Where to Go on the French Riviera with Kids: 7 Towns We Love

Stretching from the zesty town of Menton on the Italian border to the glamorous resort town of Saint-Tropez, the French Riviera (or Côte d’Azur, as it’s called in French) is one of Europe’s most iconic coastlines.

If your mental image includes F1 race cars and movie stars stepping off yachts while someone hands them Champagne, you’re not wrong. But that’s only a small slice of the story. I’ve been traveling to the French Riviera since my daughter was 6, and over the years I’ve discovered another side of this famously glamorous coastline — one that’s surprisingly easy to explore with kids. Historic seaside towns invite impromptu learning, calm Mediterranean water makes swimming less stressful, restaurants welcome families at nearly any hour and an easy, affordable train network means you can town-hop without spending half your vacation in a car.

Best of all, no two Riviera towns feel quite the same. One might tempt you with sandy beaches and gelato, another with museums and grand villas, and another with markets made for sniffing and squeezing every tomato and eggplant.

These seven are especially worth putting on a family itinerary.

Why the French Riviera Works So Well for Families

Unlike many coastal destinations where a rental car is practically essential, much of the French Riviera is connected by an efficient regional rail network. Imagine a morning in Monaco, lunch in Menton and a return to Nice in time for dinner — all without buckling kids into a car seat or hunting for a parking space. Oui! It’s possible.

Add generally calm Mediterranean waters, pedestrian-friendly town centers, outdoor dining and plenty of parks and beaches for burning off energy, and it’s easy to see why the French Riviera works so well for families of all ages and stages. Whether your crew is happiest building sandcastles, getting lost in medieval streets, discovering local art or learning to play pétanque in a village square, there’s a corner of the Côte d’Azur that fits, and another one just a train ride away.

7 Family-Friendly Towns Not to Miss

Nice

The French Riviera’s largest city strikes an ideal balance between beach vacation, cultural immersion and sheer variety. It’s also a terrific place to base yourself, whether you’re visiting the Côte d’Azur for the first time or the fifth.

With three train stations connecting Nice to destinations along the Riviera and beyond, families can easily day-trip to Monaco, Menton, Antibes or Beaulieu-sur-Mer without ever renting a car. Nice is also home to the region’s main airport and offers a huge range of accommodations, grocery stores, restaurants, waterfront promenades and public and private beaches. Fair warning: Nice’s beaches are famously pebbly rather than sandy, but private beach clubs make settling in for the day easy.

The city’s renowned museums also provide a welcome air-conditioned break from the Mediterranean sun. Don’t miss the Matisse Museum and Marc Chagall National Museum. The daily Cours Saleya market in Nice’s Old Town adds flowers, produce and local specialties to the mix, capturing the French-Italian spirit that gives Nice so much of its character. And for families with adventurous eaters, a guided food tour is a fun way to sample regional specialties while exploring France’s fifth-largest city.

Sainte-Maxime

Across the bay from Saint-Tropez, Sainte-Maxime offers a more laid-back French Riviera experience while keeping all that Saint-Tropez glamour just a short boat ride away. Sandy beaches with calm Mediterranean water, casual restaurants and plenty of family-friendly waterfront activities make it an especially easy choice with younger kids.

One of the best perks is the ferry to Saint-Tropez, which runs regularly during the summer and takes just 15 minutes. You’ll skip the notorious traffic, enjoy the coastline from the water and arrive right in Saint-Tropez’s postcard-pretty port — arguably a lot more fun than pulling into a parking garage.

Sainte-Maxime is also home to Aqualand, a sprawling water park with slides, pools and plenty of places to cool off. It’s a fun change of pace when the family is ready for something besides another day at the beach.

Antibes

One of the oldest settlements on the French Riviera, Antibes has welcomed everyone from ancient Greeks and Romans to Picasso, and, of course, generations of traveling families. History is everywhere in Antibes, but it never feels trapped in the past. The walkable Old Town is still wrapped in historic walls overlooking the Mediterranean, with narrow lanes and café-filled squares on one side and sandy beaches and walking trails on the other.

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Culture comes with this spectacular setting too. The waterfront Picasso Museum occupies the 14th-century Château Grimaldi, where Pablo Picasso lived and worked for several months in 1946. Today, the museum holds a significant collection of his paintings, drawings and ceramics, along with works by other modern artists. Families ready to stretch their legs can head toward Cap d’Antibes, known for its grand villas and rocky coastline. The roughly three-mile Tire-Poil Trail hugs the water’s edge, with coves, cliffs and Mediterranean views along the way. And for a quieter souvenir of your visit, stop by Antibes Books in the heart of the Old Town, one of the few English-language bookstores along the French Riviera.

Monaco

Safe, compact and less than 30 minutes by train from Nice, Monaco is surprisingly family-friendly. It’s easy to get around too, thanks to air-conditioned buses that crisscross the tiny principality.

