Enjoy a Winter Holiday in Provence
When it comes to tourism in Southern France, the summertime is a far more popular time to visit than the winter season. However, it’s important to remember that just because there are popular times to visit doesn’t always mean they are the best times. Here are some great reasons to spend your winter holiday in Provence!
More Options for Accommodations
One wonderful thing about visiting Provence in the off-season is that you will not have to struggle so hard to find a nice place to stay. We always recommend contacting At Home in France to find your accommodations.
During the wintertime, since tourism is not at its height, you’ll find many more options to enjoy a beautiful stay in Provence. For example, take a look at popular hot spot, Luberon. Thanks mainly to its Château, which remains open throughout the year and has a very busy cultural program, Lourmarin is one of the liveliest spots in the Luberon, with plenty of bars and restaurants operating in the winter season.
Easy Access to Popular Restaurants
When you visit France during the summertime, you may run into issues finding a restaurant that isn’t fully booked weeks in advance. Making reservations weeks in advance may not be an option, especially if your trip to France is only one week long.
During the winter months, you’ll find that you’ll have much easier access to the most popular restaurants in Provence. Be sure to try the gastronomy restaurants! Later in the article, we’ll explore more about the many gastronomic dishes that you can enjoy in Provence.
Best Time to Shop in Provence
In France, retailers hold big sales only twice a year, once in the summer and once in the winter. The winter sales (better known as ‘les soldes d’hiver’) start on the second Wednesday in January and last for exactly six weeks. In 2016 they run from January 6 until February 16.
While vacationing in Provence in the winter, you’ll come to find that you can enjoy these sales with far less hustle and bustle, since many tourists have opted to visit during the summer months. Enjoy excellent sales on brand name items and unique trinkets to gift to your friends and family back home. All the money you save can be put right back into your next trip to France!
Discover Provence Gastronomy
What better thing to do when it’s raining outside than to enjoy exquisite meals? Provence has so many traditional dishes that it would take you months to taste all of them!
Try aïoli, anchoïade, ratatouille, soupe au pistou, tapenade, and bouillabaisse, just to name a few. There are so many gastronomic treasures! We’ll be exploring the fine food of Provence later this month, so stayed tuned for more information and great tips.
Enjoy the Provence Winter Festivals
Last, but certainly not least, it is important to highlight all the wonderful festivals you can enjoy while visiting Provence in the winter. Be sure to check out Fête des Tripettes at Barjols in the Var. This festival is known as one of Provence’s strangest festivals with a unique mix of religion and entrails. All of this culminates in a huge street party! 
During the second half of February the hill-top village of Tourrettes sur Loup has a violet festival. Also, in the Var of Eastern Provence you can enjoy walking the mimosa trail. During your journey, you’ll come upon Mandelieu – La Napoule, which celebrates a mimosa festival in mid-February.
So, clearly, there are many benefits to visiting Provence in the wintertime. Be sure to plan your next trip accordingly so you can take advantage of all these great perks. Get started now by booking your accommodations through At Home in France. Happy Travels!