Help...itinerary reality check

Do you have the apartment rented for the whole time? I am a little confused at the returns to Paris every time you go someplace else....
Yes, you might want to reserve your car now. I would not prepay but go to a site like Priceline and find the current lowest price available for the time you need it. Then, check back in a week or two and see if the rates have gone down. If so, cancel current reservation and make new ones.

I don't use the train often... wait for a train expert to guide you there.
I often travel without hotel reservations, but sometimes it is a good idea (Mont St. Michel, for example) if you are going there.

This will be a fun and packed 3 weeks, but you can make things easier on yourself if you consolidate all those chopped up chunks of Paris. Note that Annecy is sort of an outlier that will take time to get too & from.

Here is one way to do that, supposing your flight home does not leave until the afternoon.

Day 1-6 Paris, including day trips to Versailles & Giverny. Note: Giverney won't take all day.
Day 7 Train or drive to Caen, 2 nights in Bayeux
Day 8 D-Day beaches & Bayeux.
Day 9 Tour the Norman countryside a bit and arrive at Mont St, Michel in the afternoon. Sleep there.
Day 10 Drive to Amboise. Lunch in Fougeres. 2 nights in Amboise
Day 11 Loire bike tour
Day 12 Train to Annecy (2 nights). This is a long trip, you could consider an overnight in Lyon. But it clears the decks for the rest of your trip.
Day 13 Annecy tour.
Day 14 Drive or train to Beaune, 4 nights.
Day 15-17 Burgundy tours
3 additional days added to the above, your choice
Day 21 Early morning train to Charles deGaulle airport.

Ending in Beaune lets you take that train. Consolidating the Paris days gives you a ton of extra time. If you are willing to give up Annecy you can drive from the Loire to northern Burgundy and spend a night in Vezeley or other town.

Whatever you decide, have a great time!

I should have noted that I have the apartment in Paris to come and go for the entire trip (without cost). That is why my itinerary has trips out to different regions and back, but if that isn't the best overall use of time/days then I can rearrange.

Thanks for any recommendations!

Re Paris: The issue isn't cost, it's use of time. If you were touring New England you would not return to new York ever couple of days even if you had an apartment there.

In your case you can avoid many hours in transit, and the hassle of repacking, by consolidating your Paris time together.

If it's not obviously an advantage for you, you do not have to take my advice. But to me it just stood out in big red letters.

How about recruiting volunteers from this board to "look after" that apartment while you tour around France? ;) You're lucky to have such flexible no-cost housing.

I think Adam's plan, or some variant, makes more sense than going in and out of Paris so much. And I would do the non-Paris parts of the trip by car if you're comfortable driving. It isn't difficult in France, and gives you a lot of flexibility. You could spend the first and last parts of the trip in Paris, with the other areas in between.

Assuming you are flying to Paris (CDG), I would suggest you buy your museum pass and some metro tickets while you are there.

It sounds like a great trip! Just a comment about driving in France...while the roads are generally excellent and well sign-posted, please be aware that some caution is necessary for American drivers. On the highways, the traffic in the center lane moves VERY fast in France. Be very cautious before pulling out into the center lane to pass a truck, because the oncoming traffic will be on you faster than you think possible. Also, it pays to master a few French highway phrases, such as "Autres directions" (all other directions), "Centre ville" (town center), and "Aire" (a roadside rest stop, either with our without services). And if you have not driven before in Europe, be aware that road signs are generally marked by the city to which you are heading, not necessarily by road numbers. So you need to know, for example, that your destination lies on the road to Bayeux, not just the highway number marked on the map. But overall, we have had great experiences road tripping in France, so happy travels!

Thanks for the recommendations everyone! After reading and considering these it definitely makes sense to not return to Paris after every excursion to another area. I like the Normandy/Loire combination.
The advice for renting a car versus using the train.... what car rental companies should I look at? Is the cost comparable to a train pass or individual train tickets? Is it more convenient, etc etc?
Merci,
Chris

The French trains are great, but do not go everywhere and not always in a straight line. I encourage you to make your own comparisons by consulting the German rail site for trains http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/index.shtml and Viamichelin.com for driving. Add perhaps 25-30% to Michelin driving times to be realistic.

