We went to France before we had kids. This France family travel guide is what we built when we went back with all three.

Just Adam and me. An RV. A very small budget. And absolutely no idea how good it was going to be.

We parked the RV outside of Paris and took the train in. We hit the Louvre on the free day of the month because we could not afford to pay. We ate croissants every single morning. We went to the grocery store more than any restaurant because that is what you do when you are young and broke and in love and in France.

It was perfect.

I have been to 60 plus countries. France is still one of the places I think about most. Not because of the Eiffel Tower. Because of the pebbled beach in Dieppe and the sandcastle rising out of nowhere at Mont Saint Michel and driving through miles of sunflower fields that stretched as far as the eye could see. Every single flower drooped toward the earth. It left an impression of sadness. But hope too. Because it was a sunflower.

I am going back with my kids later this year for the first time. I cannot wait to see it through their eyes.

Here is everything I know.

This France travel guide covers everything from Paris to the Riviera, written by someone who drove through it in an RV on a shoestring budget.

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Your France

Paris is everything everyone says it is.

The romance is real. The beauty is real. Standing in front of the Eiffel Tower watching a bride have her photos taken right there. People actually wearing black and white striped shirts sitting in the park eating baguettes. All of it is real. Every cliche you have ever seen on a postcard is just daily life in Paris.

But here is the honest truth about the Eiffel Tower itself.

It is covered in people trying to sell you things. Keychains. Selfie sticks. Little metal towers. Relentless. Everywhere around the monument. Similar to the pyramids in Egypt. Similar to every famous landmark that has been loved by tourists for a hundred years.

Go see it. Stand in front of it. Take the photo. It is still magnificent.

Just know what you are walking into and do not let the vendors steal the moment.

The Louvre is extraordinary and enormous. You cannot see it all in one visit. Pick what matters to you before you go and head straight there. The Mona Lisa is smaller than you think and surrounded by people photographing their phones photographing the Mona Lisa. The rest of the museum is far more impressive and far less crowded.

The free day at the Louvre is the first Sunday of every month from October through March. If you are traveling on a budget that is your day to go.

The Metro is easy. Clean. Affordable. Paris is also very walkable if the weather cooperates. Some of the best Paris moments come from just walking with no destination.

Grocery stores in Paris are your friend. The cheese. The bread. The wine at prices that will make you emotional. You can eat incredibly well in Paris without ever sitting down in a restaurant.

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Most people drive through Dieppe on the way to somewhere else.

Stop. Stay.

Dieppe is a small seaside town in Normandy in northern France. It sits right on the English Channel. The beach is all pebbles not sand and it is one of the most charming places I have ever been.

Little bakeries on every corner. Fresh bread in the morning. The smell of the sea. Colorful fishing boats in the harbor. Locals going about their day completely unbothered by tourists because most tourists do not stop there.

It has history too. The Dieppe Raid of 1942 happened here. The town carries that history quietly.

I loved Dieppe completely. It feels like a secret. Go before everyone figures it out.

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Mont Saint

Imagine driving through the flat green French countryside. Fields everywhere. The horizon wide and empty.

And then suddenly there it is.

A sandcastle rising out of nowhere.

Mont Saint Michel sits on a tidal island off the coast of Normandy. At high tide water surrounds it completely. At low tide you can walk across the causeway. It looks like something a child drew when asked to imagine a magical castle. Except it is real and it is a thousand years old.

Go early morning before the tour buses arrive. The abbey at the top is extraordinary. The narrow medieval streets winding up to it are extraordinary.

It is touristy at the base. Lots of shops and restaurants along the main street. Push through them and get up to the abbey. That is where the magic is.

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Sunflower Fields

I do not remember exactly where we were when we drove through them.

Somewhere in France. Miles and miles of sunflowers stretching as far as the eye could see. Every single flower drooped down toward the earth. Heavy headed. Quiet.

It left a strange impression of sadness. But hope too. Because it was a sunflower.

If you drive through France and you see them. Pull over. Stand in them for a minute. Some things are worth stopping for.

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French Alps

We drove through the French Alps with no real plan and it was one of the best decisions we ever made.

