Does the Eurostar ever suffer from strikes? Are the strikes announced in advance? If you have already bought a ticket for a train on the day of a strike is it refundable/tranferable?
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9110 posts
Yes they do get affected by strikes. If I remember correctly, trains to Brussels were canceled for several days last year due to work stoppages by Belgian Rail workers. You would be entitled to a full-refund...even if you purchased a restricted "non-refundable" ticket.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
33851 posts
Very rare for Eurostar itself to suffer a strike. The staff are not always happy but strikes are rare. They do, however, suffer from strikes in France and Belgium from time to time. Generally the local strikes affect it. I remember once being on a ride to Paris when the train came to a halt somewhere in Picardy. An announcement was made that a demonstration (manifestation) had put a barricade across the tracks. We sat about an hour and then it was announced that the manifestation was complete, they moved on and we started moving again. Its part of life in a latin culture. The big stop recently in Belgium was due to a general strike which stopped everything. We tried a general strike here in the UK last month but it was not as successful. There is unhappiness throughout Europe about all the austerity budgets.
Posted by
Forest Grove, OR
11780 posts
We had this happen in December in Italy. I had purchased Trenitalia AV tickets, a non-refundable mini-fare. When we discovered there would be a strike on the day of planned travel, we went to the station (several days in advance) and found out that because we had purchased the ticket online, we had to "apply" for a refund online. The refund was immediate and I was able to purchase new tickets for one day prior. Still received a mini-fare and avoided the strike entirely. We did have to give up a night at our apartment and pay for another night at the next destination, but since the apartment was booked with a new party coming in, we couldn't stay there longer. So the strike cost us about €124 for the duplicate night, but that was a better alternative than being stranded. FYI, "some" trains run during a strike, and Trenitalia lists those on their website. Apparently some other trains that are not listed may run as well. But the locals told me not to risk it. We were in a very small town and chances were huge no trains would stop there. EDIT: For travel in Italy, this English language source has been dependable. I suggest bookmarking it and checking it before and during your trip. http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp