Travel Tips - Family-friendly

Connecting the Louvre with the Place de la Concorde, the enchanting Tuileries Garden (Jardin des Tuileries) occupies an area of 25 hectares and offers countless photo opportunities and areas to relax on the lawns or while taking a seat next to one of the many beautiful basins or statues.

The nearest metro station is Tuileries on line 1 and I’d really recommend taking a walk through the gardens or even stopping for a coffee to watch the world go by. The whole area is absolutely beautiful, and the gardens make a nice change from pounding the city streets or exploring the city's many museums.

But be warned, many of the cafes in the area which cater to tourists can charge around 4-5 Euro for a coffee, so choose carefully.

The Eiffel tower is another essential sight when visiting Paris, and despite the queues at the foot of the tower and the subsequent queues to get on and off the lifts at each level, the 360 degree views alone at well worth if.

By far the best time to visit is last afternoon or in the evening as the crowds are much shorter. If you opt for the evening you can enjoy a different perspective on the city by seeing the city lights as well as enjoying two admissions for the price of one. Sunset is beautiful, but expect to queue.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit the top of the tower around three times now, on various trips to Paris, and on the first occasion I opted to descend the middle floor via the stairs rather than taking the lift, which, although tiring, was quite rewarding. I’d also recommend everyone visits the very top of the tower, if only for the slightly nervous feeling you get when ascending in the last lift!

The relaxing scent of lavender is not all you’ll experience at Jersey Lavender- pay a small fee and you can explore the nine acres of tranquil lavender fields and learn how lavender oil is distilled.

Keep in mind that in order to see the purplish fields of lavender you will have to go during the harvest season (from 9th June to 16th August) and pay a fee of £4.50 per adult. If you are visiting Jersey between March 31st to 7th June or 18th August to 4th October, you won’t be able to see the lavender in bloom but you can still visit the garden and lavender farm for a discounted cost of £2.80 to view the garden and lavender fields.

Although I visited Jersey in early April and the lavender had yet to flower, I was still impressed by the garden and lavender shop. If you love the scent of lavender, Jersey Lavender is definitely worth a visit.

A sad reminder of the German Occupation of Jersey during the Second World War, exploring the Jersey War Tunnels is the perfect way to discover a major part of the islands wartime history.

Pay a fee of £10.50 per adult (£6.50 a child) and lead yourself into the tunnel and underground where you will discover audio-visual and descriptive exhibitions of what Jersey life was like during the five years of German Occupation.

The best part of visiting the Jersey War Tunnels is that it isn’t a guided tour. You are free to walk through the tunnel at your own pace taking as much or little time as you like.