THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO PROVENCE WITH KIDS

Travel Guide

Oct 18

Provence has it all - from historic, quaint villages, turquoise beaches, beautiful nature, and an amazing food scene. It is a perfect destination for families and kids.

We spent a week in Provence during July and decided to stay outside of the mainstream towns and chose a more off-the-beaten-path destination which turned out to be more relaxing, authentically provençal, and convenient. Our little chateau was in a small village 15 minutes away from the famous Aix-en-Provence, in an area called Eguilles.

Not many people think of Provence as the first kid friendly destination but, let me tell you that after taking this trip to the South of France, I couldn’t have been proved more wrong. My kids ages 2 and 5 had the time of their lives in Provence. We were amazed by all the wonderful things we discovered along the way from the east to the west coast.

STAY AT A VACATION HOME

My biggest recommendation for those traveling with kids for more than 3 days is to book a vacation home/villa rental, and if you can - with a pool! There are so many varieties to choose from, houses, castles, chateaus, villas. We booked a villa type vacation home for our family and our extended family which had 5 rooms, each one had it’s own en-suite bathroom which was so convenient, and an outdoor pool and a small yard. Our kids loved being here, with the pool it just kept them busy when we weren’t out exploring. Having the pool was also a great way to tire the kids out, giving us time to relax on the terrace, and enjoy our nights.

WHERE TO STAY

We stayed in a small town called Eguilles which was a short drive into the city center of Aix-En-Provence, but it also had it’s own small little town center which had everything we needed from the local bakeries, supermarkets, restaurants and even wineries!

I recommend looking at places within a 45 minutes distance to Aix-en-Provence which will allow for sight seeing and visiting the popular destinations within a reasonable amount of a drive.

Take it easy on the first day

Because we were checking out of our accommodation in the French Riviera in the morning and had a short drive to Provence ( around 1.5hours) we arrived before check in time. We stopped by Aix-en-Provence to get lunch and stroll around until it was ready for check in time.

Once we checked in we relaxed for the rest of the evening. You want the kids to be well rested for the few days/weeks ahead of exploring.

Start small

Exploring the local village we were staying at was already a fun adventure for the kids. Learning where all the stores and boulangeries are in town. There wasn’t anything popular or touristy in the village we were staying at, quite the opposite, but that was one of the joys we found the kids enjoyed. To their little eyes, these little discoveries made them feel they were already on an adventure.

TAKE DAY TRIPS

Marseille

There are many cute towns and cities to visit around Provence within a short amount of driving time which makes it perfect to do with kids. We took a day trip to Marseille which was only a 30minute drive. This multicultural port city is France’s oldest and second biggest city, semi seedy but vibrant city with a history that goes back to ancient Greek times. We spent half a day exploring the old port, visiting different districts, and getting in a good meal.

Places to go/see in Marseilles:

The Calanques - though we didn’t get a chance this time to explore this exotic Mediterranean fjords, majority of the people visiting Marseille will take a tour on a cruise which will take you to the beaches and cliffs of this famous area between Marseille and Cassis.
Panier District - Marseille’s answer to Paris’ Montmartre
Old Port (Vieux Port) - Economic heart of town, lots of markets, boats and stores.
Cathedrale de la Nouvelle Major - Massive striped cathedral with floor and wall mosaics.
Notre-Dame de la Garde - Marseille’s landmark sigh with panoramic views.

Aix-en-Provence

Aix-en-Provence was a city we visited twice for it’s elegant avenues, fountains, quaint alleys, and great options for food. It is becoming more popular to tourist’s as a must-see destination to discover the laid-back and endearing southern French culture.

Things we did with the kids in Aix:

stroll down Cours Miraeau
best homemade madeleines in France at Madeleines de Cristophe
walking around the historic center of Aix’s charming streets free from cars and bicycles.
shop organic produce and local goods at the outdoor market Le Grand Marche
Local bookstore
going on a scavenger hunt to find all the many fountains around town
Historic art museum at Musee Granet

EXPLORE THE MARKETS

One of the very first things we do upon arriving at a new town is to check out the local farmer’s market. The kids love going to the market of all sorts and exploring the different food they have to offer. They had a lot of fun picking out their favorite fruits and vegetables, interacting with the market owners, and looking around all the variety of things the market had to offer.

LAVENDER FIELDS

Provence is known for its iconic lavender fields and you will find many areas to visit these beautiful fields. From the moment you arrive you will be swallowed up by the scent of these lavenders. Visiting during the peak seasons can get busy so I recommend trying to get there early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

We chose to goto Lavandes Angelvin which is a close drive from the small town of Valensole. We were pleasantly surprised by a whole empty field when we arrived around 9am on a weekday. There were definitely other fields along the way that had quite a bunch of people. This field also has a small store with products made out of lavender such as soap, essential oils, honey and foie gras pate. We bought a few of these as souvenirs for our friends!

It's completely free to walk around the fields. But timing is everything! These fields have peak blooms from late June to mid July. Definitely plan your trip with these dates in mind - it's worth seeing! If you're within those dates, remember to check their website to see if the lavenders are in bloom for your trip so you wont be disappointed - the dates can vary every year.

Tips for dining out with kids

For breakfast - pick up fresh bread from any local bakery, trust me it will be good!

Lunch & dinner - markets in the south of France are incredibly fresh. Pick up some fresh vegetables, cheese, tapenade, meat etc and make your own meals time to time.

“menu enfant” is the kids menu, usually at the bottom of the regular menu
bring some quiet activities for the kids to do when waiting for their food (coloring/books/puzzles)
download google translate to help with French only menus
Get outdoor seating if possible

Other Tips

Just like many other European cities, Provence has narrow walkways and cobblestone streets which makes it hard to navigate a stroller but we managed to do it just fine! We had our travel stroller with a standing board attached to it for the times our 5year old needed some rest and it came very handy.
If you opt to bring a stroller, I’d recommend a lightweight, compact foldable stroller as many restaurants also don’t have much space inside.
Public bathrooms are available but not free to use - make sure you have extra change for times you need to use. Though for us, we never had to use one as cafes/restaurants we asked all kindly allowed us to use it.
When dining out with kids look for the word “menu enfant” which is the kids menu. Bring some coloring books, small activities to keep them entertained - a lot of the places we ate were incredibly slow compared to the US.
Opt to sit outside so the kids can have more space to move around and people watch.
Use google translate to help translate French only menus

Our travels around south of France was absolutely enhanced by going with our kids, teaching them about French culture/traditions and tasting all the good food it had to offer brought me so much joy.

I hope this helps you plan out an adventure filled itinerary around France.

Happy Traveling!