Looks like you've already got some good comments from your post. I did quite a bit of self-contained touring in France from the late 70's to 1990 and was able to get away with front panniers mounted on low riders, a handlebar bag, and a large sack (for tent, sleeping bag and other items that didn't fit well into the panniers) strapped parallel to a rear rack. These trips lasted anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months and always included camping and for about half of them I took a stove. I was always touring with a partner so that made it a little easier to break up the cooking items and the parts of the tent. Nevertheless, I think, with some good planning, that you could use the baggage set up that you mentioned in your post. One of the key things in cutting down what you need to bring is to stay, as much as possible, in areas that are climatically hospitable to cycling. March, as has been previously mentioned, is cold in most areas of France. My first tour in Europe began in May and I got stuck in Chamonix by bad weather and had to take a train to get out of there. I might suggest that you consider starting out in Corsica (that's where I fled to on my first trip and have returned there numerous times). Corsica is beautiful beyond belief with beaches along the coast and snow capped mountains in the interior. You might be a little early to find a lot of campgrounds open but you could do some research on that on the web. There was, when I was there, lots of places to "wild camp." I haven't been there for a long time but I imagine that the cycling is still good (and hilly- good place for a triple crankset). Do some searching on the web and see what you come up with but I think that this would be a good place to hang out while the rest of the country warms up a bit. Bon courage!