?
An apartment, for the kitchen and the washer alone. Most European hotel rooms cap at two or three people, so a family of four is either two hotel rooms or one apartment, and the apartment usually wins on both cost and convenience.
Where this fits.
The one-week home base plan and what it costs.
Why we default to a carrier, even past age four.
Kyle is a licensed Fora travel advisor now, at no extra cost to you.