Thinking About a Day Trip from Disneyland Paris to Paris? Here’s How to Do It!
If you know me, you know I LOVE Disney. And I LOVE to travel with my family. So when we decided to add a quick trip to Disneyland Paris onto an Italy trip, there was no way I was going to go there without taking a day trip from Disneyland Paris to Paris.
Although it seemed overwhelming to plan at first, it ended up being so easy to pull off! Yes, even with 3 kids in tow. And the most shocking part of all to me…if you ask my boys, all 3 would say that their favorite part of our time in France was seeing the Eiffel Tower! Even higher up on the list than Disneyland Paris (and let me tell you, they LOVED Disneyland Paris).
So, not only was it doable to sneak in a day trip to Paris, it was absolutely worth it. And I highly recommend it! Here’s how to make it happen.
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Train from Disneyland Paris to Paris
Getting from Disneyland Paris into the city is way easier than you might think! The train is RIGHT next to the entrance to the theme parks and Disney Village. And the RER A line takes you directly into central Paris in about 45 minutes.
The train runs regularly, so you can just purchase your tickets right there at the station. We purchased our tickets at the machine, but there are also staff available at booths if that’s easier. Make sure to purchase your return route, as well. That way, you don’t need to stop by the ticket machines again.
Note: It’s important to keep your ticket because you won’t just have to scan it to enter the train station. You’ll also scan it to exit!
We took the train from the Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy station (the one right by the parks!) to the Auber station. This was the perfect start for our time in Paris because it was RIGHT by our first stop on our sightseeing day.
Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus
Here and there throughout our day in Paris, we used the TootBus Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus. Between the bus route and walking tours that it included, it worked out perfectly to get us to the sights we wanted to see. And there was a stop right by our starting point in Paris (which I’ll get to next)!
The TootBus app was super easy to use, and it clearly showed where the stops were and when the bus would arrive.
The best part about it for us, though, was that there was a kid-friendly audio guide on the bus. You could select which channel you wanted to listen to during your ride, and they had a specific kids’ channel, which the boys enjoyed. I actually clicked back and forth between the kids’ and adults’ stations, and both were great!
While you can purchase tickets on the day of your visit, I was SO happy we purchased the service in advance. That way, we just got our day started without worrying about the logistics of it all.
TootBus Hop-On-Hop-Off
Our Itinerary for 1 Day in Paris with Kids
Stop 1: Galeries Lafayette Haussmann
Ok! Let the day begin! As you leave the Auber train station, you can walk RIGHT into the Galeries Lafayette Haussman.
Now, I know this sounds crazy to start your day at a shopping center. But hear me out. The rooftop terrace has an INCREDIBLE panoramic view of Paris, and it’s the perfect way to see it from above before exploring it all from ground level.
As you’re making your way up the escalators to the top floor, make sure to stop by to admire the huge glass dome as well. It is absolutely gorgeous!
Just make sure to check their opening hours prior to your trip. It worked out great for us because we grabbed breakfast at Disney Village before getting on the train to Paris, so we arrived in Paris after it had opened for the day.
Stop 2: Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries
After taking in the views, we found the TootBus stop right by the Galeries Lafayette Haussmann and hopped on. We took the bus to the Louvre. And let me say, seeing the bus squeeze through the entrance to the area surrounding the Louvre was an adventure in itself!
Spoiler alert: We didn’t go into any museums, cathedrals, etc. during this day trip from Disneyland Paris to Paris! With so much to see, we prioritized exploring lots of different areas for shorter periods of time rather than spending hours at one place.
So with that being said, we checked out the famous pyramid structures at the Louvre. Then, instead of jumping back on the bus, we strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries across from the Louvre.
Stop 3: TootBus Walking Tour
We continued our walk through the city while following along with one of the walking tours provided on the TootBus app. We enjoyed that it took us off the beaten path a bit, so we avoided the huge crowds of people on the main streets.
Along the way, we stopped to grab macarons at Ladurée. And of course, we had to do a little taste test! So we had the kids pick out a bunch of different flavors, which was a big hit.
As we continued our walk, we stopped for lunch at Brasserie des Prés, which was located on the CUTEST side street. The boys got to try escargot for the first time, and surprisingly loved it!
After that nice little break, we finished our walking tour by making our way to Notre Dame.
