We are going to Paris in mid-March. We plan to fly from Paris to Venice to meet up with friends for several days, then take 2-4 nights visiting one or two areas and work our way back to Paris for 5 nights. We thought the weather might be a tad warmer in Provence than any other region in France, but wanted to check to see if anyone has a suggestion for a 2-4 night visit between Venice and Paris. Ideally, we'd end up near a TGV station so we could travel back to Paris in several hours. Thank you for any suggestions.

lyon or Aix En Provence or Aivgnon.
Yes weather can be bad in Paris in mid-november. Can even have some snow. (unlikely but possible).

Weather can be bad in mid-March, too : D
Usually chilly and rainy, can have periods of hail, then the sun shines...I wouldn't want to drive anywhere.
March is one of the most unpredictable months in France.
Lyon would be my choice, because with weather like this, you'll appreciate all the delicious he

Weather can be bad in mid-March, too : D
Usually chilly and rainy, can have periods of hail, then the sun shines...I wouldn't want to drive anywhere.
March is one of the most unpredictable months in France.
Lyon would be my choice, because with weather like this, you'll appreciate all the delicious h

...delicious - but heavy - food this city has to offer.

Thanks Fuzz, March isn't my preference, but it's when DH was willing to go. We've visited France the last 5 visits in September/October and so we miss the lovely fall weather where we live. So, it's a compromise. Do you think farther south in Provence would be any warmer?

Yes of course it's usually warmer in the South of France. But it still can be chilly and rainy and windy. We've had snow here in the SW in March. Last year, iin fact. It's actually one of the worst months to go, IMO. Plus, small businesses may be closed until the Tuesday after Easter. Not a big deal, but you won't get the full gamut of shopping or eating opportunities if souvenirs and mom and pop restaurants are important to you.

If there's a possibility of changing from March to late April or early-to-mid-May, this would be a much better idea - in Paris or farther South. Right around Easter would be a good idea.

There's nothing even approaching "lovely weather" anywhere in France, during early Spring. It's usually an unlovely, soupy, cold mess.

It would be a shame to spend a lot of money and travel so far just to be miserable and find out that a great many things you want to see and do will be unavailable - either because they're closed or due to bad weather conditions.

DH and I were in Provence this past spring, from March 25 through April 5.
This was right over Easter but with careful planning we had plenty to see and do everyday. Some days my phone forecast rain but on the actual day it would be fine. Other than three days of light rain that didn't last all day, we had lovely weather for driving and sightseeing. There was a morning in Aix that it rained very hard, and we decided not to drive down the coast past Marseille.
Most days the temperature was mid to high 60's. The trees were just beginning to leaf out. The smaller towns were not over run with tourists.
Just as easily the weather could have been awful though. There is no predicting it. Didn't France just get torrential rains that overflowed the Seine in Paris? And that was much later in the season.

We have spent 10 Xmas in south East France.
It is excellent weather compared to anywhere some hundreds kms north.

You can do some gardening with a t-shirt, we eat outside at lunchtime, and must have a light jacket in the evening.
Small towns are dead, cities are still alive (St Raphael, Ste Maxime, Cannes, Antibes) and nowhere inland.

Thanks everyone. As I say, this isn't my choice of when to go but maybe the experience will lead to better timing in the future.