Thinking would love to see some of Germany/Switzerland/France and have thoughts but need suggestions

Random thoughts given, random thoughts asked, random thoughts below.

• Not a bad time of year for this trip
• You've got way too much on your wish list for 8 days. 3 places feasible for the nimble and restless, 2 probably better
• Your day trips are mostly inside trains or buses

What are your actual priorities? Let us know.

Thanks for you input, started out with a tall order and open to editing it with others input and experience. Our goal is honestly to be where we haven't been before ~ with one night in Paris as we leave...because we just need a night in the City of Lights! The Normandy beaches appeals to my husband certainly and think a day bus tour would satisfy that from Paris. Otherwise we haven't been to the other places...so suggestions welcome to what else to do/go.

I spent five nights in Normandy. Visiting the D-Day beaches would be something like 5 hours of traveling for 4 hours of seeing the sites if you did it as a day trip. It all depends on what percentage of your eight days you want to spend getting to the sights you see. In late April you'll have plenty of daylight.

Are you flying in and out of Paris? Or would you fly "multi-city" (aka open jaw) and return home from Germany? Normandy is in the opposite direction from Colmar and Heidelberg so I'd probably give it a miss on this trip.

You have 8 days, so don't try to overdo your travel. Travel takes up time and can be frustrating.

Normandy is great. Suggest a tour to the Normandy Beaches, US cemetery (if you are from the USA). Also, visit the city of Bayeux and see its ancient cathedral and for sure the 900 year old Bayeux Tapestry that tells the story of the Norman conquest of England. The colors on the Tapestry are amazing.

There is more to see in Normandy.https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g187179-Activities-Normandy.html
If you go to Rouen and Mount St. Michel then plan on 3 days.

With 5 days left, one in Paris you have time to visit Strasbourg and Colmar and perhaps stretch it to include the Black Forest (Triberg and Titisee) or go to Heidelberg or Luzerne.

Our first week in EU was in London. Our second week was in Paris. Then followed more than 600 days exploring the rest and we have never had any desire to go back to Paris now that we have seen the good stuff. Alsace is #1 in France (been there 11 times)-- 1 day for Colmar, 2-3 days for the Route de Vin, and since you are there, might as well do a day in Strasbourg.

Look into a river cruise. Many 8 day choices, For the money, its a good deal. Consider Paris to tae Sea on the Seine or Basel north along Alsace & the Black Forest.

Given air travel cost & jet lag, try to extend to two weeks

Fly in or out of Paris and Frankfurt. Since you pay a fortune to return a rental car in a different country, you need to ride the rails (www.bahn.com). Let's say you arrive in Paris:
Day 1 - sleep in Paris two nights.
Day 2 - rent car and drive to Arromanches (3h) then Omaha Beach (45m). Drive back to Paris (3h).
Day 2 - train to Strasbourg (www.bahn.com) 2h and sleep there two nights.
Day 3 - train to Colmar (30m).
Day 4 - train to Basel (45m) and transfer to Luzern (1h 30m.) Sleep in Luzern two nights.
Day 5 - train to Zurich (1h) and sleep there one night.
Day 6 - train to Frankfurt (4h) and sleep there two nights.
Day 7 - take train to Heidelberg (1h) for the day.
If you have an extra day, you can take a train to Bayeux from Paris (2h 45m) and rent a car there and see the beaches. The next day drive to Colmar (8h) and sleep there one night and sleep in Strasbourg the next night.