Location tips for travelling with kids

General

• Marinas and ports in France tend to have no barriers, fences or walls to stop little ones walking off the path and dropping 15 ft into the water or onto rocks.  So you do need to keep your eye on them.
• The dogs in France have no etiquette (and clearly nor do their owners) and every pavement is a minefield.  Again, keep your eye on where your kids walk!

The below are just some pointers for those who may be travelling with small children – it is not exhaustive or even well-researched – just what we found as we went.  Note that our lives and routine have not revolved exclusively around beaches, parks and merry-go-rounds, but they do keep small children happy after a long sail.

Swanwick Marina

• Pretty dire for kids, other than trips to the Jolly Sailor in the dinghy. 
• There is a small, slightly unkempt playground just the other side of the main road from the marina

Lymington

• Great playground and large grassy area just past Berthon towards the Yacht Haven.
• Crabbing off Town Quay
• Fish & Chips (or ice cream!) at Town Quay

Cherbourg (from a previous trip)

• Great park/gardens with small kids play area 5 mins from marina.  Come out of marina and it is 1-2 blocks to the right and 1-2 blocks inland.  Take a picnic and lie on the grass while the kids play
• Swimming pool right next to the marina area.  Really good facilities for kids, with shallow areas & toys

Treguier

• Lovely park just up from the marina towards town with a climbing frame, slide etc. 
• Free wi-fi in the Laverie (unofficial) near the Office de Tourisme
• Great chandlery over bridge – would make an hours diversion for the kids also as it is an Aladdins Cave
• Dinghy trips upriver

Trebeurden

• The sandy beaches are stunning and great for kids.  We collected mussels here

L’Aber Wrac’h

• We didn’t find much for kids other than ice creams and a large grassy area just upriver from the marina (we were only there overnight).

Camaret

• Lovely sandy beach just other side of breakwater.

Morgat

• Large flat sandy beach, although not as much character as Camaret.  Nice for paddling.
• There is a small children’s playground about halfway along to Crozon.  Probably about a mile from the marina but you can walk across the beach

Audierne

• Lovely market with lots to distract & educate – the live crabs & lobsters are always a hit!
• The sandy beach is about a mile’s walk along the river – well worth going to.  Really nice, and a nice walk
• There is an excellent playground just inland from the beach, next to the river & next to a lovely landscaped garden area

St Marine

• Very pretty, but limited for the kids.  They had a play on the stony beach but not ideal

Concarneau

• Great ice creams in the Ville Close.
• Playground just next to the Laverie, which is just up from the Halles.  Play in the playground while you wait for your washing!
• We first encountered the lovely old-fashioned merry-go-round here – France seems to have lots of these and the kids adore them

Port Louis

• Nothing specific for the kids, but nice and safe to walk round with lots of pedestrianised streets

Sauzon / Belle Isle

• Get to the beach!!

Port Haliguen

• Some lovely sandy beaches just to the N of the marina.  You walk along a lovely coastal path to get there with blackberries and wild rocket growing.
• The beach was lovely but (for once) we weren’t too sure that the water was that clean.

La Trinite

• Merry-go-round, not much else specific for kids

Piriac

• Wished we had stayed longer – very pretty.  We didn’t find anything specific for kids but there are markets 3 times a week which are good fun

Pornic

• Nice car-free walk into town to wear them out.  Small playground just by the castle and a merry-go-round.  Playground had a sand base and smelt funny!
• There is a beach right next to the marina which is probably nice but when we were there it was blowing F6 straight onto the beach

L’Herbaudiere

• Quite a nice beach to the left of the marina – sand and rock.  Lots of locals collecting oysters
• Merry-go-round in the town

Ille d’Yeu

• Hire bikes and get cycling!  It is so well set up for cycling you just have to.  Hire a trailer if you have little ones like us – they loved it!
• Stop at any of the lovely beaches – what else do you need?  We could have stopped here for a month

Les Sables d’Olonne

• The excellent beach!  Get the little ferry from near “A” pontoon if in Olonna marina, which takes you into town.  Short walk to the beach from there.

St Denis d’Oleron

• This is a great place for kids.  There is a lovely playground literally at the top of the pontoon, and just a stones throw from a nice little beach bar and sandy beach.
• You can hire bikes here but there is a lot more car traffic than Yeu and it is not quite as scenic (we only hired a kids bike for Millie – didn’t tour round the island so cannot comment on what it is like beyond St Denis)
• The beach to the S of the marina is lovely although when the tide is out you can’t really get to the sea. Best for high tide…
• The beach to the N of the marina is steep sand with rocks at low tide.  When the tide goes out it forms a lagoon which is about waist deep.  Best for low tide.