France is one of my favority countries and a wonderful place for single parent families. Before going, note that normally all the airline carriers drop their fares the second week of January for travel to Europe from Jan., Feb. and Mar. March fills up the fastest because the weather can be nicer, but also because of spring break. If you are planning a trip starting in the Spring or the Summer know that the cost will increase dramatically, but this is certainly a much nicer time to go, weather-wise. If your pocket book is important, consider the winter trips, it will be cold, so bundle up, but at least there will be less crowds.

We recommend subscribing to Frommer's daily email blast and the airline's marketing lists. Those are both wonderful ways to get notified of the sales.

We also recommend changing a small amount of money before you go to have on hand in case you have trouble finding a bank or discover your first day is some French holiday (this happened to us once.) You can do that thru a local bank. Some big city banks provide that service. You may also be able to order it thru American Express. Other than that, exchange your money when you get to France, at the airport , when you arrive or at any bank. The very best thing to do is to use the ATMs over there with your credit card or bank card. That gives you the best exchange rate and you can withdraw money as you need it.

PARIS

Paris, ah La Vrai Vie! My daughter lived here for a year during college. Before you go, get a good city walking map. We recommend buying a Michelin city map . You can pick one up at your local bookstore. For a free city map, order it from the French tourism bureau. To find the local tourism bureau go to this site: www.towd.com.

Suggestions specific to December. The window displays of the big department stores (Galleries Layfayette, etc.) are a site to see during the Xmas season and free. (The lines can be long, though.)

Activities:

- Ride the Eiffel Tower to the top (Bundle up in winter). Skip the pricey restaurant.

- The best view of the city is from the Arc De Triomph.

- Ride a bateau mouche (the little boats that go up and down the Seine. (again , bundle up in winter).

- Walk thru the city parks, in particular the Tuilleries, which leads up to the Louvre. There is a lake that offers an opportunity for little kids to play with little boats on the lakes and I believe this park also offers puppet shows in summer. (Language is no barrier).

- Pick up some juice, bread, fruit and cheese and picnic in the parks during better weather..

- At the Lourve, insist that your kids see the three biggies, but skip the rest. They are the Venus de Milo, Mona Lisa and The Winged Victory. Your kids may hate you then, but they will appreciate it later while in class because as the teacher mentions the work, they can say, "hey, I saw that!". How cool they will be then.

- Also do the Musee D'Orsay (across the Seine from the Louvre). Once again skip everything else and just to the impressionists.

- If the kids are willing, or if you really like impressionist art, right near the Louvre in the Tuilleries is my daughter's favorite museum, Les Orangeries. It is a very small museum and can be done quickly (therefore great with kids) but has fantastic impressionist art.

- Travel throughout the city on the Metro. It is cheap, fast, and easy to use even if you speak not a word of French. Buy a carnet (book of tickets) to save money. They may also have a tourist card. It is also a fantastic cultural experience for children and teens. If you are lucky, you may even experience a busker (people who perform for money.)

- Visit Notre Dame cathedral and then stroll along the Seine.

- Eat once at McDonald's. It is cheap, your child will welcome a "little bit of home" and the placemat makes a great souvenir. The McDonald's on the Champs E'lysees is adored by the French and is the second most popular McDonald's in the world . (Can you guess the first? It is Moscow!)

- Splurge for a show at the Moulin Rouge (and depending on your kids' ages, consider seeing the movie before you go, so you kids have an idea of its importance.) Walk around Montmartre before hand (don't do it at night unless your kids are late teens or older!!) If your kids are 19 or older, they will be thrilled to know that they can order a drink. Stop in one of the lovely smokey (this is France, remember) piano bars for a drink or meal. Very French.

- Other areas to walk around are the Jewish section, home to Picasso's museum and the Left Bank.

- Your kids will probably love the left bank. This is where the nightlife is. ALWAYS watch your money and keep your kids close. Besides the obvious cafes here and general noise, look for a local classical concert. My daughter attended a Mozart one for two U.S. dollars in an old church. It was one of the most incredible experiences to hear the music bounce of the walls. Even if your kids don't like classical, they should appreciate just the experience of hearing it in this fashion and if not, well then you just spend a few bucks, oh well.

- For parents with teens, you should go to the movies. I did that with my kids on our last trip to Paris and it was great fun. The seating is different, the commercials are different. Many movies are in English with French subtitles. Find out which ones are subtitled and see one of those. You will pick up some colloquial French that way too. (I wrote about neat things to do to get more imbedding in local cultures here.)

- For older kids and if you have more time, consider a backstage tour of L'Opera.

There are a few English language magazines that are available at newsagents in Paris. The names may have changed, but try Pariscope and TimeOut. They are great weekly guides and have information on activities for children and families. You can probably pick one up at an airport Kiosk and read it during your first meal.

Hotels:

With regard to hotels there are a million good cheap hotels in Paris. They change frequently, so we can't recommend any in particular. If you stay a bit off the beaten path in the residential sections, rather than the tourist areas of Paris, you can easily find a two or three star for under $100. Keep in mind that amenities in a two or three star are sparse. If you want a bathroom in your room, you have to ask when you reserve. Typically the room are very small, with little, but adequate furniture and no TV or phone. They also may not have an elevator, so make sure you can carry your luggage up several flights of stairs. But, you are not there for the hotel, right. You are in Paris!!

Check out some Web sites such as Expedia.com, PlacestoStay.com (this is what we often use), hotels.com or have your local travel agent book a hotel for you. (For a listing of travel agents that specialize in single parent travel, purchase The Single Parent Travel Handbook.) I know that the French tourism bureau used to have a Web site for local hotels.

Don't stay in the Montmartre area (where the Sacre Coeur is) with children. This is fine by day, but at night it gets seedy. (This is the home of the red light district.) It is great for a group of people in their 20s or 30s because there is great nightlife, but you have children, so I would avoid nights there.

One last thing: The metros are safe but you must watch for gypsies who are very adept at pickpocketing or finding other ways to separate people from their money.

JUST OUTSIDE PARIS

If you choose to go outside the city, Versailles is the number one attraction and easy to reach by train. You can go on your own and then pick up a local guide upon arrival.

- Disneyland Paris - I have been to EuroDisney and, being a big Disney fan, loved it. I typically recommend it to those who have been to Paris several times, but if you think that this is a must for your kids, then go for it.

If you have spent a lot of time at either CA or FL magic kingdom, then skip it. It is almost the same experience. The big difference is that they serve beer in the park.

REST OF FRANCE

My suggestions are as follows. If you would like more detail, just ask or get a good guide book like Moon, or Frommers.

Mt. Saint Michael, the Normandy Beaches, Bayeux Tapestries, & St. Malo -my favorite part of France, can be done in a four days.

Tours & the Chateux region

Since it is winter, I wouldn't recommend the Mediterranean towns.

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