We flew into Paris on November 27 and took the train to Rouen. We rented the car in Rouen at the train station the following day and w/Avis in Rouen (but not in Paris) some supplemental insurance was included in the rate. Giverny was closed.
We stayed overnight in the following cities in bold; the cities in parentheses were cities we visited en route or during our stay:
Rouen; Bayeux (Honfleur, Caen, Normandy Beaches); St. Malo (Dinan, Mont St. Michel); Amboise (Chenoceau, Cheverny, Chambord); Lyon; Avignon (St. Remy, Les Baux, Arles, Aix); Marseille (St. Tropez, Cannes); Antibes (Vence, St Paul); Nice (Monaco).
Our trip was limited to two weeks - the big difference in our trip and the Rick Steves' whirlwind is that we added Lyon and skipped Sarlat/ Carcassonne. We flew out of Nice.