Provence is a great destination for a trip with children, it combines spectacular views, magical villages, special parks for children, sophisticated cuisine alongside pastries that suit every palate, so you can combine the region as a great trip with children. For the trip to be a resounding success, I think there needs to be a combination of activities that children love and activities that adults love. Since I live in Provence, I will give examples and recommendations from my home turf. And in general, it is important to understand some things that sometimes seem strange to us, but that is the French way of life.
Food
The French eat at regular times and do not snack between meals, so it is important to understand that lunch in restaurants will be served between 12:00 and 13:45 and dinner between 19:00 and 21:30. Of course, there are exceptions, but it is worth knowing this information and planning your meal times. If you accidentally miss your meal time, look for a brasserie (a relatively simple restaurant that serves food throughout the day) or a boulangerie, which is actually a bakery where you can always find sandwiches, pizzas and sometimes even salads. Of course, junk food will be open all the time.
In most restaurants you will find a children's menu called Menu enfant, it will usually include a main course of chicken nuggets, lamb steak which is actually the hamburger patty without the bun, or fish nuggets. In general, the French do not mix food with activity, so many attractions will not have buffets and it is not recommended to rely on them for lunch, and if they do, just check in advance.
Pizza table Plan de Campagne
I recommend that you, if you are on the road, stop by a restaurant called Tabla pizza Plan de Campagne. It is a restaurant that has a children's menu called the Young Chef. The children receive chef hats, a pizza base, spread the sauce and sprinkle the toppings. The dish comes with a glass of juice and dessert and the pleasure costs 6.5 euros. It is not a heavenly gastronomic experience, but if you are in the AIX EN PROVENCE area it is totally cute to combine it.
It is located at: 6 Chemin Départemental, Avenue du Plan de Campagne, 13480 Cabriès,
If you want to learn some more French words that will help you in restaurants, join Shira and Yoav Gaon for a short episode on words for restaurants in France.
Attractions in Provence
Many of the attractions will not be shaded in the children's area, compared to the parents' area, so it is recommended to bring hats, sunscreen and plenty of drinking water. It is recommended to try the rope parks, the children'sFrancePeople really enjoy this and you can find lots of them throughout France. To find one, search for the phrase Accrobranches and the name of the place where you are looking for the rope park. I will recommend two places:
Village of Automates
A cute park that seems to be stuck somewhere in the 80s, but all the Israeli children we took there had to scratch when the park closed because they enjoyed it so much. I am attaching the park's website, please note that there are two parks in the complex, one outdoor and the other indoor, and you can purchase a combined ticket.
Link to the park and ticket purchase
Cassis Rope Park
Rope park, in France there is a great activity for children, it is usually an open park with ropes, wheelbarrows, omegas, swings and what not stretched between the trees. The children receive a harness, a brief explanation and go climbing and having fun among the trees. There are usually different routes for different ages so that children of various ages can enjoy such a park. In many areas you can also enjoy adult routes. Prices range from 7 euros to 21 euros, depending on the park, the number of routes and the hours of operation. This is one of the favorite activities for children.
More information about it can be found atLink this.
Water activity
Pool
If you are going to the pool, you should know that you can only enter with tight swimsuits and boys will not be able to enter with swimsuits that look like pants. The bags are put in lockers and only then do you enter the pool itself. Parents must enter the water, it is not possible to stay with your clothes on and stand outside the pool. In addition, most pools do not have a snack bar to buy popsicles.
Beach
The French like their beaches to be as simple and natural as possible, so you can sometimes find a toilet and a pipe that serves as a shower and that's it. You will find that although there are many people, the beach is quiet and people tend to talk quietly and be considerate of the people next to them. I really like the beach in the village of Bandol, navigate here and then you can eat ice cream or at one of the restaurants located on the charming stretch of beach in the village.
Quai Charles de Gaulle, 83150 Bandol
If you listen to podcasts, you are welcome to listen to the episode about Travel with children and stay alive Which is one chapter of many about the area where Sarit and Nurit live.
So all that remains for me is to wish you a successful vacation, with lots of happy moments and perfect experiences.
Have a croissant day.
A few words about Nurit Gaon
WOW PROVENCE
0523255374