Need itinerary help-Paris-Strasbourg-??

Hi!
With 8 nights, I would stick with Paris + Strasbourg. 3 nights in Paris is really short, you need 5 if you want to see the highlights + Versailles. And 3 nights in Strasbourg is better too, it lets you visit Colmar as well.
Also, because you cannot sleep in Strasbourg if you have a flight out of Paris, I would start with Strasbourg. There are trains from CDG airport to Strasbourg, so you can easily get there on arrival (book your train 3 hrs. after landing). If train times from CDG do not work (there is a big gap in the PM), a train from Paris Gare de l'Est (booked 4 hrs. after landing) works as well.

I agree entirely with Balso -- for 8 nights I'd stick with two destinations, and I'd start with Strasbourg so you end in Paris. You could always do day trips out from Paris if you're concerned you'll want some variety from the big city, but as it's your first time in France I doubt you will exhaust the possibilities in Paris alone in 5 nights.

Thank you! And do you think Strasbourg is a good choice for a second location?

Strasbourg is a very good choice in my opinion. It's a vibrant town/small city*, very different from Paris too so it will let you see a different side of France.

*Small by American standards, but still among top 10 french cities as Kerouac2 rightfully pointed out below!

I think Strasbourg is a fine choice for a second location! Around that time of year, you might see some Easter markets and decorations in Alsace - nothing as grand as the Christmas markets, but still fun. Since you have limited time, I think it makes sense to have someplace with such an easy direct connection to Paris as well.

Thank you all!!!

I did what Balso suggested. We landed in CDG, walked to the train station in the center of Terminal 2 & got our direct train to Strasbourg, 3 hrs. after landing. Took about an hour or so to get through Immigration & Customs. Booked our train tickets about 3 + months out of departure, got first class seats at a good price. From Strasbourg you can catch the train, same day purchase, to Colmar, roughly 30 min. away. Both cities centers are walking distance from the train stations.
Enjoy your trip.

We have been to all 3 that you mention and all are worth visiting. Often, though, less is more. You lose from a few hours to a half-day each time you make a change in location when you count the time from checking out of the hotel, going to new city, dropping off bags at new hotel. So I'd do 5 nites in Paris, 3 in Strasbourg. In Strasbourg you can do day a day trip to Colmar and/or take a wine tour of Alsace.

Personally I would do the trip as 3 nites in Paris, 3 in Strasbourg, then 2 more in Paris. You'll fly out from Paris I'm assuming. So you don't want to count on getting to CDG from Strasbourg. At the start of the trip you could (on paper) take the TGV from CDG to Strasbourg. And usually it will work. But I wouldn't advise it. I only take a train to another city if there are frequent trains and the walk-up fare isn't too much. Neither condition holds for the TGV. So you'd need to build in a buffer in case your flight is delayed, and sitting in a train station after a flight for a few hours isn't a fun way to start a trip. Instead if you're starting in Paris then you simply take a taxi or the RER into town, drop your bags, and start exploring. No matter how delayed your flight is. And you can buy the cheapest TGV fare since you're certain to make the train after being in Paris a few days.