France 6 nights 5 days - Paris & ????

You could easily spend a month in Paris. Well, at least I could! If you cannot fill your five days in Paris, how about day-tripping to Giverny or another outside-the-city spot?

spend it in Paris. There area couple of dozen wonderful day trips within an hour of Paris so you can provide some variety if you wish. Many chateaux, lovely villages, small cities like Rouen and Reims. You don't IMHO have enough time for another base.

Agree with day trips-you should be able to get a book that lists your options. Personally, I would go to one of the Loire Chateaus, although that is long for a day trip. Some of them have beautiful grounds. If you are there in the summer and drive, go to one that has late hours because the late afternoon is really peaceful-no tour groups. We went to Chenenceau around 5 in July and it was both beautiful and peaceful .

For a spectacular chateau and garden that is uncrowded near Paris try Vaux le Vicomte. Fontainebleau is another and Malmaison is lovely as is Chantilly. The gardens of Rambouillet Chateau are nice to wander in and of course Paris is full of interesting gardens. Rouen has entirely different architecture from Paris and Reims, the Champagne houses. There are medieval towns like Senlis, Crecy la Chapelle, Moret sur Loing or Provins -- all easily reached on public transport.

I agree that you should spend as much time in Paris as possible. I like to characterize Paris as a big city built on a human scale. For example, there are no skyscrapers in the central part of Paris.