Exploring the Cote d'Azur Family Style

Drop your bags and spend the day in Cassis. Shielded by the Calanques National Park and the Cap Canaille. The village has many shops and restaurants, coves and cliffside beaches. You can choose from many but Plage de la Grande Mer is great for families and right by all the action in town. Plage de l’Arène is great if you want pure beauty and no crowds.

Les Calanques Beaches are Port Pin Beach, Port Miou Beach, Calanque d’En Vau Beach all are stunning! If hiking is your thing then you'll want to spend the day hiking the three calanques walk. If you want to skip the hiking, but still want to see the Calanques you can book a boat tour in the port. There are so many restaurants to choose from but La Girandole or La Stazione if you want something more casual. There is also bungee jumping and a carousel near La Stazione that the little ones will love.

Start your day with a croissant and a cafe at Senequier on the port. Next, head over to the Golden Triangle (Place de la Garonne and Place des Lices) for some fantastic high end designer shopping. After you have made a few good purchases have lunch at Dior Cafe. Make sure you book way in advance as this is a highly desirable spot in this glamorous fashion mecca. The tables are adorable with Dior fabrics and the cream puff desserts and lattes are detailed with the labels name.

After shopping and lunch, your kids will be so happy to relax or run around at Cabane Bambou beach club, focused on families and offering a bit more relaxed environment that some of the others. The vibe is bohemian and chill. I recommend spending the day and watching the sunset with one of their frozen Chartreuse cocktails! Dinner is also a stellar choice with a lot of vegetarian options.

If you have really small kids check out Gigi, which offers a supervised kids play Gigi Circus area so the adults can relax. If you want a more of an adult vibe check out Les Palmiers, with DJ's playing from afternoon til night. This club is also right next to water sports rentals. Jet skiing around giant yachts in the Mediterranean is something you won't soon forget!

Drive through Cannes or stop for a walk on the promenade. Kids will love the small game area and rides, adults will love the car scene and shopping (even if it's window shopping.) If it's early morning, you may even catch the market. Next stop is beautiful Antibes. This little town like many others are filled with restaurants and shops. You may catch Antibes’ Marché Provençal or walk the sandy beach. Kids and adults will love Le Petit Train that rides around the streets to Juan La Pin. There is a giant ferris wheel and carousel by the port, surrounded by vendors selling jewelry and art. The architecture is wonderful and the Picasso Museum has 245 works of art by Picasso. For dinner check out Michelin Star L'Arazur.

Saint Jean Cap Ferrat for today! Start your morning at Paloma Plage. It offers uninterrupted views of the cliffs of Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Eze. It is the start or finish of the Pointe Saint-Hospice trail. Here you can swim, walk the trail and have lunch facing the sea at Paloma Beach Restaurant. Somewhere in the day, fit in a visit to Villa Ephrussi, a pink palace with wonderful gardens overlooking the sea. You can easily spend hours admiring it. In July and August they offer Summer Nights program with performances and dinner. Stroll the coastal streets and stop in one of the many restaurants (some with live music) for a relaxing dinner with a view.

troll the narrow cobblestone streets filled with modern and contemporary art museums, galleries such as the Fondation Maeght, CAB and step inside the 17-century Saint Charles-Saint Claude chapel. The village is built on a small hill and surrounded by high walls. Make your way to Nice for lunch at Le Plongeoir with a breathtaking view hovering over the sea. This is the perfect place for your family picture.

Drive through the beautiful winding roads to Eze for the views, Monte Carlo for the shopping and colorful Menton for its Italian inspiration. After a long day, head back to Nice for a full-service meal (there was a dedicated person to cut my sons food) at Chanticleer in the famous Negresco Hotel. Cap the night off with some gelato as you walk the promenade.