Over Easter weekend, we took a short (3 days / 2 nights) trip to Metz, a town about 2 hours away from home. It was our first time out with the little guy (nearly 2 years old now) in a while, and I think our traveling-with-kids skills have gotten a little rusty. So, although we didn't get to see too much of the city, we did learn a lot of valuable lessons for our next go-round of a holiday. What we did right: Find restaurants without the funny French closing hours. There are a number of tourist-centric restaurants around ( Buffalo Grill , most restaurants around the central train station, etc) that do not abide by the "normal" closing hours of lunch til 3, then dinner served only after 7 pm. We gave up the idea of eating at a charming French restaurant quickly, once we realized it would require keeping our grumpy toddler up past his bedtime to eat. Nobody wants to see that. Always check restaurant hours, especially in smaller French cities. Find wide open spaces. We