We are booked on the September 20, 2016 trip. Right now I have no problem with going. The odds of anything happening and being involved is slim at best. It would have to get much much worse. I travelled after 9/11 without fear. We can't let fear get to us as we are playing right into the hands of the terrorists. As always when travelling, we do have to maintain some caution when we are in a strange city or country. I am really looking forward to this trip. It will be my third river cruise with Tauck . They take good care of us.
All good points, rosepetal. One only has to check, tragic though it is, the tally for mass shooting in the US, for the current year alone. Sad times indeed and while there is bigotry, ignorance and intolerance everywhere, there is still beauty and goodness, too. We all need lots of that! Besides, French food is exquisite! What's not to like!
Bad things can happen to you anywhere and anytime. The only thing I would make sure of is when you plan your air travel be sure to allow enough time to clear customs and security especially if you have transfers at different airports. Just flew Basel to Amsterdam to Atlanta a few weeks ago and it took all of the 2 hour layover I had at Amsterdam to clear security and get to the gate. Would imagine it's worse now.
We just came back from the northbound cruise. We started in Versaille, and we ended in London. There was no evidence of any bad things. It was as if nothing had happened. We expected to see more obvious signs of security at the airport, and there was not anything obvious to me. The only obvious signs of security were at the synagogue in the Marais district. There we saw soldiers with weapons. This was a wonderful trip. We loved everything about this excursion. I encourage everyone to go. Be aware that we were very scheduled, and did not have time to walk on Rue Rivoli (shopping area), we did not have time to go up to the Eiffel Tower (we saw it from a bus). The amount of time that we had on our own to shop, or just walk around was not much. In a way this is good because we did see quite a lot. Yes, it rained sometimes. Yes, Tauck is very correct to recommend waterproof shoes. I guess it depends on what time of year you go. The tour directors were excellent!!! I felt that it was good that we had spent time in Paris a couple of years ago. At that time we got to do what we could not do on this trip. Also, the hotel in Versaille is extremely expensive to eat in. We stayed a day ahead of time there. We did not go into the dining area because the cost was just beyond what we wanted to pay. We sat in what they call the "Gallery". It was like sitting along a corridor with low tables. Not comfortable to eat at. The weather was not conducive to walking about 15 -25 minutes to find another place to eat.
Lucky, glad to hear your cruise went well. We're scheduled for Jun next year. Hoping for good weather but planning on getting rained on at least some. Not sure there is a time of year there that you won't get rained on or at least overcast skies. Our first cruise on the Rhone we got both in Paris and in Provence - in July! Still had a great cruise.
Not surprised the Versaille hotel restaurant prices were so high. While I love the 4/5 star hotels that Tauck chooses they don't seem to have reasonable dining options. In Amsterdam at the Sofitel we had lunch in the dining room - hamburger and fries - $32 for two. Great fries, not so great burger. I know I'm sounding cheap - especially with how much one pays for these tours and cruises -but sometimes I just want something simple, light. Not every meal needs to be an event. On our own we've found that European department stores have nice options for good, reasonably priced food. As you say though, sometimes you just don't want to go hunting down a place to sit down and have a meal. That's how we ended up eating at the hotel in Amsterdam.
We didn't get to see much on our first visit to Paris so we're really looking forward to seeing Versailles and having more time in Paris. May have to split from the Tauck group to see some of the sights we missed last time like Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. Wish that day 3 didn't make you choose between Versailles and Montmartre. Oh well.
During the cruise portion, were there nice places to see near where the ship was docked so you could walk around on your our?
Lucky Traveler thank you for the review of your trip. We will be doing the southbound cruise which starts in London in September. I am glad to hear that you had a wonderful time and am looking forward to our trip. Can you tell me where the boat was docked in Paris? I agree that the Tauck hotels dining options can be very expensive especially if you want a simple meal. I think London will be easier to find meals that are not overly expensive. In Paris we may have to break away from the group one afternoon as we want to get tickets to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. We were in Paris a couple of years ago when we did the Rhone River cruise but were unable to get to the tower. As you say, Tauck keeps you very busy.
We just came back from a trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. We felt very safe and the only soldiers we saw were in Brussels and that was just four. Everything seemed normal and as usual we were aware of your surroundings and pickpockets. There is no reason to not go to Europe as far as I am concerned.
In the beginning we were not docked near the Eiffel tower. We were docked further away. At that time there was a problem, and our boat could not get to that part. In Paris, you had a choice of seeing either Musee de l'Orangerie, The Louvre, or the opera house. We then went back to the ship. Another day you had a choice of getting a tour of the Marais District, or seeing the War Museum. Afterwards it was back to the ship. We did have some time for a quick lunch on your own, or you could explore on your own, but for not a long time. The last day in Paris, we were able to dock close enough to see the Eiffel Tower. What a beautiful site to see early in the morning from a boat. I have to say that the other passengers were amazingly nice and fun. We had such a good time. I encourage all to go, no matter what. Be a mindful and aware traveler, but do not let the news reports sway you into not going. You will be so glad that you went. I enjoyed myself enough to want to do this trip again. The people in France were extremely nice to us, and very helpful. Check the itinerary, and speak with a Tauck representative about the daily schedules. I got useful information when I called them directly. I never once felt that we were in danger of anything. We were very well taken care of.
Lucky Traveler- Thank you for the review of the trip. It helps everyone that is booked for an upcoming trip. I am leaving next Monday (USA) to start the trip from Versailles to London. You mentioned your different options in Paris with the museums. I have been to the D'Orssay, so what did you think was the best option for you on that portion of the trip?
Bob Burch, you cannot go wrong with any choice of a museum. Definitely try to see a museum that you have not seen before, but if you have seen all of the choices, then go to see what you are passionate about. Just remember that you will have a guide, which is good because you do not have all day at any museum. This way you get to see the highlights.
Comments
Cheers,
Jan
Not surprised the Versaille hotel restaurant prices were so high. While I love the 4/5 star hotels that Tauck chooses they don't seem to have reasonable dining options. In Amsterdam at the Sofitel we had lunch in the dining room - hamburger and fries - $32 for two. Great fries, not so great burger. I know I'm sounding cheap - especially with how much one pays for these tours and cruises -but sometimes I just want something simple, light. Not every meal needs to be an event. On our own we've found that European department stores have nice options for good, reasonably priced food. As you say though, sometimes you just don't want to go hunting down a place to sit down and have a meal. That's how we ended up eating at the hotel in Amsterdam.
We didn't get to see much on our first visit to Paris so we're really looking forward to seeing Versailles and having more time in Paris. May have to split from the Tauck group to see some of the sights we missed last time like Sacre Coeur and Montmartre. Wish that day 3 didn't make you choose between Versailles and Montmartre. Oh well.
During the cruise portion, were there nice places to see near where the ship was docked so you could walk around on your our?
We just came back from a trip to the Netherlands and Belgium. We felt very safe and the only soldiers we saw were in Brussels and that was just four. Everything seemed normal and as usual we were aware of your surroundings and pickpockets. There is no reason to not go to Europe as far as I am concerned.