My husband and I will be going to Provence and staying at a villa in Bedoin for 7 days. My family will be coming with us and includes three grandsons, ages 3, 14 and 16. Can you please suggest activities and sights that would appeal to the boys and adults? We will be renting two cars and will be able to make day trips.

There are quite a few "kid-friendly" places and things to do around here...

The Barben Zoo at the Château de Barben, just outside of Salon de Provence (6 kms).
Open every day from 10 AM to 6 PM
A great place to take a picnic and spend a day.

The free-flight bird show at the ruins of the Château de Beaucaire (across the river from Tarascon). Birds of prey, inclduing eagles, hawks, falcons, owls and even vultures. Everyone in medieval dress.. and you can walk around and see the birds up close after the show.
In June the shows are at 2, 3, 4 and 5 PM
In July& August the shows are at 3, 4, 5 and 6 PM

Canoeing and kayaking on the Gardon river near the Pont du Gard. Or if they just prefer to swim, the kids can take their suits and go into the river just below the Pont du Gard.

Visit the Château d'If, just off the shores of Marseille. The Count of Monte Christo....
http://www.monum.fr
The boat leaves from the Quai des Belges in the old port of Marseille.

Or maybe they'd like to take a train ride... here are a couple:

Arles - Fontvieille:
Le Train des Alpilles
This small train goes from Arles (the station is marked and is behind the main train station) to Fontivieille. You can visit the Moulin de Daudet and the Abbaye de Montmajour as well as following in the steps of Van Gogh.
It’s a 40 minute ride.
Open 4th of June through the 14th of September
Cost: 6 to 9 €
Tel: 04 94 18 81 31

Chateaurenard – Barbentane:
LeTrain du Val de Provence
A steam locomotive from 1943 takes this train through the Provençal countryside south of the Durance River. This train is totally run by a group of train lovers. Soon a 16 km. extension of the tracks will take the train to Noves.
Open every Sunday and on Holidays
Cost: 5 to 8 € Groups by reservation
Tel: 04 98 16 55 33

Patricia

This may help you:

http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/mag/enfants.htm

Our family has spent about a year in Provence over the past four years, beginning when our daughter was 9. It's a great place for kids and teenagers.

You may get some good ideas here: http://www.slowtrav.com/france/prove...s_children.htm

In addition to what I included in that piece, I'd add canoeing on the River Sorgue (departing from Fontaine la Vaucluse). I can recommend Kayak Vert: http://www.canoe-france.com/en/rivie...oe-france.html

The castle ruins at Oppede-le-Vieux in the Luberon are also fabulous, though maybe not ideal for the younger boy.

If the boys are interested in history, there are roman structures and ruins in several places, including Vaison-la-Romaine in the area where you'll be staying.

Kathy

Take a trip (about 2 hours) up to the Drôme area and visit the fabulous Aven d'Orgnac, a huge cave--very nice on a hot day.

Also, a visit to the Camargue might prove fun. You can see the wild bulls and horses and visit the bird center, seeing, with luck, the pink flamingos.

Good suggestion about the Camargue..

Here's a company that runs Jeep Safaris -

www.safari-robert.com

And if they like ruins, visit Glanum outside of St. Rémy. An ongoing archeological dig in the remains of a Roman town.

In Arles they can visit the coliseum, where they still hold bullfights during the summer months (I don't suggest taking them to see on of those, however).

Patricia