1. Realize that Paris, despite what many say, is not the most child-friendly city. Prior to my trip, I read that if dining with a small child past 7 p.m., one might be met with disapproval, but I didn’t expect to feel that having a child in Paris was out of the ordinary. Yes, there are children in Paris, but you may still receive stares from people who appear as if they have never encountered a child on the street before. Surprisingly, I noticed more children out on a cold evening in Montmarte, which has more of nightlife element than many parts of Paris, than I did in other places. It could be that the hip neighborhood draws more young families than other areas of Paris.

2. Take the bus. Every piece of advice I read about taking public transportation with children prior to my trip recommended taking the bus instead of the metro, and my experience confirmed this. Some metro stations have elevators, but many do not. Unlike the subway stations in New York, there typically isn’t a single set of stairs at the entrance/exit to a subway station, but rather several sets of stairs throughout. And, on the bus in Paris, unlike in New York, you’re able to travel without folding up your stroller.

3. Pack a fold up booster seat and stroller. Some restaurants in Paris have high chairs, but for those that do not, I recommend traveling with a fold-up booster seat that can fit into the storage pocket on your stroller. Having a lightweight, umbrella stroller is also helpful for situations where you will have to fold up your stroller and store it.

4. Have snacks on hand. Although this is good advice for any situation, it is especially important when traveling. There’s no need to pack a ton of snacks in your suitcase; fruit and vegetable pouches are sold at stores like Monoprix.

5. Take a beloved stuff animal. I allowed Baby Boy to pick out one stuffed animal to take with us on the trip; he appropriately picked his stuffed giraffe, a gift from my best friend and her beau, who live in Paris. Having a stuffed animal along gives a child a sense of comfort when in new surroundings.

6. Plan activities around your child’s interests. It can be difficult to balance adult and child activities, but everyone will be happier if the little ones get to do some things that they enjoy. One of my favorite aspects of the trip was seeing Baby Boy experience a new place with new things for the first time. Because Baby Boy is obsessed with all modes of transportation, we made a special trip to Le Train Bleu restaurant, rode the metro, took a Seine river cruise, rode the bus, and spent some time simply watching the buses go by. Along with playing on the playground with French children, Baby Boy also enjoyed going up in the Eiffel Tower and riding the nearby carousel.

7. Prepare your child for the trip before your trip. As I mentioned in this post, I prepared Baby Boy for our trip to Paris by reading books about Paris. We talked about what we would see and do in Paris. While we were visiting, he was able to recognize some of the things we had read about. And after our trip, he still talks about the things that we saw and did in Paris.

8. Expect your child’s sleep patterns to alter. The time change and flight will require your child at least several days to adjust. Baby Boy didn’t fully adjust to the time change during the week we were in Paris; he slept later each day than he usually does at home. On the first day in Paris, he napped practically the entire day; it’s good to plan an activity that children wouldn’t ordinarily enjoy, such as shopping, on the first day.

9. Have someone on hand to care for your child while you do those activities that are hard/impossible to do with a child. Paris can be a wonderful place to explore with a child; novel sights and sounds are good for a child’s brain, but there are of course some places and activities where it’s not appropriate to bring a child. For both you and your child’s sake, I recommend having a third (or fourth person) available who can spend time with your child while you take advantage of Paris. On our trip, my best friend watched Baby Boy so my mom and I could have some precious time together and my mom did the same so I could spend some quality time with my best friend. Of course, if you don’t have someone you know available to care for your child, English speaking babysitting services are abundant in Paris.

10. Buy mementos for your child to keep the memories alive after the trip ends. An Eiffel Tower figurine is an excellent memento. Since Baby Boy loves buses, we made sure to pick up quality replicas of the Paris bus and ambulance; he also received a Paris garbage truck as a birthday gift from my parents. He loves playing with these items, pointing to them, and stating that they are from Paris. It’s a good way for him to remember the trip.