🧳 Booking & Tips

Tools and tactics for the person doing the booking

Viking Excursions

Log into MyViking Journey to reserve optional tours now. The popular ones (Les Baux & Carrières de Lumières, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Lyon cooking class, Beaujolais & Truffles) fill up.
Included tours don't need booking, but Viking often offers "leisurely" and "regular" pace groups, so pick the pace that suits you.
If you do a do-it-yourself afternoon, always check the all-aboard time in the Viking Daily and allow a 45-minute buffer.
Viking transfers from Marseille are included only with Viking Air. Otherwise pre-book a private van for 4 plus luggage.

Book the Lyon → Paris TGV on SNCF Connect (official) or Trainline. Prices rise as the date approaches.
Prefer TGV INOUI over OUIGO: OUIGO charges extra for luggage beyond a cabin bag. First class is often only €15–30 more.
Download e-tickets to the SNCF Connect app. There's no need to validate e-tickets.
Best independent guide: Seat61: train travel in France. Compare all options on Rome2Rio.

Louvre: timed tickets are mandatory; buy only from louvre.fr or a guided tour. €32pp for non-EU visitors since Jan 2026. Closed Tuesdays.
Eiffel Tower: official site; lift tickets release ~60 days ahead. If the summit is sold out, try Viator/GetYourGuide tours with reserved slots.
Moulin Rouge: book direct at moulinrouge.fr for 4 seats together.
Restaurants: TheFork works for many Paris and Lyon restaurants (sometimes with discounts). Otherwise email or phone.

Rakuten: often the highest rates, especially on bonus days.
Capital One Shopping: excellent on certain days.
Credit card portals (Chase, Amex, Citi): a good baseline but usually lower than Rakuten on bonus days.
CashBackMonitor: compares every portal for a given store.
Portal-eligible here: Viator, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, Hotels.com, GetYourGuide. Click through the portal first, then search and book.
Portal cashback is for hotels, activities and tours only, not flights.

Google Flights Explorer: best for cash fares, with date grid and price alerts.
Points Yeah: award availability across airline programs.
Book direct with the airline for full flexibility; third-party and portal bookings are harder to change.
Card portals don't book award seats and lose elite benefits on partner airlines. OTAs are fine only for cheap, simple economy tickets you won't change.
Strategy: search Google Flights, check Points Yeah, book direct, then set a price alert.

Cards are accepted almost everywhere; carry ~€50 cash for markets and small cafés. Always choose to pay in euros.
Get an eSIM (e.g. Airalo, Holafly) or your carrier's international pass. The ship's Wi-Fi is free but can be slow.
Tipping: service is included in France. Round up or leave 5–10% for great service.
Non-EU visitors can reclaim ~12% VAT on purchases over ~€100 in one store on one day (ask for the détaxe form at Galeries Lafayette).
Travel insurance covering the cruise is strongly recommended.