The lives of brave musketeers, the secrets of the royal court, and the mysterious resident of the castle in the Iron Mask carried children’s fantasies into a distant world of romance and adventure. Every child dreams of seeing this world. Nowadays, this is easy to achieve: just visit the resorts of France with parents for a family vacation. Along with health benefits, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of this amazing country and get acquainted with its history. In any season, the sea, sun, beaches, and winter ski resorts offer excellent conditions for children and adults to relax.
Cannes
This popular resort is located on the shores of the Napoule Bay. The city is famous for its festivals, wealth, and luxury. It is nestled in picturesque thickets of beautiful plants, bright sunshine, inviting sea, and the peaks of nearby mountains. Everything here is designed for fun and carefree relaxation. Golden sandy beaches, convenient water access, white yachts, and modern water and land entertainment. Convenient children’s slides, playgrounds, safe pools, water slides for toddlers, cafes, and restaurants with national cuisine fill the entire day for resort guests.
Excursion trips around the surroundings cannot be missed. For example, a boat trip to the mystical Lérins Islands, exploring beautiful castles, palaces, and visiting famous museums. The most popular beach areas are Inter Continental Carlton Beach and Plage du Martinez. The best time to visit the resort with children is from May to October. Various levels of accommodation are available in 100 hotels in the city. The most popular and convenient, located in the center of the resort, is the Inter Continental Carlton Cannes 5*.
- Hotel Club Maintenon 4*: Only 500 meters from the Croisette promenade, with a terrace restaurant serving breakfast, offering a beautiful view of the city.
- Okko Hotels Cannes Centre 4*: Located in the very center, featuring a sun terrace, sauna, and bar. Breakfasts are served in the restaurant on the top floor with a panoramic view of the city.
- Hotel Martinez — in the Unbound Collection by Hyatt 5*: Luxurious breakfasts, beautiful and cozy rooms, live music on the terrace, and a good private beach.
Nice
The pearl of the Côte d’Azur has long become a special place for tourists from different countries. The healing air attracted people here for the treatment of respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, modern children are not healthier than their peers of past centuries. Bronchitis, laryngitis, and pneumonia appear with school and daycare visits. In such cases, the best option for a vacation is a trip to the resort occupying the shores of the Bay of Angels and nestled at the foothills of the Maritime Alps.
Interestingly, the first mass vacationers in Nice were the English and wealthy Russian aristocrats. One of the city’s attractions is the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, built with funds from Nicholas II and owned by Russia. The ideal infrastructure has made the resort the capital of the Côte d’Azur. Facilities for every age group are well-thought-out. Medical examinations and important procedures can be conducted.
The coastal area hosts numerous comfortable hotels with restaurants and cafes. For active recreation enthusiasts, professional sections for all types of water entertainment are available. The city has many museums and art galleries. For example, the Matisse Museum houses a large number of his works. Visiting Nice in February allows you to witness the famous Carnival, which rivals the Brazilian one in grandeur.
Saint-Tropez
This small Provencal town on the Mediterranean coast of France is among the fashionable, elite resorts of the country. Extensive sandy beaches and pine groves adorn the Saint-Tropez peninsula. Luxurious villas of famous artists and actors, white yachts of wealthy residents, and modern hotels fill its entire territory. The impetus for the city’s development was the filming of many famous movies.
Necessary buildings emerged, and the unique infrastructure of the resort for rest, including with children of any age, formed. The best beach areas are Cap Camarat Bon Terrace, Cap Saint-Tropez, Tahiti Plage Cap Saint-Pierre. All beaches offer conditions for windsurfing, yachting, water skiing, and participating in sea trips. The five-kilometer Pampelonne coastline is known worldwide as a topless zone for vacationers.
Swimming is also possible in cozy hotel pools. There are many water attractions, play areas for young children, and sports grounds. In summer, Luna Park operates. There are many restaurants and cafes in the city. Organizing meals is not an issue. Children enjoy visiting the Butterfly House with the largest collection in Europe and the Marine Museum on the territory of the 16th-century fortress with exhibits of weaponry and old ships.
