I like a family destination where a day by the water and a day in the mountains can belong to the same holiday without a hotel change in between. It saves a surprising amount of discussion, not to mention packing.
Évian-les-Bains has that possibility built into its location. Lake Geneva is in front of town, the French Alps rise behind it, and Lausanne is across the water. After my stay at Hôtel Royal, I could see why this would work for families who want an active summer trip but would also appreciate a few afternoons with very little on the schedule.
The temptation is to do everything, which could turn a perfectly pleasant holiday into summer camp for parents. A few outings everyone is excited about, with plenty of lake and hotel time in between, sound much better to me.
Is Évian a good summer destination for families?
Yes, especially for families who want time by the water and some days in the mountains without changing hotels. That combination was one of the things I came home excited to share with clients.
That makes it useful after a city-heavy stretch of Europe. Children can have a day whose main purpose is being outside. Adults can enjoy a good lunch without mentally calculating the next train connection. There is plenty to do, but it doesn’t all demand a reservation and a departure time.
What can you do on Lake Geneva?
There is swimming, paddleboarding, kayaking and time out on a boat. Évian’s nautical centre has pools as well as access to lake swimming, and the water-sports base rents equipment in summer. It is easy to see how much of a family’s stay could happen down by the water.
A boat outing lets everyone enjoy the lake without first mastering a paddle. The resort can arrange sailing and boat trips, so a few hours on the water can be as active—or as relaxed—as the family wants.
A water activity, a swim and lunch are more than enough to make a good day. The children do not need to collect every possible watercraft before dinner.
How easy is it to spend a day in the mountains?
Thollon-les-Mémises and Bernex are close enough for a mountain day from Évian. At Thollon, the seasonal cable car takes you up for views over the lake; around Bernex, there are walks that bring you into a very different setting from the waterfront.
With children, a walk with a view and something interesting along the way has far more appeal than a heroic distance followed by negotiations over who is carrying whom.
The resort’s guides can take families out into the Chablais mountains for nature walks. I like having someone who can explain what we are looking at; otherwise a very impressive mountain can remain, to a small child, a hill we appear to be walking up for no reason.
What about rafting, riding and zip lines?
Rafting, donkey riding and a giant zip wire are among the outings the resort can arrange. Learning just how much there is beyond the hotel was one of the reasons this destination began making so much sense to me for families. You can spend a day doing something completely different and still come back to the same room.
Children who love animals also have pony and horse activities at Manège Equi’Libre Évian. For some families, that will be the outing everyone remembers; for others, it will be the raft or the zip line. There’s enough choice here that an adventurous teenager and a younger sibling don’t have to spend the whole holiday negotiating.
One bigger outing can be plenty during a short stay. It gives everyone something to look forward to without turning each morning into a new equipment-fitting exercise.
Can you take the children to Switzerland for the day?
Yes, and I love this part: breakfast in France, a boat across Lake Geneva and lunch in Switzerland. The CGN passenger ferry to Lausanne takes about thirty-five minutes, and you return to the same hotel afterward.
For children, the boat ride and the idea of crossing into another country are already quite an event. There’s no need to turn the other side into a sightseeing marathon.
Dinner in Lausanne works when the evening sailing times line up. The last boat is a much more persuasive deadline than a parent saying, “We should probably get going.”
Where would I stay with children?
Hôtel Royal is the hotel I stayed at, and its room choices and family arrangements are a large part of why I’ll be considering Évian more often. I’ve put the inspection details into my Hôtel Royal family review, including the connecting possibilities and the sofa that turns into bunk beds.
The Kid’s Resort gives the children their own activities, too, with clubs for different ages and paid baby care available by reservation. That opens up a few possibilities for the adults while the children are happily occupied.
Club time can be useful even on a very together sort of family trip. The children might enjoy doing something with people their own age while the adults have a quieter morning. Everyone can reunite for the part of the day they are excited to share.
Hôtel Ermitage is another option within the resort, and worth including in the conversation about where to stay.
How would I plan four nights in Évian?
An easy arrival afternoon and a simple dinner make a good start. There will be plenty of time to become ambitious tomorrow.
A first day by the lake gives everyone a chance to settle in. Then there’s a mountain day or the outing the children are most excited about, with Lausanne as another possibility. And somewhere in there, a day at the hotel will probably look very appealing.
I like having a little space between the bigger outings. Holiday energy is not always evenly distributed, particularly once children discover a pool they like.
Three nights can also work, with fewer outings. A longer stay leaves more room to explore without giving up the afternoons that make a lake holiday feel like a lake holiday.
What attracts me to summer in Évian is the amount of choice within reach of one base. We can arrange something adventurous, take a boat to Switzerland or spend an afternoon doing very little. You get to decide which kind of day it is without repacking the suitcase first.
Csilla Dali
Founder & Lead Travel Advisor
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