Stop 4: Notre Dame
I would’ve loved to go inside Notre Dame instead of just admiring it from the outside, but advanced tickets go quickly! Unfortunately, we didn’t score any, and there was zero chance we were waiting in that long line to get in!
Leave it to my kids to find some hidden Mickeys on the facade of Notre Dame, though! Do you see them?
Stop 5: Arc de Triomphe
Next, it was back on the bus! It was nice to relax for a bit after lots of walking in the middle of the day. As we made our way around the city, we were excited to see the Arc de Triomphe. It’s so impressive!
Of course, we could have gotten off the bus to really take it all in, but we decided to keep things moving because we knew we had more we wanted to see.
If you have the time, not only can you get an up close look at the Arc de Triomphe, but you can also go to the top! We didn’t feel like we were missing out too much since we already had our panoramic view at the beginning of the day. But I bet it’s amazing up there!
Stop 6: Jardins du Trocadero
This was a WOW moment for my fam! As the bus pulled up to this stop, we got a peek of the Eiffel Tower closer than we had seen it all day. My boys were SO EXCITED.
This area was the perfect spot to grab some photos, then make the short walk over to the beaut that is the Eiffel Tower.
Stop 7: Eiffel Tower
There’s something so special about seeing the Eiffel Tower up close and personal. Although we didn’t go up to the top of the tower for time’s sake, we spent a good chunk of time wandering through the Champ de Mars (the green space near the Eiffel Tower).
It’s good to note that if you want to see the Eiffel Tower in all of its sparkly glory at night, the tower sparkles for 5 minutes on the hour beginning after dusk. It will sparkle every hour until about midnight. This was something we wanted to see SO BAD, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work out this time around.
We knew we had a big day at the Disneyland parks the next day, so we opted to head back to our Disney resort before sunset.
Stop 8: Crepes and Croissants
Before we left the city, we HAD to grab some crepes and croissants! Because when in…Paris…right?
We headed to two different places near the Eiffel Tower. First, we sat down to enjoy crepes at Les Frères Bretons. Then we took the short walk over to a boulangerie pâtisserie to grab some croissants, which made for the perfect breakfast in our room before heading to Disneyland Paris the next morning!
Train from Paris to Disneyland Paris
Well, that’s a wrap on our time in Paris, but of course, we had to make our way back to our resort at Disneyland Paris. Since there’s no RER A line right by the Eiffel Tower, we had to make one transfer during our train ride back.
So, we hopped on the metro at the La Motte – Picquet Grenelle station. Then, at the Nation station, we transferred to the RER A line in the direction of Marne-la-Vallée/Chessy, and we were off to Disneyland Paris! You know it’s a common line to take because it’s actually labeled Disneyland Paris, so luckily, it’s hard to mess up.
Because we had to transfer from the metro to the RER A line, the trip back to our resort took a little over an hour (compared to the 45-minute trip on the way to the city in the morning).
Total Time for Our Paris Day Trip
We were gone for about 12 hours! Yes…it was a LONG day. But the boys hung in there great and truly enjoyed everything we did!
You figure about 2 hours of this trip were spent on the train, and 10 hours were spent exploring. I realize that sounds like a lot, but with breaks during meals and the hop-on-hop-off bus, it was very doable. In fact, even my 4-year-old walked the whole time!
If you don’t think your kiddos can walk the entire time, I’d recommend bringing along this toddler sling (it’s been a lifesaver during our trips! We actually had one in the backpack we brought along just in case.). Or this travel stroller (it’s my absolute fav!).
Looking for allll of my Disney tips? (Because there’s *plenty* more where this came from.)
Instagram is where it’s at! Check out @ThoseMagicalDays — where I let loose on everything Disney to help make your trip stress-free.
Pickpocketing and How to Avoid It
Let’s be real…Paris is absolutely magical. But like any big city, pickpocketing is a real thing you need to keep in mind. I want to make it clear that we never felt unsafe, by any means. However, we did find ourselves in a handful of situations during our time there.
The first situation happened first thing in the morning, as we were getting onto the RER A line from Disneyland Paris to Paris. There was a man who came off very nice, showing us which train to get on. And as we were hopping aboard, he handed us a piece of paper.
The paper mentioned his kids and how his family needs money. Right before the train was about to leave, he walked through the train, collecting money from people along the way. Then, just before the doors closed, he jumped off.
