DH is considering closing his office during the entire Winter Break for the first time ever, so I'm trying to figure out where to go for about 10 days (12/24-1/3, as flights are really expensive if we leave before Christmas). Since it's so much time (our usual trips are extended weekend trips like 4-5 days), I want to go to Europe again. We went to Italy for the first time last year for 8 days during a school break and loved it.

I know it's not an ideal time to travel, but I figure our goal is to relax and eat good food. We've never been to France before and don't want a go-go-go trip. Instead, I thought we could rent an apartment and have a leisurely vacation in Provence. If we stay in the center of town (and not rent a car), we can stroll the town, shop at the market, try some great restaurants, read novels, etc.

My questions:

- For those who have traveled during the winter holidays, any advice? I'm hoping there may not be as crazy crowds on Christmas Eve. Should we fly out Christmas Day instead? The flights on the 22nd and 23rd will cost about $1,000 more than flying on the 24th (that's total for the 4 of us). I don't think that's worth it just for one extra day. I figure we can use the few days after school ends to sleep in, pack, do chores, and veg a bit before heading out.

- For those who have been to Provence before, any travel advice? My plan would be to take the nonstop Air France flight to Paris and stay there 1-2 nights. This gives us time to get over jet lag and eat a few meals in Paris. Then take the 3 hour train to Provence. We're not fans of big cities, but I know my girls are eager to try Parisian baguettes, chocolate croissants, cheese, desserts, and other food. Plus it avoids the ordeal of having to get off the long transatlantic flight and hop onto another flight into Nice. Since, we're going to Provence during the "off-season", I presume there will be far fewer tourists. Will there be any other impacts from going in the low season? I am hoping restaurants and markets will still be open and those are our top priorities.

- I thought we'd book an apartment in Provence. I'm debating whether to rent a car to visit some of the surrounding towns/cities. I know there are many great places to visit, but we don't like changing lodging multiple times. Plus we're going in the winter so I don't know that we want to do a lot of exploring. Plus I know parking can be tough. Can we visit some places by train? Nice? Cannes? Marseilles?

- Also, for those who have been to Provence and love to eat, do you have recommendations for where to eat? We're the family that travels for food. My post last year was about our trip to Italy--we loved Modena and stayed in Bologna, skipping Venice and Rome and only doing a day trip to Florence (which is not the typical tourist's itinerary for a first-time visit to Italy). We don't visit museums, we don't go hiking/biking, and we don't stand in line to view churches/historical ruins.

- We've never flown to somewhere that cold (40s-50s in December). Since we live in CA, we usually have mild winters so it won't be too much of a shock for us. I'm wondering if we can still get away with our normal carry-on only travel since we usually go to warm weather destinations (so it's swimsuits, dresses, shorts, and sandals). If we wear our jackets and heaviest shoes, maybe we can still make it. Any packing advice?

Thanks in advance!