Paris With Kids: A Survival Guide

· Consider renting an apartment. If you're interested in saving money or having a bit more space than most Parisian hotel rooms offer, this is a great way to go. Try Craigslist ( http://paris.craigslist.org/ ; under "housing," click on "vacation rentals" or "sublets/temporary"), where you'll be entirely on your own, or http://www.fusac.org/ , the Web site of FUSAC (France USA Contacts), a magazine geared to Paris's English-speaking community.

For a higher-end arrangement with more services (such as the assurance of someone to answer all your questions), try Welcome 2 France ( http://www.welcome2france.com/ ). For $500 to $650 a week at the low end, you can rent a studio or one-bedroom. If you need more space, it'll be worth spending more -- don't try to cram your family into a too-small apartment if you can help it. Remember that Paris apartments are small. Another way to save money is to venture into outlying neighborhoods, which can be lovely if less centrally located -- for example, the 14th arrondissement near Parc Montsouris, or the 19th near Parc des Buttes Chaumont.

A few caveats:

** Beware of listings with no pictures.

** Ask hard questions about street noise, linens, beds and sleeping arrangements. A loft bed may not be a great idea if you're traveling with a toddler or your 80-year-old mother.

** Make sure the ground rules are clear -- for both arrival and departure. You probably don't want to waste precious Parisian minutes on cleaning a dirty apartment.

** If someone can meet you at the apartment when you arrive, all the better: Trust me, you don't want to have to figure out the vagaries of French electrical systems when you're jet-lagged.

** Ask where the closest Metro is, and the nearest park. Get the precise address of the nearest epicerie (grocery store), so you can stock up as soon as you arrive on coffee, milk, juice, cereal and whatever else is essential in your household.

** Ask if there's a coffeepot and a microwave: Those at-home dinners that work so well for tired young travelers are a cinch if you can visit one of Paris's abundant traiteurs (take-out places) and then zap your purchases in a microwave.

· Get the right guidebooks. If you buy only one guidebook before you go, make it Fodor's tiny but wonderful "Around Paris With Kids: 68 Great Things to Do Together," which lists everything from the touristy to the way-off-the-beaten-path. Each listing has a food note at the bottom -- a market or restaurant near the attraction -- to save endless wandering when you're famished.

Then, when you arrive at the airport, make two additional purchases: a Plan de Paris , the excellent pocket-size collection of Paris street maps that every knowing visitor carries at all times; and a copy of the weekly Pariscope magazine, which, in addition to burlesque shows, lists child-friendly amusements such as circuses and marionette shows.

· Buy a museum pass . . . Paris in the summer often means long lines, and every parent knows that Long Lines + Children = Bad Vacation. You can buy a life-saving Paris Museum Pass for two, four or six days ($48 to $92) that not only gives you free admission to practically every museum in the city (plus crowd magnets such as the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame) but also lets you skip to the head of every line. Even if you're planning to visit only a couple of museums, the line-jumping may make the cost a wise investment. Buy it in the Metro or at the first museum you go to, or ask at your hotel -- the concierge may have some for sale. If you don't mind paying a surcharge, buy one ahead of time online at http://www.museums-of-paris.com/ and have it delivered to your hotel in time for your arrival.

· . . . and use it. Most Paris museums have incredible kids' programs -- check them out online before you go (look for the section on each site labeled Jeune Public , "for young audiences"). Often, there are special exhibitions and hands-on workshops. For example, through Sept. 4, the Pompidou Center (also known simply as Beaubourg) has a creative interactive exhibition called "Tete a Tete," focusing on heads in various media, with art ranging from Roman emperors' noggins borrowed from the Louvre to the latest in cutting-edge photography and computer-generated work. My son was in tired, grumpy mode when we began our visit, but the array of mirrors, screens and coolly weird images soon engaged him. Check out the Beaubourg site, http://www.cnac-gp.fr/ ; for other museums, http://www.parisinfo.com/ .

· Go to the market. Parisian food markets are one of the glories of the city. There are open-air fruit and vegetable markets on different days in all arrondissements (go to http://www.parisinfo.fr/ , click on "Practical Paris," then look under the heading "Essential information," then "Daily life" to find markets). Many have vendors selling prepared food of various kinds. Some streets are great food-shopping streets, even when the market isn't happening. For starters, try Rue de Buci and Rue de Seine in the sixth arrondissement; Rue Mouffetard in the fifth; or the Marche d'Aligre in the 12th, near Place de la Bastille. Keep your eyes peeled for hole-in-the-wall Vietnamese traiteurs , whose nems and "ravioli" (dumplings) will satisfy almost any child; and for creperies , whose offerings range from ham, egg and cheese to sweet fillings such as Nutella or strawberry jam. One especially nice place is La Creperie de Josselin (67 Rue du Montparnasse, 011-33-1-43-22-9181).

Explore the boulangeries near your hotel, and teach your child how to say Bonjour, Madame; croissant; brioche; pain aux raisins; and Merci, Madame.

· Get wet. If the trip is in summer and you're staying in an apartment or at a hotel without a pool (most won't have one), get a taste of local life by visiting your neighborhood piscine . (For a list of public pools by neighborhood, visit http://www.paris.fr/ , then click on "Sport" in the left-hand column, then "Piscines," then "35 Piscines a Paris.")

For an outdoor swimming experience, visit Paris Plage, along the Seine from the Tuileries to the Henri IV Bridge. For the last several years, the city has been trucking in loads of sand and creating a faux beach along roughly two miles of shoreline. There's a swimming pool, food, drink, volleyball, free concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, massages and, of course, people-watching. (Tentative dates for this summer are July 20 to Aug. 20; for more information, go to http://www.azureva.com/paris/magazine/parisplage .)

For an entire day at the beach, journey out to the edge of the city to Aquaboulevard ( http://www.aquaboulevard.com/ ), which offers the life aquatic in every variety from waterfall to water slide, wave pool to hot tub, tunnel to fountain . But be advised: Many French pools require that men and boys wear skintight, racing-style suits rather than the baggy board shorts popular in the States, so pack accordingly.

-- Anne Glusker