Biarritz
The city, which arose on the site of a whaling village, stands on the ocean coast, surrounded by the Bay of Biscay. A majestic lighthouse separates the Silver sandy shores from cozy beaches hidden among the rocks of the Pyrenees, which approach the water. It is not for nothing that the symbol of the city is the Rock of the Virgin with an interesting history. Among the numerous beach zones, the most popular are Grande Plage, Miramar, Milady, Marbella, Port Vieux, and Côte des Basques. Several health resorts operate at the resort.
Health technology includes thalassotherapy sessions, various types of massages, and procedures with mineral water brought from local sources at Briscous. Ocean air filled with iodine, sand, sun, and sea baths help achieve the necessary health benefits. For families with young children, comfortable pools and safe water entertainment are provided. The waves of the Atlantic Ocean have helped create a renowned surfing center at the resort. In autumn, only professional athletes can conquer them. The annual surfing festival takes place during this time.
Cabourg
Huge beaches (there are two in the city), no high waves in the English Channel, and the proximity of the mighty Atlantic Ocean allow for an excellent family vacation here. Comfortable recreation areas, spa centers, numerous playgrounds, and entertainment for adults and older children provide various types of relaxation.
Active activity enthusiasts can master the racetrack, compete on the golf course, visit the skate park, yacht club, or ride water skis. Vacationers show particular interest in learning horseback riding. Cabourg is a popular equestrian sport center in the country. From spring to late autumn, exciting horse races take place at the city’s hippodrome. One can watch them from comfortable stands, sitting at restaurant tables during the day and at night.
Accommodation is available in the famous Grand Hotel, built in the 19th century. Now it is a restored architectural structure with modern recreation infrastructure. Neat city streets begin next to it. The promenade, built in 1887, is named after Marcel Proust, who regularly vacationed here from 1907 to 1914. One can meet famous movie stars during the annual romantic film festival “Romantic Days in Cabourg.”
Mandelieu-la-Napoule
An extraordinary palette of landscapes and the beauty of the Côte d’Azur are frozen in the small town of Mandelieu-la-Napoule. A regal combination of green shades of golf courses, golden gleams of mimosa thickets, and bright blue waves of the Mediterranean Sea surrounds the sandy coastal strips of secluded bays. The resort specializes in active types of recreation. These include sailing (the town has the status of a sailing center) and golf. Some golf clubs are world-renowned. Two sea and three river ports with convenient berths for 13,000 yachts are located in the bays.
In addition to fun activities like windsurfing, diving, yacht trips, and water skiing competitions, one can ride horses or walk through beautiful surroundings. The resort provides all conditions for family vacations with children. After splashing in the sea or in the children’s pool, enjoy an excursion to the old La Napoule Castle. Listen to its history and admire the famous mimosa plantations, which have become the city’s symbol.
Dinard
The resort is among the popular vacation spots in France. Here, not only an exciting beach holiday is offered but also numerous thalassotherapy health treatments in modern medical centers. The city is considered the best balneological resort in Europe. By paying 100 €, a vacationer has the right to spend an entire day at the center.
Turkish and Finnish baths are available. A pool with a jacuzzi, water cannons with underwater massage. The resort uses health technologies with algae and silt from the seabed. Separate zones are provided for children’s recreation. The city has several magnificent beaches. One of them (Écluse Beach) adjoins the central part of the city.
It can be recognized by the original monument to director Hitchcock. The beach area is surrounded by old Victorian-era villas. The luxurious buildings of the Villa Eugénie house a museum with exhibits telling the city’s history. Climbing the mountains, one can see the interesting medieval abbey of Mont Saint-Michel. The calm, measured rhythm of life allows for a great family vacation at the resort.
La Baule
This famous resort city is located in the southern region of Brittany in the Loire-Atlantique department. 50 beaches with golden sand stretch along the Bay of Biscay coast. The power of the ocean is felt everywhere. It seems as if its natural force fills the human body, allowing for a full-fledged rest. One can conquer its waves on skis, a board, get acquainted with underwater inhabitants, swim calmly, or sail on white yachts.
In the evening, stroll along the beautiful alleys of numerous parks and try delicious dishes in a cozy restaurant. The resort has gained fame through the work of large thalassotherapy centers. One of them is located on the grounds of the Royal Hotel, attracting patients with back pain, fatigue, depression, excess weight, and smoking addiction.
