What to do in Paris, France with Kids and a Dairy Allergy
Paris is one of my favorite places to visit. How can you not love Paris? The history. The beauty. The food. I wasn’t sure what my kids would think though.
And I wasn’t sure what I would feed my son with the severe dairy allergy. When I think French food I think cheese and butter.
But with the Women’s World Cup enticing me and the memory of baguettes in my mind, we booked tickets for the week after our kids got out of school.
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Is it crazy to make a trip abroad for a soccer game? Is there anything for a dairy allergy kiddo to eat in France? Will I remember any of my years of French study?
Those were the questions rolling around in my head as we prepared.
Before Your Trip
Along with packing (I brought 6 epipens with us) and buying tickets ahead of time for things like the Women’s World Cup game and visiting the Eiffel Tower, I also tried to get our twins ready and excited for the trip.
Children’s Books about France
We read a huge stack of books about France before heading to Paris. This was a great idea. Our kids were so excited to spot places from the books and they were a huge motivator when we got to the Musee d’Orsay – more on that in a minute.
- Follow Me Around France by Wiley Blevins
- Everyone Bonjours! by Leslie Kimmelman
- Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
- Katie and the Impressionists by James Mayhew
- Chasing Degas by Eva Montanari *Harder to find but one of our favorites!
- Camille and the Sunflowers: A Story about Vincent Van Gogh by Laurence Anholt
- Madame Martine by Sarah S. Brannen
I also researched vegan and dairy free eating in Paris. I came away from Google feeling pretty assured that he would be able to eat something aside from fresh produce and baguettes – although truthfully that wouldn’t be the end of the world either, would it?
Where to Stay
We love love loved our Airbnb on the Ile Saint-Louis. It was so great to be in an apartment. Aside from allowing us to cook some of our meals to save money and my sanity (eating out with a food allergy is one of my biggest stressors in life) – it also allowed us to pretend to be locals for a little bit.
We shopped at the local bakery and grocery story every morning for bread and fruit. We went for our runs around the neighborhood and strolled in the evenings.
The Ile Saint-Louis, located right across the Seine River from Notre Dame, is also well situated near a train station and a Batobus stop so getting anywhere we wanted to go was easy.
Allergy Friendly French Food
Before leaving for Paris with our kids, finding things for my kiddo with a dairy allergy was my biggest concerns. The French do love their cheese and butter and either is deadly to him.
I was delighted to find, however, that in general it was easy to feed him. There was a lot of cheese, but there was less cheese and butter and milk hidden in random things than we find in the USA. The French tend to eat more pure, organic food and that fits well with his diet.
We did look up the translation for how to communicate his allergy with servers and both had it saved on our phones so that we weren’t relying on our high school French to communicate that piece of information, but otherwise we found the servers took his allergy seriously and there were options most places we went.
Here were his favorite foods:
- Baguette – dairy free and delicious. My kids devoured at least a loaf a day. Pick them up in the morning at a bakery when they are warm and extra delicious.
- Fruit – pop into one of the little grocery stores and buy fresh fruit. Their pears are particularly amazing.
- Sorbet – on most blocks you can find somewhere with gelato and sorbet. Especially on a hot day, a “pot avec sorbet” is the perfect treat.
- Pizza – not traditionally French, but we did have pizza one night and their dough and sauce contained no dairy and they were happy to make him a cheese-free pizza. Obviously check with your particular restaurant.
- He also ate: “French hotdog” (hot dog on a baguette) and “poulet avec frites” (chicken with fries).
6 Must-Do Things in Paris Kids
We were definitely busy during our week in Paris. There is so much to do with kids in Paris, France. You could easy fill weeks there.
Our trip was prompted by the Women’s World Cup. We bought tickets to the US Women’s Game vs. Chile in Paris and planned our trip around that.
The game was awesome. I was worried my kids, both pee-wee soccer drop outs, would get bored but they loved it. The crowd vibrated with excitement and the US Women’s National Team is awesome.
The rest of the time, we explored Paris – with two day trips to Mont Saint-Michel and Brussels.
1. Sainte Chappelle
The Notre Dame was closed from renovations following the Spring fire otherwise we probably would have gone there instead. I think seeing at least one cathedral or church is a must when you’re in France. They’re stunning and unlike what we have in the states.
Sainte Chappelle is known for it’s immense stain-glass windows that are particularly gorgeous on a sunny day. They did not disappoint.
2. Louvre & Jardin des Tuileries
Think of things to do in Paris and it’s hard to come across a list that doesn’t mention the Louvre. My husband and I have both been before and of the art museums in Paris it wasn’t our favorite so given our limited time we decided to skip it in favor of others.
