A Day Trip To St. Malo, France, With Kids ♥

We're on our annual family holiday to Jersey in the Channel Islands and during this holiday we really wanted to do a day trip with the kids. The kids have never been to France before so we decided to go to the historic town of St. Malo in France, sailing from Jersey to St. Malo with Condor Ferries, who collaborated with us on our crossings.

We went on the Condor Rapide which was roughly an hour and twenty minutes from Jersey to St. Malo. The ferry was large and comfortable for travelling with kids in tow and I'll be sharing a separate post all about it next week.

St. Malo is in Brittany and is unlike any town we had ever seen before. The old city is walled and tall granite buildings stand out over the walls. The roads are all cobbled and it really does have a real historic authentic French feel to it.

We strolled through the town, which is actually quite small to navigate around with kids and managed the roads fine, even with Beau in his buggy - he still gets tired walking for a long time so we decided it was best to bring it with us, it also saved us carrying everything!

The walls of the town can be accessed by steps and Tyler was dying to climb up and take a look, being a lover of castles, etc., so Jacek took him up for a look while I stayed down below with Beau.

We arrived in St. Malo on a Monday morning and it was surprisingly busy to me. I know it's the height of the summer but there were tourists everywhere! It's great to see it as such a popular destination, but at times it was a bit tricky to make our way through the crowds, but we managed it though, even with the buggy!

Jacek headed to the tourist office to find a map - he said the actual tourist office was quite unhelpful but he managed to buy a map outside from a lady with a stall for 50c and this got us around to where we needed to go.

Located just up from the tourist office was a beautiful old-fashioned carousel and we let the boys have a turn.

Tyler of course sat in the fire engine and Beau went inside the submarine. Rides cost €2.50 a turn and the boys really enjoyed it.

It was also very hot when we arrived so we thought it best to grab some lunch and head to the beach. Of course, we went looking for lunch at the busiest time - lunch time - so had a bit of a wait, but food in hand we headed to the Bon Secours Beach which is absolutely beautiful.

There are some steps down to the beach but I managed the buggy by myself while Jacek took the boys down. The waters on the beach looked almost tropical and with the Petit Bé small fort in front of the bay, it made for a gorgeous sight to go swimming in front of.

The Petit Bé can be accessed by foot at low tide, so the fort and the island can be explored fully. We sadly arrived while the tide was coming in so we didn't get a chance to get out there, but it was beautiful to look at from the beach. The beach has lifeguards who will let you know when to come in off the island - I also think it's reassuring to have a lifeguard on duty when you have kids swimming in the water.

The boys loved the beach and splashing about in the water. The dip was much needed to cool off from the sweltering heat and they were delighted to enjoy some beach time when in France. The Bon Secours beach also has a trampoline park and a sea pool with diving boards in case you're feeling adventurous!

After our beach time the boys were asking to go to the playground and we found a small one in the middle of the town, which they enjoyed before getting a huge ice-cream in what seemed to be the most popular ice-cream shop in town Sanchez L'Artisan Glacier.

There was a massive queue for the ice-creams here but they we so worth it. It was €11 something for three ice-creams (1 2 scoop and 2 1 scoop) and I thought that was okay - or maybe I'm just willing to spend more money for things when on holiday!

When the massive ice-creams were finished and we had two very happy and full boys, we walked down to the city walls once again to look at the artists at work. There are lots of artists there who will create a picture of you and yours in various styles and for various prices. We sadly didn't have time as we had to catch the ferry back to Jersey but it would be a lovely thing to do if you did have the time.

The ferry port is a short walk from the town, so it makes it a great destination for visiting with kids. St. Malo itself is unlike any place I've ever been to before and although there wasn't a whole lot on offer there for children, the boys were delighted with the carousel and the beautiful beach.

Condor Ferries have the car ferry to St. Malo, so I think if you were confident to drive in France you could see a whole lot more and discover lots more beautiful places in this part of France.

I'm delighted we got to experience a day in France as part of our holiday and thank you to Condor Ferries for giving us the opportunity.

We had a great day and would love to head back to France when holidaying in Jersey again.