Paris & Provence - late Jan to mid-Feb

My favorite option for finding a rental such as you mention is gites-de-france. They are older than Airbandb, very reliable and with lots of options for size and length of stay. We have used them for one night to two weeks, from chambres d'hote to large houses. I don't believe VRBO operates in France. (gites-de-france.com)
Are you looking specifically for Avignon or the general area?

With your time I would spend a little more time in Paris - three nights is only two days and one of those will be a jetlag/adjustment day as well.

What do you want to do in Provence? Since you'll have a car - most rentals from Avignon TGV - then Provence is your oyster. My favorite town is St Remy which is super charming, has and amazing market day, and is much closer to Luberon for exploring than Arles of Avignon. It also has attractions right around if - Les Baux, Glanum, van Gogh asylum - without going too far. But it is very early in the year so staying near a larger town to make sure there are open services might make some sense. Even in early June in Avignon there were a few restaurants that weren't open for the season yet. Maybe they had been open and then the owners took May off to rest for the July-October season blitz but the area definitely has an "in season" timing.

Nimes is the biggest city in the area - I would park and take the train from Avignon or Arles unless you also want to swing by Pont du Gard.

Your days will be somewhat short - 9 to 10 hours of daylight - so I would plan accordingly. January is the coldest month is Provence but if you're coming from upstate NY it will probably seem balmy.

Keeping that in mind if you travel for weather Barcelona is the clear choice for warmer weather and more coastal destination. I've spent more time in Lyon than in Barcelona and I like both cities but they are very different. If you want more France then Lyon is a nice mix of more rural and Paris into a cool city split by two rivers with an old town to explore. If you want a complete change of pace Barcelona is big city with several distinct architecture phases to explore an amazing cathedral and Picasso museum but is Catalonian and Spanish and will be a real culture change from France.

Sounds like a great trip,
=Tod

You might want to read up on the mistral, which could be an unwelcome visitor in Avignon at that time of year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mistral_(wind)

Thanks Judy, we are looking to stay in the Avignon area. I remember really liking St Remy last time.
Tod, thanks so much! Lots of good advice!
And yes, I shall research the mistrial!

Easy as it is to agree with Tod about your brief 3-night plan for Paris, we recently spent just 3 nights in Paris out of 16 in France and 30 in Germany & France combined.

In our brief stay in Paris, we walked about 18 miles over the course of our four “days” (70 hours) in Paris; we went to the d’Orsay, Musee Jacquemart-Andre, Cluny, Notre Dame, took a Seine cruise, thoroughly enjoyed the Jardin des Plantes and walked the length of the Tuileries. We also took in a bit more in the Montaigne Ste. Genevieve neighborhood in the 5th. So, I say yes, you can get a lot of enjoyment in Paris even on a limited 3-night stay, if you plan well, know something about the city and remain open to possibilities that present themselves. (September was more conducive to walking through parks than January might well be.)

As to where to stay, let me suggest you look at my recent review of Hotel des Grandes Ecoles under Paris Hotel & Restaurant Reviews. I think it may meet the needs you mention if 13 and 14 minutes walks to the Luxembourg Gardens and Jardin des Plantes, respectively, are close enough for you. The Hotel has its own, quiet outdoor courtyard garden, though I doubt that it will be leafy in January. It is about a 30-35 minute walk to Gare de Lyon.

Late Note: Judy is certainly right about the Mistral. As for Barcelona vs. Lyon in February, each has merit and you have a great set of choices. February weather …

Thanks Fred for hotel recommendation! And yes, we’ve been to Paris a few times & I think 3 nights is perfect to get settled into the time change & wander some neighborhoods & parks.
And although we are hardy (US) northeasterners, I’m thinking that if the mistral looks like it’s blowing for more than 2 days, we could take a day drip via car or train, or even decamp to Barcelona for a few days in the middle of our Provence stay. If anyone has any further advice, please share!

People have given some nice ideas, but the trouble is that this is January/February. A lot will be closed, and the Mistral blows about once every three days. It is a very strong wind that blows out of the Alps. You might want to make a one-week commitment before deciding if you want to spend another week at this time of year. I spent 7 months in Cassis and now live just out of reach of the Mistral but even so am heading to Egypt to warm up.
Barcelona isn't a day trip but a 5 hour drive or train trip from Avignon. You might want to take a look at Nice, Menton, and other cities on the Riviera at this time of year.
As for housing, VRBO does rent in France. Second, a lot of Gîtes de France rentals are not rented out in winter because they don't have the necessary heat or equipment, but the organization also has rentals in private homes, bed and breakfast, which can be very nice. We don't always have a lot of heat here in the south and our buildings are made to retain the cold during summer with ceramic floors. Right now we're shivering, waiting for our building's heat to be turned on. Maybe you'll find a cozy stone house with a big fireplace to welcome you. But again, I would leave the second week open to move or stay once you see how it is.