Recommended sightseeing for teens in France?

Question

I'll be with my two sisters and family. Does anyone have any favorite spots or interesting places to see?

Answer 1

Its pretty standard to suggest the Catacombs, a series of tunnels which, starting in 1785, have been used to house skeletons from various defunct cemeteries. The collection of bones is now into the millions. A sign reading "Arrête, c’est ici l’Empire de la Mort" (Stop, here is the empire of death) is over the entrance at 1 place Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th. Admission is €5 It is open: Tues - Sun 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Get there by Métro line 4 or 6, or RER B to the Denfert-Rochereau station.

There's also Les Égouts, the sewers of Paris. They were laid out in their present form in the 1850s during the reign of Napoléon III, at the same time that Haussmann was designing the grands boulevards. But Paris has had some form of waste disposal system since its days as a Roman city. There are tours which include a little movie about the system and its history and entrance to a museum dedicated to the sewers. The entrance is a stairway on the Seine side of the Quai d’Orsay, facing no. 93. Its open May - Sept: Sat - Wed 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Oct - April 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.

In the summer teens will enjoy just heading down to the Seine where the city of Paris hauls in tons of sand and creates a "beach" along the river. No swimming in the river itself (its polluted to the max) but there are swimmin pools and beach volley ball and plenty of local teens hanging out and sunning themselves (and doing all the flirting and posing that teens everywhere do).

Sightseeing from an interesting perspective happens every Friday night. Inline skaters take to the streets of Paris in what is now called "Le Friday Night Fever." It has grown from a few dozen skaters when it started to about 5,000.

These skate meetings are only cancelled when it's raining. An escort of around two dozen police, some on skates, accompany the route to stop and divert traffic, and also around 50 officials who organise the skate and wear yellow T-shirts, carry and administer first aid and assist the police with traffic control.

No reservations are required. You just show up with your skates at the Place d'Italie at 10 and off you go.

Your kids (you too if you skate...there are no age limits) will have a unique adventure, get to meet and interact with local people of their own age, and see Paris from a perspective that few tourists do.

Answer 2

Hum, hard to tell. Where are you going to stay? France is a small country but you can't visit all the country in a week.

The south is a place to see, what we call "l'arrière pays niçois", behind Nice is one of the most wonderfull place in France. You also have "les Alpes", the highest mountain range in France (and Europe)... There is a whole bunch of things to see in France.

If you want to see Paris, Look a t the answer of rilifane, it's absolutely complete ;o)

Answer 3

The Louvre is a beautiful experience for everyone, not just "old ppl." I am sure that teens will love the various clothing stores (though the clothes there are very expensive). FNAC (a huge bookstore) might be of interest too. Not just books, but magazines, French music (rock and roll, pop) CDs, etc.