“Can’t we just go for a beach holiday again?” chimed my daughters, Tara and Emma, in unison. Their cries were joined by the unconvinced weight of mum’s stare at the decision to swap our annual Easter holiday in the Canaries for a more sustainable Parisian city break. The pressure was on the French capital to deliver a greener break, but also a family-pleasing one.
Rather than fighting through airport crowds we travelled more sustainably by train from Edinburgh. First, a bed on the Caledonian Sleeper – which you can jump on from all over Scotland – overnight to London Euston. Within an hour of arriving, we were gliding off on Eurostar.
After booking great value tickets through Rail Europe, the two hour 20 minute time easily beat airport faff and flying, and resulted in 91 per cent less CO2 emissions. It hadn’t dawned on the girls the train might be fun, too – they loved savouring lunch as we eased beneath La Manche. I dined on a delicious lunch in Business Premier with my conscience eased: Eurostar were the first transport provider to receive top marks for sustainability from Food Made Good with a three-star rating.
With request-a-ride apps like Uber, it’s tempting with kids in tow to just click a button for an easy life. Going green, we avoided this temptation, which was easy to do as Paris is such a flat and walkable city. We spent a day trotting east from the Arc de Triomphe (with its planet-pleasing steps up to the viewing gallery – kids under 18 go free) to Notre Dame Cathedral. The girls didn’t realise we walked four miles as we took in the Champs-Elysees, Tuileries Garden, the Louvre and the Pont Neuf en route.
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Walking was our go-to, backed up with the ace Navigo Easy card. You can top it on your phone, with public transport journeys only €2.50 (£2.10). Many users don’t realise tickets are valid for two hours, so you can head somewhere for a look and then come back on the same ticket.
By avoiding Uber, we were helping Paris to breathe – literally. The pioneering Paris Respire (Paris Breathes) car-free initiative closes certain districts to vehicles on Sundays and public holidays between 10am and 6pm, with some districts closed every Sunday and others on the first Sunday of every month. The difference is palpable around the Marais, Canal Saint Martin and the River Seine.
A trip on the Seine is, of course, the most romantic way of getting around. We eschewed the polluting Bateaux-Mouches to ease silently around with Green River Cruises. Their purpose-built all-electric small boats offer an eco-friendly duck’s eye view of Paris for a maximum of 12 passengers, without skimping on luxury. We savoured the owner’s own label wines and tucked into charcuterie as we eased along the banks of the Seine. Mum was delighted; the kids too as they plugged their music into the stereo on our exclusive cruise.
Back on land we switched from fine wine to Paris tap water, topping up our water bottles from the fountains on the Seine banks near the Hotel de Ville. I remember when this used to be a traffic-clogged dual carriageway. Today, the banks have been returned to Parisians with walkers, joggers and cyclists gleefully reclaiming the road. I’ve been visiting Paris since 1992 and have witnessed a cycling transformation, with two wheels now a viable – and popular – option for scooting around on bountiful bike lanes.
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Years ago, I walked the Coulée Verte René-Dumont when it was known as La Plantée, the inspiration for New York’s High Line. This old three-mile railway line shows what a city can achieve when it transforms industrial heritage into an oasis for its citizens. The walkway is also an urban park alive with flora and fauna, which we easily accessed from the Bastille.
In the middle of the Seine, on the spot the Romans chose to build their city, is Paris’ ultimate recycling project. I recall the sickening feeling watching Notre Dame Cathedral burn across the world’s TV screens in 2019. Now, it has reopened in a miraculous rebirth. Rather than trying to go all I.M. Pei Louvre glass pyramid, as much of the original stone has been used as possible and traditional skills given new life to recreate one of the world’s most graceful religious edifices in all her gothic glory. Make sure to book online to guarantee one of the limited free timed slots.
One thing in Paris that is sadly never guaranteed is a great hotel. Some pricey spots disappoint – in my experience, often some of the international chains. We opted to go small and independent. It proved a wise choice. At the Hotel Grand Coeur Latin on the Left Bank, both staff and breakfast were brilliant. The girls loved having “our own swimming pool in the basement”. I know it’s not a winner on the eco-front, but at least it was only one small but perfectly formed heated pool, unlike some of the Canaries hotels we’ve stayed at.
Our second bolthole was the impressive new boutique bolthole Hôtel Filigrane, handily just a 20-minute walk away from Gare du Nord. The staff were spot on and the connecting rooms worked well with the teenagers.
When it came to eating out, we opted to go local, despite the occasional clamour from the girls for a certain international food chain. Margaux – with its views towards the Eiffel Tower – and Biche are the type of restaurants you feared you might no longer find in Paris. Their owner, Michel, told me: “We aim to please our customers with proper classic French dishes that use the local ingredients we work hard to source.” We shared the likes of perfectly pink côte de boeuf from Normandy and garlicky Burgundian snails.
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Our last supper was an escape to a green lung, the kind many cities can only dream of. We’ve Emperor Napoleon III to thank, as he gifted the Bois de Boulogne to the city as a public park in 1852. And there was much to be thankful for after we travelled out via the RER suburban rail system and crossed over the noisy Boulevard Périphérique to reach a bucolic wonderland alive with forest and lake.
Once there, we caught the wee boat to the island that houses the Chalet des Isles restaurant. Tucking into more fresh, local produce in the sunshine on the waterfront terrace, I sensed this was a good moment to ask what everyone else thought about green Paris as a substitute. Tara and Emma smiled that they were fans and mum nodded her glass of Chablis. “Paris is great and we should come back in summer,” smiled Tara. “I just saw on TikTok that they turn the banks of the Seine into a beach.”
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