After spending a little time in London, we headed to France for some worldschooling in Paris. This has been a #1 destination for our family for a long time. We actually did make it here in 2020, but we arrived the day after The Louvre and The Eiffel Tower were closed for COVID-19. The city was shut down at the time, and we were forced to remain inside our Airbnb until we could get flights out of the country. It was a sad experience, and we’ve been waiting to redeem it for a long time.
What we did while worldschooling in Paris
We had a limited time in Paris (5 nights), so I did a lot of work on our schedule while we were still in the U.S. to ensure that we could enjoy the city at a comfortable pace while still experiencing the places that we wanted to see most. Here are a few of the highlights:
The Louvre – This is the world’s most-visited museum, and it is truly breathtaking. It’s also huge and overwhelming, so I splurged on a private family tour. There are so many tour companies to choose from, but I went with Paris Muse based on a recommendation from a good friend and the reviews. The tour targets kids ages 6-12 and highlights the most famous pieces in the museum. The guide gave the kids hints that helped them complete a scavenger hunt along the way, and they got a special prize from the gift shop in the end. Pro: It was a perfect way for us to enjoy the museum as a family, and we learned about the most well-known pieces in a condensed time. Con: We didn’t have time to linger and casually meander until the end, and the kids were pooped by then.
Arc de Triomphe – As one of the most famous monuments in France, the Arc de Triomphe honors those who fought and died for France in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with the names of all French victories and generals inscribed on its inner and outer surfaces. Beneath its vault lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War I where an eternal flame burns in memory of the dead who were never identified. We visited on a rainy day, and this was a good choice because the kids were more interested than they normally would be since they wanted to escape the rain. You can visit the outside of the monument for free, but we got tickets to climb the 284 steps to the top for one of the best views of Paris (and a great video on the history and architecture of the monument).
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Giverny – This village is located in the region of Normandy, about 50 miles outside of Paris, and it’s best known as the location of Claude Monet’s home and gardens. He lived and painted there for over 40 years, and getting to experience it was my favorite part of our time in Paris. Monet was one of the first artists that we studied in our homeschool, so my boys weren’t familiar with him (because they were so young when we did that picture study), but we prepared for the visit by reading Linnea in Monet’s Garden. I can’t imagine a better book for familiarizing children with the artist and his work, and it really helped my children feel connected to where we were and what we were doing.
After spending a few hours on the property, we headed to lunch at Le Moulin de Fourges, a beautiful French restaurant right on the river. It’s flooded with natural light, filled with antique furniture, and offers the most picturesque views. It was simply perfect.
Palace of Versailles – After leaving the restaurant, we got back in the van and headed to a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about 12 miles west of Paris. The palace and park were designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its importance as the center of power, art, and science in France during the 17th and 18th centuries. “With 60,000 artworks, collections of Versailles illustrate 5 centuries of French History [reflecting] the dual vocation of the Palace once inhabited by the sovereigns and then a museum dedicated “to all the glories of France” inaugurated by Louis-Philippe in 1837.” The Palace was very crowded. We could still see everything, but it made it difficult to hear our tour guide despite having headphones with his voice piped in. And though he was amazing, my children really struggled to understand what he was saying due to his very thick accent. Fun Fact: Check out Page 65 of my book A PLACE TO BELONG to see what I compared to the Palace of Versailles!
We booked our tour to Giverny and Versailles with Paris Trip through Trip Advisor. I went purely off of past reviews, and was very happy with the experience. The all day experience was just my family and one older couple that obviously loved children. We had a private van and our own guide for the duration. It was an incredible splurge (the biggest activity expense of our entire trip), but it was worth it to me. My birthday was the prior week, and the tour was on our wedding anniversary. It made everything so special.
Sacré-Cœur – Sacré-Cœur Basilica is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It’s located at the summit of Montmartre, a large hill in Paris’s northern 18th arrondissement. From its dome two hundred meters above the Seine River, the Basilica overlooks the entire city of Paris and its suburbs. The site is traditionally associated with the martyrdom of Saint Denis, the patron saint of Paris. We enjoyed the breathtaking views of the city and quietly entered the church where the grand organ was playing while a small choir sang during services.
