French Alps vs Normandy with 7yo

You do realize the Olympics are in Paris next summer, right? And a big D-Day anniversary is in June?
I wouldn't come near Paris this summer, and the hotel lodging, if available, will be outrageous.
Perhaps fly into Amsterdam and explore France from that direction?
You are a bit late for planning for summer, so perhaps lodging availability will influence your itinerary. Since covid, travel to Europe has increased significantly and many folks book 8-9 months out. Good luck!

Lyon is a fantastic city. Are you desiring a mountain setting afterwards, more than small, rural villages closer to the sea? That would make the Alps the choice.

Pat makes excellent points about Paris and crowds/costs. The 80th anniversary of D-Day will be in early June, though. However, Bayeux is having their annual Medieval Festival July 5-7 this year. We were there in 2008. While there will be more people there at that moment, that’s part of the fun. We were also at the American cemetery at Omaha Beach on July 4 that year, and the ceremony at noon was a meaningful experience. It was interesting to see all the non-American tourists also there that day, and the reverence and appreciation they showed.

Thanks for the thoughts! We do realize that about the Olympics and D-Day anniversary. We'll be there 6/23-7/5, so 2 weeks after the D day and before the Olympics. Would have probably chosen another destination city, but finances won out on the airfare deal we got to Paris. Maybe we could head north and include Belgium? We've done Paris before, so seeing particular sights there isn't a big priority.

Too bad we will miss the Medieval festival in Bayeux! That would have been a cool reason to choose Normandy. I was leaning toward the Alps to do some mountain time and gondola trips, but wasn't sure that timing would lead to heavy crowds of European vacationers. Thanks again!

I would suggest you go to Lyon. In particular, the presqu'île between the Saône and the Rhône rivers is very walkable with lots of interesting fountains and monuments. A short transit ride away, Parc de la Tête d'Or with the residents of Lyon at rest and at play as well as its zoo would be appealing to a child. And taking the funicular up to Fourvière hill to the Roman ruins and the impossibly decorative Notre Dame de Fourvière basilica would probably wow your daughter.

In particular, at that time of year, I would suggest walking north from Place Carnot to Place des Terreaux to see the various fountains and monuments along the way, terminating in the fabulous (and recently renovated) Fontaine Bartholdi (designed by the same guy that designed the Statue of Liberty) in Place Terreaux. You can buy some ice cream or a cool drink from a vendor and go into the shaded courtyard of le Musée des Beaux-Arts, sit on a bench in the shade, and enjoy your refreshment while people watching and resting your feet.

-- former resident of Lyon and current resident of Normandie commenting here

A fun bit about the Notre Dame de Fourvière in Lyon a from other parts of the city, with the four white cylindrical towers at each corner sticking up, it looks to many like a big, white elephant lying on its back, with legs on the air. Your daughter (and the adults) might get a kick out of it.

The ancient Roman theater is right next door, and unless they’re setting up things for some big concert or other production, is fascinating to visit. Stepping through the door of a Trabule hidden passageway, and cutting through that is a fun, “secret” activity, too.

Belgium has lots to offer, including chocolates, “French” fries, and maybe a bike ride or two?

Lots of schools in Europe don’t get out until early July, so you could miss some of the bigger crowds with families whose children aren’t quite done with the school year.