I Took My 3-Year-Old on a Last-Minute Trip to Paris

Feeding a 3-year-old on the go can be tricky, so I tried to start our days with a solid breakfast that I knew he would eat. While my husband and son slept in, I walked to the local Monoprix (13 Rue de Lévis), a French grocery store chain, for bottles of Evian, apples, sourdough bread, eggs, milk, and yogurt. In France, the yogurt selection is vast and can take up an entire aisle. I opted for a plain vanilla flavor from Bonne Maman because that’s what my son likes, but you can find everything from sheep and goat milk yogurts to dessert lactés (custards, mouses, and creme caramel). If you’re into French mom things, Isabelle Bertalami, an American mom in France, is an excellent Instagram follow. She shares grocery store hauls and had me on the lookout for her favorite butter with sea-salt crystals from an island off the coast of France.

It is unseasonably cool for August and the weather called for rain, so we dressed warmly and packed our raincoats and umbrella. On our way to the bus we stopped at Lenôtre Courcelles (15 Blvd. de Courcelles), an upscale pâtisserie chain, for a madeline and fresh-squeezed orange juice for my son. This was my first time taking the bus in Paris and it felt similar to the process in New York City. We followed the schedule on Google maps and paid for our tickets on the bus with Euros. The route had us winding around the Arc de Triomphe and let us out a few feet from the Eiffel Tower. We didn’t take my son on our last visit and I regret not snapping a photo of him out front.

After attempting a few shots, all of which include my son in some sort of running pose, we headed to Museé Rodin (77 Rue de Varenne), the former home of French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The kids room has hands-on stations with clay and markers to color, a giant chalkboard, a slide, and a stage for climbing on. My son was immediately drawn to the slide and became fully engrossed in a game of tag with a few other children. Afterward, we walked out to the seven-acre garden, where he continued running around while my husband and I looked at the many sculptures. I appreciated how stroller-friendly the whole experience was — from the special entrance with ramps to the stroller check at Hôtel Biron.

Our next stop was Brasserie Lipp (151 Blvd. Saint-Germain), a Left Bank institution on the Boulevard Saint-Germain. Before we left for Paris, I did a quick scroll on AmiGo, a new-to-me travel app that offers curated recommendations from a small community of tasteful travelers, and this was one of the spots I bookmarked.

The restaurant feels like an elegant, less touristy, alternative to Café de Flore with dark wood interiors and waiters in black tuxedo jackets. My son and I shared the filet de boeuf, while my husband ordered the steak tartare and a plate of perfectly crisp french fries. For dessert, we ordered profiteroles glacées and Callum was delighted by the friendly waiter who made silly faces at him while pouring a small pitcher of chocolate sauce overtop.

We planned to spend the afternoon in Jardin du Luxembourg, but the weather wasn’t cooperating. We avoided the rain as best we could and made a beeline for my favorite French department store, Le Bon Marche (24 Rue de Sèvres). I could easily spend a few hours browsing the clothing and shoe sections, but that visit was for the toy department and food hall. They carry all the classic French toy brands (Moulin Roty, Djeco, and Janod) and Callum took his time picking out a box of pirate-themed French pastry toys. We headed across the street to La Grande Épicerie de Paris (38 Rue de Sèvres) for flower-shaped sugar cubes for my mom and chestnut paste (another Isabelle Bertalami recommendation).

From there we walked to more shops: Marin Montagut (48 Rue Madame) a delightful jewel box of a store with stationery, porcelain dishware, and hand-painted glasses); Astier de Villatte (16 Rue de Tournon) sells delicate handmade ceramics; and Officine Universelle Buly 1803 (6 Rue Bonaparte) a beautiful, old-school-style apothecary with an elegant selection of souvenir options, like scented matches and acetate combs and lip balm compacts that you can have engraved. Callum fell asleep on the walk back, so we picked up take-out near the apartment.