strikes in france

[glenpreece]

So the strikes are continuing in France over the retirement age and pension reform. there is a big walk out planned for Monday and now apparently Tuesday. There are fuel shortages canceled flights and trains and I am completely freaked out by all of this. I am sick to my stomach worrying about how I am going to make it to my hotel and if i do i may be stuck there. If I was able to drive I would rent a car and be ok but since I can't drive and was relying on the trains to get me to my hotel (which I have pre-purchased my tix for) I am so scared I might not be able to make it to the hotel or get into Paris or even Disneyland. The only person I know in France is Kevin and he is 3hrs from paris and has to work all week so it's not like he can really help me out. I am just so upset that all the money and planning might be for nothing. They have enough jet fuel to last til Wednesday but no guarantees after that. I may be stuck there who knows

 

[hematite153]

Good luck!

I don't know what will happen there, but, when we had a transit strike here recently I discovered that lots of random people became much more friendly and accommodating of their neighbours.

I can also say that when I travelled extensively I found that if you paid attention you could connect with other travellers relatively easily. So, strike up some conversations along the way and if worse comes to worse you can probably find someone who can drive but can't afford to rent a car alone who will give you a lift to the hotel in exchange for paying part of the rental fee.

The paid in advance part is trickier, though. Good luck!

 

[LukenDC]

France goes on strike all the time. They call their strikes "mouvements sociales." I have been to France five times and had a wonderful experience each time despite encountering at least one strike on four out of those five trips. On one trip alone, I encountered five strikes in a ten day period.

Be flexible and have a plan B for each day's activities. Try to move any "must do" activities to the beginning of your trip so you have time to reschedule if a strike disrupts your plans. Speak to your hotel concierge each day to get a sense of what is happening. Your concierge should also be able to assist you in making contingency plans.

If you see a strike or protest, feel free to watch from a reasonable distance, but do not get too close. Protest marches can turn violent and I remember one visit when the police used tear gas against the firefighters' union.

 

[glenpreece]

Thanks for the reassurance. I hope as long as TGV is able to get me to DLRP I should be fine as Line A of the RER seems to be running with minimal delays. As for must sees well that would be DLRP and the tourist attractions in Paris. I will be with Kev during the weekend for the trip into paris so I will feel more comfortable navigating Paris with him.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I agree with LukenDC. Basically you just need to be able to get to/from DLRP. Paris itself is very walkable and you do not need to ever get on a train to see the sights. I was there with my mom at the beginning of the month and we pretty much just walked as it was pleasant and just as easy. We did catch the bus back to the hotel twice when it was very late and rained, but we could have walked it. I figue if my almost 60 year old mom who does not work out or participate in any sports normally was good walking to every major attraction in Paris you should be just fine

Have a lovely trip.

 

[mikelan6]

I'm so sorry you're going through this. The only time I encountered a French strike is when the Air France flight attendants called a strike. It was not very pleasant waiting at CDG airport not knowing if my flight would take off or not. They would not even let us check in until that was confirmed.

I would suggest to be flexible, have a lot of patience and always have a plan B or C. Besides the TGV to DLRP, there's the Navette bus, the RER and taxis.

Good luck!!!