12 Days in France

Highlights

• Château de Chambord — the biggest Loire château, double-helix staircase designed by da Vinci, vast deer park for running around
• Château de Chenonceau — the ''ladies'' castle'' spanning the river Cher, flower gardens, hedge maze kids love
• Château d''Amboise + Clos Lucé — Leonardo da Vinci''s last home, hands-on invention models kids can operate
• Château de Cheverny — Tintin''s Marlinspike Hall inspiration, hunting dog feeding at 11:30am daily
• Troglodyte cave houses near Amboise — carved into cliffs, some are restaurants/wine cellars
• Loire Valley bike trails — flat, car-free paths along the river, bike hire in Amboise (€15/day/adult)

Local tips

• Base in Amboise — it''s the best Loire town for families: small, walkable, central to 4 major châteaux, and has the Clos Lucé da Vinci museum which kids rate higher than any castle.
• Visit Chambord early morning (opens 9am) before tour buses arrive at 10:30. The deer park behind the château is free and enormous — bring a picnic.
• Don''t try to do more than 2 châteaux per day. Kids hit ''castle fatigue'' fast. Alternate with bike rides, river swimming, or troglodyte caves.

Highlights

• Pont du Gard — 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct, swimming in the river below, museum with kid-friendly interactive displays (€8.50/adult, free under 18)
• Lavender fields (mid-June to mid-August) — Sénanque Abbey or the Valensole plateau for the iconic purple-row photos
• Avignon — Palais des Papes (€12/adult, free under 8), Pont d''Avignon, busker-filled streets inside the medieval walls
• Aix-en-Provence markets — Cours Mirabeau Saturday market, calissons (almond candy), fountain-hopping walk through the old town
• Les Baux-de-Provence — hilltop castle ruins + Carrières de Lumières immersive art show in old quarries (€16/adult, €11/child)

Local tips

• Lavender peaks late June to mid-July — if your trip is outside this window, Provence is still stunning but plan for markets, Roman sites, and hill villages instead of lavender-specific drives.
• Pont du Gard is the single best family stop in Provence — Roman engineering + river swimming + shady picnic spots. Arrive before 10am in summer to snag riverside parking.
• Two nights is tight for Provence. If you can flex the itinerary, steal a night from Paris (3→2) and add it here.

Highlights

• Promenade des Anglais — morning walk/cycle along the blue Mediterranean, free public beaches with lifeguards
• Nice Old Town (Vieux Nice) — Cours Saleya flower and food market (Tue-Sun), socca (chickpea pancake) stands, gelato lanes
• Day trip to Monaco — 20 min by train (€4.20), Oceanographic Museum + Aquarium (€18/adult, €12/child), Prince''s Palace changing of the guard at 11:55am
• Antibes — Picasso Museum in a seaside castle, Marineland aquarium/water park for younger kids
• Èze village — medieval hilltop village with cactus garden, panoramic views, perfume factory tours
• Beach day — Villefranche-sur-Mer has the best family beach on the Riviera: sheltered bay, shallow water, colourful waterfront

Local tips

• Nice public beaches are pebbly, not sandy — bring water shoes for kids. For sand, take the train to Antibes or Villefranche-sur-Mer (15-20 min).
• The €1.70 Lignes d''Azur bus covers all of Nice + nearby towns. Bus 100 Nice→Monaco is €1.70 and runs along the coast — cheaper and more scenic than the train.
• Book the apartment with a kitchen — Nice''s markets are incredible for self-catering and restaurant dinners on the Riviera add up fast at €80-120 for a family of 4.