The Thalasso Baule-les-Pins center has a sea pool, hydro-massage devices, baths, and saunas. Recovery programs for bone diseases in people of all ages are mastered here. Artificial pine plantations on a large coastal territory complement the healing atmosphere of the sea city. This was done by the country to protect against sand invasions, making the resort a cozy, privileged vacation area.
- Best Western Hôtel Garden and Spa 3*: Beach nearby, breakfast can be enjoyed on the terrace with a garden view.
- Hôtel Le Saint Christophe 3*: Villa surrounded by a blooming garden, beach within walking distance, gourmet restaurant, open terrace.
- Citotel Alcyon 3*: Cozy hotel, only 150 meters to the beach, buffet breakfast, bar, and terrace.
Arcachon
A modern resort located in the Arcachon Bay of the Atlantic Ocean is characterized by significant climatic advantages. These include clean water, pine forests, sea air, huge sandy dunes, and abundant sunshine. The natural beauty is complemented by parks, well-kept lawns, bright flower beds, architectural masterpieces, and extensive promenades.
Parallel to them run white sandy beach strips. The recreation areas are not equipped according to the standard beach type. Vacationers come here with their own gear. One can swim right at the foot of the 130-meter-high sand dune, the largest in Europe, Dune of Pilat. The water entry is gentle, safe for children, and waves are rare.
The resort’s development is linked to the discovery of the Sainte-Anne des Abatilles mineral spring and the establishment of the city’s status as an oyster capital. Since then, wealthy people have come here for vacations at any time of the year. The city became a renowned balneological resort in the 19th century. Numerous treatments at modern health resorts are used to treat many ailments. The ocean atmosphere and the aroma of pine forests enhance treatment effectiveness.
Soulac-sur-Mer
The resort is located on the Atlantic Ocean coast in the Aquitaine region. It is a true paradise for lovers of idle leisure, connoisseurs of architectural masterpieces, and enthusiasts of modern water entertainment. Cozy hotels, luxurious restaurants, shopping centers, and excursion offers provide ample opportunities for life and activities based on interests. The city’s popular recreation area is the huge central beach.
Emerald ocean waves wash its seven-kilometer length. One can comfortably recline on the velvety sand, breathe in the healing air of pine and sea. Ride water skis or catamarans. Swimming is possible not only in the ocean but also in comfortable pools. Various health and entertainment programs are provided for children. The city retains about 500 luxurious villas and the Basilica of Our Lady, built in the 12th century and included in the UNESCO heritage list.
Porticcio
In the small provincial village in the southern part of Corsica, an excellent resort vacation is offered. The popular recreation area is famous for its white beaches and emerald sea in ecologically clean bays. The coastal recreation zones of the resort annually confirm the honorary title of “Blue Flag.” Along with lazy beach relaxation, active water entertainment is offered: riding water skis, sea trips, diving, and enjoying sports games on land.
Cozy hotels, procedures in thalassotherapy centers, and familiarity with Corsican cuisine’s features. Together with children, take an exciting excursion to Napoleon’s homeland. The mild and warm climate, sea air, convenient and safe pools with water slides, playgrounds, entertainment programs, and special medical wellness technologies allow for an effective family vacation.
Ajaccio
A resort where negative temperatures have not been recorded. The minimum value in winter was +4°C. Eternal summer, sun, and gentle sea. During the day, it is very hot, but in the evenings, the square, promenade, and streets of the city are filled with music and fun. The best time for a vacation at the resort is considered to be September. The temperature of the coastal waters is 29°C. Picturesque beaches adorn turquoise bays and the majestic walls of cliffs. One can participate in active water entertainment on any of them. Necessary equipment is provided by rental services.
The resort’s infrastructure includes all the necessary elements for a vacation with children. It is interesting to participate in excursions to the places where Napoleon lived. In the city, squares, streets, fountains, parks, hotels, and monuments are named after him. During walks, visit ancient Catholic churches, the remains of an old citadel, and palaces of the old city (the capital of Corsica). One can come to the resort by ship, which arrives here four times a day.