Traveling with Kids: Château de Vincennes
Planning to travel with children should include children in the planning. In order for everyone to have a good time, things that the children want to do should be on the agenda. Luckily, castles are almost always an easy sell.
When we planned David's first trip to Paris at age six, I was careful to build in slower days so he had time to rest. These usually included a playground, maybe some ice cream, but nothing that required much walking or over stimulation. The following year, Lucy's first trip at age five, I didn't give it as much forethought and the difference was noticeable. All kids get cranky when they get tired. I get cranky when I get tired. It's important to be able to recognize this for what it is and be willing to take the day off. The Château de Vincennes is an easy trip that it isn't overwhelming but still pretty fun. Lucy was the reporter and David the coach as we wandered about and read all the placards of information. Videos check all the boxes by creating an activity that hopefully helps them learn about the venue, gives grownups the opportunity to document the trip with a continuous stream of "Say Cheese", and slows the pace to a relaxed speed. It helps to have at least one kid who leans toward the dramatic. Usually the other(s) enjoy taking on instructional roles because they see themselves as The Boss.
We also have a conversation at the absolute beginning of any trip concerning gift shops. There's no absolute rule about purchases but we talk about the space and weight things, even small things, take up in our bags. We also talk about having a budget which means trading ice cream for the "diamond" topped set of colored pencils. This worked for us, maybe because David and Lucy would rather have ice cream than pretty much anything else.
To get to this castle, take the metro line 1 toward Vincennes. When you come out of any exit, you can't help but see it. Children get in free and adults are €13
So cute! Love this !