Family Vacations in France: Exploring France with Kids

When it comes to planning a family vacation, France stands out as an idyllic destination. It is a country of contrasts, where the glamour and glitz of Paris and Cannes, sits alongside the peace and beauty of the Provencal countryside. You’ll find haute cuisine and Michelin stars, but also simple and rustic, familiar home cooking (that even the pickiest eaters will love). There are beaches and mountains, serious history, and playful fun. France ensures a vacation that will satisfy the entire family.

And if you’re concerned about any language barriers, fear not. France is remarkably welcoming to English-speaking tourists, ensuring a hassle-free experience and making it easier than ever for families to navigate their way around a French adventure. If this sounds alluring, but you’re not sure where to start, here is where to go, what to do, and where to stay when traveling to France with your kids.

Is France a Good Place for Kids?

France is a fantastic destination for a family getaway. With child-friendly hotels and villas, long, sandy beaches, cities that tell captivating stories, fairytale architecture, and thrilling mountain adventure, it has everything you need for a proper family vacation.

Each region has its own style, ambiance, and traditions. If you want to bring history lessons to life on a cultural mega-trip, try Paris. Is it the great outdoors that brings your family together? Then head to the Alps! Explore coastlines and history in Normandy, and if it’s beaches and sunshine you’re after, the South of France is your place. Wherever you pick for your family vacation to France, memories are waiting to be made.

Where to Go in France with Kids?

France’s storybook destinations have been a favorite of vacationers for so long. But if you haven’t been before, it can be hard to know where to start. Scott Dunn’s travel experts know the country like the back of their hand. We will make planning a family vacation in France a breeze, with bespoke itineraries, unique experiences, transfers between destinations, restaurant bookings, and attractions that will have your kids smiling from ear to ear.

South of France with Kids

A vacation with your family in the South of France is the stuff that dreams are made of. Drift off into an alternate universe of sun-soaked villages, sandy beaches, and a slow-motion, uncomplicated version of life. Provence’s picture-perfect villages sit on hilltops, surrounded by lavender fields and vineyards. Markets are full of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the perfect souvenirs to take home. There are Michelin-star dinners (for the grown-ups), sandcastles and ice creams (for the children), and plenty of water sports (for the teenagers). Stylish, boutique hotels have spas and tailormade activities which show off the picturesque local areas. The South of France’s beaches are up there with some of the best in Europe, often sitting right next to glamorous towns and cities. There’s a destination to suit all tastes, from the glitzy Cote d’Azur where restaurants are booked weeks in advance and not a hair is seen out of place, to the more bohemian parts of St Tropez where toddlers run in and out of the waves, before a barefoot lunch.

Family Vacations to Paris

Paris and romance might be synonymous, but the French capital city is also surprisingly child friendly. Hotels will welcome your kids with open arms. They are stocked with all the amenities you could need, ply little ones with gifts, and have carefully thought-out menus enfant. Games and rides can be found all around the city, whether that’s puppets and slides at the Jardin du Luxembourg, a vintage fairground in Jardin d’Acclimatation, or hopscotch and ping pong at the pedestrianized Parc Rives de Seine. There are family-friendly tours and scavenger hunts at famous landmarks and galleries, creative workshops to join, immersive art exhibitions, and cookery lessons plenty. You could spend two to three days or a week on a family trip to Paris, depending on what you would like to see. Scott Dunn will put together a bespoke itinerary to strike the balance between you and your kids’ wishes.

Adventure Family Vacations

When it comes to adventure holidays, skiing in France with kids has to be up there with one of the most thrilling, especially for teenagers. But the Alps are well-established for family vacations and all ages, with crèches and nannies for babies and ski schools starting at 4+. The mountains offer up some of the best, and definitely the most varied, skiing in the world, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced skier looking for off-piste action. Chamonix, Val d’Isere, and Courchevel are three of our favorite French ski resorts for families. They’re filled with luxury five-star hotels, cozy chalets, fine-dining restaurants, designer boutiques, and glitzy après ski. But, if snow isn’t your thing, the Alps in the summer have so much to offer thrill-seeking families. Chamonix and Megéve are our top picks for an adrenaline rush guaranteed to jolt sullen teens out of their moods.

Northern France with Kids

Originally a fashionable place for Parisians to escape the city’s summer heat, Normandy then became associated with the historic D-Day landings after WWII. Nowadays its combination of beautiful seaside scenery and rich, poignant history gives it a deeply rooted sense of culture. Normandy’s craggy coastline and ancient villages have long inspired some of the country’s great impressionist artists, and Monet’s famous garden at Rouen is a must-see. Alongside all these world-famous attractions are artisan food producers making the likes of cheese, cider, and olive oil, as well as traditional lacemakers and potters whose crafts have stood the test of time. Combine four nights in Normandy, with four nights in Paris to get your ultimate dose of culture and beach while visiting France with kids.

Best Things to Do in France with Kids

Whether your kids are full of beans or laid back and ready to go with the flow, France is prepped for all ages.

One of the best ways to explore Provence with kids is by touring its small villages and resplendent countryside by bike. Stop for picnics under shady cypress trees or another ice cream to keep energy levels up. Grasse’s lavender-filled fields are an Instagram opportunity waiting to happen, plus there is scent-making for teens and tweens at one of its perfumeries. Younger children will love a break from trawling markets at the Confiserie Florian sweet factory in Gorges du Loup. While, for the more active, there is white water rafting and kayaking in Gorges du Verdon or horseback riding in the Camargue with a Provencal cowboy.

Further south, there’s Marseille to explore, which is also a gateway to the protected islands of Porquerolles or Port Cros. Sailors will love cruising around Les Calanques National Park, stopping to swim, kayak and snorkel the clear waters, before feasting on a delicious alfresco meal prepared by a private chef. If shopping is high on your teens’ priority list, a day out exploring Cannes will be a hit. For toddlers and beachcombers, check in to one of St Tropez’s exclusive hideaways and spend your days being shuttled between the beach and hotel pool.

If culture is what brings you on a family vacation to France, then Paris’s interactive child-friendly activities will pique your interest. Join a scavenger hunt while taking in the Louvre, Versailles, and Musee d’Orsay, cruise down the Seine by boat, or climb up the Arc du Triomphe. Join cooking or patisserie masterclasses. And of course, there’s always Disneyland Paris to bribe them with! Make it extra special with our VIP Disney Dream Day experience.

History comes to life on the beaches and memorial sights in Normandy. Join a historian onboard a WWII military vehicle, complete with vintage radio and equipment. Learn about the D-Day landings and taste the same food that was eaten in 1944. Or go even further back in time by visiting the Bayeux Tapestry.

Those with older kids, who want high-octane activities, will find them in the Alps. There’s skiing, dog sledding, or climbing glaciers in the winter. In the summer go kayaking, canyoning, and caving in rivers and valleys, while back on land (and in the sky) paragliding, mountain biking, and high rope courses are waiting for you. 

Our France Family Vacation Itineraries

If you’re looking for more inspiration, try exploring our sample France family vacation itineraries that can be curated to suit any guest.