Planned French Rail Strike - November 13, 2007

Not to hijack this thread, but where did you find the information on a planned strike in Paris? We will be arriving November 16th. Thanks!

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL3136118020071031

If you do a Google news search there are numerous articles...this is one of them.

There's quite a bit on Fodors message board, as well. Good luck...we moved our trip for the same timeframe from Paris to Venice.

I live in Paris and this city is at a standstill during these rail and bus strikes. I hear even the velos (bicycles for hire) will be shut down next week.

Don't count on the metro. Either get a car hire to bring you in from CDG, or better yet, can you change your dates?

There are always some Metros running during strikes, but they're very crowded. I wouldn't suggest taking young children on them as they'll be smashed. The velibs won't be repaired by public-sector workers, but they'll still be available to rent.

To get into the city from the airport, hire a taxi to pick you up at the airport. My favorite is Grey Shuttle. They cost the same as a regular taxi ride, and they'll give you a discount if you use them for your return. You can order them online at http://www.greyshuttle.com/. They'll bring a van so they're perfect for two couples or a couple with children.

Rail strikes are such a pain that many people just don't bother even going to work, or they ride their bikes. Nineteenth century solutions--like walking and biking actually make the streets eerily quiet and easier to navigate. The public-sector workers will vote daily whether to continue striking. Perhaps this strike won't last long. I don't think they have much public support anymore.

Hello,
I was planning to go to Paris next week but all this talk about the strikes is making me reconsider. Have not purchased plane ticket yet. Does anyone know if air travel to Paris will be disrupted or if city service will be compromised? I have a weekly rental lined up but have not made a deposit. Someone said there will be good hotel deals if things get real bad.
Thank you.
Jeff
jmfvegan@sbcglobal.net
Toronto, Canada

I'm here in Florence right now, Sunday Nov. 11th and when I tried to book a rail ride out of Milan to Paris on Nov.13 the agent said that I should try on Nov. 15th. That's all I know right now.

in these situations one has to assume the worst that public transport will probably be majorly disrupted right until the end of the week. Best try to get a taxi from Montmarte to montparnasse, but you will have to get up v early to find one and allow a great deal of extra time!

I was a little anxious, but survived last month"s strikes. I spent a day walking the Rue Cler, Eiffel Tower area. As far as I could tell, the boats on the Siene were running. Museums were open. One leg of the Eiffel tower was running elevators. Eurostar trains to London were (mostly) running. To get to Gare du Nord, I got up early and took a taxi at 6 am. It was fun and scenic to zip through the dark streets of Paris in the early morning. It was possible to get up-to-date info via the internet. SNCF offices were closed, so it was necessary to go to the website. TV and newspapers will have some information. Your hotel desk personnel may be able to keep you updated on the strike. They will help you get taxis, etc.

Can we keep this thread going until the strikes are definatively over? If you come back from France, please keep us up-dated!

so glad to find this helpline. my husband and me and our two children aged 15 and 11 are flying into CDG early Saturday morning. We are flying Delta. Do you think there is any danger that our flight will be cancelled? any advice would be appreciated

yes, sorry i didn't make that clear. When i was reading about the transport workers' strike on the web they mentioned that many flights into and out of CDG were cancelled

No i haven't called Delta. I think it would be worthless until atleast Thursday. I was reading postings on other sites and someone mentioned that the museums in paris would probably close starting on the 20th because civil servants are starting to strike on that day. does anyone have anymore information on that? I sure hope they are wrong. Next week is our one and only week in Paris.

I'm working in the Rueil-Malmaison area outside of Paris (near La Defense). Reception desk at my hotel claims it will not be difficult to get taxis during the strike. I've also heard that the strike will end during the weekend but if nothing has been resolved the strike will start again on Monday. The office I'm working in is very quiet. Some folks in my office got to work via taxis with no problem. That being said there are lots of people who did not come to work today!

Another day - another strike.

