If "Paris in the Springtime" conjures up images of smothering crowds, consider visiting France in the off-season. Bargains abound, the lines are short and you can live like locals.
From November through March, there are many hot deals for tours, airfare and lodging in France. Even if a jaunt to Paris or the South of France is normally out of reach, this is a time to visit on the cheap. Or this is also an ideal time to book a stay at some of France's finest and most luxurious hotels at a lower cost. As the hotels empty for winter, the savings are deep.
Find out more: France in the Off-Season
I thought this info from the article was interesting.
One of the best reasons to visit in winter is to take advantage of the government-regulated sales. French stores can only hold sales twice a year, in January and again in the summer.
Amazing that the government actually regulates the sales times, any ideas why?
Well, my main guess would be that the French just love to regulate things. Stores also can’t be open on Sundays at all, with the exception of grocers. When we lived there, it was like each Saturday we were going, “Shoot, do we need something???”
I think some other European countries regulate sales, too, but I could be wrong on this.