A family trip to France...rough intinerary
 

Hi !
We have book flights for France in july-august (from july 8 to august 12, so 34 nights in France). It will be our third attemps, Hope that the bad ukrainian (my heart is really with that people) situation is solved by then.

We are a family of four (2 adults and 10 ans 14 years old kids).We all speak french on a daily basis and we habe done many road trip in Europe, Canada and USA.

For now we have something like this
1) 7 nights in paris
2) 4 Nights in Normandy (honfleur, Etratat, d-day beaches)
3) 5-7 nights in 2 spots in Britanny
4) 3-4 night in the Loire Valley
5) 4-5 night in Dordogne
6) 3-4 nights in Auvergne

Question:
1) The Loire wasnt onr list at first but it seems like a must for many, will it be enjoyable with kids ? I know ther's a lot of Castles but 4 days of Castle would get old fast with our kids
2) Is Britanny a good place to be in summer ?
3) Is it Crazy to be in Paris july 14 ?
4) That leaves us with 3-8 nights (depending of how many night we have in each places). What could/should we do with them ?

We love buzzing cities but also quaint and under the radar spots (I dont know if such thing exist in France !)

Thans a lot in advance !

I can't answer your questions, but I think you're short-changing Normandy. It sounds like only one full day for "D-Day beaches." The drive between Honfleur and Pont du Hoc would take several hours in summer traffic, and there are multiple points where you might want to park and walk around... particular invasion beaches (and/or just some beach time), a cemetery or two, Arromanches, Caen Peace Memorial or a couple of small museums, Bayeux Tapestry, perhaps Sainte-Mere-Eglise. Depending on what interests your kids (not to mention the adults), some of these stops might not be short.

Quick question, tostaky: are you flying in and out of Paris? If so, how is your time frame for return of rental car?

Hub and I took a day trip guided tour from Paris to 3 chateaux and enjoyed it. If that's an option for you, there are 3 days to add on.

Maybe you are right about this one, we will have to look more deeply about that, but thanks for the input !

We take the car after our stay in paris and we return it the day of our return flight. Thanks for your idea !

4 days is too much for the Loire valley given the rest of the trip. There are castles in the Dordogne; it is said one for every day of the year. In some instances, the garden might be the main point of interest, as in Villandry with its medieval garden and Chaumont with its themed annual garden competition. For the others, I would limit the castles to Chenonceau, Blois and Chambord. Secondarily, Angers for its tapestries of the Apocalypse, Langeais, Azay-le-Rideau and Fontevraud.

https://flic.kr/p/8mtmAf https://flic.kr/p/8mqaKH
https://flic.kr/p/8mqcgM https://flic.kr/p/8mtkVd https://flic.kr/p/2j5WWFb
https://flic.kr/p/8mtecs https://flic.kr/p/2j5Zzt8 https://flic.kr/p/8mth49
I would limit the visit to two per day for two days, four in total.

In the Auvergne, consider le Puy-en-Velay:

https://flic.kr/p/7DbsvY
and perhaps an overnight in Moudeyres, which has a moderately priced hotel and a more expensive one, but whose main interest, outside the village itself is its farm museum that remained unchanged from its late 19th century condition when acquired by the village as a donation from its last two owners.

https://flic.kr/p/7D7EnK

Wow, sounds like an amazing trip!
I agree with the person who said to limit the Chateaux. They are great but with two tweens, they may get bored. Chenonceaux is certainly a no miss.
There is an extensive bike trail (voie vert) in the Loire Valley and your family may enjoy some cycling as a way to get around, and between chateaux? Just a thought, and gives you a break from the driving, there are also plenty of bike rental places.
I know France well but not Brittany so I cannot answer that. It is meant to be beautiful so I would give it a try?
Dordogne and the Auvergne should offer some interesting hiking options and also river kayak/canoeing. Lots of different options for sporty types and just ordinary folks but I know from experience that the canoe/kayak option is great for that age group. Especially if you have the option to pack a picnic and stop along the river somewehre for a swim. I'm not sporty at all by the way and I love a gentle kayak ride. Brantome in the Perigord vert might be somewhere on your itinerary... have a peek.
But if I can say one thing, have you thought about how many miles a day you want to drive? France is a big place and your journey sounds very ambitious. I would consider keeping it to Paris/Normandy/Brittany/Loire/Paris OR Paris/Brittany/Loire/Paris OR Paris/Loire/Dordogne/Auvergene.
To confuse matters, you could save time by doing a bit of train travel. For example, get the TGV from Paris-Bordeaux (3.5 hours), then rent a car to do the drive back to Paris. That might rule out Normandy btw? French trains are wonderful and a great thing to experience, as part of the travel experience.
Finally 14 July in Paris can be fun, but it can also be fun in a smaller town. I've done both both and prefer the village version myself.
In any case, you will have a wonderful time and bon voyage!

