Trip around France - Train or Car?

Yes, I did it with a teenager and lived to tell, 3 weeks long. We really enjoyed it. My variations were that we did Paris first,walking/metro everywhere, then rented a car @ the Champ de Mar and headed north out of town. Second variation was we drove from Chamonix back to Paris to return home, thus missed most eastern France. I think it is difficult to enjoy parts of the Dordogne without a car; also, I like to drive, and stop where we will . Driving in France is great, particulary with a dedicated GPS reader-interpreter..." you mean THIS left turn or the next left?".
Lots of toll roads expenses, if you use the fast routes. This itinerary could easily take twice the time and you'd still enjoy it.

I've never used that exact route for the car sequence, but I've driven every bit of it a bunch of times. You'll see more with a car since there's a lot of stuff along the way (eg: Oradour, Aigues-Mortes, Albi, Nimes, Orange) that's not touched upon. The train route is rather restrictive in sights and locations - - from that perspective I think it stinks. It looks more like it was just picked for optimal train rides rather than the merits of the places. Plus, look at how many times you have to transfer your junk from one mode of transportation to another, not to mention the restrictive schedule. I can't see how anybody would want two nights in Colmar. I spent the night there once, the other couple of times it was just a lunch stop if I was passing through. Much the same for Beaune, a couple of hours is plenty. I'd give all the time saved to Paris. You're going to have a toll expense and they can be hefty. I made a mad dash from Dunkerque to Bordeaux one day last year and the tolls were close to two hundred bucks. Other times, there have been no tolls for a couple of weeks.

I can't speak to the itinerary but I'd recommend driving as more flexible and convenent (and cheaper for four adults) anywhere except Paris. Ed's right about the toll highways but many limited-access roads are toll-free for long stretches. You can minimize tolls with planning and/or pay them for the long hauls or congestion avoidance where they're worth it. The country roads can be narrower and slower than what we're used to, but the cars fit them better too. Be careful about cars coming in from the right, not as likely as we are to wait for a break in traffic. A whole lot easier, I found, than driving in Britain!

We did a trip in 2009 in which we landed in Paris and immediately took the TGV train to Colmar (near Germany). After two nights there to see the quaint surroundings and get over the jet lag, we rented a car for three weeks. Our next stop was a quick detour through Switzerland, but then a week in Provence, a week in the Dordogne, and single days in Amboise, Chinon, Mont St Michel, and Honfleur. After a stop to see the cathedral in Chartres, we dropped the car and took the 1-hour train into Paris for our final week's stay. It was a wonderful trip. There is no way we would have had anything near the same experience without a car. Driving was easy, particularly since we didn't attempt to drive in Paris. Tolls are significant enough to put a small dent in your budget if you stick to motorways a lot (and they are very fast relative to any other option) but not enough to be a deal breaker. In many cases it can be well-worth the time savings. But other times it is preferable to see better scenery and meander on the country roads. Just be aware that when you do, your average speed will work out to something like 30-40 mph. It sounds like a perfect situation for a car to me, and a great time of year to go. Congratulations! PS; I'm a great fan of trains when they make the most sense, particularly connecting city to city visits, but there are times for cars, too, and this is one of those times.

just a consideration - Four adults in a car - make sure your rented car has enough room for all your luggage.

We followed a small patch of it once, though Normandy and the Loire. At 2/3 speed, so we spent more time than he does. It was great, but we were exhausted at the end. There's no way we would have had a good time traveling at that pace for 3 weeks. I add we are nimble pack-light travelers. Also, 2 adults travel faster than 4, all else equal. Rick's itineraries are based on those for his tours. Unlike his tours, you are on your own for transportation, food, and lodging. I guess there is some down time in the car if you can all share driving. Also the pace is pretty relentless until you get back to Paris. I'd want at least 3 days on the ground in the Dordogne and in Provence, and really a week would be much more satisfying. So I think it is technically feasible to do but far from optimal. I do not know what to suggest you leave out, though, to permit more time for the rest. These are all great destinations, on the other hand they would all benefit from having more time to spend at them. You might consider a week of fast-paced sightseeing followed by a week sharing a rental in the Dordogne or Provence, followed by another stint of zipping around. That would cover a lot of ground with better pacing. One logistical suggestion, maybe, is to use some trains to travel far distances. If the train is a fast one you could save some travel time. Then rent 2 cars if needed. I suspect though that car for 4 will be cheaper than train even with tolls.

Just remembered we spent only 2 nights in Avranches for Honfleur/ Bayeux/the DDay beaches & cemeteries/ MSM. Because it is light so late, we went to MSM the same day we left Paris and saw a beautiful sunset there.
We also did not linger in Carcassonne, but spent 3 nights most everywhere elsewhere. I'm wrong when i said I only had 2 variations in this itin- I had more. Have to agree about making sure you 4 can fit. A higher category like "full size" is not an American sized rental large car. Luggage is easily a problem even if you each have only a carryon and a daypack. We had a Mercedes sedan last Aug. & it was minimally roomier than a Passat. The backseat had to rest their arms on a couple of packs. Hope your friends know how to pack!

Intermediate vans are the way to go for 4 adults, like the Opel Zafira.