A heatwave in Paris is a challenge at the best of times. Try it with five children in tow. One family of seven did exactly that in June, travelling over on the DFDS ferry and basing themselves at Hôtel Le Rosalie near Place d'Italie, where two adjoining rooms, a breezy plant-filled roof terrace and organic omelette breakfasts kept everyone sane.
The trip's biggest revelation may be the Seine itself. Following the reported €1.4 billion clean-up, the river now has official swimming spots, and the family headed to Le Bras de Grenelle in the 15th arrondissement, opposite L'Île aux Cygnes with Eiffel Tower views. Adults swim in a roped-off river section while children from age three use a family pool — free for most of the summer, open 10am to 5.30pm midweek and Sundays (4.45pm Saturdays). After the swim, they cooled off further at the Bois de Boulogne, the vast former royal hunting ground in the 16th, with its pony rides, miniature railway, petting zoo and boat rides.
Heat-proofing the sightseeing was the key strategy. The Luxembourg Gardens emerged as the standout family stop: a zipwire, vintage toy boat pond, giant playground, puppet show and old-fashioned carousel, all for just a few euros. Indoors, the cool stone of Saint-Sulpice church offered a welcome break, with a Da Vinci Code storyline to keep the kids hooked. In Le Marais, Place des Vosges and the Pompidou Centre worked for all ages, along with falafel on Rue des Rosiers from L'As du Fallafel.
Getting around was easy on the Batobus river shuttle — a 24-hour day pass costs €23 and paid for itself in two trips, including one to the Louvre. Dinners were low-effort: buffet-style meals at Envie Le Banquet in Le Marais, and Thai street food at Street Bangkok in the 6th, a hit with the teenagers.
On the way home they squeezed in two classics. At Château de Versailles, under-18s enter free — but you must pre-book their time slots online. Then Montmartre, where the cobbled streets and crumbling windmill earned points as a Beauty and the Beast filming location. The climb up 300 steps to Sacré-Cœur (ticketed for the dome view, free to enter the basilica) rewarded them with the city panorama and the huge Christ in Majesty mosaic inside.
The takeaway for anyone travelling with kids: Paris rewards slow pacing. Break at midday when the heat peaks, lean on shaded gardens and air-conditioned churches, and swap one museum for a swim in the river. Even a family of seven came back calling it a playground — teenagers and seven-year-olds alike. — France Today
