17 days in france itinerary

Paris to Versailles to Giverny to Bayeux is nearly impossible without a car, sorry.
There are tours that combine Versailles and Giverny, going back to Paris afterwards: it is a long day, but feasible, and it might get you back to Paris in time for an evening train to Bayeux, but not sure... you'd have to check schedules.

I'd much rather focus on Versailles, visit as a day trip, and head back to St Lazare for the train to Bayeux. Sure, Giverny's beautiful, but to me it is much less "significant" than Versailles.

Tours might be a more convenient base than Amboise for your chateau logistics.

I would skip Aix en Provence this time around, that way you would have time for a day trip to Arles and a separate day trip to Nimes and Pont du Gard.

Versailles is huge and to appreciate it you need to plan a day there so you can see the palace and the estate of Trianon. The latter opens at noon. The grounds are worth checking out too. I would make Versailles a day trip from Paris meaning add another night to Paris.
I suggest making Giverny a day trip from Paris also. Trying to get from Giverny to Bayeux will take a lot of time. This route requires transfers that are never fun and sometimes not everything goes as planned. With that said add two nights to Paris so you can spend one day in Versailles and the following day in Giverny: https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/.
Monet’s garden is currently closed and won’t open until Mar29 then closes again on Nov2. Follow these instructions on how to get there. https://giverny.org/transpor/.

Balso, thanks for letting me know about the strong difficulty in fitting both versailles and giverny into one day. It seems like the "fastest" way is to go through Paris and that's going to be 2.5 hours at its best. You're right, I don't think i can do it without a tour. What are your thoughts on one of the Paris days going to versailles for a half day or so (a full day feels like a long time for a palace, even a big one) and then returning and then on the last paris day, leaving paris at like 2 PM or something (how much time do i need?) and going to giverny for monet house and then from there taking a 3 or 4 hour train on to bayeux?

As for "saving" aix en province for next time... what if there is no next time? or won't be for a very long time... is that the place you would sacrifice?

hmm, I could always plan on sleeping day 13 in avignon again (not aix) and then on day 12 see how the arles/nimes/du pont day goes and then decide what to do on day 13 (go to arles, go to aix, etc). Does that seem like a good plan?

and thanks for the advice on amboise/tours. The reason I was thinking amboise is because two chateauxs are already there so i don't waste the day as solely a travel day.

MaryPat, thanks so much for the reply. Does Versailles really need 8 hours? That seems like so long for a palace before fatigue kicks in...
I was planning on going to Giverny solely for Monet's house (I plan on being there when it's open, thanks so much for the heads up on the closing dates though, i didn't know that). That requires a whole day also?

everything else seems ok?

thanks again to both of you for the help!!

What are your thoughts on one of the Paris days going to versailles for a half day or so (a full day feels like a long time for a palace, even a big one) and then returning and then on the last paris day, leaving paris at like 2 PM or something (how much time do i need?) and going to giverny for monet house and then from there taking a 3 or 4 hour train on to bayeux?

Versailles is more than a palace. There are beautiful gardens, and a whole extra palace at the Trianon.
Also, the round trip from Paris takes 2 hours all-in. That's why it's generally considered a 3/4-day trip. A half-day does not quite cut it.

So, you can't realistically be back to Paris before 3 PM if you rush. That's too late for a Giverny excursion, which takes most of the day due to transport time. You'd have to pick one between the two I'm afraid!

Also, there are no trains from Vernon/Giverny to Bayeux. You have to backtrack to Paris in most cases, or to Mantes at best, because Vernon is not on the line to Bayeux. It is a mess.

You also ask about Aix: it's a lovely city but it's more about ambiance than about sights. A single night might not let you take it all in.

I think you have received some good advice for the front of your trip. I will add that Day 12 looks pretty rough, especially via public transportation.

We combined Les Baux, Pont du Gard, and Orange in one day with a private guide (just our party). It was a very full day with around 20,000 steps, and we had the benefit of a car taking us exactly where we wanted to go with no waiting.

All things equal, Arles and Nimes have more to experience than Orange and Les Baux. Les Baux is relatively small, and we only spent time at the theater in Orange. I would give these three two days if at all possible. If not, I would not drop Pont du Gard. It is very cool and the rocks below are a lovely place to sit and enjoy a nice Spring day. Nimes completes the Pont du Gard story, whereas van Gogh lovers may prefer Arles.

