Last Modified: 09/13/26
Mother Daughter Paris Trip
Planning a Paris mother daughter trip is a great way to connect, but doing it on a budget can feel overwhelming. Last year, I started a tradition of planning and taking each kid on their own trip. It began with my son, who is really into the English Premier League, and our spring break worked out well for seeing three games last year. My middle daughter really wanted to go to Paris and London.
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Short & Sweet
- Trip: Surviving 4 days in Paris heatwave with my teenage daughter, followed by 3 days in London
- Highlights: Giverny and the Queen’s Hamlet
- Costs
- Out-of-pocket costs for flights, trains, and hotels– $756 and 315K points
- Cost of activities — $95
- Food: We only ate out a few times because the club lounges offered breakfast and heavy hors d’oeuvres every night.
4 Day Paris Itinerary
| Day 1 | Stay awake! Figure out transit Wondering around |
| Day 2 | Neighborhood walking Musee D’Orsay Eiffel Tower |
| Day 3 | Day trip to Giverny Montmartre |
| Day 4 | Versailles French Pharmacy |
| Day 5 | Early Eurostar Train to London |
Getting There
We were lucky to have direct flights to and from Paris and London departing from RDU. We flew out on a Sunday night on Air France to CDG and flew home on AA from LHR the following Monday. We typically travel economy on points because we have a big family and I’m not 100% convinced I need lay-flat seats for a 7-hour flight.
Air France had great service and food in economy, and the seat bottoms slid forward, giving a sensation of leaning back further. I was able to sleep through most of the flight after dinner.
Weather & Packing:
The weather forecast was for unseasonably warm temperatures, with highs over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the week we were there.
We packed shorts, loose t-shirts, and linen dresses. And I’m very glad I had my Hoka sneakers for all the cobblestone walking.
Must haves
- Good walking shoes
- Portable fans
- Lots of water and liquid IV powder packs
Hotel
In Paris, we stayed outside the center at the Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile. It was about 17K per night for a twin bedroom. We had a Guest of Honor award, which included breakfast in the main dining room and the club lounge. Breakfast was a well-stocked buffet with fruit, pastries, and protein options, plus a self-serve espresso machine. The lounge also had similar breakfast items, and the best part was the view of the Eiffel Tower and unlimited Orangina and wine. In the evening, there was a buffet of hors d’oeuvres that was honestly enough for dinner.
Getting Around
Paris transit can feel a bit overwhelming at first glance, but it’s actually pretty easy to navigate with a bit of planning. The central areas are served by the Metro, while the more distant areas are served by the RER; all are interconnected. We used Apple Maps, which showed the best route, timing, stops, and delays. We downloaded the map ahead of the trip so we could still access it underground, where cell service was limited.
We purchased a weekly Navigo pass for about 32 euros. Even though we were there for 5 days, this worked out to about 6 euros per day for access to all five zones via the Metro, buses, RER, and other services. This mattered because we needed to travel from the airport in Zone 5 to our hotel on the edge of Zone 2, and we planned to visit Versailles in Zone 4. Without this pass, we would have spent more than 6 euros per day and had the hassle of buying tickets for each route.
To get back and forth to Giverny, we took a regular train. Although there is a slower, less expensive RER route, this train had better seating and air conditioning, and it was much faster with fewer stops. We booked using Trainline for about $30 round-trip for both of us.
Notes on neighborhoods and regions
When I plan a trip, I like to organize the days by neighborhood to reduce travel.
Paris is divided into 20 neighborhoods or arrondissements, each with its own character. Some neighborhoods are more touristy than others, such as Arr 7th & 8th, which is home to the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Élysées. Others, like Saint-Germain (6th) and the Latin Quarter (5th), are a bit more relaxed, with cafes and small shops.
Paris RAPT Maps with transit & Monmuments
Itinerary Details
I am not going to lie, my daughter wanted to just walk around the cities and pop into all the pretty shops and cafes. She didn’t want to be overscheduled. Based on that, we planned each day around one to two neighborhoods at a time.
Day 1:
Our goal when we land is always to just stay awake. We dropped our bags at the hotel and walked from the hotel to the Arc De Triomphe and then to the Champs-Élysées (Arr 8th). We popped into several shops. Between the heat and jet lag, the first afternoon was a blur. After cooling off and changing in our room, we headed back out to the 16th Arr near our hotel to visit Brandy Melville.
Day 2:
We had a good night’s rest and hit the ground running at 7 am to eat breakfast and beat some of the heat. We took the metro to the 5th Arr, known as the Latin Quarter and walked by Notre Dame and Pont Neuf. My daughter really wanted to see the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed, but it was pretty cool to experience.
On the way to the museum, we stopped at Ladurée, a pretty famous French macaron shop, and Messy Nessy’s Cabinet, which is known for unique gifts.
After that, we headed to the Musée d’Orsay for our afternoon ticket.The Musée d’Orsay was a really nice break from the heat, and we stayed longer than we’d planned, especially in the Impressionist section.