Brittany offers many nice places to see. The kids may like a castle or two and the prehistoric stones. You may want to check out the Brittany section of my trip report: https://www.fodors.com/community/sho....php?t=1672104


Also look up posts by Stu Dudley, whose itineraries in France are very useful.
https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...ennes-1705107/

I think the kids would enjoy the medieval castles in the Dordogne more than the King's castles in the Loire.

See attachments

Stu Dudley

In the Dordogne: don't miss Lascaux IV. I've only seen Lascaux II, which was its predecessor, and was quite amazing, but a friend who actually saw the original cave paintings told me that Lascaux IV is a much improved re-creation of the original.

For castles, Castelnaud has demonstrations of medieval assault weapons, and nearby is the castle that belonged to Josephine Baker with raptor demonstrations:

https://flic.kr/p/7SbDiS https://flic.kr/p/7yxx22
In the Périgord vert Bourdeilles has a collection of 15th and 16th century furniture in the Renaissance chateau built on the grounds of a medieval fortress:

https://flic.kr/p/7yi86D
Canoeing on the Dordogne river for a day is very popular and gives a nice break from sightseeing.

Everyone's tastes and interests are different, but.....

• you want mountains.....examine why....I find that, being atop a mountain is akin to being in a cold, windy gravel pit. A photo of a mountain looks interesting, but think about it....once you're on it, it's various planes of stone at different angles...no vegetation... I think lower "mountains", such as the Alpilles in Provence, are more interesting, because 1) warmer 2) you can get closer 3) you can drive less fearfully among them
• having made 5 3-week tours of France, I'd say that- 8-11 days in the Loire and Brittany are about 4-6 days too many, and that---
• zero days in Provence? and in the southwest? that's too few
• you'll find that after 2 chateaux in the Loire, you, and more so the kids, will be chateau'd out....they start to look the same...you start to say, "which one had the drawbridge?" "which one had no furniture?"
• if the kids want REAL castles, check out Beynac and Castlenaudary. Beynac was in a movie some years ago, in my thinking a prototypical castle. Castlenaudary has medieval war eq'pt...catapaults, eetc. One was English, one was French. Good history lessons.
• that area also has Lascaux, a cave with 20,000 year old drawings by cavemen,, goose farms, old, old villages
• Provence has numerous places with Roman ruins. if interested, I or Stu could enlighten further
  

""check out Beynac and Castlenaudary""

Castelnaudry, a town east of Toulouse, is famous for Cassoulet (food). Castelnaud, a castle near Beynac, is famous for "medieval war eq'pt...catapaults, eetc".

Stu Dudley

Have you considered a farm visit? There is an official program, bienvenue a la ferme, and you can buy products and eat snacks or meals on the farm:

https://www.bienvenue-a-la-ferme.com/

I find the Marais Poitevin more interesting than the Loire. You can rent a barque and paddle it yourself. If you are lucky enough to be in La Garette for a full moon, they do a nighttime boat tour with storytelling and reenactments.

Brittany has many great features, so I do not think you are devoting too much time there. Think about visiting the unique 'enclos paroisses' as well as the more famous Rose Granite Coast and the menhirs and dolmen of prehistoric man. I could spend weeks there (though I do not say the same for the Loire Valley, which I think of as an 'older couple' destination).

And since you speak French, realize that if you come across a church that is closed, you can always ask around and surely someone has a key to let you in.

Thanks for all those ideas, advices and opinions !

Of course everyone have their own taste and things that they like/dislike. Southern France (Provence and Languedoc) was on our last year itinerary (which was cancel) but after reading it looks like that there's so much to see in those regions that we should keep it for another trip. Or flight arrive and depart from Paris so we have to factor the time to go back there.

Brittany is not clear, some (Tomboy) says that more than 4 nights is too much, others says 2 weeks isnt.

It's inevitable that you'll get conflicting advice from people; we all prefer different things. So here's my two cents: I'd give as much time as you can to the Dordogne. I can't imagine your kids wouldn't be riveted by a site like Font de Gaume, which is still open to the public and which is still one of the most amazing experiences of my life. If you have the extra time, you could visit Rocamadour, a stunning medieval site built into a cliff, and the nearby Gouffre de Padirac, with its dramatic rock formations. A few hours canoeing on the Dordogne, visiting some of the evocative chateaux, including the overlooked fortress Bonaguil--there is just so much beyond the best-known villages. An extra day or two would allow you to dip into the neighboring Lot, which has beautiful villages like Carennac and St Cirq Lapopie, as well as another stupendous cave, Pech-Merle, with its preserved human footprints, as well as Rocamadour and Padirac.

I'm with those who think the Loire is overrated. Chenonceau is gorgeous, but I didn't love the area in general,. I think it lacks the scenic beauty of--wait for it--the Dordogne, with its rolling green hills and the beautiful river running through it. If you do go to the Loire valley, you might visit some of the less frequented chateaux, like the evocative ruins at Chinon or the fairytale Usse. I might reallocate some of your time in Brittany and Normandy, shifting a day or two to Normandy, but it depends on what you want to see.

I don't know the Auvergne, so have no contribution to make there. It seems wise to leave Provence for another trip; too far and way too much to see.

