Attitudes to Children

Holidays by Destination Europe France Paris Attitudes to Children 

It is rare for public places to exclude children in Paris. They may not actively encourage them, though even the smartest (the Tour d'Argent for one) sometimes do, for example offering child portions. In these kids of places reasonable standards of behaviour are expected.

Play

Children grow up in the city and because most live in flats they are expected to use gardens and parks to play, open to all, sometimes for a fee.

Baby Changing Facilities

Rare to non-existent, even in museums.

Buggies

Not ideal as cars plus narrow pavements, especially in older parts, can make use inconvenient at best, Particularly difficult on the metro where there are few escalators, lots of flights of stairs, heavy doors and turnstiles. The Louvre also rates particularly badly.

Breastfeeding

Fashionable French women, and that means particularly in Paris, widely regard breastfeeding as a complete no-no because of the perceived potential damage to the shape of their breasts. You are therefore unlikely to see it anywhere. More hip establishments might manage to keep their cool about it but this is less likely in traditional ones.

Babysitting

Agencies widely mentioned are:

Ababa
+33 1 45 49 46 46
8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 1-8pm Sat. F33 per hour, agency fees F64 per day, plus taxis home after 11pm.

Kids Service
+33 1 47 66 00 52
8am-8pm Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm Sat, F33 per hour, agency fee F60 per day, taxi home F40. Specialist sitters for under three months F48 per hour, Appears the most professional set up.

CROUS
+33 1 40 51 37 53
9.30am-7pm, all students, F35 per hour day time, F40 evenings, F5 per second and subscequent child. Evening taxi around F80.

All report they can arrange sitters for the same day and have English-speakers, usually students.

Creches include:
Cite des Enfants (see Things to Do) and Atelier des Enfants Centre Pompidou, Plateau Beaubourg (4th) + 33 1 44 78 12 33 for six-plus years, Mon, Wed and Sun afternoon, with some English-speaking animators. Care is unlikely to be quite as child-centred as in the UK.