"Last minute trip?"

It sounds like you’ve traveled to France before? I think you could easily put a quick trip together. I don’t think hotels are booked out. There is information in other threads here on applying for the Pass Sanitaire. I’d end in Paris so you could easily get your antigen test for return to the US.

Normandie might be not at it’s best that time of year but others probably have actual information whereas I’m speculating!!

I’d do both if you have time and money and if the possibility of a 10 day quarantine if you test positive on your departure test wouldn’t be too bad for you.

TY Pam. Yes, I was there but many many years ago, Ty for the suggestions.

Being vaccinated makes all the difference for being able to travel on a virtual whim. As noted, the Pass Sanitaire is a French necessity. Depending on your airline, you may also need to submit to the cumbersome Verifly App a few days before departing.

A warm galette wood hit the spot in Oct/Nov in Normandy. Low season, not a ton of tourists in Paris or Normandy? Sounds like the perfect time to go!

Be safe, and have a great trip.

Things aren't changing rapidly but they are steadily getting better. 81.7% of the population over 12 is fully vaccinated. Positive cases are 1/3 what they were three weeks ago. Hospitals and medical services are functioning normally. There is no crisis in France right now. In some areas, mask mandates are being lifted due to the lowered risk. Everything is open, classes, conferences, meetings are in person, the economy is doing well, and everyone is masked inside, while many people mask outside, too. It's not easy to grasp how different it is to be in France.

Late Oct is a month, which is both long enough for proper planning and soon enough to be confident that the situation will probably not worsen - cases are in a sharp downward trend currently.
Paris is almost always good to visit, but it is a tricky time for Normandy since the weather is so uncertain. This said you can still give it a go, because Normandy never guarantees good weather, and good weather, while nice to have, is not essential.
Else, an 8-day/7-night trip can easily be spent staying in Paris, with perhaps 1-2 day trips that can be arranged last minute if the weather looks good.

I'm also trying to put together a last minute trip. We deliberately didn't purchase airfare while we waited to see if there was a September surge.

Now the airfares, at least from our parts, went up about $400pp.

Let us know if your airfares look good at this stage. We must depart either October 8th or October 9th.

I was really affected by Cameron Hewitt's recent blog post. You can read the entire post at https://blog.ricksteves.com/cameron/, but here's an excerpt:

Whether you think it’s “OK” to travel right now is largely driven by
how you view the value of travel. Some people see travel simply as a
hedonistic pastime, a non-essential indulgence. And by that standard,
sure — now may not be the time for casual tourism.

But for others, travel is a calling — something that brings us not
just enjoyment, but meaning. For me, travel goes beyond mere
“leisure.” Travel isn’t optional; it feeds my soul. I’ve devoted my
career to travel not because it’s fun, but because it’s
transformative.

I think if you follow Cameron's advice on "pandemicking responsibly," and if travel is more than just a casual pastime for you, and if you are prepared for the hoops you may have to jump through and the potential cancelations and closures, there's no reason you shouldn't travel now and again next year.

I will be in Normandie the third week of October. At first, I was hesitant as to whether any tours would run. I was the third person to sign up for a D-Day tour and was reassured that it would run with three people. I looked the other day and it is nearly sold out while most days around it are full.

Thanks to Covid, my new attitude is "I have no idea what is around the corner so I might as well enjoy life--and travel--now.

Ty all for your very inspiring replies. it's nice to see from such a varied locale that RS Forum brings so many people together to share .

I will post another question on the "meatier" side of planning this out. TY all again.