Welcome to the list.

Although I have not been to the northern areas of France, I do know the south reasonable well. One region that is a must, in my opinion, is the area round the 'Dordogne River'. If you base yourself at one of the small medieval towns, for maybe a week, there are numerous day trips that you can undertake. Unfortunately to get the best out this area you really do need to hire a car. For example there is the marvellous village of 'La Roque Gageac', where there are numerous castles and troglodyte dwellings plus the boat ride up the Dordogne River is a real pleasure. I am sure that your children will enjoy kayaking along the river. My wife and I took a balloon ride over this region and really enjoyed ourselves. The medieval village of Sarlat is a must see. A trip to the 'Roque Saint-Christophe' (Rock of Saint Christopher) is well worth the effort. The 1km ledge that once was a fort, before being destroyed by the English, was inhabited some 72,000 years ago by Neanderthal Man. Not far from the 'Rock' is the troglodyte village of 'La Madeleine. We found this fascinating as it was also visited by the Romans. Near the small town of Montignac there are the 'Lascaux Caves' with the prehistoric rock drawings. Although they are not the originals they have been faithfully reproduced. A few kms from this town is the 'Chateau Losse', a 16th - 17th castle which occupies a truly magnificent site. A visit to the town of 'Les Eyzies' is also well worth the effort, even it is just to see their magnificent museum. This town is known as the Pre-historic capital of the world. There is a lot more to see that what I have outlined. If you do plan to stay in any area for a week or more, consider the renting of a gite(self contained cottage). It generally works out cheaper than a hotel room.

There are other regions which we visited and enjoyed immensely but I will let some of our more knowledgeable travellers give you their opinions. I hope this helps.

Regards,