Would love feedback on this France itinerary (23 days)

You don’t say what time this fall you’re traveling. It’s pertinent because some of these destinations will be totally different by mid-October than they are today.
( Even today a cold, windy weather front has driven low temperatures down toward freezing in Lauterbrunnen). The weather can play a big role in how you experience these places. By mid-October in Lauterbrunnen it can be rainy. windy and in the 40’s during the day. Chamonix could be similar. Bern and Annecy are good rainy day alternatives. So, be prepared to wing it if the weather doesn’t cooperate in the Alps.
The one thing I would suggest is that you won’t be missing a lot if you skip staying in Nice and go directly to Menton. Just do Nice as a daytrip from Menton. Summer is over in one week and Nice is more of a summer destination anyway. (October is Nice’s rainiest month). I would add the two nights to the Alsace-Lorraine so you can stay in a town south of Strasbourg after your 3 nights in Strasbourg. Ribeauville, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, Barr or Eguisheim would fit the bill. With a rental car, you can visit all of these towns in two days.
Have fun in France and Schweiz!

You have 9 places listed for 23 days, yes, quite ambitious. Some of your first nights are after a lot of driving, so those days are spent in a car. Whatever Michelin or Google gives for driving time, you need to add a lot more for eating, rest stops, getting lost, etc. Every time you change hotels, you loose a half day immediately.

You have Nice, Menton, and Monaco along the Riviera. No need for a car which is difficult to park in this area. Take the train. No need to change hotels between Nice and Menton since they are only 30 minutes from each other. Monaco is three train stops before Menton, about 10 minutes. I'm not sure why you have 2 nights for Nice but 3 for Menton. There's a lot more available to see and do from Nice than Menton. I have family living next to Menton so know both Nice and Menton quite well. Do you want to see anything else in this area?

Chamonix and Lauterbrunnen are outliers that will take a lot of time and effort to reach. You will have only two days in each place because your first night will be after those tiring drives. With only two days, any bad weather and there go your views of and from the mountains. Have you checked to see if lifts will be running in the off-season?

I would compact your itinerary to Bordeaux, Nice, Strasbourg, and Paris, dividing your time in these four with day trips.
I haven't researched how to get from Nice to Strasbourg, whether by train or plane. I'm not even sure you'll need to rent a car, except for what the previous poster suggested, since you should be able to find organized trips to St. Emilion from Bordeaux and the Riviera has the train service that runs every 20 minutes.

I wouldn't worry about rain in Nice in October; it's a Mediterranean climate. It could have a downpour now and again but there's also change of season fog and humidity in the air that adds to precipitation. I live in the same climate a few hours from there. Nice is by no means just summer destination; it's France's 5th largest city with a population of 348,000. That doesn't include the megapolis along the coast consisting of all the other towns where people live year round. Nice is a major city that gets tourists all year round.

It's so beautiful landing by plane at the Nice airport. Lucky you if you fly from Bordeaux.

k-lo,
I second Elizabeth formerlybets' comments. Drive times mentioned on websites always show less time than it will really take. Definitely pad these. And I wouldn't move from Nice to Menton. They are too close to each other to warrant the move. No need for a car in Nice. You can get to Monaco more easily by public transit. The Corniche roads to Monaco can be slow due to traffic.

Your Bordeaux/St.Emilion time (4 nights) is appropriate. Your arrival day there will be recuperation from your flight to France, but you have three full days and can spend one in St. Emilion and two in Bordeaux and see the highlights of Bordeaux. The tram system in Bordeaux gets you around town very nicely. Don't take the bus as the traffic in town can be brutal and the buses are stuck just as cars are. The tram is great!

I can't speak to your Alpine plans due to lack of experience there, but if you choose not to spend as much time there, I would add one day to Strasbourg, depending on how and when you arrive there, and the rest to Paris, where you could spend a month with every day full of things to do and see.

Except for the Alps leg of your trip, you will hardly need a car. Parking in Strasbourg is very pricey. I would reexamine your modes of transport between locations based on need and expense. (And I speak as one who usually has a car in France for at least part of our trips, but definitely not in most cities).

Bonne chance et amusez-vous bien!

Hi K-lo,

It seems like a lot for 23 days. This would be a very busy trip. What time of the year are you going? The French Riveria is more of a summer destination in my opinion.

Bordeaux is a great place to visit. Winery visits have to be booked well in advance. Many of them are located outside of the city.

This website may help you: https://sauvistication.com/

Safe Travels!

I would consolidate by eliminating Bordeaux and menton and adding nights to other places on your itinerary.

Hi K-lo! I think your trip looks fun! Busy, but doable (IMO) and fun. Elizabeth formerly Bets offers some good advice. Nice, Menton and Monaco are so easy to access and close to each other that I would suggest picking one town for your stay then taking train between the others for day trips. Will you be picking a car up in Monaco at the end of your visit then driving to Chamonix? You might consider picking a car up from Nice. I have not been to Lauterbrunnen for many, many years but it was exceptionally beautiful. One thing I do remember, though, is how cumbersome it was to get to Lauterbrunnen from anywhere. If you are going in summer, it may not matter as it will be a pretty drive. In the other seasons weather may add more hours to your drive time than Google (or other maps) say. Also keep in mind (though you may already know) that they do not use Euros in Switerland. You will need Swiss Francs if you need cash.
Taking the train from CDG to Bordeaux on the day you arrive is a great idea and one we do often. You will have 2 good days in Bordeaux (a great website for all things Bordeaux: www.lostinbordeaux.com) then take the train (or a day tour) to St. Émilion, which is a super charming town. And, to get back to the airport for your flight to Nice you can take the tram (tram A), which is super convenient. Drops you right in front of airport.