Thoughts on Itinerary Flying into Paris

Swag, I think it basically works.

I'm assuming you are getting a second car in Burgundy. Otherwise 5 nights in Beaune is, frankly, too much. Beaune makes a good base for a lot of sightseeing, though.

I can't comment on the Uber thing generally, but Burgundy is pretty rural. Depending on where you want to go, you might be advised to make more definite arrangements with a driver before you leave.

The Bayeux-Beaune train ride is indeed a bear. I say it is worth it. Consider breaking your trip for lunch in Paris. You have to change train stations anyway.

Based on your tastes, you might consider spending your last night in Vezeley. OK, this entails (1) a car and (2) another change of venue, but check it out in some guidebooks. You might really like it. Under this scenario you would return your car in Auxerre and take the train from there to Paris.

Have a blast.

Have a blast.

Your first day is also no picnic, but it's not a bad use of your time.

Sounds like I could do a day trip to Vézelay as well. Just an hour and a half?

Why not go straight to Bayeux when you land? This has become my favorite tactic if you intend to move on from your arrival city. You’re usually too tired to really do or enjoy anything. Especially if you’re arriving that early, use those jet-lagged hours to get to Bayeux. The train is more spacious and relaxing than your plane ride, conducive to napping. Your next morning will be in a quiet town, and you’ll know you can relax without worrying about moving again. I haven’t researched it, but there are regional trains that run straight from CDG. Bayeux might be one of them. Even if you had to go into Paris first, it’s worthwhile.

In rural areas, Uber will cost you a fortune.

Uber cannot pick up passengers until you have paid for their services by app.
Uber cannot pick up passengers at the airports or train stations unless you have paid for them by app.

Uber cannot use the dedicated bus lanes provided by the city of Paris, so will be slower than usual coming into Paris.

Just use a regular Parisien taxi, instead. There's no difference between Uber and a Parisien taxi. You just go to the nearest busy intersection and hail a taxi - like in New York.
Red means it's unavailable, Green means it's available.
There are flat fees now - 50 to 55 EU, depending on your choice of Left or Right Bank hotels.

It is smart to end in Paris where you will catch the flight home. I would not waste that first jet lagged day, but would go immediately to Bayeux. You can get very cheap PREM tickets when you book 3 mos or so out; I think we paid 15 E for ours. Pick a time well after arrival-- 4 hours minimum and then take a cab to St. Lazare for the train. Add that extra day onto the end of your trip in Paris. Use jet lag day to get to your furthest point since it is a waste anyway, waste it on onward travel. May have misread your plan and you may well be doing that -- I read day one as arrival day, but you may be talking about departure day. If so, good plan.

You can easily do Normandy sites you list with small tours, but you really need a car for Burgundy to see the many towns, abbeys etc in this gorgeous area. And then I would drive to Paris and drop the car at Orly on the way in and take a cab to the hotel for 30 or 35 Euro. I would not base in a large city like Beaune and that place doesn't need more than a day.

Five nights in Beaune sounds great. At least a day in town, two days out on the Voie des Vignes by bike, day trip to Dijon for a day by train and spend late afternoons and evenings wine tasting and dinner in town. Make sure to have dinner reservations as anything decent is booked ahead. As of last May Uber wasn't available in Beaune. Jardins de Lois was perfect.

Thanks everybody for great advice!

Why is arrival day prior to 9 am a wasted day? I don't see that way at all. Arriving at CDG prior to 11 am is ideal. Forget using Uber.

Fred, many of us don't sleep much on overnight flights, so we are barely semi-functional on arrival day. You are a (lucky) unicorn!

Fred, I agree, last Europe trip we got in around 11:00am and by time we got to Hotel it was 2:00PM. Being in earlier is a benefit. Like Acraven said though, my thought was that might as well just hop on a train to Bayeux than to off load luggage in Paris then do Bayeux the next morn. Great feedback!

going to Bayeux isn't that expensive with a walk-up ticket. I wouldn't buy in advance unless it is a throwaway price like 15E that you wouldn't mind losing. One complication is that you can't get directly from CDG to Bayeux, you are going to have to first go to Gare St Lazare via RER or taxi or Uber or bus, then on to Bayeux. With multiple steps in the whole thing (plane arrive on time, clear customs, get to the Gare, get on the train) the chances of hitting it right with the advance-purchase tix may not be great unless you pad the schedule.

We have taken the train from Paris to Bayeux on the day of arrival and it really wasn't that bad. You're brain dead anyway and you can easily zone out on the train. If you plan on staying in central Bayeux, it's a super easy walk from the train station to the hotels.

@ swag...I have always bought a train ticket to Bayeux either the night before or on the spot for the next departure, ie a walk-up ticket, from Gare St Lazare, it's TER train that does not take reservations. I've not gone on arrival date, ie, Paris to Bayeaux. . That experience I've only done in Germany, say arriving at 11am at FRA from SFO, then leaving in a couple of hours for Berlin or Vienna on the ICE by 2 pm or so on a multi-hour train ride. This notion you'll be " brain dead " I totally reject, that is, unless you are certain you'll be that way.

Sounds like that will be our plan, land at CDG, and Uber/Taxi to train station then straight to Bayeux.

Yes, Vezeley is feasible as a day trip. Can be crowded during the day, and it makes a nice sleep, but I can see why you might prefer not to move from Beaune.