juliekay

My husband, son (8 yrs) and I are going to France for 13 days. We leave April 20. days
I learned during last year's vacation to Quebec City that my idea of a vacation and a young boy's are two very different things (turns out our son didn't have a strong interest in historical architecture-who knew!)

Therefore, I am intent on doing some more child-friendly planning on this family trip.
I have lots of ideas for family fun things to do in Paris -- it's the 4 free days that have me in a panic. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Day One: Arrive and spend night in Paris

Day Two thru Six: Would there be any place warm enough in France for my son to swim?
If so, would it be the Cote d'Azur? And if it wouldn't be warm enough, are there kid friendly activities in that area? Provence and Cote d'Azur reports seem to include a lot of market going and soaking up the village vibe-don't think that would go over too well with the kid.

Another place I considered was Normandy. We found a farm gite there with lots of animals and playground equipment, not to mention a short drive from Mont St. Michel and a couple of other family friendly attractions. However, end-of-April weather may not cooperate.

We are open to any French region. The places I mentioned above are just thoughts.

Day Six thru 13: Paris (apartment booked)

Any input would be welcome. Thanks in advance.

Fife

The garden in the Place des Vosges always looks appealing on a warm day with lots of parents and kids enjoying themselves. Also the pond at the Palais de Luxumborg has a rental booth for sail boats. It's jammed with kids, so your son would have company.

jamikins

I really dont think there is anywhere in France where it would be warm enough to swim in April. What about Paris? There are quite a few kid friendly things in Paris (I dont have kids...but hopefully people that have travelled with kids will chime in here...)

juliekay

Thanks for the input. I will definitely check out the boat rental.
We are looking to get out of Paris for a few days as well though.

Michael

The science museum at La Villette might interest him. It's has a lot of hands-on stuff.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623299527007/

I think that there is also a French submarine next to it that can be visited.

He might like Guédelon, in Burgundy, which also gives children the opportunity to work with stone; but I do not know if the child has to belong to an organized group.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...th/4083925884/

StuDudley

How about all the stuff in the Dordogne - caves with stalactites & mites, caves with pre-historic cave-man paintings & foot/hand prints, caves with rivers running through them & a hundred feet below ground level, castles with siege warfare displays, castles with turrets, birds of prey shows, cute villages, markets. It might be too early to canoe on the Dordogne River, but there are other boat trips available.

Stu Dudley

Leely2

I'm with Stu on this. Caves, castles and birds of prey: the Dordogne would work for an 8-year-old kid.

juliekay

Michael-putting La Villette on my list. Thanks.

Stu-I'm going to begin researching the Dordogne tonight.
Everything you listed is right up my 8-year old boy's alley Thank you.

progol

Agree completely with Stu & Leely2 -- you can't go wrong with castles and caves! Cool for the old(er) folks, too!
Paule

StuDudley

As a supplement to your research, I have a 20+ page itinerary for the Dordogne that describes our favorite things to do & see there. I've sent it to over 1,000 people on Fodors. E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll attach a copy to the reply e-mail.

Stu Dudley

StCirq

The Dordogne would be perfect for both you and your son - no END of things to keep him busy - caves, zip lines, canoes and kayaks, hikes, horseback riding, castles with medieval warfare exhibits, falconry shows, you name it!