I am travelling with my family to stay in a little village (Jouques) near Aix-en-Provence, with a car. I am looking for recommendations for activities the kids (ages 7, 10, 11) will enjoy. We are already planning to visit the Calanques, Verdon Gorge, the Carriere de Lumieres show in Les Baux de Provence. Any advice regarding other destinations or activities? Is it worth driving to Italy? On the map it looks like a 4-5 hour drive to Genoa or Lucca. What about St. Tropez? We will have 10 days, so can fit in many day trips or an overnight in another city. Thanks.
Posted by
California 🦋
5202 posts
SK,
You & your family may enjoy visiting L'Isle sur la Sorgue on one of their market days (Thursdays & Sundays), or any other day just to walk around this charming town. You can also drive from there to Fontaine de Vaucluse, to visit the paper mill & the spring of the Sorgue River.
There are also Kayak rides on the river.
You may also want to check this site for more ideas:http://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en/the-most-beautiful-villages-of-france
I would not drive to Italy as there are so many beautiful villages you can visit in France!
Have a wonderful trip!
Posted by
Somerville, MA
605 posts
My kids favorite things in Provence were a bull fight (game), swimming, and the Carriere de Lumieres.
-Matt
Posted by
Seattle, Washington
681 posts
You won't regret going to the Carriere de Lumieres in Les Baux. That was simply amazing. I just went on one of the boat trips to the Calanques while in Cassis and, while it was enjoyable, it wasn't nearly as spectacular as I had expected. Maybe you're planning to hike, rather than go by boat, and that could be a completely different experience.
Posted by
Portland
3592 posts
While I have enjoyed both Genoa and Lucca, I wouldn't drive 4 or 5 hours just to see them, when there is so much to see and do in Provence. You might consider venturing a bit to the west, especially if you're open to spending a night. The camargue is one place that pops to mind.
There are some travel guides available with titles like, "What To Do with Kids in France". You might want to track one down for more ideas.
Posted by
Tucson
4151 posts
We stayed in Aix-en-Provence and drove to the Saintes Maries de la Mer (http://www.provenceweb.fr/e/bouches/stmaries/stmaries.htm). The link has some basic info.
The beach was great, I loved seeing the white horses of the Camargue and I also enjoyed the Ornithological Park. I'm a big fan of flamingos and I've never seen so many in one place.
Another possibility we both liked was the Pont du Gard (http://www.pontdugard.fr/en). Walking over the bridge was amazing. I expect the kids might enjoy finding the oldest graffiti carved into the rocks. I sure did.
Posted by
York
30 posts
My kids loved Splashworld, between Monteux and Avignon and spent the whole day there.
The river below Pont du Gard is also something they really enjoyed. At this time of the year it is shallow enough to wade around in, exploring little islands of rocks etc. Get there early so you can claim one of the shaded decks next to the river.