A Perfect Sunday in Paris for All the Family

Paris is one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in Europe, but Sundays – especially the mornings – see a noticeable sense of calm descend on the French capital. In comparison with the normal urban bustle, the great boulevards often appear almost deserted and many smaller indie shops are closed. Parisians begin to appear in the streets after midday, heading out for leisurely brunches, family strolls around the parks and shopping in boutiques along the hallowed Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Make the most of your Sunday in Paris by adopting their gentler pace; base yourself in central Paris hotels and you’ll soon realise it’s the perfect day for sightseeing with the kids, mooching around flea markets or touring lesser-known arrondissements by bike.

Big-hitting museums and galleries like the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay are as busy as ever on Sunday, so get there early in the morning to dodge the crowds. However, Sunday in Paris is ideal for discovering the city’s lesser-known collections; with so many excellent museums to choose from, you’ll easily find something that appeals and your reward will be no queues, fewer crowds in front of the highlights and room to sit comfortably in the museum cafés. A particular favourite is the Musée Rodin, where the great man’s magical sculptures are displayed around a spectacular mansion and gardens. If your interests lie with history, head for the fascinating Musée de Cluny–Musée National du Moyen Âge, where you’ll have the space and time to admire the ethereal, hand-woven Lady and the Unicorn tapestry, a Flemish masterpiece swathed in mythical beasts, princesses, flora and fauna. Kids with you? The Musée des Arts et Métiers has wonderfully family-friendly and interactive science displays, with workshops, audio trails and guided tours designed for children.

Whether it’s aged treasures or pre-loved clothing that pique your interest, Paris’s renowned weekend flea markets are in full flow from early Sunday morning until around 2pm. The grand-daddy of them all is Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen, an enticing sprawl of stalls and covered market halls around Rue des Rosiers, with a reputation for selling genuine antiques like patterned china and silverware; kids will love hunting for vintage toys and teens can refresh their wardrobe with retro finds. If you’re keen to know where Parisians shop, Marché d’Aligre is the one for you, neatly combining a local food market with intriguing stalls selling anything from 1960s albums to Asian wood carvings and second-hand paperbacks. Books your passion? You’ll find many more at the Marché du Livre Ancien et d’Occasion, off the tourist trail at 104 rue Brancion in the 15th arrondissement. 

Take advantage of Sunday’s lack of traffic in the city to plan an urban bike ride. You can join organised cycle tours or devise your own route; either way the boulevards will be considerably quieter than during the week – and the Champs-Elysées is traffic-free the first Sunday of every month. Paris Rando Vélo organises free bike rides on the third Sunday of every month, departing outside the Hôtel de Ville at 10:30am; you can turn up without prior booking and children are welcome too. Don’t have your own bike? Pick one up at the Vélib’ bike-sharing stations found throughout the city.

In good weather, it seems that all Paris congregates in its gorgeous public parks, which resonate on Sundays to the sound of families and friends chattering and laughing together. Join the fun in the elegant Jardin du Luxembourg, where kids can make memories sailing model boats on the Grand Bassin boating lake, watching the Sunday puppet shows and riding ponies. Tucked into the Bois de Boulogne, the Jardin d’Acclimatation is a one-stop hub of treats for youngsters of all ages, with a lazy river, carousels and thrill rides. If you’re staying in chic Novotel Paris 20 Belleville, Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is 10 minutes away on foot; this spacious park is built over former quarries with sandpits and lots of grass for toddlers to run around. 

Strolling the UNESCO-listed riverbanks in Paris gives you a chance to spot iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower – easy to reach if you’re staying at stylish Novotel Paris Centre Tour Eiffel – the Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre and Notre Dame towering above the Île de la Cité. Seek out the 3.5-km car-free esplanade stretching from the Jardin des Tuileries to the Bastille on the Right Bank for a relaxing walk along the river. If you’re enjoying Sunday in Paris during the summer months, you can soak up the sun on the artificial beaches along the riverside promenade too.  

Most tourist-orientated shops, major department stores and big-name attractions like the Eiffel Tower or Louvre all open on a Sunday. Some local grocers and boulangeries open on Sunday morning, but they will close (by law) at 1pm.

Head for the fairground in the Jardin d'Acclimatation, tour the city by bike, opt for a Seine River cruise or picnic along the riverbanks. You could also visit a kid-friendly museum or have a rummage around vibrant flea markets.

Le Marais and Montmartre are lively as many of their shops and restaurants stay open, along with the high-end boutiques along the Champs-Élysées and luxurious department stores like Galeries Lafayette. The pavement cafés in charming Saint-Germain-des-Prés are also buzzing with local brunch crowds.

Sunday’s not the best choice for a big night out in the city as – excepting touristy enclaves like Montmartre, where the Moulin Rouge cabaret opens on Sunday evening – many clubs and bars are closed. However, most cinemas are open, with many showing English-language or subtitled films. 

If your Sunday in Paris with the kids has been a resounding success, here are other ideas for city breaks in the UK and Europe as well as some popular holiday destinations. But don’t miss out – book your Paris hotel room before they all sell out!