France 17-day tentative itinerary

I think your itinerary sounds reasonable. You don't have any one nights stays and you have time in each place to get a feel for the area. I haven't driven that particular route but I have driven on multiple trips to Europe. I suggest you have a GPS and paper maps, and before you set out for each days drive it's good to have an idea what the route is.

I agree with others, this is an ambitious but doable itinerary. You'll see a lot of French countryside and some of the best sights the country has. Of course you could add more, as some have suggested, but don't exhaust yourselves trying to see everything on your route. Minimzing the one-night stands is a good strategy, saves time with hotel logistics and lets you experience a full day, at least, in each area. My guess is that you'll be glad to ditch the car and settle in Paris for awhile before you go home. Hopefully this trip will whet your appetite for more: Chartres, Champagne, Burgundy, Alsace, Bordeaux, Cote d'Azur, and deeper explorations of the areas you visit that you like best. I think I could spend a month in Paris and not get bored, and I've been there three times. For a first trip I think you've got a good outline. Auto Europe is a good site for car rental. The RS Guide has good hotel recommendations (fwiw, we loved Le Petit Versailles in Beynac). You may find it helpful to line up your rooms ahead of time, late September isn't the high season but you don't want to spend too much time in each new town finding a place for the night. A GPS and a good map (or Michelin's excellent but very heavy road atlas) will help a lot. Have a wonderful time!

These are great destinations and I think this is generally an intelligent and interesting itinerary. September is a great time of year to do this, too. This is a "highlights" trip with no stops that are so short that you cannot get a taste (but in some places that is all you will get). I wouldn't have flown into Nice (what's with that?) but what's done is done. A few random thoughts. Are you okay with jet lag and driving? If not the train connection from Nice to Arles is comparable to driving (both about 3 hours). With 3 nights for a tour to see Mt St Michel and Honfleur, you are really only visiting Normandy. I agree with those who say that it is worth spending the night at MSM so as to see the place without the crowds. Fougeres makes a pleasant stop enroute from Amboise. In Normandy, Bayeux merits a visit for the cathedral, the tapestry, and general ambiance. It sounds as though you are not especially interested in the D-Day sites (which is fine) but there is a D-Day museum right in Bayeux that people here rate highly. (I haven't been, but did appreciate the one in Caen; people here feel that the one in Bayeux is better.) Bayeux is generally a good base for exploring the D-Day sites and the coast. However in your case it makes sense to base yourself in Honfleur, if you plan to spend a night at MSM as I suggest. You do not want 3 one-night stands and you do want to see Honfleur. It is a pretty enough place that if you run out of things to do you can just enjoy catching your breaths a little, which you may appreciate more than anything at that point. Have a blast!

Since you are arriving in Nice, I'm just curious why your itinerary doesn't include a few days exploring the Cote d'Azur. Lots to see and do in the Med coast cities and hill towns along the Riviera, and September is a good time to be there when it's less crowded and still has good weather. Just another opinion, but I'd drop the 3 nights in Dordogne and replace with 3 in the Nice area.

A second for Bayeux for the tapestry, which is really an embroidery but still a must see, and the Cathedral. Also for Fougeres, for the castle, from the outside. My RS book says don't bother to go inside, but the little town is very pretty. In Fougeres also stop in at the church near the castle to see the woodwork panels inside.

Hi Frederick - I think your schedule looks pretty good. Wouldn't be too much driving for me. I'd rather see new places than to spend an additional night elsewhere. Its an opportunity to see France. I'd even plan some day trips in the cities you're staing more than 2 nights in. Here's my thoughts.
I'd stay a night in Nice. You'll be tired....you don't want to drive a long distance. Arles isn't that far from Nice but you won't be at your peak mental awareness. Nice is a great city in itself. It is an easy drive though. I didn't have a GPS....didn't really need one. A few commetn on cities near Avignon. Roussillon - pass....not much to see or do. Gordes was OK. l'isle de la Sorgue had a great market. Aix-en-Provence is a great city..worth a stop to walk around or have lunch. Take a day trip to Avignon. I like Arles much better but Avignon does have a pope's palace worth a visit and the city itself is good to explore. Between Arles and Avignon is St Remy de Provence, where Van Gogh spent his last days...you can visit the asylum there. The view of Mont St. Michel is breathtaking and Honfleur is beautiful. Mont St. Michel is beautiful....and small. I'd stay elsewhere. It's beauty is looking at it....once you're there there's not much to do.

While it is a well-thought out itinerary that lays out the stops logically, you are looking at a lot of time driving. For example, you'll be driving on the 10th day for a chunk of the day. Then you've got day 11 for Mt. St-Michel (which involves driving there and back) and day 12 for Honfleur (which involves driving there and back). You might want to try laying things out day-by-day to see just how much time you are going to spend at each location and what you will be able to do there. For example, you have "13-17 drive to Paris, seeing Monet's gardens in Giverny, drop off car, and spend 5 nights in Paris." I see it this way: 13 - drive to Paris with stop in Giverny 14 - Paris 15 - Paris 16 - Paris
17 - Go to Airport for return flight That really only leaves you with 3 days in Paris. Depending on what you want to do, that may or may not be enough time. At teh end of the day, its your trip and you can do with it what you want.