French Cities With Kids
City-by-city family guides across France — from Paris and the Riviera to Alsace's storybook towns and the Atlantic beaches — each with a realistic kid-paced itinerary, costs, and the mistakes to avoid. For the country-wide picture, start with the France family travel guide.
Provence & Riviera
Avignon
Complete Avignon travel guide: backpacker hostels, family day trips, luxury stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the walled city of the popes.
May-June or September; July brings the theatre festival's crowds and higher prices
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
Saint-Rémy-de-Provence travel guide: cheap village bases, family Van Gogh trails, luxury mas hotels, essential gear, costs and a map of the Alpilles.
Late May to June or September, for warm days without the August crush
Villefranche-sur-Mer
Villefranche-sur-Mer travel guide: cheap Riviera base, family beach, luxury Cap-Ferrat stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the sheltered bay.
June or September, when the sea is warm but the coast road isn't gridlocked
Atlantic Coast
La Rochelle
La Rochelle travel guide: cheap harbour stays, family aquarium and Île de Ré cycling, luxury island retreats, essential gear, costs and a map.
June or September for beach-and-bike weather without August's crowds
Saint-Jean-de-Luz
Saint-Jean-de-Luz travel guide: cheap Basque coast base, family swimming bay, luxury Biarritz-area stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the bay.
June or September for warm sea and space on the sand; July-August for full resort life
Lyon & the Rhône
Paris & Île-de-France
Champagne & Burgundy
Reims
Reims travel guide: cheap eats near the kings' cathedral, family cellar visits, luxury champagne houses, essential gear, costs and a map of the city.
May-September; summer evenings add the cathedral light show
Troyes
Troyes travel guide: cheap medieval old town, family lake beaches and theme park, luxury timbered stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the city.
June-September, when the old town pairs with swimming at the Orient lakes
Beaune
Beaune travel guide: cheap vineyard cycling, family Hospices visit, luxury Burgundy wine hotels, essential gear, costs and a map of the walled town.
May-June or September; harvest time buzzes but books out
Normandy & the North
Rouen
Rouen travel guide: cheap free museums, family Joan of Arc trail, luxury Normandy stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the medieval city.
May-September; summer adds the cathedral light show on warm evenings
Mont Saint-Michel
Mont Saint-Michel travel guide: cheap mainland stays, family abbey tips, luxury island hotels, tide logistics, essential gear, costs and a map.
May-June or September; check the tide tables before fixing dates
Lille
Lille travel guide: cheap eats and the giant flea market, family parks and zoo, luxury Flemish stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the city.
April-June or September; December for one of France's coziest Christmas markets
Alsace & Lorraine
Strasbourg
Strasbourg travel guide: cheap eats and hostels, family science centre and canal boats, luxury stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the Grande Île.
May-September for canal boats and parks; late November-December for the Christmas capital
Colmar
Colmar travel guide: cheap Alsace base, family Little Venice boats, luxury Wine Route stays, essential gear, costs and a map of the storybook old town.
May-September for boats and flower boxes; December for the small-scale Christmas markets
Nancy
Nancy travel guide: cheap stays and free light show, family park and aquarium, luxury Art Nouveau hotels, essential gear, costs and a map of the city.
June-September, when the Place Stanislas light show runs on summer evenings