We did walk past the entrance and then visit the Jardin des Tuileries which stretches in front of the Louvre. Things for kids to do include:
- Watching the ducks in the pond
- Jumping on the Trampolines
- Riding the Carousel
- Playing on the Playground
- Riding the Ferris Wheels (summer months only – closed when we were there)
If you have time, I also highly recommend the Musee de L’Orangerie. After the Musee D’Orsay (see below) it is a close second. You can also buy a combo ticket for both to help with the cost if you have time to do both.
3. Eiffel Tower
This was number 1 on my kids’ list. The lines are long and it is crowded everywhere, but this is kind of a must to me. I don’t know that I’d feel the need to do it every trip, but for your first one the Eiffel Tower should be on your list.
The view is incredible. I think it helps you get a lay of the land or reflect on the places you’ve been already.
We opted to ride the elevator which I was happy with because it was in the 80s when we visited. Come prepared to wait in line – use the bathroom at the base before you get in line and have snacks and things to do.
4. Ride the Batobus
The Batobus was particularly convenient for us because of our Airbnb location on the Ile Saint Louis but I’d recommend it to anyone visiting a few of the places on it’s list of stops.
This is a water bus/taxi that you pay one fee for the day and then you can get on and off as much as you want all day long. The Batobus stops at Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Musee D’Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower – among other places.
5. Musee D’Orsay
This is my favorite museum in Paris. It is built in an old train station and the building itself is incredible. Think Grand Central Station – but better and filled with art.
We went up to the Impressionist floor at the top first because that is my absolute favorite. I’ve learned that you need to start with what you most want to see in big places like museums and zoos and then see how much energy, attention, patience you (ahem, your kids) have left.
Monet. Degas. Renoir. If you’re a fan of Impressionist art, this floor does not disappoint.
I was SO glad that I had prepped my kids by reading them picture books about impressionist art before our trip. Katie and the Impressionists and Chasing Degas were two of our favorites (see the full list above) and my kids were so excited to spot those paintings hanging at the Musee D’Orsay.
We brought their cameras and they took pictures of everything while I soaked it all in.
6. Jardin du Luxembourg
We headed here after the Musee D’Orsay and that worked well. They were quick train trips from each other and as good as my kids were at the art museum, I’ve learned that balancing structured – please be on your best behavior – activities and running around outside activities in our days helps to keep the mom zen.
The Jardin du Luxembourg is another of the lovely parks in Paris. It is lush and green, especially in late Spring / early Summer when we visited.
The top two things to hit with kids at the Jardin du Luxembourg are the playground and the pond.
The playground was closed while we were there for renovations which was a huge bummer because it looks absolutely incredible. My kids were ready to hop the fence.
The other, is the boats on the pond. You can rent a sailboat for 30 minutes. Your kid puts in the pond and then they race around the outside to push it back into the middle whenever it gets to the edge. It’s so simple but genius.
My kids ran for a half and hour delighted. We sat on chairs that are thoughtfully all around the outside watching and enjoying the beautiful park for a half and hour delighted.
Other Ideas for Paris with Kids:
These are things that I’ve done on other trips or had recommended to me by other family travel parents:
- Pompidou Center
- Picnic in Bagatelle
- Sacre Couer
- Eat Macaroons at Pierre Herme or Gerard Mulot
Day Trips From Paris
One of the things I love most about Europe is how close together the different countries are – think East Coast United States but instead of state hopping you’re country hopping.
I read this post on Wanderlust Crew with a ton of ideas for Day Trips when we were planning our trip and we decided to do two on our trip to Paris this time.
1. Mont Saint-Michel
This is about a 3 hour drive from Paris. We rented a car in the middle of the week for a day and spent the day driving down and back. My husband had fond memories of this from his school trip to France many years ago.
Mont Saint-Michel is located in Normandy just outside of Paris and it is gorgeous. The coolest thing about it is at low tide there are 3 miles of sand surrounding it, but when the tide comes in it becomes an island. I wish we could have watched the change – perhaps a night over nearby is in order some day.
The trail that winds up the mountain is super touristy. If you want souvenirs or somewhat over-priced food this is your spot. It’s also cute though and fun to wander through.
Bring walking shoes because it is a pretty steep climb up. To me, the views were worth it.
2. Brussels, Belgium
With so much, so close, we decided we wanted to see a new-to-us country while we were in Europe. We picked Belgium. Brussels is a quick 1 1/2 train ride from Paris.
Brussels is known for chocolate and waffles and comic books and more. Read all about our day in Brussels in THIS POST: 8 Hours in Brussels with Kids
