Young children and want to see the Alps!

We are turning our rental car in at Avignon and taking a high speed direct train to Annecy. After our stay in Annecy we are taking a high speed direct train to Paris. We booked early in order to secure the best rates possible. We figured the less time with a car the better...save money and less to worry about,

We took this route in reverse (Chamonix >> Annecy >> Provence >> Paris). My daughter and I loved Annecy (spent 3 days) and I think your children will enjoy it too. As you know, there's a beautiful crystal clear lake with many water activities. The town is very charming and if you're there on market day, you'll see a variety of cheeses, olives, sausages, and our fav were the deliciously sweet cherries!

We also enjoyed our visit to Chamonix but you'll need to keep in mind that going to high altitudes ( Aiguille du Midi) with young children is not recommended.

I've not been to Lyon yet, but don't think one day there is enough.

If you've not booked your flights, you may consider flying from Portugal to Geneva then taking the train or shuttle to Chamonix or Annecy, then taking the train to Avignon. We didn't have a car but if we had I would have rented it in Avignon and would have returned it in Avignon. You can easily take the train from Avignon to Annecy but it will be a long trek, 3-4 hours, depending on which route you choose.

Enjoy your family trip!

Edit to add... It will also be a long trek from Annecy to Paris, this was the main reason for taking the route that we did.

We just finished this trip,started on April 18 in Paris for three days and took train to Avignon to pick up car for seven day stay in Provence (Arles) great stay, went to Nimes,Uzes,Pont du Gard,Les Baux,Roussillon,Avignon,St Remy,Lourmarin and Camargue.Our next stop was Annecy for four days with a day trip to Yvoire and drove around the lake and took a boat ride,loved it.From there to Chamonix for four days and took the trip to Aiguille du Midi on a clear day with -11 temp at the top,this is a not to miss ride with unparalleled views,then we did the Train to Montenvers to see the Glacier,worth seeing,day trip to Aosta Italy and one day in Chamonix enjoying the town.We went to Lausanne which you are not interested in and from there we went to Lyon for four days which is a cullinary delight and visited the Roman Museum and Theater and Notre Dame Basilica via the Funiculaire and Cathedral St Jean and Old Town and then the Resistance and Deportation History Center,really enjoyed the Food scene.We had a car for all of the places that we visited until we got to Lyon then we turned in our car.Went to Paris by train for eight days to finish our trip.
Mike

If your kids need something fun to do head to the Parc de loisirs de Chamonix, a great little amusement park right near the center of town. They have an alpine slide and tons of other things for kids of all ages to do...your kids will love it!
If you want to see the mountains but don't want to take the littler ones up to the higher elevations, consider going up to Lac Blanc. It's opposite from Mont Blanc on the other side of the valley. There's an alpine hut for lunch, a gorgeous little lake, and views across to the alps to die for! One of the best alpine views in Europe IMHO...there always tons of people with little kids up there and they can run around a little and dabble around in the water.

This is super helpful!! Thanks all!