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Winter break destinations in France

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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!)

Posted by
10 posts

What about going to the south west of France? There’s a lot to see. If you land at Paris Charles de Gaulle, you can take the train and stop at Lyon, then Avignon. You have small train lines going to Arles and Nimes. You can add to this le Grau du Roi and visit the salt mines and the Camargues. Rent a car and go to Carcassonne. It s a beautiful place surrounded by walls. You have Albi, which is famous and unique (recognized by Unesco), Toulouse, and more towards the sea Biarritz and Bordeaux.

Have fun planning!

Posted by
11055 posts

Your best bet for acceptable weather is on the Riviera, the further east, the better. Menton even has micro-climate as the heat from the sun radiates and reflects off the rock face.
Rain comes into France off the Atlantic from the southwest so the closer to the Atlantic, the higher risk of rain or even snow in higher elevations.

Posted by
5691 posts

I spent a year abroad in Montpellier. My parents visited over Christmas. We all agree that we have never been as cold as we were during that visit, which included Toulouse, Arles, Nimes and Avignon. And my parents are from Connecticut. It was bitter cold. Homes there just aren’t really designed for the cold. I’d definitely go somewhere where you have inside activities as an option or I’d go all in on the Alps. Microclimate villages in the Riveria sound promising as well.

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