train travel in July 2018?

Strike is only through the end of June as of now. We travel in June and had to adjust our travels. Oh well

Maybe check this again once April is over
https://en.oui.sncf/en/train/strike

Crap. I have tickets to go from Paris to Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port...so the strike is expected to last that long??? I assumed it wouldn't but should have checked. Hmmm......

The strikes will last as long as they last.
President Macron is working hard to get them over with. You should be fine with July 2018.

Latest update on additional days...

https://www.thelocal.fr/20180424/train-passengers-in-france-face-yet-more-travel-misery-while-rail-strikes-lose-steam

French rail unions recently threatened to prolong their strike action into July and August, meaning those planning to travel around France during the summer holiday period could be set for travel misery.

"We are looking at the calendar," a union representative told the French press. "We want to warn the French as soon as possible so that they can organize their holidays."

The CGT, Unsa, Sud Rail and CFDT unions, which are due to meet mid-week, say that the possibility of prolonging the action into July and August is becoming increasingly likely.

The nature of the strikes has been two days off then three days on, so IF (big if) that pattern continue...

https://www.thelocal.fr/userdata/images/1522073624_Strikes.calendar..jpg

...the strike days in July would be

• 2 & 3
• 7 & 8
• 12 & 13
• 17 & 18
• 22 & 23
• 27 & 28

I also noted in the news that some dates were added for airline strikes recently.

Will the strikes go into July? No one knows. As I understand, this strike is about a work rule that guarantees jobs for life. Obviously labor doesn't want the rule rescinded. On the other side, French companies avoid hiring full time employees because of the rule.

I'd suggest keeping an eye on the strike calendar so you can alter your plans if you need to. There is always a way to get where you are going. Think of it as an inconvenience not a dead-end.

For Paris to Vernon it looks like there is a local bus but it only goes as far as Mantes-la-Jolie: http://www.express-a14.com/exec/home.asp?NumRub=2025 It's probably worth exploring some alternative transport options such as Blablacar, the car pooling service which is doing incredibly well at the moment due to the strikes. https://www.blablacar.com/
And this is useful, it has info about other ways of getting around France during the strike. Remember with buses the earlier you book the better due to the increased demand: https://www.rome2rio.com/guides/alternative-transport-options-french-strikes-2018

Thanks, Shawn for posting potential strike days in July. That should give travelers an opportunity to plan around them.

Does "jobs for life" mean a worker can't be fired for simple incompetence and things of that nature?

Actually the Air France employees haven’t had a raise since 2011, so they are striking for more than the 1% for the next two years that has been offered by management.

French tracks will be opened to competition in the next year or so. The strike is to be sure new hires have the same wages and benefits as currently earned, and the competition doesn’t drag down wages. It’s claimed on the French TV2 newscast I saw that in the German system wages are stabilized even though the tracks are opened to competition, so that’s one of the things the CGT and CFDT are trying to negotiate.

As for the continuation, meetings are going on now to decide. Seventeen percent are striking now, but of the train engineers, it’s 63%. Furthermore, the rolling strike entitles the strikers to take the days as paid time off according to the unions, but not so according to management. This is going to a labor judge to decide. That decision will have the most effect on your trains for the next few months.