28 day inFrance

5 nights in Bordeaux is really a lot! One day is enough for the city proper. Do you want to do several wine tours over several days? Or to visit Arcachon? Otherwise I would look into breaking the long journey between Bordeaux and Lyon, perhaps with a night in Carcassonne or 2 nights in Nîmes, substracted from the Bordeaux nights.

Annecy would be a good alternative to Beaune. Completely different and therefore new for you. Trains are easy both from Lyon and onwards to Paris.

Versailles is very easy as a day trip from Paris, no problem there. There aren't that many hotels in Versailles for that reason (maybe 5-10?). This said, if the expensive suggestion is the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace, well...that might be worth the splurge.

And I would definitely switch the order between Champagne and Paris, unless you are willing to splurge for a transfer from Champagne to CDG (has your agent suggested anything?). A French train the morning before an international flight is too risky in most cases.

Last but not least... You say things like "we will get tour drivers". Isn't that the agent's job? Same for arranging transportation...I agree that a car does not make sense at all for your long route (and no buses will be involved - cabs are available), so will the agent book train tickets? Otherwise I wonder what the added value of the agent is?

In my experience, travel agents book awful hotels. Unless this person is a specialist in finding charming French venues, I'd do it myself. Not speaking French is a truly stupid reason to not get a car. On the other hand, this itinerary is really appropriate for train travel. The reason to have a car is to be able to explore small towns not reached easily otherwise. With 28 days, I would be tempted to organize at least a week of that in the countryside to do just that and to have a car -- and there is no reason to need to speak French to drive. We did it for decades, including before we had the terrible tourist French we now have -- did it in Italy as well when we had 8 phrases of Italian. It is ideal for exploring small towns. We have done it in Tuscany, in Provence, on the Riviera, in the Dordogne, in Normandy and in Burgundy. I'd consider booking a cottage in a small Burgundy town and using it as a base rather than Beaune.

I'd spend less time in Bordeaux and agree that Annecy would be a delightful spot rather than Beaune. We once spent a week in Semur en Auxois in a rental cottage at the base of the walls and it was just wonderful. We used it as a base for touring Burgundy -- And we had a car -- this is the kind of travel where you do need a car.

You should finish in Paris not Reims as it is easy to get to the airport from Paris. 5 nights in Champagne country seems like a lot unless you are obsessed with Champagne and want to tour all the houses. But definitely finish in Paris. The fact that your agent suggests finishing in Champagne and then having to get to CDG for a flight tells me that she is not all that when it comes to sensible travel plans. If you do want to spend a lot of time in Champagne, then again a rental with a car is the way to go and you could go from Burgundy and a rental, to one in Champagne, then drop the car on the way into Paris and finish.

For Lyon -- I suggest you book a guide for the traboules - so many are now closed to tourists and some private guides have access.

I assume you told the travel agent you wanted a wine trip, because that's the way the itinerary reads to me. Nothing wrong with that if it's what you want.

As for the hotels, I stay in cheap places so wouldn't be able to make suggestions useful to you. However, I trust you realize that high-end hotels pay travel agents commissions--a percentage of the rate you pay. An unethical agent has a vested interest in recommending the most expensive places he or she thinks you'll be willing to pay for rather than a charming, less expensive place. I have no idea whether that's what's going on with your agent. Good agents can add value by doing things like getting upgrades for you. Unfortunately, not all agents are good.

The key with a getting a good travel agent is finding one with actual experience with the places they are asked to find, and which they recommend. Based on some of the suggestions I'm not sure that this particular person has ever visited France.

Some people who don't have actual experience rely on the big book of places providing commissions or on the internet (you could do that yourself!!)

From your other post (Welcome to the Travel Forums, by the way, RGB!!) you said "Don't want to visit a lot of cathedrals--have already done that in Europe. Don't want to just spend the time eating and drinking wine." It sounds like you are being given a lot - a lot - of opportunities to do just that.

And - again from your other post where you talk about driving in France from Italy to Paris - you can already see what is the truth about needing to speak French to be able to drive a car in France.

I'm very surprised that you will be left to find your own drivers or guides. That's where travel agents make a lot of their money...

So, for those of you who have been before, where would you go in a 28-day itinerary? Here again is my suggested plan:
Loire Valley
8/24-8/28
Bordeaux
8/28-9-2
Lyon
9/2-9/7
Beaune (but don't want to do again; going to research your suggestions)
9/7-9/10
Versailles (Plan to add day or two to Paris and travel to Versailles instead)
9/10-9/12
Paris
9/12-9/17
Champagne 9/17-9/22 (Plan to switch with Paris)
Have been to Paris for 3 nights, Beaune 3 nights, drove up from Italy below Grenoble area and stayed 3-4 nights a few years ago.
Where would you put a a visit to Omaha Beach, etc., including possibly staying at Mont St. Michael, in addition to some of your other sugggestions? Really need your ideas that I can work into the existing plan easily, as some of those area hotels are on hold so we know we have them.

I agree with the suggestion to go to Annecy instead of Beaune. We just spent a few days there and it was WONDERFUL. The buses are really easy to use- we stayed at an airbnb close to the train station but, in retrospect, it wouldn't have been hard to stay at a hotel in one of the smaller towns around the lake and bike or bus to Annecy.

What is your concern about bags? Too many or not enough space? Are you traveling solo? My wife and I just went with our toddler so were at times traveling with suitcases, stroller, and car seat/pack and play. Yes, it was a slog (and HOT) but doable.

While we are big fans of trains, I think a car would be useful to tour the Loire. My husband has driven in France and (reluctantly) in the UK, and France was much easier, but at the time, we needed cash for the many tolls. You need to get Rick Steves' Best of France-he does a great job describing transportation options in great detail, including where in Loire to pick up and drop off car rather than driving to or from Paris.