Seeking itinerary advice (or sanity check!) for Paris-Amboise-Beaune-Brussels trip

Everybody has their own idea of the ideal trip so I don't think my trip should be your trip. That said, I'd drop Brussels and stay in France. Brussels is great, I want to go back, and I'd also like to see Bruges and Ghent. So I'm not saying its not worth seeing Brussels. But by the time all is said and done it will cost you much of a day from the time you get on the train in Dijon to the time you have dropped your bags at the hotel in Brussels and are out walking around. Plus Amboise to Beaune is about a 4 hour drive, leaving you only that afternoon and the next day for the Burgundy region. And if I understand your plan right you leave Paris, stop at Saint Pierre Des Corps to get the car and continue on to Amboise; so again, part of an afternoon and the next day to see all of the Loire region.

So for me this trip would be not enough time in too many places.

Opinions may differ, you'll see what others think...

Thank you! Yes, I realized that today about the 4 hour drive, though it seemed it might be pleasant and we could stop in a few places on the way. But I know we are at the edge of trying to do too much. Brussels/Belgium is a must, as we have friends there who we'd like to visit and will assist with our touring around the country. But I am open to suggestions on how better to optimize our France time.

We love France! We love Paris, Loire Valley and Burgundy!

When you say two days and two nights, it will really be a day and half after you arrive. Of course it can be done, but you will hardly get a taste of the area you are visiting. I would encourage you to add another night to Paris so you'll have three full days and add another night each to Loire and Burgundy.

We loved staying in a more central area in Paris closer to the Notre Dame. We loved the Latin Quarter.

I would highly suggest you stay here: http://www.acarpediem.com which is a distance from Beaune. We went to Beaune for the day, and it was ok, but we much prefer all the little villages closer to the B & B. Look it up on Tripadvisor and you will find it get amazing reviews. We have stayed twice and it is a highlight for us, and the area is wonderful.

Another suggestion in the Loire valley is staying here: www.leclosdelachesneraie.com The whole area is beautiful and deserves more time.

I don't know how much time you have, but I would drop Brussels and enjoy France. We have been to Burgundy twice for over a week, so there is plenty to do with a car.

We had no trouble getting our automatic car, and in all our car rentals we've never had a problem.

France should be savored, not rushed!

since you have to go to Brussels, i would drop Amboise (make that another trip ) and one overnight along the way to Beaune , then either Dijon or the Beaune area , then over to Strassbourg, then Brussels,
I find Google maps is great for getting a handle on routes, time to travel, etc click directions, and put in the stops on your route.
I could suggest stops between Paris and Beaune , for example St Sabine( Chateau-neuf) or another stop i would have to dig for the name.

A small consideration for Burgundy in Sept--that is harvest season. And although distances are short, tractor traffic can slow things down. I was surprised at how pokey it was getting up to Beaune last fall. You need to be patient. :-)

Also car drop/train station in Dijon is quite good and efficient.

Thanks to all of you for your advice and suggestions so far. The bit about the automatic transmission rentals is reassuring- Tours airport is close and the rental companies all have counters there too, which should work as a backup.

We would still like to see Loire Valley and Burgundy, and the drive between the two through the countryside seems like it could be beautiful, but I will do some more thinking there. One thing I think I've decided as a result of your feedback is to forget Dijon- we'll just return the car in Beaune, where we're staying, and get the train directly from there for our next leg. Seems there are some connections that should work.

Right now we are planning to stay in Chateau de Pray near Amboise (car required) and Hotel Abbaye de Maizières in Beaune (car not required, but useful for area sightseeing it appears).

Beaune and Dijon are quite close, and Dijon is a more major city with a larger train station and rental car options. You will probably find you need to drop the car in Dijon. And as you've noted, that's where the TGV leaves from which, given your time situation, might be a better choice.

A great place outside Beaune and Dijon is Abbaye de la Bussiere

http://www.abbayedelabussiere.fr/fr/

Chateau du Pray is a great place too.

Make sure you are aware of the lunch time for the car rentals at St. Pierre de Corps. They close up for lunch. I don't remember the timing but I do know we ran in order to get there before they closed because we didn't want to sit there waiting for an hour and a half.

Your plan would be rushed from my perspective, but I think it's doable. The double car reservation might improve your chance of getting an automatic, but you could still lose it in the days after cancelling one of them.

The drive across to Burgundy takes you pretty close to Vezelay, with it's amazing Romanesque basilica on a hilltop overlooking the countryside. The route via Vierzon and Auxerre, though slower, might be more scenic. But it will take the best part of a day if you stop to smell the roses or vineyards or whatever.

Given your timetable, I wouldn't spend time in Dijon except for train purposes. The real time waster on this itinerary, I think, is the separate trains from Dijon to Paris, then Paris to Brussels, including a transit through Paris between stations. But that's the French rail system! Exploring in the D Bahn website might yield a better alternative.

On the other hand, while this is your first trip to France, do you have any reason to assume it will be your last? If not, please consider giving Paris that whole week instead of trying to spread yourselves across three regions before Belgium. You will find plenty to see and do in Paris, and you could take a day trip by train to Versailles or Giverny or Chartres or lots of other places if you want to get out of the city. Burgundy and the Loire could each consume a week -- perhaps on your next trip? And staying in Paris would eliminate all the questions your message raises. Don't worry -- be happy! ;-)

Day 4 Train from Paris to Saint Pierre Des Corps. Pick up rental car. Drive to Amboise - 2 nights.
Day 5 Visit chateaux - Chenonceaux, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau (??)
Day 6 Drive via stops at Chambord (??) and Vézelay to Beaune - 2 nights
http://en.vezelaytourisme.com/
Day 7 Explore Beaune and surrounds, returning rental car at some stage.
Day 8 Morning train from Beaune to Dijon. Store bags at station. Explore old city. Evening trains to Paris-Brussels.
http://www.gares-sncf.com/fr/gare/fraba/dijon/services/consignes-manuelles

Oh I should mention there's a special procedure you're supposed to follow when returning rental cars to the Dijon station parking structure. The Avis agent gave us a little map, which helped but we still had to look for little signs with rental company logos and enter the proper gate. Might not hurt to ask them well before you try it.

Thanks phred. We can drop the car in Beaune, since there's a europcar branch there. Thinking of dropping the car the night before and getting a morning train from Beaune without stress. Still not sure what the best train will be- it seems there is direct TGV service from Lyon to Brussels (presumably through Paris, but it's one train), so some of the options on the rail site would have us going south to head back north. No great rail options, apparently, but I'm not worried about a couple of lost hours in the grand scheme of things.

" it seems there is direct TGV service from Lyon to Brussels (presumably through Paris, but it's one train),"

I haven't looked recently at schedules, but some trains from Lyon to Brussels go through the Paris Disneyland and CDG Airport stops, and thus go around Paris rather than through it. By doing this, you avoid having to change stations in Paris itself, so those are the ones to look for.