We want to go to France next year in late August and September. Any recommendations for travel destinations with two small kids 4 and 1. We plan on going by car, so we are flexible.
If you are staying multiple weeks, you may want to do North first as August is the hottest (you may get a 35+°C heat wave even in Paris), and go South then, as September should get less hot and less busy with roasted Northern tourists after school restarted. The Loire castles which are about 1/3 from the North could be spectacular for kids, you can go down the Loire river by bike over multiple days.
It can get really hot in August so plan for that (sunscreen + sunhat & sunglasses for the kids at least, no kidding!) and if you’re in the “south” (read south east) bring at least a bottle of water per person on day trips.
Paris can be wild with that small kids especially if you don’t know your ways around, but it’s definitely a place I’d recommend, but if so, plan ahead, you don’t want to try to figure out what to do in the morning, if you don’t like to wing things.
I’d avoid the south east, hot and not very tourist friendly. East is great, beautiful landsides in Nice and around. Bordeaux is beautiful and ypu can go to the wild ocean in an hour by car, or 2h to Dorfogne with its 1000 castles, cave paintings and more.
What do you usually like to do? Do you speak any French? Museums or the beach?
Thank you this is helpful, I do speak some French so we should be getting around, shopping and restaurants should be ok
Plan for going max two places a day, and stick to strict meal times. 3 is possible but those days were much harder.