The Rail Unions although meeting with the French government are planning to continue the train/metro strike tomorrow - Thursday, November 15th.

I must say there were more trains than the strike on the 18th, however I traveled by foot and Velib today.

See updates at www.ratp.fr

Metro:
Line 14: normal (of course there is no driver this is an automatic train)

Line 1: 1 train out of 2 on average
Other lines: 1 train out of 6 on average

RATP RER:
Traffic minimal - expect disruption of service

Bus and Tram:
30% on average

Update for Friday, November 16th day 4

The strike will continue and at this point the following estimations are being made for tomorrow.

Métro :
Ligne 14 : Normal functions (remember this is the only non-driver line - if I only lived closer to it - sigh)

Ligne 1 : 1 out of 2 trains (approx. 1 train every 10min)
Autres lignes : 1 of every 5 trains so about one train every 20 minutes or so.

RER RATP :
Lignes A et B : Très perturbées ! In other words don't plan on it. RER B from CDG to Gare Nord will most likely run with some delay.

Bus et Tramway : 40% en moyenne Wahoo ! That is a vast improvement.

I managed this afternoon on a Velib bicycle - there were plenty available. However tonight on my way home at 20h30 has taken 2 hours by metro for a normal 20 minute commute. Typically, I am home in 20 minutes - it is cold tonight and walking seemed insane.

Patience is the key - along with a good book.

I need help. I have an 8 year old and almost 13 year old (her birthday is the reason for our trip)—Is there much protesting in the city? Is the weather too cold or too rainy (November 20 is our arrival date) to realistically take children without the option of hopping on the Metro or in a cab? Anyone have any thoughts? I'm losing my mind!

Where I am here in Southern Burgundy, there are lots of buses that are still working, even if trains mostly are not. I think the strike is much worse in the Parisian region than here. This year is very bad for strikes, because of political reasons (it is Sarkozy's first year, and they want to make it as hard for possible as him). Good luck to everyone coming to France this weekend ;)

We are just out of Paris (left yesterday - my husband WALKED to Montparnesse from Montmarte and then drove our rental car back as there were no cars available anywhere in the city and only this car (which we had prepaid for) could be had. It took him a total of 8 hours to walk and drive back with driving taking the most time - stop and go!

So - it wasn't good. However, if you are in the city somewhere you want to be you won't even notice. We just didn't leave Montmarte on the first day of the strike and explored every bit of the area. There was no pressure - which in a place like Paris was kind of nice! Just don't have expectations about doing certin things and enjoy what the city offers. Its amazing so matter what!

So do go...but be prepared to have some adventures! We return on the 19th evening...and hope its better then!

CR

Hi,

We have planned a trip to Paris from Nov 22 to Nov 26. How will the proposed public workers stike on Nov 20 affect us.
If the public workers strike include people who work for the museums, will the museums stay closed??

Any insight would be appreciated.

thanks,

Hello All !

It has been another day of strikes here but there is light at the end of the tunnel so to speak.

Each day it appears that more and more workers are breaking the strike and reporting to work. Friday saw a vast improvement.

Saturday and Sunday really don't give a good idea of the situation because service is usually slowed.

Most everyone at my local cafe this afternoon feel that the strike will be winding down early this next week. Additionally, public support is not with the strikers at this point and many feel that these extra days were unwarranted.

RATP and SNCF plan to update work week schedules tomorrow afternoon and I will update again then.

One addition...

The planned strike for Novememer 20th is a general workers strike that involves the Postal Workers, Teachers, State Administration offices etc.

This will NOT impact transportation.

A strange thing here is that most state worker contracts allow for "strike" days. The 20th is one of those days.

Bonjour all, we made it into paris just fine on the morning of the 17th, we have been having a great time, but have had to take taxis everywhere. Anyone know when this damned metro strike is going to stop? Does anyone know if the museums are going to close when the other strike starts tomorrow? although it is a pain, i'd rather be in paris any day even with a strike than to be anywhere else!