Itinerary Question

If your flight home is from Paris, I would do Paris last so as to simplify getting the departure flight

Joe makes a good point, but if you'll have flown to France overnight you might also consider using Paris to recover from your jet lag, spending your first few days there before getting behind the wheel -- which would be the best way to connect and explore the three regions you want to visit. Take a train to either Caen or Tours, depending on whether you want to start with Normandy or the Loire, rent the car, and start your clockwise or counterclockwise road trip. Either return to Paris by train for a few days at the end or drive right to CDG and spend your last night in an airport hotel, especially if your flight home leaves in the morning.

Try to make it 16 days if you can, because you're looking at three regions and a big city that could each fill a week -- Paris longer of course. Have fun putting this together!

For me no doubt, Paris at the end for the same reasons as JOE32F.
If not, you'll want to be close to the airport before leaving, will have to sleep around therefore loosing a night

For the reasons listed by previous posters, I'd suggest saving Paris for the grand finale.
Jet lag is a real consideration. Most people don't think it's a good idea to drive on your arrival day, so what about staying near (or at) the airport your first night and just go into Paris for the Wow factor. You don't have to do much, just walk around, see some of the main sights (Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, whatever is on your list), then sleep and head out of Paris the next day. I've always found it thrilling just to actually see with my own eyes the things that are found only in Paris. You don't have to go in any of them, just stroll around.
Car or train? Lots of debate about which is best. We've done both. I like zipping to another city on the train on arrival day, but we've also rented a car at the airport and driven out. That gives you more flexibility than the train. If you do that, I'd suggest you not drive far either on arrival day or even the day after. Jet lag is real. It can impact decision making and reaction time.
Your loop will entail a lot of travel, resulting in less stay-time in each locale (Loire, Britany and Normandy), but vacations are never long enough, are they? You should have a wonderful time.

We just returned from a trip to France, and stayed in Paris at the beginning and the end of the trip (same hotel both times-the Hotel des Grandes Ecoles.

MW,

If you can swing it, the idea suggested by others to begin outside of Paris is a good one. It's a little easier to get to the Loire on your first day, in fact you can probably get away with waiting until Day 2 to pick up your rental auto if you stay in Amboise. There is even a 9:20 direct train from deGaulle.

A similar strategy is first night in Chartres, though you will have to go to Montparnasse to catch that train.

My opinion is Paris last. I have twice taken the tgv from cdg to tours and picked up the car there. Easy, and relatively cheap and fast. Trains at 820, 920 and 1120, at the least.

When I went to the Loire, we took the train from CDG to Tours and picked up our car there and drove on to our hotel in Amboise and did our trip and finished in Paris.
Mike

We flew into Paris, rented a car and immediately drove to Giverny. Then to Rouen, Honfleur, and on to Normandy. Then to Mont St Michel for a night and on to Loire Valley. Were there 4 nights and then back to Paris for 5 nights. It was a great 2 week trip!

I'll add my two francs. I suggest chilling out in Paris a day or two post long flight and get your bearings. Paris is so beautiful and great to just walk around to normalize yourselves. You may have some ideas as to what to see or visit and can narrow that down at the beginning of your trip and/or prioritize for the last part of your trip.

When I made a similar trip, I flew into Paris for three nights, then trained to Rouen where I looked around a few hours and rented a car. After that I spent two days in Normandie, Etretat and Fecamp one day and Bayeux and Mt. St. Michel the next. I skipped Honfleur because I was going to Brittany and I felt there would be similar, but less touristy, port towns there. I didn't visit Caen (but have been to Le Havre on a separate trip) and regret missing it. I'm less interested in WWII than I am in Norman history.

From Mt. St. Michel I stayed in Cancale, Dinan, Lampau-Guimiliau, and Vannes in Brittany. Places I visited that I think most people would enjoy are Cancale (really the best oysters I've ever eaten), St. Malo (Nice walled town, beach and walk to fortifications at low tide. The town itself is pretty touristy), Dinan (nice old center and separate port area), Ft. La Latte (nice old castle overlooking the northern Brittany sea cliffs), Locronan (beautiful town of all granite used in many films/tv shows), Auray (nice small port town) and Vannes (bigger port town with a surprisingly large medieval center).

I went to the northwest to see the Parish Close architecture. It's unique and not touristy but probably too out of the way for most people. If you can visit a "Pardon" (community festival that includes traditional food, music, costume and dance) while in Brittany, you should. They go from Spring through summer at towns all over the peninsula.

Carnac was convenient from Vannes (or Auray) and I took a ferry to see Cairns Gavrinis. The guided trip, from Larmor-Baden, is only in French but something few Americans visit and a highlight for me.

After Brittany, I drove to Chinon via Fontevraud Abbey. I felt the Abbey (with tombs of Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son Richard the Lion Heart) and the Fortress in Chinon were different from the typical Loire Chateaux. In Chinon, I traded my car for a bicycle and rode to Amboise via Villandry. I saw the gardens of Villandry, then the Chateaux Chenonceaux, Amboise and Clos Luce. Turned in my bike and took a train back into Paris. I can't recall if I stayed two or three nights in Paris before catching a flight home?

I wanted to see Chartres on the way back to Paris. It may have worked well if I still had the car. It's not out of the way but wasn't convenient by train so I saw it on another trip as a day trip from Paris.