Luxury Family Vacations in France

A vacation with your family in the South of France is the stuff that dreams are made of. Drift off into an alternate universe of sun-soaked villages, sandy beaches, and a slow-motion, uncomplicated version of life. Provence’s picture-perfect villages sit on hilltops, surrounded by lavender fields and vineyards. Markets are full of fresh fruit and vegetables, and the perfect souvenirs to take home. There are Michelin-star dinners (for the grown-ups), sandcastles and ice creams (for the children), and plenty of water sports (for the teenagers).

Stylish, boutique hotels have spas and tailor-made activities which show off the picturesque local areas. The South of France’s beaches are up there with some of the best in Europe, often sitting right next to glamorous towns and cities. There’s a destination to suit all tastes, from the glitzy Côte d’Azur where restaurants are booked weeks in advance and not a hair is seen out of place, to the more bohemian parts of St Tropez where toddlers run in and out of the waves, before a barefoot lunch.

When it comes to adventure vacations, skiing in France with kids has to be up there with one of the most thrilling. But the Alps are well-established for family vacations and all ages, with crèches and nannies for babies and ski schools starting at 4+. The mountains offer up some of the best, and definitely the most varied, skiing in the world, whether you’re a beginner or an advanced skier looking for off-piste action. Chamonix, Val d’Isere, and Courchevel are three of our favorite French ski resorts for families. They’re filled with luxury five-star hotels, cozy chalets, fine-dining restaurants, designer boutiques, and glitzy après ski. But, if snow isn’t your thing, the Alps in the summer have so much to offer thrill-seeking families. Chamonix and Megéve are our top picks for an adrenaline rush guaranteed to jolt sullen teens out of their moods.

Paris and romance might be synonymous, but the French capital city is also surprisingly child-friendly. Hotels will welcome your kids with open arms. They are stocked with all the amenities you could need, ply little ones with gifts, and have carefully thought-out menus enfant. Games and rides can be found all around the city, whether that’s puppets and slides at the Jardin du Luxembourg, a vintage fairground in Jardin d’Acclimatation, or hopscotch and ping pong at the pedestrianized Parc Rives de Seine.

There are family-friendly tours and scavenger hunts at famous landmarks and galleries, creative workshops to join, immersive art exhibitions, and cookery lessons plenty. You could spend two to three days or a week on a family trip to Paris, depending on what you would like to see. And just forty minutes from the city center, Disneyland Paris makes an easy and magical addition to any Paris itinerary — a day or two among the rides and shows before returning to the capital or heading to the country for a quieter pace. Scott Dunn will put together a bespoke itinerary to strike the balance between you and your kids’ wishes.

Originally a fashionable place for Parisians to escape the city’s summer heat, Normandy then became associated with the historic D-Day landings after WWII. Nowadays its combination of beautiful seaside scenery and rich, poignant history gives it a deeply rooted sense of culture. Normandy’s craggy coastline and ancient villages have long inspired some of the country’s great impressionist artists, and Monet’s famous garden at Rouen is a must-see. Alongside all these world-famous attractions are artisan food producers making the likes of cheese, cider, and olive oil, as well as traditional lacemakers and potters whose crafts have stood the test of time. Combine four nights in Normandy, with four nights in Paris to get your ultimate dose of culture and beach while visiting France with kids.