Adults and kids alike will love the world-renowned Oceanographic Museum, with its aquariums, sharks, sea turtles and a rooftop playground with epic Mediterranean views. Car fans should make a beeline for the Collection of Cars of H.S.H. the Prince of Monaco. Started by Prince Rainier III, the collection of roughly 100 vehicles runs from vintage Rolls-Royces and royal limousines to Ferraris, Formula 1 cars and Monte Carlo Rally legends.

Leave time to wander Monaco’s gardens and catch the daily Changing of the Guard at the Prince’s Palace at 11:55 am. Then head to the Condamine Market for fresh pasta or a barbajuan, Monaco’s traditional fried pastry stuffed with Swiss chard and cheese.

Menton

Just a few miles from the Italian border and about 35 to 40 minutes by direct train from Nice, Menton feels distinctly French with an irresistible splash of Italy. That cross-border influence is part of the fun for families: Citrus-colorful buildings tumble toward the sea; alfresco restaurants spill onto pedestrian streets and serve plenty of kid-friendly crowd-pleasers, from fresh pasta and pizza to gelato.

Below the Old Town, the wide Plage des Sablettes is especially appealing for families, with shallow Mediterranean water, showers and restrooms nearby, plus one of Menton’s prettiest views rising behind it.

Menton is also a great reason to consider the French Riviera outside summer. Every February, the spectacular Lemon Festival transforms the city with enormous citrus sculptures, colorful parades and displays made from tons of lemons and oranges. It’s whimsical, wonderfully over-the-top and one of the best reasons to visit during winter.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Trade beaches and beach clubs for medieval ramparts, cobblestone lanes, art galleries and the rhythms of a small Provençal village in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, long considered one of France’s artistic enclaves. The hilltop town about 12 miles from Nice has attracted painters, sculptors and writers for decades, including Marc Chagall, who made the village his home. For families who want a dash of culture, art is everywhere here, from galleries tucked into centuries-old stone buildings to the exceptional Fondation Maeght, one of Europe’s leading collections of modern and contemporary art.

For a village of only a few thousand residents, Saint-Paul-de-Vence also punches well above its weight when it comes to food. Its most legendary address is La Colombe d’Or, where artists including Picasso, Chagall and Miró famously exchanged artwork for meals and lodging. Alfresco restaurants and café terraces throughout the village make lingering over lunch part of the experience.

For something decidedly more hands-on, try pétanque, the quintessential Provençal game of boules. Families can book a pétanque lesson through the tourist office or head to Place de Gaulle just outside the village walls, where there’s almost always a game underway beneath the plane trees.

Beaulieu-sur-Mer

Just 15 minutes by train from Nice, Beaulieu-sur-Mer delivers a dose of old-world Riviera glamour with surprisingly little effort. Belle Époque architecture, palm-lined promenades, grand villas and calm beaches give this small seaside town an elegant air, while its mostly flat streets are a welcome change from the steep hills in local villages such as Villefranche-sur-Mer and Èze, particularly for families traveling with strollers or anyone with limited mobility.

The train station sits right in the center of town, putting beaches, cafés, restaurants and the waterfront within an easy walk. Families can spend the morning swimming at Plage des Fourmis, linger over lunch by the sea and still be back in Nice in time for dinner. Nearby, the pink Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild brings another dose of Riviera glamour, with nine themed gardens, musical fountains and spectacular Mediterranean views. Make time for a stop at the villa’s tearoom, where pastries and scoops of ice cream provide some extra incentive for younger visitors.

For older kids fascinated by ancient history, Villa Kérylos offers something completely different. Built in the early 1900s as an elaborate re-creation of an ancient Greek nobleman’s home, the seaside villa is filled with colorful mosaics, marble columns, frescoes and courtyards that make it easier to imagine what life might have looked like 2,500 years ago.

What Families Will Appreciate Most

The French Riviera may be famous for its glitz and star power, but for families, its real appeal is how easy it is to make the trip your own. Spend the morning swimming in Antibes, introduce the kids to art in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, graze your way through the market in Nice or hop on a train to Menton simply because someone wants gelato.

The hardest part may be deciding where to stay and how much to fit in. A Ciao Bambino Family Travel Advisor can help you choose the right home base for your travel style and plan private tours, day trips and memorable experiences along the way.

Once the big pieces are in place, leave some room for spontaneity. On the French Riviera, sometimes the best family plan is a beach, a train ticket and a spontaneous “where to get off next” decision.

Relevant Links:

Browse all family-friendly destinations and accommodations in France on Ciao Bambino

52 tips for traveling in France with kids

Why September is the best time to visit Saint-Tropez

Top kid-friendly things to do in Sainte-Maxime, France

Get immersed in Provençal village charm at Hotel Lou Calen

Medieval history meets modern luxury at Coquillade Provence

Domaine de Manville: A warm Provençal welcome with exquisite style

Editor’s note: This post was accurate when published. We advise checking independently for the latest information and updates. Ciao Bambino does not accept responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in, or for any actions taken based on, the information presented.