Loire, Burgundy, Nice
 

I am planning a trip to France in June. I would like to know if you think I have made too many plans. These are my tentative plans:
1. Three nights in Paris . Rent a car on 4th day.
2. Drive to Amboise and stay two nights
3. Drive to Mont-Saint-Jean (north of Beaune) and stay 2 nights
4. Drive to Saint-Didier-de-Formans (near Lyon) stay one night (I thought driving to Saguret directly would be too long)
5. Drive to Saguret and stay 2 nights
6. Drive to Nice and stay 2 nights
7. Fly home out of Nice

Is it overly ambitious?

Not overly ambitious depending on your age and traveling style.

Driving south out of Paris, I'd get my rental from Europcar on the Avenue d'Italie, a straight shot to the highway.

However I'd skip Amboise. You'd be there for only 1.5 days at the most, then a drive of at least 5.5 hours or more the next day.

Instead I'd take a train to Beaune [or Dijon] and get a car there.

Flying out of Nice, spend the last night at a hotel near the airport with a shuttle service, dropping off the car in the afternoon.

Nice airport is very close to town. Only stay at airport if flight is very early.

Yes, if an early flight, I should have qualified my suggestion. The airport is very easy to negotiate.

I have been debating about Amboise. Not sure if we should spend more time in Burgundy and maybe another day further south. Looks like Burgundy is a beautiful region. I was thinking the drive from Amboise to Mont Saint Jean would be pretty. Planned on driving slowly and stopping along the way, definitely at Vazelay (sp?). I know Beaune to Seguret is a long distance. Any suggestions on how or where to break it up?

<i>I know Beaune to Seguret is a long distance. Any suggestions on how or where to break it up?</i>

Use www.viamichelin.com and specify the scenic route between the two points. Somewhere between the two there surely is a town with a hotel.

On Michelin, times driving on the auroroutes can be fairly accurate. Of course there is more traffic during peak times near big cities. However, on two lane highways you can get stuck behind slow moving trucks and be unable to pass, so these times can really be off. So pay attention to the km's on secondary roads. This is the case driving east from Amboise.

Burgundy is a very pretty area. Ditching Amboise would perhaps allow one more day there and one in Nice.

I too would recommend skipping Amboise for more time in Burgundy and Nice.

On our drives from Burgundy to western Provence we stayed overnight at the Château d'Igé, which is quite near the autoroute. People to whom we've recommended the hotel have been very happy with it.