Friend in France says many trains did not run today due to a strike - wonder if this is the start of a spate of strikes such as the country saw a few years back - what with the economic problems and all?

between trains and Air france.. friends stuck here for 1.5 days.. hope they make it back to germany tonight somehow!

Less than half the trains were/are running. And in Ile-de-France only RER line A is operating.

Make that less than half the TGVs and Intercités and TERs. Overall, a third of trains weren't running.

Prospective travelers can find strike updates - often announced in advance on the www.sncf.com (French Railways) site I believe.

I just got home from France Wednesday night and due to the air traffic controller's strike I had an unexpected night in Germany. There was so much chaos at the Marseille airport and those damn protesters kept coming in to rub in our faces how they had done this to us.

Earlier, as I rode the train into the airport there were flyers about the upcoming train strike so it wouldn't surprise me if this is a wave of stikes.

They aren't related though. The air traffic controllers are protesting at planned changes to airspace over Europe. I doubt the train people care much about that.

i'm leaving from Nice tomorrow and concerned I won't make it to the airport. the busses have been showing COMPLET and not even stopping as they are so packed with people who could not take the train.

better book a cab or airport transfer right now!

Is the Paris metro affected by this?

No, the métro/RER is not affected.

For updates on the train strike, you can use this:

http://www.infolignes.com/

Thanks StCirq

My french friend who is keenly following the strike activity because she is flying to the States on Friday and needs a train from Les Aubrais to Paris and RER to airport or a really expensive mini-van shuttle.

she says strike is continuing and there is even an airport snafu with controllers or something.

Ah travel at times can be a real travail!

My pauvre amie - she has been told that on Friday morning there will (may?) be a few trains running Les Aubrais to Paris and that some RER lines are affected - though her flight is around 1-2pm from Roissy she is planning to take a really early train and hoping to get to Paris then hoping metro/RER from Austerlitz will cart her out to the airport.

She though of doing the airport mini-vans but they are already all booked up by others with similar fears. She thought of going to Paris a day early and sleeping at a Roissy hotel but found that the cheapest rooms left were 160 euros!

She has decided to take an early trainh, hoping that they will be running as word has it (some trains will run).

I'll be happy to see her land in DTW!

too bad she can't find someone to share a car rental with. blablacar is a website we use here.. works great especially under these circumstances. hope she makes it

lincasanova - good tip - there probably is one but she is let's say Old School and not tuned in to such stuff.

If anyone knows of one in France let me know! (lincasanova is in Spain I believe).

I'm sure glad we got home before the train strikes! That would have utterly ruined our trip.
I sure feel bad for everyone affected by the strikes.

blablacar IS in France.. that's why I posted it. it is all over europe.

thanks lincasanova - I'll tell her.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/wo...ande.html?_r=0

NYTimes article on the why of the strike - retiring with full pension is one of train workers cherished perks they want to keep - but in this world of economic malaise and an aging populace?

Expect strikes to continue as unions seem intransigent on this issue and many French no longer sympathize with them.