France Itinerary Question
 

I wanted to ask if you experts think the below itinerary is a good one, and ask for any suggestions to alter it.
We will be spending 11 days in Paris/France. 5 nights in Paris, and below planned for the next days. I was planning on flying from Paris to Nice, renting a car and dropoff at CDG. Do you think there is too much driving?

Day 6 Day: Nice, Night: provence
Day 7 Geneva
Day 8 Burgundy
Day 9 Loire Valley
Day 10 Day: Nante, Night: Bayeux
Day 11 Day: D-day beach, Night: Paris CDG

Thanks for any inputs,
Jim

Yes, there's too much driving. Too many far-flung places, and no time to DO anything in any of them once you get there, because it's time to pack up and head out again.

sorry, Jimmy, St. Cirq is right. all you'll see is the inside of a car and your hotel rooms as you crash out.

Paris and Nice would make a very good pairing; get the TGV to Nice and fly back to CDG, or get the train both ways. if you really feel that you must drive, then get the train to Nice, stay 3 nights, then pick up your car and head back to CDG, stopping off in Dijon for example. [or do it the other way round].

you don't have time to do that AND the Loire, AND Normandy.

I suggest leaving that for another trip.

I've traveled to France 15 or more times. France is a large country and, great as the motorways are, long drives are still tiring.

You have time for the northern destinations OR the central destinations (Burgundy, Geneva) ) OR the south. Choose one. It will still be a LOT of driving.

Too much driving!!..After picking up the car in Nice, I'd focus on either the Cote D'Azur if you want to be onthe Riviera, or go no further than Provence and spend 4 days touring, using Avignon or Arles as a base. On your next to last day in France, I would drop off the car in Lyon, then take the TGV directly to CDG and spend the last night in France at a hotel at CDG. This way, all you need do on your flight day is head to your terminal and fly home after a good night sleep.

I agree with Langcraft. The Cote D'Azur is wonderful and I
would jump at the chance to visit Provence. By the way, we recently took the train from a regional city directly to CDG
the afternoon before our flight back to USA. We stayed at the IBIS which was reasonable and satisfactory for a night. It was
easy to find and easy to get back to Terminal 2 for our flight back. Give yourself plenty of time to get through the
many lines before you reach your gate to fly home.

Pat

Many thanks for your comments. After reading more and thinking about our priorities I have come up with below. Let me know what you think.
Priorities for us this trip is Loire castles and food/wine. I really would like to fit in Alsace too, hence below. If still too much driving will just stay in Loire and maybe Dday beaches. We live near California wine country so i wonder how different Burgundy will be, if that should really be included in our trip or not?

Day 6 TGV to Strasburg
Day 7 Strasburg area
Day 8 4hr Drive to Dijon for night
Day 9 4hr Drive to Loire
Day 10 Loire
Day 11 Loire, Drive to CDG for night

Forget Dijon. It's 335 kms from Strasbourg to Dijon, and 445 kms from Dijon to Tours (and that's only the tip of the Loire).

Do you have a map?

No, French wine country is nothing like Napa, though both are beautiful.

Jimmy - you're doing it again.

if the Loire is your priority, go there. do not go anywhere else. in 5 days you could see a lot of nice chateaux and countryside as well as drinking some wine and eating some food.

OTOH if you fancy Alsace, go to Strasbourg, or if burgundy, go to Dijon.

but honestly, in the time you've got, which is only 5 nights and 4 full days, you can only do one in comfort, and even then, you'll find that you have to miss a lot of whatever your chosen area has to offer.

repeat after me - less is more.

Yup pick one and do it justice!

We've got a week in the Loire valley in September and I'm having difficulty trying to fit it all in as there is so much to see and do (and we are skipping the wine and food). There are so many châteaux which don't figure in the guide books. Spend your time in the Loire and save the other areas for your next trip.

Agree that you could easily spend the whole time in the Loire, if châteaux are your priority. Be aware that the countryside is not France's prettiest. However, you'll find great food and pretty good wine.

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I ended up planning 1.5 days in D-day area and then heading down to Loire, because we have friends to visit up near the beaches. I'm planning on 3-4hr to drive from Caen to Tours.