South of France or Southwest? Large family with kids
Feb 3rd, 2019, 04:00 PM
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South of France or Southwest? Large family with kids
We will be in Barcelona (technically Sitges) for a family wedding in August. Most of my family members (siblings, spouses, kids) will be in Europe for the first time, so they want to see as much as possible. We’re trying to temper the inclination to go far and wide and have suggested a few days in the south of France. Any suggestions on a good location to base ourselves in southern France for 5 or 6 days? I was debating either Nice (or a smaller town nearby) versus somewhere in southwestern France — closer to Spain. We’ll have a couple of teenagers, some twenty-somethings, and and a 7- and 10-year-old with us. Thanks!!
Feb 3rd, 2019, 04:35 PM
#2
I love Nice, and it is a good base with good public transport and a number of options. However, the best way to get there is to fly.
I might be inclined to head north for the Basque region, on both sides of the border.
I might be inclined to head north for the Basque region, on both sides of the border.
Feb 3rd, 2019, 04:48 PM
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The Provence straddles the Rhone, with the major part on the east side. Get the Michelin Green Guide for that area and then decide where you want to base yourself and if you will be renting cars or using public transportation.
Another possibility is to base yourself in Toulouse and visit towns in the area: Carcassonne, Albi, Montauban, Moissac, with a guidebook to determine what would please your diverse group.
Another possibility is to base yourself in Toulouse and visit towns in the area: Carcassonne, Albi, Montauban, Moissac, with a guidebook to determine what would please your diverse group.
Last edited by Michael; Feb 3rd, 2019 at 05:01 PM.
Feb 3rd, 2019, 07:35 PM
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Feb 4th, 2019, 07:25 AM
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For a family, I will always suggest the southwest of France. It has the surf capitals of Hossegor and Biarritz and also the fabulous cities of Toulouse and Bordeaux. Arcachon would be a good base.
Provence tends to attract older people.
Provence tends to attract older people.
Feb 4th, 2019, 03:30 PM
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I live in the SW of France so have an obvious bias. Michael has given you some good suggestions. There is no shortage of wonderful places to visit close to Toulouse, which itself is a fabulous city. Depends on what you mean by a "village." With kids, I would assume you wouldn't want to be tooling around, say, Castelnaudary for more than an hour or two, but Carcassonne, Albi, and the coastal towns of Languedoc-Roussillon (Narbonne, Perpignan, Collioure, etc) would offer plenty. Or the Atlantic towns of Bayonne, St-Jean-de-Luz, and inland would be wonderful, but that involves crossing Spain, which you certainly don't have to do to find plenty of attractions. You have a lot to choose from.
In August anyplace coastal is going to be jammed and traveling by car along the coast is going to be slow.
I too think of Provence, beautiful as it is, as the provenance of non-francophone retirees.
In August anyplace coastal is going to be jammed and traveling by car along the coast is going to be slow.
I too think of Provence, beautiful as it is, as the provenance of non-francophone retirees.
Feb 5th, 2019, 10:28 AM
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I too think Provence may not be exciting enough for the younger ones, except (briefly) for the ruins and historic sites. The same applies to the towns of the Languedoc, especially after staying in Sitges or BCN, unless you simply desire a slower pace. Carcasonne has some appeal, but is heavily touristed and only worth a stop.
Since we have a place there, I'll say this for the Cote d'Azur. August is part of the peak season in the Nice area, worst in the first part of the month. It all depends on their interests, but it may hold the interest of the teens and young adults a bit better or they may want something different after the time in BCN and Sitges. As noted, it is `easy to travel independently and inexpensively using public transit -- a big advantage in a large group. You can go to beach resorts with beach clubs (Juan Les Pins), small villages (Eze), islands (St Honorat), museums, shops/markets and explore iconic locations all within a short trip. You can also make a small trip into Italy. The downside is that it is best reached via a short flight.
Since we have a place there, I'll say this for the Cote d'Azur. August is part of the peak season in the Nice area, worst in the first part of the month. It all depends on their interests, but it may hold the interest of the teens and young adults a bit better or they may want something different after the time in BCN and Sitges. As noted, it is `easy to travel independently and inexpensively using public transit -- a big advantage in a large group. You can go to beach resorts with beach clubs (Juan Les Pins), small villages (Eze), islands (St Honorat), museums, shops/markets and explore iconic locations all within a short trip. You can also make a small trip into Italy. The downside is that it is best reached via a short flight.
