I know all about the strikes and such going on but do they strike like this every year? We are flying Delta round trip so thank goodness we don't have to worry about that but it does concern me that our train service to Normandy may be disrupted. Do they strike the whole day or do some trains run?
Posted by
Chicago
7811 posts
I've gone to Europe every year since 2013; this is to first I've seen extended. The train company by law always posts the strike dates. You have to look on the website to see the strike dates
E.g.
https://en.oui.sncf/en/train/strike
or if you buy a ticket before a strike is announced the company will notify you.
Posted by
San Francisco
14503 posts
There are always trains that run. You tailor your transit to the strike days, if possible. When I was in France this time , the start of May, and then backtracking to Paris in the 3 nights in early June, the trains ran. The main question: is your particular train running.,
On the strike days it's all over the French TV news...4 of 5 TGVs were running, much better than I had expected on a designated strike day but then 1 out 4 or 5 TER trains were running, ie, not very good odds at all.
The designated strike day means the whole day is affected by it, just depends on which type of train you reserved or want to buy a ticket given that day. Did the strike disrupt my Paris plans...yes, but not big deal, it gave me another chance to explore Paris more and St Germain-en-Laye. I had wanted to go Soissons as a day trip on the last day in Paris, June 3, a strike day....next time!!
Posted by
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
4037 posts
Labour action happens from time to time, although the system cannot be entirely shut down. This time round, the strike involves major changes in the government's approach to union contracts, particularly retirement, that may resound throughout the country. I expect it could be a drawn-out struggle.
Posted by
Portland, Maine
2916 posts
My understanding is that this series of strikes is much more widespread than has been the case for many years; more days/week, a longer duration, and more cancelled trains on a strike day. A few years ago we arrived in France on a strike day, which was one of just a few that spring. Our TGV was cancelled, which we knew in advance, but most others on that route were running, and we just lost a couple of hours. I believe that at least at the start of this spring's strikes, a very high percentage of trains were cancelled each strike day. But it appears that the situation may have improved.
Posted by
Central Connecticut, USA
1103 posts
A month ago, we had scheduled a flight from Paris CDG to Dublin (Aer Lingus) on the day before a strike day. The air traffic controllers at CDG started a work slowdown at around noon. We almost did not make it out of Paris.