A French Riviera trip with kids: what works

With children, skip the two-base trip. A single base with a sandy beach within walking distance — Menton's Sablettes, the Gravette inside Antibes' old walls, the beach end of Old Nice — means every morning has a default: walk to the sea. Mornings on the beach, afternoons for one outing, evenings in the old town. That rhythm, repeated, is the whole trick.

The boat days come first with almost every child: the ferry to the Îles de Lérins from Cannes crosses in 15 minutes, and the island has pine forests, a fort and coves you can swim in — half a day, no museum stamina required. Coastal boats out of Nice and the rental bikes along the Promenade des Anglais run close behind.

Villages work in small doses. Èze is a hit for its stone stairways and the garden at the top, but go early, before the heat and the crowds. Perfume workshops in Èze and Antibes hold attention for an hour and give them a bottle to take home. Museums: one, not one a day, and pick the ones with actual paintings by Picasso or Matisse rather than anything labelled for children.

The coastal train is a parent's best tool: no car seats, 15 to 35 minute hops, and stations that land you at the beach. Keep each leg under half an hour where you can, and let the train itself be part of the day rather than the corridor to it.

Plan one full-stop day for every two outings — beach or pool, nothing scheduled. The trip is judged by the worst afternoon, and the worst afternoon is always the overcrowded one. Fewer stops, longer stays.

The sea is warmest and calmest in July and August, which is also when everything books out — reserve rooms and any beach club day well ahead. June and September are the bargain: nearly the same water, a fraction of the crowd, and children on beaches matter less about crowds than anyone.