Advice needed for upcoming trip Paris -> Bruges -> Amsterdam -> Antwerp

We leave in a few weeks flying into CDG for 13 days of travel. Hotels are all booked and itinerary is mostly set. Our original plan is to rent a car from CDG and return it there. Our itinerary now is 2 days Paris, then drive to Giverny in the morning, and then back to Versailles where we have a hotel (a Sunday night). On Monday, get up early and drive to the St.Sixtus abdij in Belgium (back road driving most of the way) and then on to Bruges. Two days later head out and stop at the Westmalle abdij and then to 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands for lunch, and then onto Amsterdam. After 6 days we drive to Antwerp and then back to Paris.

Since the car will be parked most of the time, but we do really want it for rural exploration in Belgium and NL, we're last minute coming up with alternatives.

One idea is to skip Giverny and use the Paris metro to get to Versaille and back. Then train to Brussels and pick up a car there. Sixt has an Amsterdam West drop off location and the one-way fee isn't too bad for that leg of the trip. Then after Amsterdam train to Antwerp, and then on to Paris next day.

A quick look at the numbers and it seems about $600 cheaper to go the train route, but we've never done public trans (other than trams in AMS) - and none of us speak french other than basic high school. IF we did do that, do we buy tickets in advance, or just use Google to get train times and show up at Paris Nord station and buy tickets to Brussels? Is it simple enough for non-native speakers to buy tickets and get on the right train?

I see the RER C (I think that's the one) goes to Versailles - is the Paris metro simple to buy tickets (are they machines in English or are there tellers that'll sell you the correct tickets and point you to your platform)?

Any idea other than an Uber to go Versailles to Giverny and back?