Possible itinerary for 12 days to France in September (No Paris this time)

I would certainly recommend Giverny if you are interested in Monet, or just love beautiful gardens. Peter

I have been to Honfleur, Arles and Giverny and enjoyed staying in each one of them. They have charm and lovely settings and are worth an overnight stay.

Just out of curiosity, why do you refuse to drive or fly in Europe?

Five cities in 14 days is too many, particularly with some of those long train rides. In addition, you have to spend a day getting from the airport to your first stop. Finally, I don’t think Honfleur has train service.

I had good experiences in each of these places.

You need to plan your trip by counting nights.
Example:
night 1, 2 Giverny Gives you 1 full day in Giverny
3,4,5, Amboise. Gives you 2 full days in Amboise
6,7 Saint Emilion Gives you 1 full day in SE
8, 9, 10 11, 12 Arles Gives you 4 full days in Arles
13 Airport hotel

For two weeks, I would suggest that you focus on a specific region of the country, rather than cities so far apart. For example, you could visit St-Emilion and Bordeaux, though to go further east into the Dordogne (beautiful part of the country) without a car would be more difficult. Or you could visit the north, including Honfleur and Giverny, in addition to Rouen and nearby locales. And in Provence, you could visit Arles, Avignon, and Aix-en-Provence (smaller towns will be more difficult without a car). From any of those locations, you could take a day-long tour to see more of the countryside.

I am curious about your use of the word "refuse" in relation to driving or flying in Europe.