What's the best place to spend a month with my 4-yr-old son?

If your child's fun is what you really are looking for, then Paris is the place. there are a lot of amusement parks around, the most famous being Dysneyland. But also Asterix, etc. Paris is a big city, but your child can't be bored there, so many things for him in this city.

Hi,

We run a private guide service in France and the places you could go are too numerous to count. Everyone with a reply to this post has a point but I would suggest going to the country, staying in a French B&B or a Gite. In a b&b you get the opportunity to interact with the hosts and others who stay there. You probably won't get the same interaction in a gite but you will save lots of money.

To locate these places throughout France we suggest using the Hotels and Gites Directory. Click around and contact the establishments directly. We noticed a couple of B&Bs located on horse farms and I believe there are a couple that accommodate large groups of people and kids. You'll have to find them on the map in the dirctory.

Sounds like a fun trip. Good luck and have fun,

Valerie,
www.aguideinfrance.com</a>

Mamalinda, Trets is a nice little town in Provence, but not very close to the beach - of course your family will no doubt have a car if you don't. That sounds like a lovely offer. You are close enough to the larger cities and towns of Provence to visit them if you wish - you can simply take public transport if it isn't convenient for your host family.

The water will be warmer in September, but I'd think either time would be fine, before and after the strongest summer heat. There are many family activities everywhere, in a lower key than Disneyland or Atérix, which are expensive, and tiring for a parent, and for a small child.

Friends with children have always found that there is a lot of interaction at gîtes - especially the two Family holiday associations I posted above. The children meet and play with other children, you'll surely meet their parents for drinks, and it isn't as stressful as a big city.