Traveling in France
during the protests.
You've probably seen the news from France. Here's where things stand, how we keep watch, and the kinds of adjustments we might make to a tour.
Student protests and national strikes across France.
Since mid-September, students have been protesting overcrowded classrooms and teacher shortages. On Saturday, October 17, those protests merged with nationwide marches over the cost of living. Most of the marches were peaceful, but there were instances of looting and damage in Paris and some other cities. Several cities, including Paris, then set short, targeted overnight curfews in a few neighborhoods. More protest and strike days have been called. We know families and Group Leaders want a straight answer, so here it is.
The U.S. Department of State still rates France at Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” where it has been for years; its latest review (May 28, 2025) kept that level. Many popular European destinations carry the same rating. It is not advice to avoid travel.
The U.S. Embassy in Paris advises travelers to avoid demonstrations, check local curfew rules and transit updates, and expect road blockades and sudden Metro station closures.
A national strike and march has been called for Thursday, November 5. Routes and transport impact haven't been announced yet.
Our France tours are going ahead, with adjustments as needed.
Traveling soon? We’re already making adjustments.
For groups in France now or leaving in the coming weeks, we’re already adjusting plans around announced march and strike days, using the kinds of steps described below. Any necessary on-the-spot changes will be conducted by the Tour Director in close coordination with our team and the Group Leader.
Traveling in the spring or summer?
Most of our tours visiting France don’t depart until the spring or summer, and conditions can change a lot between now and then. We’d encourage families not to make decisions about an upcoming tour based on this week’s headlines.
Part of French civic life.
Protest is part of French civic life, from 1789 to May 1968 to the big pension strikes of recent years. Most marches are announced ahead of time and are peaceful, and they’re usually over within the day. They’re also tied to specific days, routes and places, and away from those, the city carries on as usual. That doesn’t make the recent damage acceptable, and we take it seriously. But it helps explain why a march in Paris usually means re-planning part of a day, not cancelling a trip.
Official alerts, plus people on the ground.
Official alerts, every 15 minutes
Our system checks U.S. Embassy alerts every 15 minutes. When an alert affects a city where one of our groups is traveling, it goes straight to that group's channel, so the Tour Director and Group Leader see it right away.
Our team on the ground
Members of our team are based in France, including Tour Directors who live in Paris. They know which neighborhoods to avoid on a march day and which Metro lines are likely to close, and they often hear about changes before most visitors do.
Local guides and partners
Our guides, hotels, coach companies and restaurants in France tell us what they're seeing on the ground.
Every situation is different.
What we do depends on the itinerary and what’s possible on the day. The examples below show the kinds of steps we might take, from small adjustments to bigger ones. They aren’t a list of guaranteed changes, and not every option will fit every tour.
On the day
Planned ahead
Bigger changes, if needed
If a destination is ever deemed unsafe
Official government advisories guide this decision. If it came to that, we would work closely with the Group Leader to explore appropriate alternatives, which could include itinerary adjustments or alternative destinations.
We’re here to help.
The safety and security of our travelers is always our top priority. Our team will keep watching official advisories and local conditions and adjust plans when needed. If you have questions about your tour, or if you’re considering withdrawing and want to talk through your options and the cancellation terms that apply, please contact us directly. While on tour, the same number is answered 24 hours a day for emergencies.
Advisory levels, alerts and protest dates reflect what was reported as of October 20, 2026 and may change. For the latest official guidance, see the U.S. Department of State’s France travel advisory and alerts from the U.S. Embassy in Paris. We’ll update this page as things change.