• Rowing boats on the Lac Inférieur, the biggest lake, with an island in the middle you can only reach by boat
• Few facilities in the woods: the city lists no toilets or baby-changing tables, so plan breaks around the cafés and restaurants
• Best by day: stick to the lakes, gardens and playground, since some roadside stretches of the woods are not family spots after dark

The Bois de Boulogne is an 845-hectare woodland on the western edge of the city, with two lakes, the Grande Cascade waterfall and long forest paths. Rowing boats can be rented on the Lac Inférieur, whose island holds the Emperor's Kiosk.

Inside the woods sit the Jardin d'Acclimatation amusement park and the Bagatelle and Pré Catelan gardens, plus a playground, pony rides and picnic tables.