itinerary help

Richard, this sounds like an interesting trip. Switzerland is also a rewarding destination, but I don't think you have time unless you swap out, say, Normandy. Here are some logistical considerations.

Most rental companies charge a very stiff drop-off fee for cross-border trips (like yours). I don't know if that's a consideration for you; if it is you can rent two cars, one in France and one in Germany, getting to Alsace by train.

The drive from Alsace to Normandy is long, especially if you are not breaking your trip in Paris. Popular areas enroute (sort of) are Champagne, Burgundy, and the Loire Valley. Of course there are points of interest and charm almost everywhere. But given your time constraints, you might not want to stop.

Finally, some of the trains to London from Paris make intermediate stops in Callais, and the trains to London from Brussels stop in Lille. I don't think there are any other stops on the London train in France.

These are all things you may want to keep in mind.

I agree with the previous poster about the drop off being much much more expensive. I don't know if your heart is set on Normandy and/or returning to Paris - but I would suggest for your consideration letting France go for another time and dipping down into Switzerland. Frankfurt - Rhein - Interlaken area - Lucern - Munich. And drop the car in Munich.

I did this trip in two weeks and it worked well. I don't know what time of year you are going? If it is dead winter, maybe hiking the Alps is not the way to go?

But if your heart is set on Normandy and a return to Paris (which I can appreciate) your plan actually looks doable. You just will have the $400 or so drop off fee for dropping in a different country than you picked up.

To avoid the large fee to return in another country, you could drop your car in Freiburg, train to Colmar or ? and pick another car there for your time in France.