Traveling to France (Normandy, Alsace, and Burgundy)

Well Normandy and Alsace are on opposite sides of the country as well (7-1/2 to 10 hour drive depending on conditions). If you want to spread your areas that far apart, the only thing I would suggest is to visit Normandy last, as you have a slightly better chance of having better weather mid-March versus early March. Either way, be prepared for dreary English Channel rain anytime you go to Normandy.

Head for Burgundy first, then Alsace, then Normandy. Do you plan to spend time in Paris? If so, probably best to do that at the start, to overcome jetlag, for maybe 3 or 4 nights. If not, pick up the car at CDG, drive to a nearby town (Senlis is about 30 minutes away), then start off for Burgundy the next day. Driving a long distance after a long transatlantic flight isn't advised.

You have about 13 nights, not counting travel days. I would suggest something like 4 nights Paris, and 3 nights each in Burgundy Alsace, and Normandy. Keep in mind, that you will spend the better part of a day driving from place to place, but should have time to stop at a few sights along the way. If you are not spending time in Paris, then 1 night each upon arrival and departure near CDG, 4 nights each in Burgundy and Alsace, and 3 nights in Normandy.

If your flight home is early (before noon), then spend your last night at a CDG hotel. If later in the day, you will need to be within a couple of hours to CDG, as you will need drop the car and be at check-in at least 3 hours prior to boarding.

My best advice is to get some good detailed maps and guidebooks, do some research so you know what you want to see and do, and plan your routes. This will help you maximize your time, both while driving (what is of interest along the way where you might want to stop?) And while in the regions you plan to visit.

We did similar once. We took a train from Paris to Colmar in Alsace and then picked up a car. We drove to Burgundy and then in our case, Loire. I think you really do need a car in all three of those places. In our case when we ended in Loire, we returned the car in Tours and took a train back. On another trip did, we ended in Normandy, we returned the car near Giverny and took the train back to Paris. I'd like to go to Bordeaux (with Dordogne) as well, but it does seem to be peoples' least favorite wine country. So, have fun, you've picked great places. I think you will need fairly warm clothes for Normandy.

Yeah we would like to do a couple days in Paris to make sure we get to the Louvre and Notre Dame. When we traveled in Italy and Spain we took trains everywhere. There was only one time we did a car because we were doing a day trip to remote area. Normally we hire a driver and a tour guide when we get to the towns we will stay at. Do you see any issue with that?

Rachel,

Sorry to say it, but you really do not have enough time for four destinations spread out across France in 11 days. (Your 2 "shoulder days" do not count, especially if you need to return to Paris for your flight home.)

You can have a very satisfying trip with Paris + any 2 of them.

If wine is a priority, I would make those 2 Burgundy and Alsace. Normandy is one of the few parts of France that lacks a wine culture. (But the cidre is great.)

Plan to take a train on your first day and then rent a car to explore the wine regions. End in Paris to minimize changes of hotel.

Based on current train schedules:
Paris-Beaune Hourly, taking from 2 to 2-1/2 hours, one easy transfer in Dijon.
Paris-Colmar Frequent trains, 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 hours, various transfers

Train schedules may be different in March.

Finally, can you change your plane tickets? Bordeaux is only 2 hours (yep, 2) from Paris by train, and has an international airport. You could fly home from there.

I went to Bordeaux and Alsace in May. It was too cold, the vines weren't yet growing. The nice thing, I pretty much had the place to myself. In March, I'd want to go somewhere further south. Bordeaux or Toulouse may be good choices.

Agree with Adam. I would suggest you pick one wine region and sandwich it between days in Paris. Have you been to Paris before?

Consider Dijon to Beaune and back to Dijon as a tour in Burgundy. Very easy to rent a car in Dijon if you want one.
For Alsace, start and end in Strasbourg.

Both Dijon and Strasbourg are rail accessible from Paris. And both of those will be whirlwind tours, to be honest. A week is barely enough time to see either.

Definitely don't try to cover too much ground. Pick a region and go with that :)

It doesn’t matter which you do first as they are all three dreary in March. You need to be more specific about what you expect and are looking for. The villages are not vibrant, the countryside not bucolic, and it’s gray this time of year. If in Burgundy, your best bet is Dijon followed by Beaune and in Alsace, Strasbourg followed by Colmar if you want signs of life. Alsace and Burgundy perk up from about May on, April you can see beautiful fields of colza in bloom, otherwise the larger towns are your best bet.
Normandy doesn’t matter if you are going to the D-Day landing sites; we had a 40-degree drizzling day in July.
Bring rain gear and changes of shoes wherever you go.

Hi Rachel. Could you give us an idea of what your interests are? I spent 4 nights in Avallon in Burgundy, 3 in a village outside of Colmar and then returned the car to Strasbourg and stayed 2 nights. I drove to various villages and towns, visited abbeys, chateaux, churches and museums - most accessible only by car. My trip was in late June. The villages were quite lively, but in my little Alsatian village most of the restaurants were only open on the weekend. I ended up eating at the same restaurant all 3 nights - it was good. My point is that in March, a lot may be still be closed. The only cities I feel would be worth spending more than a day are Colmar and Strasbourg. The scenery was very pretty, rolling hills covered with wheat fields and vineyards. I don't know what they'll look like in early March.