Please don't miss out on Nimes, the Pont du Gard or Arles for Aix en Provence or Nice.

Does Versailles really need 8 hours?

You may not need a full day but I had to meet a friend in Paris early afternoon. I was there when it opened and felt rushed. I wished I’d had a whole day so I could slow down and take time to absorb it. Instead, I knew what it looked like and nothing more.
You have a fantastic itinerary and a busy one. Sometimes we cram too much in and are disappointed because we miss the setting that makes it unique and memorable.

In more than a few ways, perhaps you are trying to pack more into a day or two here and there than is reasonable to enjoy. Others have already commented on Versailles plus Giverney plus travel from Paris and on to Bayeux as too much. I get that you like to move fast, but France is more than the Tour de France. It is a state of mind, or being.

In June, we spent the night in Versailles, about 5 hours at the Chateau (Palace) (not counting another hour in line, despite having a 9 am timed entry tickets in hand), and then a good 90 to 120 minutes to get to Paris. BTW, the day we spent in Versailles was probably the least interesting day that we spent in France during our 4 week sojourn there from mid-May to mid-June. Chateaux gardens at Villandry and Chaumont were smaller in size, but far more elegant in design and better tended.

Your day in Amboise looks fine, but trying to do both Chenonceau and Chambord in a single day is a stretch, and you want to add a third? IF you have a car, perhaps two might work, but you'll be go-go-go. And, since your inter-city travel seems to be all by train, how are your travel logistics going to work? Ditto for day trip to Arles, Nimes, and Pont du Gard and back to Avignon.

I suggest seeing less. Enjoy more. Don't worry about ticking off boxes.

BTW, Ever consider biking in France? https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/fabulous-tour-de-france-2-weeks-on-foot-and-by-train-2-weeks-by-e-bike

dayexday,
The suggestions to you are good ones. I would add that going to Chenonceaux and Chambord in the same day is very doable. We did this in 2017, but had a car. We left Saumur in the morning, drove to Chenonceaux and spent 3 hours there, picnicked in the grassy area near the carpark, then drove to Chambord for a 2-3 hour visit, Our lodging that night was at a BandB near Chambord. We left the next morning for one of out longer drives, to Beaune, stopping to see Fontenay Abbey on the way. I know you won''t have a car, but if transportation to and from the chateaux is available, you will easily have enough time to see two of them. I would pick these two over Amboise chateaux. (Just my opinion.)
I also highly recommend allowing more time for Versailles. Its sheer size, with the gardens especially, require at least four hours. And that is at a tiring pace! Giverny should be awash in tulips in the spring. We were there on May 3. It was beautiful then!
Be sure to allow time in Bayeux for the tapestry and the cathedral. At your pace, two hours for both should be enough, so arrange your DDay beaches tour accordingly.
Getting to Nice will use up a lot of time. I would skip the Riviera this trip. Nice is a bit of an outlier here. Check your transportation to that area closely. Many times visitors assume that Provence and the Riviera are smaller than they are, and underestimate travel time between specific locations within them. With a car, yes, Nice is doable, but without one, hmmm. Even at the age of thirty, we didn't keep up your pace. Of course, we had four months back then, and a car for three of them.
Regardless, have a wonderful trip!

I didn't add that the four months also included Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium Austria and England!

thanks so much for the replies everyone. A couple of things

1. i can add days if i need to. It seems like i should add a day to paris if i want to go to giverny and possibly add a day to the avignon/arles/nimes/pont du gard/aix part. It seems like I still need to clean that part up and make it make as much sense given the public transportation. Any advice on how to organize the lodging? my initial plan was 2 nights avignon, 1 night aix because those seem like better locations for transportation reasons. Overall the public transportation seems to be a bigger pain in the ass than i though it would be.

