Suggestions for a good place to go in the South of France

What sort of touristy things? There are some Roman ruins in Provence, and there are some art museums, though I believe there are more of the latter along the Riviera. The Provencal markets are a pretty big deal for many visitors, but I don't kmow that they're all super-active in the winter.

I was not thrilled enough by Marseille to want to spend a week there, much less a month. However, there are certainly others here who disagree with me. Marseille does have the real-city, not-totally-dedicated-to-tourism vibe you prefer.

There are lots of great destinations all along the southern coast of France from Menton (practically in Italy) to Collioure (practically in Spain). If you opt to spend the entire month in one place, you will only be able to choose from amomg a fairly small part of those optIons, because travel time will put many of them beyond the reach of a day trip. I would choose multiple bases if it were my trip. This is not to say that there will not be a month's worth of activities available for you.

Definitely Google for information on the mistral, which I believe can be a significant issue in Provence at the time of year you are considering.

Marselille has certainly gotten better but it is still a little gritty. How about Avignon or a little further north of Lyon? Or anywhere along the Cote D'Azur?

Any good suggestions of somewhere inland? I just hear so many people rave about how wonderful the South of France is, and our next stop will be Barcelona, so we don't necessarily need coastal for France.
And we don't need a lot of touristy things, really just one or two days per week of activities would be enough. So somewhere that has nice local hangout places would be good. Parks, cafe's, that sort of thing for "home" days.

Nyons, in the Drome.

Aix en Provence could be worth considering. Excellent outdoor markets even in winter, day hiking and cycling in the surrounding countryside. Train and bus transportation very good, including TGV (are you leasing a car?) Many cultural opportunities, as well as first run movies.

As far as cafés, there’s the Cours Mirabeau for people watching (indoors mostly, as it can be cold and rainy) but you’ll also want to adopt a local cafe near your rental so you can meet your neighbors on a daily basis.

How’s your French? Since Aix is a university town, you can probably find a private tutor for you and your son, if you’re interested.

Hope this helps, melanaallison.

On the outskirts of Aix is a fine memorial/museum about deportations from France under the Vichy regime during WWII. It's at a former internment camp, Camp des Milles. It's a newly-developed site and has a great deal of English explanatory material--not always the case in French museums.

For places with activity during the off months, I agree with Aix. I also suggest Menton, which attracts a lot of northerners to spend the winter. These are both very active places in the off season.

Thanks so much everyone! Very useful info

One thing to consider is the mistral - a bitterly cold wind mainly in Provence and the French coast from Marseille west.

We're in Nice now, for a month. Winter months would (of course) be a different experience. If you don't go too far into the 'old town'/port area and stay close to the rail station (Nice Ville), Nice is a good base. (We are a five minute walk to the station.) So far we have traveled from Menton (to the East) to Marseille (to the West). Nice also has a good bus system that will take you quite far for a 1.50€ fare (or 1€ if you buy a multi-ticket of 10), and we use that for the closer-in cities (Villefranche, for example).

I agree with those who say that Marseille is a bit on the 'gritty' side (we stayed there for 3 days, several years ago). It was 'interesting' to visit but I cannot imagine being based there for a month.

On one trip where we had a car, we based in Nimes and it was a good city for traveling by car.

Between mid-November and mid-December, the weather doesn't always cooperate in Provence / Marseille area. The wind can be fierce and the showers can be intense. I would head further east towards Nice, where the climate is more mellow (still has rainy spells, but no/less wind).