French strikes: How could they affect UK travelers? – BBC News, BBC News
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British travelers face cancellations, delays and disruption getting to and from France during the next five days due to a general strike in the country.
Eurostar said 90 services will not run, while EasyJet has cancelled 70 flights and BA has cancelled more than a dozen.
The Foreign Office has said journeys to the ****, Belgium, Italy and Germany could also be affected.
It has urged travelers to check with operators before beginning their journey.
How are flights affected?
Some air traffic controllers and Air France workers have said they will take part in the strike – in a bid to cause disruption to air travel. As a result:
Easyjetsaid 70 flights flying in and out of the UK have been cancelled, and it expects other flights to experience delays. It has urged passengers to useits online flight trackerto check the status of their flight
British Airwayssaid a “handful” of flights have been cancelled but it hopes to use larger aircraft on other services to help those affected. Some flights to Spain and Switzerland are also affected due to flying over French airspace
Ryanairsaid passengers whose flights have been affected have been told via email or text message
Air Francesaid around 30% of its domestic flights would be cancelled.
What about Eurostar and Eurotunnel? ******
Image copyright Getty ImagesImage caption The Eiffel Tower was shrouded in fog on Thursday morning as bosses warned tourists to delay their visit if possible
Eurostarhas warned that it will run a reduced timetable until 10 December – with no tickets expected to be on sale until then.
The operator said 11 out of 19 services from London to Paris will be cancelled on Thursday and Friday, with about half of all services from the French capital also facing cancellations.
Some services from London to Brussels and Amsterdam may also be affected, it said.
The operator said it expects about 90 services to be cancelled during the strike.
BBC reporter Keith Doyle said St Pancras station was “very, very quiet” on Thursday, with many passengers having made other plans ahead of the strike.
Eurotunnelsaid it “does not foresee disruption” on its service between Folkestone and Calais.
Industrial action by hauliers may also cause delays or blockages on somemajor roadsin France, the UK Foreign Office has warned.
What about ferry crossings?
P&O Ferries, which operates services between Dover and Calais, has said that it expects “potential disruption” to its sailing schedule on Thursday.
Are Paris tourist attractions affected?
The
Eiffel Towerin Paris has warned tourists to delay their visit if possible, because of concerns the strike will disrupt access to the monument.
TheLouvre
museum said some of its viewing rooms may be closed.
Hotelsacross Paris have also reported a higher than normal level of cancellations ahead of the strike.
Image copyright ReutersImage caption Police have closed of a number of roads in Paris ahead of a planned march through the city
Riot police began searching pedestrians’ bags before dawn on Paris’s famousChamps-Élyséesboulevard, where shops have been ordered to close ahead of a planned march by protesters.
Transport networks in some areas of France have also ground to a near-halt on Thursday
Some 90% of high-speedTGVand intercity trains have been cancelled, withbusesalso affected.
In Paris, just five of the city’s (underground) **************** (Metro) lines are running.
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