I think you will find that to swing though Normandy to the Loire as suggested a car is nearly essential. You will also need a car to visit chateaux in the Loire, unless you have good weather and a bicycle. And to see the countryside you will need wheels.

Take into account that a car can be a hassle when you don't need it, such as in cities. I suspect you will conclude that a mix of train and auto, perhaps even 2 separate rentals, will serve you best. That is not unusual.

It looks like your questions were answered well.

I like the idea of "letting" some of us help with your apartment :O) My hubby & I will only be in Paris (1st trip EVER) from may 13th -16th & would ever so graciously help you out there :) hehehehe

I seriously am starting to feel like I am waaaaaay behind the 8 ball in our trip planning....which is obviously next month for 1 week in Paris & Strasbourg and the only thing we have confirmed thus far...airfare!

Thanks for all of your suggestions... I am working on re-adjusting the itinerary to rent a car for 9-10 days and go from Paris-Normandy-Loire-Burgundy and back. The cost is about the same as trains & a couple of one day car rentals. Now just to find available lodging on the specific dates!
Kingsmountain - unfortunately I will be in the apartment from the 13-18. Vacant 19-25th.
Happy travels!

I'd recommend Hotel la Villa Fleurie in Beaune. Mme Chartier is very welcoming and it's an easy walk to the Hotel Dieu and restaurants. Gosh, it's been 10 yrs since we stayed in a great B & B across the river in Amboise. Sylvie & Thierry Lebouc @ Le Clos Des Vignes. You'd need to check online to see if they're still in the business.

You're lucky to have the use of the apt in Paris! Enjoy every minute of your visit. There's a special Van Gogh exhibit at the D'Orsay, and if you like Impressionism, visit the Marmottan (Monet) plus there's a special exhibit of Impressionist paintings from private collections there now.

Either the Seine River cruise or the hop-on-hop off bus at the beginning of your trip will help orient you to Paris. A laminated Streetwise map is also helpful.

On the way from MSN to The Loire Valley are both Vitré and Le Mans with their very nice historical city-centres worth a (short?) visit. Consider Musée du 24 Heures du Mans if you like race-cars.
To my opinion a car gives more flexibility in this itinerary, gives room to change your mind on the way and it's easier to go to out-of-the-way places when needed.

Thanks to everyone for the very helpful recommendations! The itinerary is now set (and booked) with a continuous 9 day car rental adventure in the middle of the trip. Here is what it now looks like:

Day 1 - 5 in Paris including a day in Versailles.
Day 6 - Pick up car rental. Giverny/Money (a.m.), Bayeux - Tapestry, Cathedral (p.m.). Overnight in Bayeux.
Day 7 - DDay Beaches & sights. Overnight in Bayeux.
Day 8 - To Mont St Michel. Overnight on MSM.
Day 9 - Drive to Amboise. Possible stops in Fougeres and/or Le Mans. See Amboise. Overnight in Amboise.
Day 10 - Loire chateau - Chenenceau by bike tour. Overnight in Amboise.
Day 11 - Drive to Beaune. Tour sights in Beaune.
Day 12 - Bike tour of Burgundy south.
Day 13 - Car & tour of Burgundy north - Route de Grand Crus
Day 14 - Travel back to Paris, OR to Annecy (weather dependent).
Day 15 - Paris or return from Annecy.
Day 16-18 - Open
Day 19 & 20 - Paris

OHMYGOD, CC! YOU'VE GOT IT TOTALLY WRONG! Just kidding. have a ball. Just remember to take some time along the way not trying to get anywhere. cheers.

Tabmk... haha! It's too late to change now, everything is booked!

We often book cars from Budget..seem to have the best values.

We often book cars from Budget..seem to have the best values.

I used auto Europe for the car rental. It seemed very reasonable. $440 for 9 days including all the insurance coverages, for a compact model. I will have to navigate my way out of Paris. Gas and tolls will probably be more than the rental!

All sounds great, but if you have a gps with European Maps, it is a big help driving around France. That lady on the GPS has it down pretty good. We just took our Garmin and it worked great.

Fougeres is a great place to spend a couple of hours. Beautiful town. Our RS book said not to bother going inside the actual castle so we went up to the church and got a great view from there, then spent some time walking around the moat and through the town. Hope you can fit it in!