French Family Holidays

France is the ideal location for a young family to take a holiday; especially if you have young children. Let's take a look at some of the benefits of holidaying in our closest neighbour.

Cost
Families are not the cheapest of things. The arrival of your new children has no doubt had a huge impact on your disposable income. Don't give up the idea of a family holday just yet! You will have to be flexible with dates and crossing times but you and the family can travel, by car ferry, to France for less than £50 return.  Crossing by car ferry also relieves you of the expense of renting a car in France (be aware French law requires all cars to have high visibility and warning triangles in the car in case of breakdown or accident. Right hand drive vehicles must also have headlamp deflectors fitted to avoid startling French drivers.)

Familiarity
Many young children, although not having much life experience can be picky little scamps and despite being a foreign country, many customs, foods, drinks, social etiquettes and customs in France will be familiar to Brits, so your family will not feel the culture shock that they would if you were to holiday in a Brazilian Favela for a couple of weeks.

Attractions
No matter where in France you end up, there are sure to be activities to keep the whole family amused. Northern France has a plethora of historical sites. Any amateur historian will be in his/her element. For film/video game/military buffs, why not pay a visit to the Normandy beaches, popularised in ‘Saving Private Ryan'/'Medal of Honour'/World War II.
Southern France also has its share of historical sites, aswell as beaches lapped by the Mediterranean.
The capital city of France, Paris, is a bustling metropolis with attractions galore, the Louvre, the Arc de Triumphe, let us not forget Disneyland Paris – Don't mention it to the kids after they have been eating sweets though!

For this author, France is a no brainer for a family holiday, and with a child in the oven as I type this, you can bet your life savings I will be there next summer!