Provence in January

A while ago I lived in Toulon in January and last year I spent a week there in November. Winters in Provence can be rainy, the Mistral wind can blow down from the Alps, or you could have clear, sunny days that just need a fleece jacket. Snow is rare but can happen. The larger cities will have more going on then small towns.

What about taking the train and dividing your time between Nice and Avignon?

www.sncf.com shows many trains from Paris to Nice taking about six hours. There are several interesting museums in Nice (Matisse, Archeology, small Chagall) as well as train trips to Monaco, Antibes (Picasso) and other options for traveling to St Paul de Vence (Maeght Foundation). The Med will be gorgeous even if it isn't warm enough for swimming. Nice should be warmer than Avignon.

It is about four hours by train from Nice to Avignon. From there you can a take day trip to Aix-en-Provence. Last year I stayed at the Renaissance in Aix using points. It isn't centrally located but it is right next to the cultural center and a performing arts school. Lots of concerts, dance performances, and theater available.

I also suggest taking a cooking class as a great indoor activity!

Finally I love how the air smells in Provence during the winter with people having fires in fireplaces. Also when the skies are clear the stars are amazing.

I'd seriously consider taking the train south and then picking up the car. The TGV is much, much faster than driving. Check rail schedules on the Deutsche Bahn or SNCF webpages. (No French rail fares from the Deutsche Bahn, but the schedule function is very user-friendly.) Use ViaMichelin for estimates of driving times, remembering that VM does not allow for any stopping, getting lost, looking for parking, etc. If you take the train you can pack a picnic lunch or dinner and munch as you chew up the miles, saving another hour or two.

I like Nice a lot, and it could well have more pleasant weather than Provence in January. For one thing, I believe the mistral is not likely to be an issue as far east as Nice. However, you can get to Provence faster from Paris--less than three hours to Avignon by TGV, or about four hours to Arles with one change. That area is also faster to reach than Nice by car.

Once you have a list of indoor attractions you may wish to vist, take the time to Google the official websites to check on days and hours of operation. While in that area in May 2017, I noticed that museums open six days a week in July-August were sometimes open only five days a week in May, and some had even more limited working days during the winter. The hours open per day may also be cut back during the period you plan to travel. This should be manageable as long as you primarily use a hub-and-spoke method of getting around rather than a series of one-night stops.

The warmest spot along the Riviera (and thus I assume in all of mainland France) is Menton, a picturesque (but touristy, naturally) town quite near the Italian border. It's really too far to be included in a one-week trip to Provence. I'm mentioning it just in case you decide (what with the mistral risk and all) to focus on the Riviera rather than Provence. Both areas are lovely. To me, there's more variety in Provence. But with only one week, that may not be so critical.

If you stay in Provence you'll need a wool coat, hat, gloves, scarf but also sunglasses and sunscreen. Expect a lot of restaurants and shops closed in tourist areas. Be sure to plan indoor activities on Mistral days. We were there for six months and had a Mistral about every three days.

If I had a choice, I head to the Riviera, the closer to Menton the better. There's plenty to do. I'm there visiting family yearly and haven't run out of things to do yet