Thanks to the helpful input from everybody we have revised our itinerary. What about this?
Rouen one night (taking train from Bruges)
Get rental car and drive through Normandy to Bayeux
Spend two nights. Visit Normandy beaches.
Drive to Dinan and spend two nights. Visit MSN
Drop car at Rennes and train to Lyon.
Spend three nights and then on our way to Milan..

I didn't see your original itinerary but are you renting a car in the Lyon area...there are several nice little towns and countryside to see in Burgundy.

We are taking train to Lyon

It's always helpful to provide a link to your original thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...y-562726-2.cfm

And to put a link to a new thread on your old one (which I just did) -- and which you might want to check, since I -- and perhaps others -- have added posts since you opened this thread.

BTW, this is a better plan IMO.

Ok thanks. We tried to tighten it up a bit.