I spent one July 14 in Paris. We went to the parade and then wandered around. Frankly, it was a yawn. A lot was closed. The fireworks show was fun but the area was mobbed; we wound up watching it from the Pont des Arts, which was as close as we could get without body armor. I wouldn't go out of my way to be in Paris for this--although any time spent in Paris is a bonus.

Obviously, this all reflects my personal taste and preferences. Enjoy the process of making your own plans; odds are you'll end up with a fantastic trip.

P.S. The Drew Barrymore movie "Ever After" was filmed at the Chateau de Hautefort (the good guy) and the Chateau de Beynac (the bad guy), as well as in the town of Sarlat. The village of Beynac appears in "Chocolat." I think that's what Tomboy is referring to.

Thanks frenchaucoeur !

We still not convince by the Loire. May it will be ruled out after all, we still have to look into that. Dordogne seems to bu an unanimous choice so we will sure put it in the mix. About paris on the 14, we will be there not beacause of that date but only because we want to give Paris a full week and july 14 is in those 7 days at the beginingof our 34 nights trip.

We are going back to Brittany soon. It has a lot to offer, coasts and inland - Arthurian legends, ancient forests, mysterious rock formations, delightful villages, cities, sea food, cycling along canals, or along the coast, prehistoric sites galore, islands, and so and so on.
Have a look at https://www.brittanytourism.com/ for a ton of ideas.
What it doesn't have is guaranteed good weather.

We really enjoyed the Loire Valley but I do think that 2 or 3 castles would probably be enough. We loved Chenonceau, Chambord, and Langeais. We initially weren't planning on visiting Langeais, but when we drove past and saw the towers of this medieval castle, we just had to stop.

And I agree with frenchaucouer about the Dordogne. I think you need more time there. I really think your children will love the caves and castles. We loved Beynac! It felt very primitive and mysterious to us. Richard the Lionhearted supposedly slept here! And for caves, I think your children would love Gouffre de Padirac, with its gigantic stalactites and stalagmites, descending into the sinkhole, and the boat ride on the subterranean river. Peche Merle is another great cave with its original drawings and paintings and handprints and footprints. And Grotte de Rouffignac with its train ride, cave drawings and bear nests. And La Rogue-St. Christophe, Marqueyssac Gardens, the list is endless.

There is also the Roussilon-Languedoc region of France. The kids will love Carcassone! This region might make sense if you go to Dordogne. I think they are close to each other.

I agree with KarenWoo "who agrees with frenchaucouer about the Dordogne. I think you need more time there.
I really think your children will love the caves and castles."

I took my grandsons, 8 and 12 years old, and their parents to France. The trip was 3 weeks including one night in Rocamadour,

7 nights in a house near Sarlat, and one night in Carcassonne. July 14th festivities (outdoor night concert in Sarlat)

http://www.domainedelarhue.com/

https://www.vrbo.com/74875ha?noDates=true&unitId=60128

https://www.chateau-palaja.fr/en

Our itinerary included:

Caves and sites: Font-de-Gaume, Lascaux II,Roque St-Christophe,Pech Merle, Gouffre de Padirac

Castles: Carcassonne, Castelnaud, Beynac,
Milandes( the 8 year old was chosen out of the audience for a falcon landing on his arm)

Towns and Villages: Sarlat, Rocamadour, Figeac (Tour de France), Cadouin (Abbaye), Monpazier (Bastide), Domme,
LaRoque-Gageac,Beynac (Gabarres), Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, St-Leon-sur-Vezere, Montignac, Carennac,
Carcassonne(medieval jousting tournament),
Carcassonne (Tour de France)

YES, YOU NEED MORE TIME IN THE DORDOGNE! We needed more time in Dordogne!

You are going to have a fantastic vacation! Plus you have a lot of freedom. Plus you speak French. You don't really have to overthink it nor do you have to overplan. I agree with others that the Loire Valley is probably the only place you listed that is not worth all that much time with kids. Everything else is great.

One note though, south of the Loire is much more dramatic scenery that north. As a general rule. The good thing about your itinerary is all the variety. It'll be like vacationing in four different lands.

If you are likely to have the chance to return to France then my suggestion would be drop Dordogne this trip and make it the focus of another one, along with further south for Carcasonne or wherever.
Add time to Normandy and Brittany. Find some fun things to do with your children, bike rides, sailing, walking, trying local food (and the cider - not for the kids!) and slowing down a bit. It is the experiences your children will remember, the quality time with you, rather than yet another chateau (Loire Chateaux are the equivalent of British stately homes not castles), or museum.
Put in a few days along the Loire starting at it's mouth - visit the sea monster over the fantastic bridge from Saint Nazaire at St Brevin Les Pins, maybe visit the salt pans and Noirmoutier-en-l'ile, and work your way round under Paris for your return home.
The Normandy is more than D-Day beaches, the countryside is beautiful. Visit the Bayeux Tapestry, the bell foundry Accueil - Cornille Havard, the area south of Caen, Normandy Suisse has places for kayaking or other boat trips and hills.