Alsace region

Jim, I haven't been there in August so I can't give personal feedback on that. However, you are correct that you can reach Alsace by train from Paris and you do not need a car. We stayed in Colmar at B&B Chez Leslie (www.chezleslie) and found it worked well. There are a number of small, quaint and (in my opinion) very touristy tiny towns in the Alsace which many people like. I prefer Colmar as home base because it is bigger, there is much more to see, and it offers a bigger variety of restaurants. Leslie is an American who has lived in Europe for many years and she will gladly share her travel advice (and in perfect English, of course). Her b&b is only a few block from the train station (which is helpful if you are using the train to explore Alsace) and it is just outside the main tourist area of Colmar so it is quiet and peaceful, but only minutes from restaurants, etc. Write if you have any specific questions.

Looking at TGV schedules from Paris to Strasbourg. If i buy the tickets through Rail europe will I be overcharged ? Is there a better site to by from ? Thanks, WT

Try www.capitainetrain.com or www.loco2.com

@William The main French railway site is:
http://en.voyages-sncf.com/en/
You can shop for trains and see the prices. They will vary based on load factors. They also have a calendar function to find the cheapest trains in a month. Put in France as your ticket collection country to avoid being shunted to RailEurope, which is owned by SNCF, the French railway co. Notify your credit card co before buying. Still, their credit card verification system is so stringent that it may reject you payment. That is when the aforementioned Capitaine Train comes in handy. You can buy the exact same ticket from them at the same price and the transaction will go through (remember, notify your cc first). You'll get an email back with a pdf of your ticket you can print out.

A belated thank for Phillip and Sam. great advice