Hi Sharon,
You need a week in Paris and that does not include day trips. When visiting Paris, you want to explore the neighborhoods, museums, parks, etc.
Normandy is not a day trip from Paris and you need a car unless you take a tour. You need a minimum of two nights in Normandy and I suggest sleeping in Bayeux and make sure you see its famous medieval tapestry.

Have you been to Paris before? What do you want to see in Paris? I think that much of your time would be spent in traveling from Point A to Point B. Are you a country mouse or a city mouse? This seems like either two separate trips to me or see Paris and move to just one other site. Where will you fly out of? If you can do an open jaw, you could fly into Paris and out of Nice, perhaps.

Add an extra day in Paris if you are not limited on time. A day trip to Normandy is doable, but it is a 13-15 hour day and takes planning and coordination. It also depends on what you want to see. Many tour companies for Normandy have eliminated some sites. Pay close attention to their itinerary and see if it fits the areas you want to see. Here is a sight which shows many selections of Normandy tours from different starting points including Paris.

https://www.viator.com/searchResults/all?text=Normandy+Tours&destId=479

This trip seems awfully fast paced. Keep in mind that 2 nights somewhere gives you only one full day, 3 nights = 2 full days, etc. Don’t underestimate the time it takes to change locations, even if they aren’t a long distance such as Avignon-Aix-Nice. With 9 nights in the south of France I personally would split that time between 2 locations, Avignon or Aix and Nice. I would also give more time to Paris, especially if this is your first time there. If you can find 2 nights for Bayeux to allow for a D-Day tour it would be even better. Trying to see it from Paris will give you a very short time in Normandy.

With this itinerary would you be flying into Paris out out of Nice?

I agree with # 2 --- much too much and too much time wasted on logistics. I'd cut Avignon and add those 3 nights one to Paris and 2 to Bayeux for the Normandy beaches. This is not a day trip from Paris. If it is important to you spend a night or two in Bayeux and take a tour. Overlord is good.

If you are flying in and out of Paris then finish in Paris. Two nights is one day and any day you switch location is mostly lost to logistics. You currently have 3 full days for Paris and a day trip that will be misery if undertaken.

If you want to go south, I'd start there, in Nice and do Nice and Aix then return and finish in Paris. If Normandy is a must then do the south and then head for Bayeux on one long day on trains and finish in Paris to be there to go home. Otherwise you end up losing your best travel day, the day before you fly home, to logistics of getting back to Paris.

If you are flying home from Nice, then start in Normandy, do Paris then head for Aix and then Nice. That is already rushed, you don't have time for Avignon which is my least favorite of the destinations noted here.

I agree that the timing is aggressive and will force you to shortchange many of your destinations, but should you decide to continue with the original list of overnight stops, be aware that Arles, St-Remy and Les-Baux should be visited from Avignon rather than Aix-en-Provence, based on geographical proximity.

Thanks everyone!! This is very helpful. The last thing we want to do is rush and short change our destinations. I'm wondering if you have replacement suggestions for any of the cities I've picked that are easy to travel to without a car? Definitely want to go to Paris. We are fine taking tours We would prefer train rides under or around 3 hours. What two or three other places would you recommend? We like small group tours of the main attractions but also time to explore on our own. We are active, food, culture, history, scenery, big city, quaint towns.....a little bit of everything. Probably no more than 16 night total.
Paris 7 nights....

2 ?

3 ?

4 only if it works

Uh oh...you've hit on one of the weird formatting things on the forum! I'm not sure what symbol you used in front of your numbers 2, 3 and 4 but if you edit your post and remove them your text will return to "normal" size, lol.

BTW, I agree with the others upthread especially about actually doing 2 nights in Bayeux. It's an awesome area especially if one of you has an interest in WWII. DDay landing tours are awesome.