Travelling to Paris with children: a practical checklist

French law requires children under 10 to travel in an approved restraint suited to their height and weight. In practice that means a rear-facing seat, a forward-facing seat or a booster, depending on the child.

Licensed taxis are exempt from that rule, which surprises many visitors — a taxi may legally carry your toddler on your lap. Most parents would rather not, so book a transfer that supplies seats and tell the operator the exact ages when you book, not on the day.

On luggage: a family of four with four large cases and a pushchair does not fit in a standard saloon, whatever the boot photograph suggests. Book a minivan. The difference is usually €15–20 and it prevents an argument on the kerb at 6 a.m.

Finally, build in slack. Paris traffic between 07:30 and 09:30, and again from 16:30, is genuinely bad. For a morning flight, leaving 30 minutes earlier costs you very little and removes the only part of the trip you cannot control.