For nearly 30 years, Rick Steves and his guides have combined the spontaneity of independent travel with the efficiency of touring — delivering maximum thrills per mile, minute and dollar. Kidding Around London and Paris, presented by Rick Steves is one of the great tours you and your family can enjoy! Here's what Rick has to say about it:

London and Paris are surprisingly kid-friendly, with many parks, fun squares, and youth-oriented sights. Here are some family-tested tips for tackling two of Europe's most impressive cities.

• Take advantage of local information sources. Ask at tourist offices about kids' events. Get entertainment guides cheap at newsstands. In Paris, the weekly Pariscope booklet lists boat tours, kids' films, marionette shows, circuses, amusement parks, and swimming pools. It's in French but not too hard to figure out; look under "Enfants."

• If you're staying a week or more in Paris, consider renting an apartment (see "Kidding Around Paris" sidebar).

• Public restrooms can be hard to find. Try department stores, museums, and restaurants, particularly fast-food restaurants.

• Visit popular sights early or late to beat the crowds. Kids get antsy in long museum lines. At each sight, ask about a kids' guide or flier.
  Don't overdo it. Tackle one key sight each day (e.g., the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, or Versailles) and mix in a healthy dose of fun activities.

Touring Paris - In Paris, the biggies with parents are a hit with kids, too. Bring Notre-Dame, Paris' famous Gothic cathedral, to life by replaying Quasimodo's stunt and climbing the tower. From this perch, kids stand nose-to-nose with the gargoyles. Young sailors delight in the one-hour Seine River cruises on huge glass-domed boats, best in the evening when the City of Light is lit. Stroll the Champs-Elysées with its Disney Store, Virgin Megastore (music), fast-food restaurants, and fancy car dealerships.

Paris offers a variety of perfect-for-kids parks and museum complexes. Luxembourg Garden provides plenty of outdoor fun from pedal go-carts and puppet shows to a wading pool, rental toy sailboats, and big-toys play area with imaginative slides, swings, and jungle gyms. The Jardin des Plantes ("Garden of Plants") is short on grass but makes up for it with a small zoo and a great dinosaur exhibit at the paleontology museum.

Street acrobats, in-line skaters, and skateboarders make Trocadéro square a happening scene for teens, especially in the evening. From here, the view of the Eiffel Tower — lit up white against the night sky — is stunning. A ride to the top of the tower is a thrill, day or night. Try to be there the first ten minutes of any hour after dark to see it twinkle.

Aquaboulevard is Paris’ best pool/water slide/miniature golf complex. It's easy to reach and a timely escape from the museum scene. Indoor and outdoor pools with high-flying slides, waves, geysers, and whirlpool tubs draw kids of all ages.

Versailles' huge complex of palaces, gardens, fountains, and forest is a great Parisian family getaway (an easy 30-minute train ride from the city). Rent a bike for the gardens or a rowboat for the canal. The fountains are in full squirt on summer weekends.

If your kids grow homesick for American-style fun, there's always Disneyland Paris, a slick one-hour train ride away. The only differences are that Mickey Mouse speaks French, and parents can have wine with their lunch. The Walt Disney Studios park next door has a Hollywood focus and is geared toward a slightly older crowd, with animation, special effects, and movie magic "rides."

Learn More

This is just one of the exciting Rick Steves Tours available. To learn more visit http://www.ricksteves.com.

For more ideas and general information on attractions, accommodation and events, log onto the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau website at http://en.parisinfo.com/.