Suggestions for Loire and Alsace

My trip report from 2019 covers several areas of France you’re considering. Have a great time!

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/our-combined-solo-couple-vacation-in-france-2019

We didn’t go to Dijon on previous trips, but we did stay in Lyon for a few nights and liked the museums in the city very much plus the Vieux Lyon section of the city. Be sure to walk through some of the traboules- read the history of them before you go there.

Sean,
I wouldn't visit the Loire Valley chateaux as day trips from Chartres. Go from Paris to Amboise and stay there three nights so you have two full days to see the chateaux. There are buses or local tours to get to them without a car. I don't know the specifics since we always have a car, but some people on this forum can offer advice about that. Besides the chateaux there are troglodyte villages, wineries and gardens.

Visit Chartres either as a day trip from Paris, or spend one night there after the Loire Valley and stay the night to see the illuminations in the town, as well as the famous cathedral. Two nights in Reims is sufficient...see the cathedral, the Musee de Rendition, and visit a champagne house. Return to Paris the next day to catch a TGV to Alsace (Colmar). Your plan on four nights there is good.

Lyon or Dijon? No opinion here as I haven't visited Lyon and had a short overnight once in Dijon. There is a TGV to Lyon (probably Dijon too), so once again, a not-long train ride.

You've made some good decisions for your 19 nights in France and how long to stay in various loications. Moving around by train often involves routing back to Paris as the transportation hub, but all the train trips in your agenda are short ones (less than 3 hours), and are frequent, I believe. The only nuisance would be if you have to change train stations to go to your next location. You could be lucky and, say, arrive at Gare Du Nord not long before your train from there to Reims. I won't presume to figure out these arrangements, but it does seem very doable.

Have a great trip!

You might consider going to Reims when you first arrive in France and having all of your Paris time at once at the end of the trip instead stead of breaking your time up there. That way you have 6 nights (5 full days) in Paris instead of 4 nights (3 full days) and 2 nights (1 full day). I’ve not been to Dijon, but I really liked Lyon.

I really enjoyed Colmar and although I didn't do day trips think 4 nights/3 full days in the area is good. I spent 3 nights, so 2 full days, and wound up spending both full days in Colmar it was so much fun. I do recommend stopping at the TI office and getting the DIY walking tour map. There were QR codes outside the sites on the map for more information so it will work better if you have cell phone data so you can access them. There are also day tours to the wine villages thru the TI. I did not do any of them so no recommendations.

I stayed in the pedestrian area in Hotel Saint-Martin and had a great experience.

Thank you for the responses so far! I love hearing input and being able to adjust my plans for the better.

Based on Judy's input, I think we'll just stay a night or two in Chartres to see the Cathedral lights, and add Amboise for the chateaux visits. I'll drop Dijon/Lyon from the plans since that stop was not top priority for us.

Does anyone know of a good way to visit the chateaux at Chenonceau and Chambord without needing to rent a car? Is there an easy bus or train option from Amboise?

Based on what I've read, people have split opinions on staying in Strasbourg versus staying in Colmar. Perhaps we'll stay 2 nights in each to experience both.

Again, please keep your suggestions coming.

Thank you!