Navigating the strike: a traveller's survival guide (Oct. 17)

Strikes in protest at pension reform threaten to disrupt France’s transport system for a fifth day on Saturday. Here is FRANCE 24’s survival guide for commuters and travellers.

By FRANCE 24 (text)

Travel information last updated October 17 at 3pm (GMT+2).

Air:

Domestic and international flights arriving and departing from Paris airports and the nearby Beauvais airport returned to near normal service on Thursday, but a possible fuel shortage may lead to disruptions.

For more flight information, see Paris airports website: www.aeroportsdeparis.fr

Individual airlines are posting information on flights on their own websites:

EasyJet, British Airways, Ryanair, Alitalia, bmibaby.com, Flybe, Air France

Rail:

International:

EUROSTAR (To London): Normal service.
THALYS (Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands): Nine out of ten trains running until 10pm on Sunday, after which all services will cease for 24 hours due to a strike affecting Belgian trains. Trains to Germany running at near normal service, barring night trains.
LYRIA (to Switzerland): Nine out of ten trains running.
ARTESIA (France-Italy): One Paris-Milan train running, no night trains.

National:

TGV (From or to Paris): Two in three trains running.
- TGV Inter-province (avoiding Paris): One in four trains running.
CORAIL: One in three daytime trains running.
TÉOZ: One in three trains running on average.
TER: One in two trains running
LUNEA: No night trains running, barring the Nice-Paris service on Oct.17-18.

For more information, also see national railway website www.sncf.com, or call +33 (0)805 90 36 35

Paris region:

TRANSILIEN: Average of one in two trains running.

For more information, see suburban Transilien website www.abcdtrains.com , or call 0805 700 805

RER, Metro and Tram system:

RER A: Normal service.

RER B: Three out of four trains running.

RER C, D and E: Trains running with some disruptions.

Metro, tramways and city buses: Normal or near normal service for all lines.

For more information, see RATP website or call +33 (0) 800 15 11 11

The strike is expected to affect transport services in several French cities from October 12 to 30. Expect delays and cancelations for subway trains, buses and regional rail in:

Lyon, Marseille, Lille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Strasbourg, Nantes, Montpellier, Grenoble