I have been derelict in planning my winter break, mostly because I can't decide where exactly to go in France for that time of year. We will have 10-12 days. We will spend some time in Paris because I will never be done with Paris. But for the rest of the time, I'd like to pick an area I haven't been to before and probably not one that will be uniquely busy because of the holidays (like Strasbourg, unfortunately, though I am open to counterarguments).
Basically: we are not skiers or enjoyers of the cold weather (I am happy to go somewhere cold, but I am not focused on winter outdoor activities, is what I mean), and I don't care about Christmas markets. I have not been to the Alps region/have not seen Strasbourg and Annecy and would really like to, but it feels weird to go there specifically when it is superbusy because of the Christmas markets. If I am wrong about this, let me know!
Last summer, we went to Loire Valley, Bayeux, Mont St Michel, St Malo, Dinan, Cancale, Fougeres, and Lyon. I definitely am not opposed to returning to Normandie, for instance, but would need to craft a different itinerary. We also have spent time on the Riviera. I have a list of places there that I did not get to last time, but they probably require a car, and it seems like not the best time of year to go there (again, though, open to being corrected).
Ideally I would not need a car for this trip, but again, I am open to it if I have to (I did have a car for that summer trip).
Any ideas? It's hard, because while I definitely could find more to do in the Loire Valley (we obviously didn't hit every chateau, and could stay in another town), it seems like it would be better to explore somewhere new, but not every destination is equally great in the winter.
Last winter we went to Andalusia and Madrid and spent a day in Dublin, all of which worked out great. The winter before, we spent time in London and Venice. Again, we were very happy. So obviously cold or rain is not a huge deterrent (though Andalusia is a great choice that time of year due to the mild weather!)