A family holiday in the French Jura: a week in a whole house with the children

Most families from the UK fly to Geneva. From the airport, the drive to the house takes about 1 hr 20 min, and the hire car is useful all week. Every drive time on this page comes from our own OSRM routing from the house, run in October 2026 and rounded to 5 minutes. Families who prefer the train can take the Eurostar to Paris, then the TGV from Paris Gare de Lyon to Frasne, the nearest station, which takes 2 hr 48 min on the fastest service. From Frasne, it is 40 min by road, so plan a car for the last stretch.

In summer the Jura is a land of water. The gorges of the Langouette are 5 min away by car, a short walk along a narrow canyon that children love; our guide to the Langouette with children explains how to visit safely. The Hérisson waterfalls, a chain of cascades in the forest, are 35 min away. For swimming, the lakes of the plateau are close: Lake Chalain is 45 min by road. From the front door, the Rapoutier loop covers 6.8 km of paths through meadow and forest.

When the snow comes, the Jura is cross-country skiing country, with long, gentle trails that suit children taking their first steps on skis. The nordic area of Foncine-le-Haut is 10 min away. For downhill skiing, the family resorts of Les Rousses and Métabief are 30 min and 40 min by road. Sledging, snowshoeing and snowball fights in the garden fill the rest of the day. Pack layers rather than one thick coat, a spare pair of gloves per child, and warm boots: the plateau is often colder than the altitude suggests.

The Jura has good indoor options for wet days. In Prémanon, 35 min away, a museum is dedicated to the polar regions and their explorers. The toy museum in Moirans-en-Montagne, 55 min by road, tells the story of the town’s toy-making tradition. In Poligny, 45 min away, the Maison du Comté explains how the region’s famous cheese is made, from the milk to the ageing cellar, which children who have eaten it all week find surprisingly interesting. Check opening times before you go, especially outside the French school holidays.

With children, a whole house changes the holiday. The house has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms on one level of 124 m², with no stairs for small legs. The enclosed garden, 400 m², lets children play outside while dinner is cooking; the enclosed garden has its own page. The house provides baby equipment, which saves carrying a travel cot and high chair on the plane. Two families travelling together can share it too, and grandparents find it easy on the knees, as a house for three generations describes.

Summer brings long days and warm lakes; winter brings snow, though it is never guaranteed at this altitude, so keep a few snow-free ideas in reserve. Spring and autumn are the quietest seasons, ideal for walking families with younger children. The village itself is a good place to start: Foncine-le-Bas with children lists what you can do from the door, from the river to the old tramway path, gently graded and free of cars, where children cycle while adults walk. A simple rule for choosing the season: with children under 6, come in summer and keep every outing between 5 min and 35 min of driving. With children learning to ski, come in February, when Foncine-le-Haut has 9 green trails, the easiest grade, according to Jura Tourisme. French school holidays are the busiest weeks; if your dates are flexible, the weeks around them are calmer.

The whole house is let by the week, with prices starting at €4,200. Send us your dates and the ages of your children, and we will tell you what the house and the area offer at that time of year.