When we exited the Metro at Montmartre, we saw this wall with ‘I Love You’ written 311 times in 250 languages. The red splashes on the wall symbolize parts of a broken heart that can be gathered to form a full heart. The wall was off to the side in a little courtyard with no fanfare, but it’s one of the sweetest things that I’ve seen.
Notre-Dame – This medieval Catholic cathedral is in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is considered one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture. On April 15th, 2019, while undergoing renovation and restoration, its roof caught fire and burned for about 15 hours. It sustained serious damage and is closed as a result. We still went by just to see what we could from the outside, but it wasn’t a great experience. There’s a really high construction wall around the site, and all of the damage and scaffolding that we could see was quite depressing. The feelings that it brought up reminded me that all of us are impacted when any country’s cultural icons or valued artifacts are destroyed or damaged.
Eiffel Tower – I feel like I don’t even need to tell about this famous monument, but here’s a tad bit of interesting info: The wrought-iron lattice tower is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel whose company designed and built the tower, and it’s local nickname is “La dame de fer” (French for “Iron Lady”). It was constructed from 1887 to 1889 as the centerpiece of the 1889 World’s Fair. Although initially criticized by some of France’s leading artists and intellectuals for its design, it has since become a global cultural icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world [Source: Wikipedia]. My kids were extremely excited about going up in the tower, and they specifically requested to go at night.
Nina’s Paris – I just couldn’t leave Paris without taking my daughter Nina to this beautiful tearoom. The other kids were too tired at the end of the day to walk any further so they camped out at the apartment with my husband while Nina and I continued on. We arrived just moments before closing, but when I told the woman that my daughter’s name was Nina and that this was our only opportunity to visit, she let us in and rolled out the red carpet. She gave my Nina a little bag, some tea, and other little dainty souvenirs bearing her name. I’m always grateful for the small kindnesses that people show, and it reminds me to remain alert for opportunities to pay it forward.
Where we stayed while worldschooling in Paris
I have a lot of good things to say about our Airbnb in Paris, but the one negative thing outweighs much of the good. My review from the app pretty much says it all:
This Airbnb is a great value for Paris. The neighborhood has grocery stores, bakeries, coffee shops, and plenty of restaurants within very short walking distance. There’s a Metro stop less than 5 minutes away (walking) which is extremely convenient. It’s important to know that the unit is on the 4th floor, so you’ll need to carry your suitcases up and down, and it’s not easy, but we didn’t mind because the price was right. A person with limited mobility would really struggle here.
The kitchen area is tiny, but we were still able to prepare basic meals for our family of six. How we slept: 2 parents in one bedroom. 2 older children in the other bedroom. 2 younger children on the couch which has a small pullout bed (for a child) in addition to the sofa itself. This is not a fancy unit, so you shouldn’t expect that. It’s a very affordable option in a good location for getting around Paris, and it has strong internet. Those are the things that were important to us.
Here’s a quick video tour of our Airbnb while worldschooling in Paris:
There’s only one major issue with this unit: The smell in the bathroom. Everything was fine when we first arrived, but the longer we were there, the worse the smell got. Some days, it was completely unbearable, and we would have to just leave the unit to get fresh air. It smells like there’s a dead animal decaying in the pipes. I feel bad saying this because it’s probably something the owner can’t control, but you need to know that as my son said, “The bathroom smells like the world is coming to an end.”
Great price. Great location. Good wi-fi. Stinky bathroom. If you’re a budget traveler and don’t mind holding your breath while taking a quick shower, this is the place for you.”
After visiting these iconic places and having fun just wandering the streets while worldschooling in Paris, it was time to move on to our ultimate destination in West Africa.
If you want to learn more about worldschooling in Paris and elsewhere, please follow along on our worldschooling adventures here on the site and on Instagram @heritagemomblog. You can also check out Chapter 11 in my book A Place to Belong to learn exactly how and why we worldschool.
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