Alsace/Lorraine

Nancy and Strasbourg as like apples and oranges, quite different. It would depend on what you want to do. Only you know that. In one you have the mountains, and all the features of Lorraine. The Vosges (sp?) are neat. At a push you could see Metz, Luxembourg and maybe the Champagne. In the other you have the Alsace wine trail, the Rhine, the Black Forest and, at a push, northern Switzerland. We went to the Rhine Falls on the way back from a tour through the southern Black Forest on the way back to our digs in Colmar. There is quite a distance between the two areas.

If you're flying from the states anyway, you should just book a connecting flight to Strasbourg to save yourself some hassle. Then rent a car in Strasbourg. Paris to Strasbourg is straight autobahn, but can be minimum 5ish hours depending on traffic. Stuttgart to Strasbourg can be done in 1.5 hrs with no traffic but there's horrific delays due to never ending construction right now. It could easily take 3 hours from Stuttgart (no exaggeration-the back up often reaches 5- 10miles). It's like you wanting to go to Boston, so you fly into New York and then drive the rest of the way. Why do that when you can more easily just fly into Boston? As for the apartment, you could split your stay between the two places. Lots of apartments rent for less than 7 days.

Nancy is a must if you like early 20th-century art: fantastic art nouveau buildings and a great specialist art museum. Strasbourg is better if you like medieval/renaissance things. Another problem with Strasbourg is that one week a month the European Parliament sits there and accomodation is very expensive/difficult to find.

We have traveled with a 2 year old. Don't worry about staying somewhere where 'there is enough to do at night', your daughter will take care of that. Don't forget to arrange for or take a car seat.

Been to both. Agree with Phillip that Nancy has the artwork and Strasbourg has the cathedral.