How would you set this up?

I would not take a day trip to any of these destinations from Paris (though some might). Zurich is 4 hours each way, so a day trip is a long train ride followed by a short visit followed by another long train ride. If you are in Paris for 5 days and take these 3 day trips you will be spending most of your trip there on trains and out of town. I am not saying it's logistically impossible, just not very satisfying. If you want a taste of Amsterdam and Brussels, I would try to start in Amsterdam (fly in, perhaps, if its your first destination). Spend a day or two - you won't be bored - and then catch an early train to Paris. You can stop over in Brussels for most of the day enroute. I do not know what is so special about Zurich, but if it is a must-see then you could spend the night there after Paris and catch the train to Avignon, where you can pick up a car and drive to St. Remy. That leg would be 6-7 hours by train, versus 3 from Paris to Avignon, so one way to look at it is that Zurich costs you a total of 7-8 hours by train. I'd seriously consider leaving it for another trip; since you will be back you can see it then.

Of your list of possible daytrips from Paris, only Brussels is really feasible for a half-way satisfactory experience. Take the high speed Thalys line. You could technically make it to and back from Amsterdam in one day, but you would see very little, also on Thalys. But it's not worth the expense for such a short visit. Zurich and Italy are simply too far away.

Hi Susan, If you know you'll be back to Europe then why try to cram so much in? Your itinerary sounds like you're trying to check off destinations from a list. You'll spend most of your trip inside a train rather than experiencing and exploring a city or two. Narrow your focus. You could have a wonderful 2 weeks in France. Or a week in France and a week elsewhere. But don't truncate your experience; you'll leave feeling unfulfilled (and exhausted) because you never became immersed in the place by slowing down at bit. I always must reign in my tendency to want to see and do everything, but I've had terrific experiences because I've been able to fully appreciate and savor the places in which I chose to invest time. Good luck!
Sara

Agree with Sara. Cramming too much travel/sightseeing into a short period of time is not a very good idea. Unless there is some reason to believe you will never be able to go to Europe again. I first went in 2001 and took the RS 21 day Best of Europe Tour. A great introduction to Europe but after I got home, I had a had time remembering what I say where and I kept a diary. Fortunately, I have been able to return every summer since to take the time to explore those places I found attractive. As I was told on that first tour, "you will only be seeing the candles on the frosting on the cake, so just plan on coming back". I would do as others have suggested and plan on staying put longer in two, or at most, three places. Happy Travels

Enjoy the time in Paris! There are numerous side trips within an hour of Paris you can take. You could even take a trip out to Normandy(D-Day sites) if you want to make it a long day.

Hi Susan I tend to try to see too much when I travel to Europe but WOW you are really trying to get a lot in and like others have said I think you will be spend the majority of your vacation in the "traveling to" phase and very little in the "enjoying sites" phase. You are going North and South. I would pick one direction and you will get more pleasure out of your trip. I've never been to the Northern route you mentioned but in the Provence/Cote d'Azure area, you could easily spend your remaining time. You didn't say where you had been on your first trip but in addition to the 2 you mentioned, there is also the Cote du Rhone area, it is a fun drive, there's Arles, Avignon, Nimes, the Camargue area, LeBaux, also Nice and some of the towns around there. Or if you really want to do Brussels/Amsterdam...do a big loop and maybe catch a few German towns on your way from Amsterdam to Zurich and skip southern France until next time. When you are on the train you are spending a lot of time just getting a blurred view of a tree/bush lined railroad track or going through tunnels...of course, it's a great way to travel but make sure you balance it with the good stuff. Have fun!