The tragic November 2015 Paris Attacks were Europe’s worst in over a decade.  Over 100 people were lost their lives that Friday the 13th, causing travelers to reconsider visiting the city of light as well as other European destinations. Understandable.  Inflow of travelers from North America slowed considerably. Travel companies found themselves with excess inventory ranging from seats on scheduled airline flights to places on land tours, hotel rooms and berths on cruise ship going forward.  Sellers of travel had massive tourism infrastructure in place without enough visitors to support it. Something had to give.  To encourage bookings: discounted or free airfare from North America as well as attractive pricing.  Fast forward to now; business is picking up and booking cycles are returning to normal; commonly beginning a year or more in advance of travel.  Right now, the discount window seems to be closing.  Special offers are becoming limited to travel this year, not next.

Drying up: deals on air for travel in 2018.
Viable for a limited time: Deep discounts on excess inventory for Summer of this year.

Eurail – France On Sale With Free Day Of Travel
Land travelers will like Eurail’s offer good through March 30. Book a Eurail One Country Pass Free Day Promo and get an extra day of train travel free. The Eurail France Pass allows extensive travel on the national rail network of France. Choose a flexi pass offering choice of 3, 4, 5 or 8 days within a one-month period, perhaps to bookend a land package or river cruise.  Special rates are available for 2 or more people traveling together, children, and youth.

 

Air France On Sale With Discounted Air
!n the mood for culture, romance and fantastic food? Air France flights to Paris are another option for getting to and from a river cruise or land package. Air France round-trip tickets from Chicago to Paris start at $527 per person.  JustFly.com has round-trip to Paris starting at $379 per person. Kayak has them for $380 per person.  Still not enough to get you to the airport?  How about free?

 

France On Sale: Viking River Cruises Discover France 
Viking River Cruises has a deal good through the end of March.  Two-for-one cruise fare is a pleasure on any Viking River Cruise, usually available on any sailing if booked far enough in advance. Not always available: Free air for select sailings June through August this year.

Three interesting itineraries are included in the promotion that enable travelers to explore France in a culturally enriching way.

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• Lyon & Provence– Explore the Palace of the Popes in Avignon and excite your palate in the capital of French gastronomy on Viking River Cruises’ Lyon & Provence cruise.
• Paris & the Heart of Normandy= Discover the grand architecture, tempting cafes and superb museums of the world’s most romantic city on the Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary.
• Châteaux, Rivers & Wine– Celebrate the French flair for living in the Bordeaux region, renowned for its wine, oysters, truffles and cognac on one of Viking’s top-rated cruises, Châteaux, Rivers & Wine. No matter which itinerary you choose, you’ll delight in France’s cultural and culinary riches at every turn, only with Viking, The World’s Leading River Cruise Line.

 

Still Not Convinced Now Is A Good Time For Travel?
While the worst attack in over a decade, the 2015 Paris attacks were the then latest terrorism event in a part of the world with a rather long history of such incidents.   Twenty eight of them in the last 15 years to be exact, ranging from bombings to shootings, stabbings and more.  Odds are there will be future incidents around the world as well.  So what to do?  Never travel?  I think not. Living in Orlando where a nightclub shooting 14 miles from our home killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. We know travel to places far away is not necessary to encounter danger.

Right now is a wonderful time to book travel to Europe before that discount window closes.  This year.  This Summer.