After about 25K steps, we opted for an early night in after a club dinner. But we did catch a beautiful view of the Eiffel Tower on the way.
Day 3:
I had initially booked a group tour to Giverny to see the Monet House and Gardens, but after looking more closely, I realized the tour would cost over $300, while the train, bus, and tickets would be less than $100 total. I booked a train from Paris St. Lazare to Vernon-Giverny at about 8:30 am. It was a pretty easy 50-minute train ride, and the shuttle, which runs every 15 minutes from the train station to the house, cost 10 euros round trip. Since we purchased tickets in advance, we could skip the very long queue and walk straight to a shaded line.
We were a bit early for our time slot, so we walked into some of the shops and the free gardens before entering the house.
Visiting the Monet Garden and House was the highlight of my trip. It was really neat to see his home and the grounds that inspired several paintings. They managed the lines and crowds pretty well, but we did have to wait in a queue for about 20 minutes in rapidly increasing temperatures. There is no AC in the house, so I was grateful I brought a fan.
After the house tour, we walked to the gardens and ponds, where, to our surprise, the lily pads were in full bloom. There were some crowds and some folks posing for lots of photos, but people were mostly respectful and kept the path clear.
Despite the heat, we still had the energy to explore Galeries Lafayette Haussmann after returning to the hotel. If you want to see the beautiful dome, make sure you are at the Houssmann location in the women’s department.
Afterwards, we had dinner at a lovely little restaurant, Les Antiquaires. Some reviews said it was a touristy area, but the food was really good, and we enjoyed the atmosphere.
In the evening, when it was slightly cooler, we took the Funicular (included in the transit pass) to Montmartre. My daughter really enjoyed seeing the city from up high and Sacré-Cœur.
Day 4:
This visit was my third time to Versailles and in the past, we had always just visited the palace. For some reason, I’d never considered going to the Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet. This is a ticket called the Versailles Passport. We took the RER from our hotel and it dropped us off at a train stop just a 10-minute walk to the palace. From there, we moved from the traditional areas to the gardens, then continued on to the Petit Trianon and the Queen’s Hamlet.
When we first arrived, we did pop into the traditional areas: the Hall of Mirrors and the Queen’s Rooms.
We had a nice iced tea and dessert at Angelina’s.
But after walking in the garden for a bit, we walked through the forest all the way to the Petit Trianon and then to the Queen’s Hamlet. These areas were Marie Antoinette’s sanctuary from palace life, and it was pretty fun to see the smaller, quieter side of her life. The hamlet was my favorite because it was so pastoral. I only wished we could go inside the buildings. Paying extra for full access to the Palace and Trianon areas was well worth it. There is a trolley that you can pay to take back to the exit, which we were grateful for in the heat.
It was our last night in Paris, and many public spaces, like the Louvre, were closing early due to the heatwave. We opted to stay close to the hotel for the evening and had a really fantastic sushi experience at Matsuri. The sushi was served on a conveyor belt and each plate was color-coded based on price. There were many delicious vegetarian options. Then around the corner was a lovely little shop called de la Tarte. We had a berry cheesecake, and it was one of the best things I had in Paris.
Points & Miles Details
| Points | Out of pocket costs | Value* | |
| RDU to CGD on Air France | 82K Amex MR points to Flying Blue | $313 | $1400 |
| LHR to RDU on AA | 60K Citi Points to AA | $210 | $1600 |
| Hyatt Regency Paris Etoile 4 nights | 68K Hyatt points (Chase/Bilt) | $0 | $1000 |
| Hyatt Regency London Churchill 3 nights | 105K Hyatt Points (Chase/Bilt) | $0 | $1050 |
| Eurostar Train | N/A | $200 | $200 |
| Giverny Train | N/A | $33 | $33 |
| $756 in out of pocket costs | $5286 estimated trip value |
*Trip Value is based on the equivalent cash price. This will vary wildly depending on the time of year and how advanced the trip was booked. Many points & miles people calculate CPP (cents per point). I don’t typically do that (see here).
If you are interested in learning more about Points and Miles, check out my Points and Miles 101 post!
Activity Costs
Based on one adult and one 15 year old
| Musee D’orsay | $20 |
| Monet Garden and House | $25 |
| Versailles Passport | $50 |
| $95 Total for Activities |
Favorite Things
Monet’s gardens and house are something I’ll never forget and probably return to during a cooler season.
Lessons Learned
Definitely, get your Paris transit passes on the app before leaving the airport.
Paid tours can be nice if you don’t want to think about logistics. But the tour to Giverny would have cost 3X what we paid.
Paris in the Summer was hotter than we anticipated. I foresee Paris in the Spring or Fall next time.
Conclusions
One-on-one trips have been a great way to connect with my kids and get us out of our element. And, it gives them a chance to be the lead on a trip, which can be really empowering for a teenager. Follow along for part 2 when we spend a few days in London before heading home.
Ready to dive into Points and Miles? Start with my Points and Miles 101 and Multipliers & Points Potential.
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