Hello,
We’re planning a 2 week family trip with our children ages 8-15 in August 2020 or 2021, part in Paris, part in the south of France. Which 2 or 3 spots should be our home bases? We prefer off the beaten path places/ towns but still very accessible. We want to hike, kayak, swim and relax as we soak up culture. We don’t want to be too remote. Thanks for your itinerary advice!!
I'm thinking this will be 2021....
When we drove through France, we loved 2 locations. One was outside L'Isle Sur la Sorgue at a 300 year old villa called Le Domaine des Carmes. Paschal had a lovely outdoor terrace for breakfast with a pool and a croquet lawn. From here, we visited the hill towns of Roussillon - fun hiking, Gordes, the markets of Bonnieux, canoeing at L'Isle Sur la Sorgue, and you are close to Avignon and Orange.
We also loved Uzes. We took a cooking class, went to the morning markets, and kayaked under the Pont du Gard. You are close to Avignon, Nimes, and Arles.
Next time we will stay in Cassis to hike and kayak the Calanques and snorkel the region.
A week is a good length of time to explore Paris and to get over your jet lag, so that leaves another week, which sounds like one base not three. August is peak season, so most rentals will be available on a weekly basis, which will give you more flexibility than staying in a hotel.
Domme or Castlenaud in the Dordogne are good for kayaking and hiking plus there are great markets. There isn’t anywhere on the coast that is off the beaten track in August. Travelling early July or the first week of September will be far less busy, if possible.
I also like the La Rochelle/Royan/Oleron area on the west coast, which is supposedly one of the sunniest areas of France. You could have a day trip to Cognac plus there is great cycling on the extensive cycle path network on Oleron. La Rochelle has one of the best food markets I have visited. It’s far less pretentious than many parts of the south of France.
We loved St Remy-de-Provence near Avignon. Small, charming, fun to explore, good shops, cafés, restaurants, bakeries. Easy to get in and out of.
We absolutely loved Hotel du Soleil.
I wouldn't say the south of France is your best spot for a week of "hiking and swimming" with some culture. For beaches and hiking, maybe Antibes or Nice. Or, The Camargue. We skipped it, but it does have beaches, kayaking and hiking and nature, and, I'm told, big mosquitos. With only one week in Provence, for us, Avignon was best for history, culture, cities, and to a lesser degree, countryside forays. In Avignon, you're within an easy day trip to Arles, Marseille, Ile-sur-la-Sorgue, Nimes, Uzes, Pont du Gard (although I'd recommend a car for this one. The bus is a bit awkward.) We stayed inside the wall at an Airbnb near Les Halles. Only a 10 minute walk to the train station, easy walk to the town's highlights and lots of good restaurants. We spent a week each in three base cities/towns: Nice, Roussillon and Avignon. Roussillon is a bit isolated unless you have a car, and even then it's still not easy unless you want to do all the hill towns and not much more. OTOH, it's good for being off the beaten track and relaxing. I found Nice little more than a big city, but with a beach. Day trips are nice, though. Depends what you want to do most. With only a week, you can't have it all. Life will be easier in September rather than August and certainly still warm enough to enjoy everything outside.
