{"id":8670,"date":"2021-09-07T23:46:08","date_gmt":"2021-09-07T21:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/?p=8670"},"modified":"2021-09-07T23:46:08","modified_gmt":"2021-09-07T21:46:08","slug":"how-to-plan-the-perfect-toddler-friendly-holiday-to-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/destinations\/france\/how-to-plan-the-perfect-toddler-friendly-holiday-to-france\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Plan The Perfect Toddler-Friendly Holiday To France"},"content":{"rendered":"

Holiday season is around the corner and, for the first time in\u00a0almost two years,\u00a0international travel has become an option for families again.\u00a0Travel restrictions have recently been eased by the French\u00a0Government and\u00a0it is now possible for fully vaccinated travellers from South Africa\u00a0to enter France with no test and\u00a0quarantine restrictions. This means that\u00a0adult travellers do\u00a0not need a compelling reason to travel to France or conduct a\u00a0PCR test\u00a0upon departure and arrival nor do they need to quarantine once\u00a0arriving in France. Children\u00a0aged 12 and over\u00a0must present a\u00a0negative PCR test taken less than 72 hours before departure\u00a0or\u00a0a negative antigenic test taken less\u00a0than 48 hours before departure to France.

As tourists start flocking to international\u00a0destinations, the flying experience can be daunting for new parents \u2013 but it\u00a0doesn\u2019t have to be.\u00a0Air France<\/a>\u00a0shares\u00a0a\u00a0few stress-reducing strategies for both flying to and exploring France with young\u00a0children and how to prepare them for the experience.

Before\u00a0Your Trip:

Talk To Your Kids About What They Can Expect<\/b>

The flight is something your kids are\u00a0certainly going to be excited about. However, there will be a few moments\u00a0during the process which will prove to be\u00a0difficult for young travellers.\u00a0Having a conversation with your children about the entire flying process will\u00a0leave them more equipped to handle the long\u00a0waits and processes that take place\u00a0at the airport. Make the conversation more interactive by finding videos geared\u00a0to children on YouTube which goes\u00a0over the entire flight experience, from\u00a0baggage check-in and ticketing to onboard etiquette and safety.

Pack\u00a0Just Enough<\/b>

To make the flying experience easier and\u00a0more enjoyable for the whole family, packing your carry-on luggage correctly is\u00a0an incredibly important task. It\u2019s\u00a0important to find the balance between\u00a0under-packing and over-packing to ensure the journey is an easy one. Items you\u00a0should definitely pack include:\u00a0your child\u2019s comfort items (be it a pacifier or\u00a0a specific blanket), a new toy to open on the plane,\u00a0sanitizer,\u00a0wipes, pull-up nappies, a smartphone or\u00a0tablet loaded with some of your kids\u00a0favourite shows or movies, child-sized headphones, some art supplies, plastic\u00a0bags for any trash, water\u00a0and low-sugar snacks like crisps, pretzels\u00a0and granola bars, and most importantly \u2013 masks and hand sanitiser. Luckily,\u00a0most airlines cater for small\u00a0children on flights. Air France, for example,\u00a0provide a bassinet for infants under 2 and less than 10kg and baby changing\u00a0tables are also available. On\u00a0long-haul flights, your child receives games and\u00a0colouring books suited to his or her age and, to further keep your kids\u00a0entertained, the airline has\u00a0launched \u2018The Kids App\u2019, an innovative app which\u00a0is sure to bring out your child\u2019s creative side! The airline also provides\u00a0children between the ages of\u00a0two and eight a fun, colourful and healthy meal\u00a0and cut into bite-size chunks while sweet and savoury organic pots and baby\u00a0biscuits can be ordered for\u00a0infants up to two years old up to 48 hours\u00a0before departure.

In France:

France Has\u00a0Many Child-Friendly Places To Discover<\/b>

While Paris is known for its rich history, interesting museums,\u00a0delectable eateries, world-famous sites and romance, it\u2019s\u00a0also the perfect city\u00a0for a family vacation! To keep toddlers entertained, consider mixing a half-day\u00a0tour of the Louvre with\u00a0playtime in the neighbouring Tuileries Garden, for\u00a0example. Match bucket-list activities like visiting the Eiffel Tower with an\u00a0early dinner cruise on the Seine. France, however, is so much more than just\u00a0Paris. Kids will love travelling to the Loire\u00a0Valley where cycling alongside\u00a0the river and visiting Leonardo Da Vinci\u2019s last place of residence will ensure\u00a0an active yet\u00a0cultural experience while a trip to Normandy will wow older kids\u00a0with an interest in history with its plentiful WWII sites.\u00a0Simplify your trip\u00a0by planning each day\u2019s activities and buying the relevant tickets in advance.\u00a0This will ensure a much\u00a0smoother process on the day.

Explore\u00a0The Magic Of Disneyland Paris<\/b>

You can\u2019t take children (no matter their age) to Paris and not\u00a0visit the world-famous Disneyland Paris theme park. The park\u00a0is situated just\u00a032 km outside of the Paris city centre and is easily accessible via a train\u00a0ride. Filled with a number of\u00a0thrilling rides, restaurants, shops and a whole\u00a0lot of your favourite Disney characters, a trip to Disneyland Paris will be the\u00a0highlight of any child\u2019s trip to the city. The park has also done its best to\u00a0ensure that toddlers are comfortable during what is\u00a0guaranteed to be a long\u00a0day. The park has a dedicated Baby Centre which includes a large parent\u00a0bathroom where\u00a0parents can easily change their toddler, a kitchenette to\u00a0prepare and feed your baby, high chairs and a microwave. The\u00a0park also has\u00a0strollers which can be rented should your child\u2019s feet start hurting during the\u00a0day. A trip to the park is a must\u00a0for any family.

Bon App\u00e9tit!<\/b>

Eating out is always tricky when it comes to pleasing everyone in\u00a0the family. Many French restaurants offer smaller\u00a0portions of main menu dishes\u00a0but visiting a child-friendly restaurant will probably be a better choice for\u00a0families who are\u00a0looking to make the most out of mealtime. Les 400 Coups is a\u00a0popular restaurant choice for families. Children get to eat in\u00a0a separate area\u00a0with kid-sized furniture created especially for them. A pile of books, games\u00a0and a giant blackboard are\u00a0there to keep them entertained during their meal.\u00a0For a more authentic experience, families flock to Le Caf\u00e9zo\u00efde \u2013 the first\u00a0Parisian children\u2019s caf\u00e9. The caf\u00e9 hosts fun activities, games and workshops while\u00a0parents can sit back and enjoy some\u00a0delicious French cuisine from their lunch\u00a0menu. Try time meals as close as possible to your child\u2019s routine back home so\u00a0that they don\u2019t feel too overwhelmed by the touring experience.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Holiday season is around the corner and, for the first time in\u00a0almost two years,\u00a0international travel has become an option for families again.\u00a0Travel restrictions have recently been eased by the French\u00a0Government and\u00a0it is now possible for fully vaccinated travellers from South Africa\u00a0to enter France with no test and\u00a0quarantine restrictions. This means that\u00a0adult travellers do\u00a0not need a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8669,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3322],"tags":[5101],"class_list":["post-8670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-france","tag-air-france"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8670\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8669"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/southafricatoday.net\/travel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}