City Breaks with Kids: Honfleur, Honfleur, France

Honfleur, on the Normandy Coast, is one of the prettiest places to visit in France. You could easily spend several days just soaking in the atmosphere of this charming medieval town with its narrow cobbled streets, half-timbered houses and beautiful harbour.

There’s lots here for the whole family to enjoy – from boat rides and butterfly houses to eccentric museums and trying new foodie treats. Set on the estuary where the River Seine meets the English Channel, Honfleur makes a great base for exploring more of the beautiful Normandy coast as it’s close to the seaside towns of Trouville and Deauville and the stunning alabaster cliffs at Étretat, further north.

It’s so much fun exploring a city by boat and Honfleur is no different. There are boat trips down the estuary several times a day. We also enjoyed watching the fishing boats coming in and unloading their catch along the quay.

When you enter a museum and you’re greeted by a giant pear bouncing up and down on a pair of wings, you know you’re in for a fun time. The composer, Erik Satie, was born in this red-timbered house in 1866 and this museum is one of the craziest and most enjoyable museums we’ve ever been to. It’s a musical and visual journey into his world. You wear headphones which guide you through the rooms, playing different pieces of music and conversation as you walk around. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).