2. As far as chambord and chenonceau in a day from amboise, I thought i could use a shuttle from this site though i dont think they have schedules for the spring yet.
   
   https://www.remi-centrevaldeloire.fr/tourisme/navette-chateaux/
   i think i read that generally chenonceau is easy from amboise since there is a direct 30 minute bus there and back. I don't know what the hours of the bus are though. I know chambord is harder and I have to go to blois first. chambord will be open from 9 AM to 6 PM and chenonceau from 9 to 5:30 PM so i just assumed if i start early enough i'd be able to attend both in the same day, something like 9-12:30 in one of them and 2-5:30 in the other. Any advice on how to organize this would be greatly appreciated. I can also do organized trips if I have to. I found this very expensive one https://www.getyourguide.com/saint-pierre-des-corps-l1168/chateau-chambord-and-chenonceau-with-lunch-at-family-chateau-t198052/.

3. Judy, Is Nice so out of the way? From google it seems like a 3 or 4 hour train ride from Aix and then there is a bus/train system in the area to let you go to villefranche, cap ferrat, etc. What am I missing?

4. Overall, I'd rather add days than take sites away. I don't know if or when I"ll come back to France and would rather "do it right" than take things out.

I've never been to France (outside of Paris)

...so if something doesn't make sense logistically (especially in
regards to transportation)...

Going to the Normandy beaches without a car or guide is just nonsensical. This isn't "trash" talk, it is reality from those who have actually been there. Ignore this advice at your own risk.

??Who said I'm going without a guide??
My plan for the normandy beach day is to use this: https://bayeuxsightseeingtours.com/
i'm not opposed to taking tours (though I'd much prefer not to).

also, in case i wasn't clear in my first post, i don't mind at all if people criticize the itinerary, that's actually why I'm here. I was only asking for them to also give advice on how to fix it (which everyone here has done) and not simply say something like "have you even looked at a map of france?" and nothing else.

Edit: PharmerPhil, you know a lot about d-day and visiting Normandy so any advice you have on what tour to take or how else to maximize the day will be greatly appreciated! I also thank you for making sure i wasnt planning on going solo using public transportation.

dayexday, I am glad you can add days to enhance your plans. I wish I could advise you on moving from Chenonceaux to Chambord, but, alas, I have always gone by car. If transportation between the two doesn't work out in the time frame, perhaps Azay-le-Rideau would suffice. It is also lovely. Aside from Chenonceaux, which everyone loves, you can choose from many chateaux. And you can easily do two in one day. The lengths of your visits seem about right to me. And three can be done if transport between them is good.
Regarding Nice, I admit that I have never taken the train between Aix and Nice, always having a car available. But train schedules often don't fit with one's plans for an early departure. I would hate to see you lose a lot of time in Nice due to a mid-day train. But I could be wrong about the train. I still think of Nice/Riviera as an outlier but that is just me. I no longer try to cover as much ground as I did in the past. Having just turned 80, I move more slowly.
Just check your train/bus schedules closely, and it may all work out.
Bonne chance et bon voyage!

Flixbus and BlaBlaCar Bus travel between Aix and Nice. Most are non-stop or one stop in Cannes. Nice is on their Barcelona to Milan run.

For the train, you have to change in Marseille. It's slower but more scenic.

Sorry dayexday, but your post said "day trip from bayeux to normandy beaches (I think I can do this on my own via a shuttle)" (emphasis added) As far as which guide to use, I am really not sure. I have never used a guide, and everyone who posts about whatever guide they use highly recommends them. I have never seen a negative post about any particular guide, so I am guessing there are a lot of good ones to choose from. You can do a simple search of this forum and get a bunch of recommendations. But I would start by listing what is important for you to see and let the company know that (i.e., if you are interested in more of one country's participation or want more of an overview). Also, as I advise everyone—guide or no guide—do a little learning on your own before going as to the overall scope of the battle and the lay of the land. A few hours invested in educating yourself about this pivotal moment in history with books or movies will pay off in spades—whether you hire a guide or not.

Thank again everyone. It seems like I more or less have a pretty good skeleton and now have to see how it fits with transportation and adjust accordingly.
Does anyone know how far in advance french train schedules are released? Are the schedules different in, say, March vs May?
the website to look at is https://www.sncf.com/en, right?
Bus wise, flixbus and blablacar bus are the ones to look at?

Pharmerphil, thanks for the reply. Right now the only things i know about d-day/the normandy beaches are basic and minimal. I'll do more research to see how to make the most of the day. Thanks again.