I will have an apartment in Paris and then in Vence, I want to visit...

Cecily: As you know Vence is in eastern Riviera north of Nice, and you're talking about day trips to several western and northwestern Provence locations--this is theoretically possible but will be extremely long days and you'd need more than one of these days to see what's on your list. Example: 10 hours by train from Nice to Orange and back. Rental car would be faster but there are 7 in your party, an awkward number for a rental car, that's one humongous van or 2 rental cars and a lot of time on the road to get what? a hectic rushed few hours in one per day of your Provence destinations?Similar problem if by "WWII sites in Normandy" you mean the D-Day beaches. It's theoretically possible to do this from Paris in a very long day, but again same problem: you can't get to the beaches by train, 7 people means 2 rental cars, substantial navigation challenges, for a hectic rushed dash by the beaches and nothing else. You mention Joan of Arc sites but don't mention one of the most famous, which actually is doable as a day trip from Paris: Rouen where she was tried, imprisoned and burned at the stake, the site of the execution is well known.I'm not saying these are impossible. But in the last year I can't recall anyone proposing doing Provence as a day trip from the Vence area. And I can only recall one in about 30 who did the D-Day beaches as a day trip from Paris and they went on a 7am departure 14-hour bus tour.

Hi Kent,

Thanks for your post. I guess what I am asking, is what - if any - of this I could do as a day trip. I could also consider one-night stays in a couple of areas. For example, would it be doable to take a train down to either Arles, Nimes, Orange, spend one night and tour around the three? Or, if I take a night it Bayeaux, what could I cover in that area?

I really appreciate your insights. Thanks.

Cecily: Yes! One night stays, as you suggested, will make your trips to these destinations more enjoyable and more the way you'd want them. In Provence, you could train to Arles, stay there overnight, and train between Arles, Nimes, and Orange. It would still be a busy day but much better for you than your first proposal.

Following up, re the WW2 sites in Normandy: one strategy is to train to Bayeux and arrange in advance for one of the minivan tours since you don't have a car. It would be a full day and thus ideally 2 overnights in Bayeux would be more comfortable but it could with planning be done in one overnight.You mention "Joan of Arc sites St. Michel" but I am not familiar with these--did you mean Mont St. Michel, the island abbey? And for Joan of Arc sites, Rouen has the big memorial on the spot where she was burned at the stake.

Kent,

Thanks.

I should have put a comma between Joan of Arc sites and Mont St. Michel. My daughter would like to go to a Joan of Arc site and I would like to take the family to Mont St. Michel. However, as we are 7 people, it is looking like Mont St. Michel might get too pricey. I had originally thought of doing an overnight there as RS says it is better at night, but it is pricey to get two hotel rooms.

My kids are young, so it is tricky with the overnighters because we have to take two rooms and split up. That is why I am trying to avoid them. Everywhere we go it's x2 for rooms because the hotel rooms are small.

Thanks for all of the advice so far. If you think of anything else, please let me know.