Since you and your friend seem to want to do different things, would you be willing to split up and each do something different that week after Paris?

Or you are trying to find a compromise that you both want to do together?

I don't think people are assuming "stupid" but perhaps maybe something the OP hadn't thought of or considered as an option.

https://www.google.com/search?q=lyon...w=1280&bih=625

I spent a few weeks in Lyon once and rarely got bored - especially nice are the famous traboules, a warren of old lanes and alleyways in Old Lyon as pictured above.

But I think a few days would be max for most tourists (I had to stay longer because I was visiting a girlfriend who worked in day) - easy with car to head to Avignon area or north to Burgundy.

Many people come to us with questions that are not at all stupid, but that are ill-informed. And that includes questions based (for example) on the mistaken impression that one must accept arrangements or suggestions made by travel agents in direct contradiction of the traveler's stated desires.

Your question affords virtually limitless options, and answers could including essentially anywhere in Europe, or beyond. That makes it very difficult for anyone to answer constructively.

Good luck!

Hoping you find a solution. We enjoyed Reims and Verdun also. My husband loves history so we always include something for him and then a week in Paris.

well, I would certainly get bored by a few weeks in Lyon. I"ve been there several times and it has some nice things to see and experience, but a few days would be enough for me, at least for Lyon itself.

I'm sure Pal made some error about the Provence and Amboise notation, since Amboise is in the Loire.

Personally, I think going by train to Barcelona from Paris via Toulouse and then flying back to CDG is a bad way to spend a week. Not when you have such better options by train within France. A flight from BCN to CDG won't be that cheap AND it may require spending an overnight near CDG or something, that's just not a very efficient thing to do IMO. If you are risky and want to fly the same day from BCN to CDG as your flight out of CDG (which is already set apparently, we have no idea what time so that may be impossible since most flights from BCN to CDG are afternoon or later), that is maybe possible but if you check bags you'll have to fetch them at CDG and recheck them, etc. I just think that's a bad idea. That flight will probably cost about US$100.

Paris to Toulouse isn't too bad, about a 4.5 hr train, but then Toulouse to Barcelona is another 3-4 hours train and there is no direct one that I know of. All in all, about 2 of those 7 days will be lost to the train/plane travel that way. Now if Barcelona were a must-see and you are okay with spending a couple more days in transit, sure, you could do it.