When we didn’t give him any money, he seemed frustrated and annoyed. But thankfully, he didn’t give us a hard time.
The next situation occurred right outside Notre Dame when people were trying to get signatures for a cause. Luckily, I had read about common scams and did not give them the time of day. I got really good at being very direct when saying “no” during our time in the city!
Of course, throughout the city, we were also approached by several people asking for money or trying to get us to buy knick-knacks, water bottles, phone chargers, and more. There were LOTS of people trying to get the boys’ attention, specifically, with toys and kid-focused souvenirs.
So how did we avoid pickpocketing and scams? Here are my best tips.
Know what the common scams are and where pickpocketing commonly occurs so you’re prepared.
I gave a few scenarios that we ran into above. But some other common scams may look like someone asking you to sign a petition, a stranger “finding” a ring on the ground and insisting it’s yours, or a crowd of people bumping into you as they’re getting off the train.
Oftentimes, the people trying to pickpocket aren’t what you’d normally expect. It may be someone who seems like they’re trying to help you, a woman with a small child, or a group of girls on a train.
As someone who tends to give people the benefit of the doubt, I had to remind myself often that just because someone was coming off nice, it didn’t mean that I could trust them. (The example of the man at the train station was a great reminder of that as we started our day!).
The spots you’ll want to be most careful in are exactly where you’ll probably be as a tourist: at train stations, on the train itself, and around popular sightseeing areas like the Eiffel Tower, Sacré-Cœur, or Notre Dame.
Talk to your kids about pickpocketing and scams ahead of time.
As I mentioned earlier, some of the scams specifically targeted my young boys! So, I’m very glad that we went over some common scams ahead of time with our boys so that they knew not to speak to anyone and let mom or dad say no.
Of course, we did this with kid-friendly verbiage! My goal wasn’t to have my kids stressing out about it. But with them being aware of what was going on, we avoided the whining that may have come with us saying no to buying a souvenir.
Be blunt.
Speaking of saying no! If someone approaches and it feels off, a firm “no” and walking away is enough. It might feel a little blunt, but honestly, if you try to be polite about it, they’ll keep pushing (trust me, I learned from experience!).
Keep your bag close.
This crossbody bag was perfect! I was able to keep it right in front of me so that I had a hand over it in busy areas. Even when we sat down to eat, that bag stayed around me and in front of me. Plus, it has zippers that attach together and a cut-proof strap, which gave me extra peace of mind.
If you end up needing to carry a backpack or diaper bag, make sure you have no valuables inside. Just stick with all the kid stuff like your diaper changing pad, snacks, water bottles, etc.
Skip the back pocket.
I know it’s easy for my husband to shove his phone or wallet in a back pocket (heck, even I’ll stick my phone in my back pocket at times when I’m wrangling the kids!), but that’s an easy place for pickpockets to look.
Instead, my husband brought along a thin travel wallet. And he wore shorts or pants with zipper pockets.
I brought along a phone tether, which worked out great, too. Because yes, I’ve heard that sometimes pickpockets will literally just grab your phone as you’re taking a photo! My dad even used the tether on his belt loop whenever his phone was in his pants pocket.
Stay aware…but don’t stress yourself out about it.
I get it. Little kids are basically built-in distractions. But try your best to stay aware of your surroundings, especially in busy, touristy areas.
With that being said, do not…I repeat, do not…stress yourself out so much that you’re not enjoying the day. As long as you’re doing some simple things to avoid pickpocketing, you’ll be good!
So yes…come prepared with items like I mentioned, take in your surroundings here and there, be on guard in busy areas, and be quick to say no to nip any situation in the bud. But most importantly, take in all the beauty Paris has to offer! You’ll love it!
Wrap Up: Day Trip from Disneyland Paris to Paris
There was no way we were going to Disneyland Paris without also visiting Paris itself! And I’m beyond happy we made that a priority. The city and the theme parks are both pure magic in their own way.
If you want to check out our play-by-play at the parks and in Paris, head over to my Instagram account and look for the highlight titled “DLParis.”
Wondering how I give my photos a bit of an oomph?
Well, let’s just say I’m a little obsessed with the Light & Airy Photographer photo editing presets.
In just one click, your photo goes from, “Aw, that’s cute,” to, “WOW!”
