FRANCE: How Terror Attacks Will Affect Paris

For the second time in a year, the capital of the world’s leading tourist nation has been the scene of coordinated mass murders. The latest atrocity in Paris has traumatised the city and its people, and has profound implications for travellers. As security on all forms of transport is stepped up, tens of thousands of tourists and business travellers have been leaving the city.

In the longer term, the combined effect of the two massacres in Paris this year could change the face of tourism in the capital and beyond.

Travel to and from France has not stopped. What the president meant was that full border controls would be established on the land frontiers with its neighbours, with passports or ID cards instituted for travel from Schengen countries by road and rail. These checks were actually being temporarily introduced for a month, as part of the security precautions head of the UN Climate Change Conference starting on 30 November. They may now be extended.

Some Metro stations near the massacre locations are closed, and RER (suburban train) and many bus services are disrupted. Security has been stepped up at transport terminals, notably the city’s airports and main train stations, and on trains; in August there was an attempted terrorist attack on an Amsterdam-Paris high-speed train.

Eurostar services through the Channel between Paris Gare du Nord and London St Pancras are operating normally, but passengers are advised to check in an hour before departure, instead of the usual 30 minutes. Random searches of other rail passengers may be instituted.

Eurostar train services and most flights are operating more or less normally, and operators are offering flexibility to passengers keen to leave - switching them to immediate departures when seats are available.

For those booked to travel to Paris this weekend, and in some cases on Monday and Tuesday, operators are allowing passengers to postpone journeys or switch to alternative destinations without penalty.

Air France says flights will operate as normally as possible, but warns: “Departure and arrival delays are to be expected following the reinforcement of controls at the borders by the authorities.” Passengers booked to travel this weekend on Air France are allowed free postponements to 22 November; if you wish to postpone your trip beyond that date, or change your destination, you can get a voucher valid for one year on Air France or KLM. easyJet says: “Our schedule will operate normally.” However, passengers are advised to “allow extra time for security checking due to security measure reinforcement”. Passengers booked to travel on Saturday or Sunday can call easyJet customer service on 0330 365 5000 to rebook flights for alternative dates or cancel for a full refund.

Vueling, the third-largest airline in Paris, has deployed extra staff and is offering flexibility to change flights for next three days.

British Airways says anyone booked to travel to Paris up to 17 November will be able to delay their flight to another day in the next two weeks (up to 28 November), or re-book to an alternative destination.

Flybe says: “Any customer who is travelling today or tomorrow (i.e.14/15 November 2015) and who doesn't wish to now do so may rebook a later date to any alternative destination or obtain a credit note for future travel by the calling Flybe Customer Contact Centre on 0371 700 2000 (from outside the UK +44 1392 683 152).”

Services are running normally. Eurotunnel says: “Currently, border controls have been strengthened.” It is a similar picture at the ports. Increased security and tighter border controls could cause some delays.

The Foreign Office has set up an emergency number, 020 7008 1500, though clearly at this stage information is confused and patchy.

On Saturday many public venues were closed, and for the next few days the capital will be in mourning, along with the rest of France. Many tourists may feel they could be trespassing on the grief of the city in mourning.

Following the atrocities committed in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005, visitors were swiftly back, and welcomed for their show of solidarity in the face of terrorism. Certainly anyone planning a December break in the city should plan to carry on as normal - though they should be prepared to find a heavy security presence in the city.

Paris will remain one of the most-visited cities in the world. However, the nature of big, open cities means that future attacks cannot be ruled out. Security at national monuments and tourist sites throughout France was already tight following the Charlie Hebdo massacre and will be stepped up still further. The existing rules on identity checks are likely to be more tightly enforced. Visitors may be asked to prove their identity when asked or within four hours at a police station.

In the longer term, France and other Schengen countries are likely to reintroduce permanent passport and ID checks in a bid to have more control over their borders.

The cause of the loss of 224 lives in that tragedy is still not certain, but it could have been an act of terrorism; in the wake of the crash, British airlines are not allowed to fly passengers to Sharm el Sheikh. Yet despite these appalling, high-profile events the risk profile for most travellers is unaffected; a large majority of the British travellers who sadly lose their lives abroad are killed on the roads or are victims of accidents in water