The scale of the mountains is something photographs cannot capture. You have to be inside them to understand. The roads wind up and up and the views keep getting bigger.

Chamonix is the main town in the French Alps. Surrounded by peaks. Mont Blanc towers above everything. Cable cars take you up to viewpoints that make everything else feel very far away.

In summer the Alps are hiking and cycling country. In winter it is world class skiing. Either way the scenery is extraordinary.

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Nice and

Nice is where France gets glamorous.

The Promenade des Anglais runs along the seafront. Palm trees. Blue sea. Beautiful people. Flower markets. The old town is all narrow streets and orange buildings and outdoor cafes.

The beach in Nice is pebbles not sand. That surprises people. But the water is that specific shade of Mediterranean blue that does not exist anywhere else.

From Nice you can easily explore the Riviera.

Cannes is all film festival glamour and yacht culture. The Croisette is the famous seafront boulevard. Walk it. Soak it in.

Monaco is technically its own country but you can drive there in twenty minutes from Nice. Tiny and extraordinarily wealthy. The casino in Monte Carlo is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen. You do not have to gamble to go in. Walking around Monte Carlo feeling completely out of your league is its own kind of wonderful. I will never forget that we had the most expensive glass of orange juice…ever

The Grand Prix circuit runs through the streets of the city. Walking those same streets knowing that is something. We were there when it was all set up and we got to walk the circuit…. we were also in Singapore during their circuit and got to walk it as well.

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Food

Croissants. Every morning. Non negotiable.

The croissants in France are not like croissants anywhere else. Buttery and flaky and perfect. Eating one fresh from a bakery in the morning is one of those simple travel moments that stays with you.

Bread. The baguette is not a cliche. It is a staple. Buy one from any bakery and eat it as you walk. Completely acceptable behavior in France.

Cheese. Go to a grocery store. Stand in front of the cheese section. Buy several things you have never tried. Eat them with bread and wine on a park bench somewhere.

Wine. Cheaper than water in some places. This is not an exaggeration.

Crepes. Sweet or savory. Everywhere. Get one from a street stand in Paris and eat it while you walk.

Grocery stores are one of the best ways to eat in France especially on a budget. The quality of everyday French grocery food is higher than most restaurant food in other countries. This is just France.

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Getting Around

The train system is excellent. Paris to Nice. Paris to Lyon. Fast, comfortable, scenic.

Within Paris the Metro is easy. Affordable. Runs late.

Renting a car or an RV gives you the most freedom outside Paris. The countryside, the Alps, the Riviera. All best explored at your own pace.

Do not drive in Paris. Park outside the city and take the train in. We parked our RV outside Paris and trained in every day. Best decision we made.

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What It Costs

France does not have to be expensive.

The free Louvre day. Picnics from grocery stores. Street crepes. Parks. Walking. France on a budget is absolutely doable and some of the best experiences are free.

Mid range for a family of four including accommodation, food and activities runs around three hundred to five hundred dollars per day in Paris. Less outside Paris. The Riviera is more expensive. Monaco especially. But a day trip costs almost nothing if you are just walking around soaking it in.

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Real Talk

Learn two words. Bonjour and merci. Say bonjour when you walk into any shop or restaurant. Say merci when you leave. The French appreciate the effort and it changes every interaction.

The stereotype about Parisians being rude is mostly a language thing. Make an effort. Even badly. They respond to that.

Get off the main tourist trail. The best France is found in the smaller moments. A bakery in Dieppe. A pebble beach in Normandy. A mountain road in the Alps with nowhere you have to be. Sunflower fields drooping toward the earth in the middle of nowhere.

And go to the grocery store. Seriously. The grocery store in France is an experience all by itself.

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note from

I did France before kids. And it was extraordinary.

I am going back with my kids later this year for the first time. I will be updating this guide with everything we discover when we do.

If you want to plan a France trip for your family before I even get there myself. I have got you. I know this country. I know what families need. And I would love to help you plan it.

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Ready to plan your France trip?

We did France in an RV on a shoestring and it was one of the best trips of our lives.

Imagine what it looks like with a little more planning and someone who knows exactly where to send you.

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