History

DiscoverFrance.net began offering travel services through its web site in 1999, in affiliation with TravelNow (NasdaqSC: TNOW). This affiliation makes it possible to leverage the infrastructure of TravelNow on behalf of DiscoverFrance.net's visitors, to provide online hotel bookings, airline reservations and car rentals which are the most competitive in today's rapidly evolving travel markets.

Reputation and Reliability

TravelNow, with corporate headquarters based in Springfield, Missouri, has been in business since April 1995, and was the first unbiased online source of hotel data on the Internet, providing consumers with the capability to initiate a wireless hotel reservation. In the ensuing years since its launch, TravelNow has processed more than 1 million online bookings for hotel accommodations, car rentals, air and rail travel. On January 4, 2001, a corporate merger was announced between TravelNow and Hotel Reservations Network (HRN) (NASDAQ: ROOM), the Internet's number one provider of discount hotel accommodations worldwide. This merger serves to further solidify its position as a leader in the online travel market.

Benefits

The following is a summary of the current benefits our travelers enjoy:

• Reservations at more than 40,000 hotel properties in 5,000 cities and 140 countries
• Book from 200 airlines
• Rent from 60 car rental companies
• Access to Consolidated Rates
• Access to sold-out dates
• Access to discounts up to 65%

Economy

When you initiate a search for hotel properties (by selecting a destination city and travel dates), the properties which appear first in your search results will be those with whom we have negotiated the guaranteed lowest rates for our customers. That way, you can rest assured that your booking transaction is the most economical rate available anywhere on the Internet. Even if you search for a specific property by name, you can feel secure that the listing is the most competitive rate available. Access to consolidated rates and sold-out dates through our system provides you with advantages not offered in direct bookings with hotel properties. Furthermore, by booking through our system, you benefit from the lowest advance deposit requirements and the most favorable cancellation policies available, standardized via our prior agreements with each property.

Confidence

Unlike many of our competitors, it is not necessary for you to register with us prior to examining our database of hotel information. You can also easily compare auto rental and air travel rates, using our convenient online forms, without providing credit card information in advance. Some other providers of online travel services obligate you to accept their offer with a credit card payment before the final details of your booking are made available. We do not believe that such a model encourages trust and confidence, and we want you to feel secure that your travel arrangements meet your specifications in every way, before you commit to booking them. In any event, should you have any questions or need to cancel a reservation for ANY reason, our online contact and cancellation form make this process easy and painless.

Properties in France

At last count, there were 2,296 hotel properties in France offered through our system. In addition to the usual urban centers, you will find many of these charming and hospitable lodgings in small towns throughout the countryside, allowing you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rich and varied cultures of France's provincial regions. To assist you in considering these many options for your séjour in France, we've assembled a list of the towns in which at least one property may be found. Keep in mind, however, that the smallest properties in out-of-the-way locations may require booking well in advance, in light of their popularity and limited accommodations.

Why DiscoverFrance.net?

Bookings initiated through the Discover France Travel Boutique are priced exactly the same as they would be at TravelNow's own web site, or through any of its 16,000 affiliates worldwide. The difference is that when you place your reservations through DiscoverFrance.net, you are helping to subsidize the continuing development of a valuable information resource for francophiles everywhere. Since its inception in September 1997, DiscoverFrance.net has received recognition and awards from numerous educational and travel portals, with more than 2,000 web sites worldwide pointing to our pages, and over 1.3 million visitors (estimated) in 2002. By initiating your travel reservations through this site, your support is greatly appreciated and will contribute immensely toward our goal of providing the most comprehensive resource on all aspects of French arts and culture.