Provence and French Riviera in March

I'm not sure about the mistral (wind) situation in Provence in March. I don't think it's as issue as far east as the Riviera.

The options for side trips by rail (along the coast) or into the hills (mostly by bus) from Nice are very numerous. You can easily keep yourself occupied for more than a week. If you stay in Nice you'll be close enough to hop across the border to Italy for a day if you want to. Among the popular places in that area are Menton (warmest spot, known for gardens but also has an atmospheric historic center), Cap Martin, Eze, Monaco, Cap Ferrat (Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and Villa Kerylos), Villefranche-sur-Mer, Antibes, Cannes and St-Paul-de-Vence. I enjoyed the much less touristy hill town of Vence and the tourist-train trip to Entrevaux and Digne-les-Bains. There are many other possibilities.

Do be aware than March is by no means high season in that area. Many sights may have somewhat abbreviated hours of operation at that time. I recall seeing one or two very small, less-popular museums (not in Nice) that were open only 3 or 4 days a week. For indoor sightseeing it will be important to reseach opening days and times in advance.

The train along the coast is cheap, but it sometimes harbors pickpockets (though perhaps not in March when the pickings are a lot slimmer). If someone gets into your personal space unnecessarily, assume they are going to try to steal from you.

Rick has a guidebook dedicated to southern France. I urge you to buy it.

We have gone to that area twice during the month of April. We have friends who live in Antibes, so we use that as our base. We have gone, or they have taken us, on trips all around the region, as far as St Tropez, Cassis, and Aix to the west, and over into several towns in northwest Italy. We have taken the train in both directions from Antibes--to Cannes, and to Monaco. Also up into the Maritime Alps to the ski area at Valberg. There is more than enough to do for a week along the coast in Nice and beyond on the Riviera, not to mention what you can visit in Provence.

You could easily fill up another week in the Riviera by expanding into the various other areas, in the countryside and into Italy. However, your plan to go to Marseilles and then visit Aix is a solid one. I've seen seasonal closures of lodging, shops and restaurants in the smaller villages of the Luberon (not all, people live there) with the Easter holiday week being a big common reopening timeline (late March). The Mistral can hit, so bring layers and plan on those days to see some interior sights. It won't be as glorious as May in the Luberon but you will find many things to do that don't that don't involve landscapes, walks, bike rides, etc.

Nice and the surrounding areas will still have some shortened hours but you won't find seasonal closures outside of the beach. Only in late November and January will you find some places taking their annual vacations, or taking the time to do renovations. March represents the reopening of otherwise seasonal businesses, like some beach/water restaurants ( a few stay open most/all winter). Weather can be still variable, but the Mistral (and other Northern-origin winds) rarely hit as the mountains divert the winds into the Bouches du Rhone (Marseilles) and points further west.

I am just fine tuning my month long trip to Provence in March. Week in Aix and Arles and 2 in Avignon. I always rent apts and spend at least 2 - 3 days in each city and then head out to the surrounding towns. Some posters are not fans of Avignon but it's a great hub to visit outlying areas. I also spend a month in europe in November (just got back from Paris) so not really a high season traveler. Willing to miss some spots to avoid the heat and overwhelming surge of tourists.

The Mistral winds hit about every three days in March, out of the Alps and down the Rhône Valley. Be sure you pack head covering, scarf, gloves. These winds can be very tiring. It's also difficult to plan in advance because you never know until you wake up in the morning if it will be a glorious day or a Mistral day. We spent six months in Cassis, January to July.