France: What is Not on Strike?
Jun 10th, 2016, 04:30 AM
#1
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France: What is Not on Strike?
Seems so many things in France are on strike - even now garbage collectors in Paris - it may be easier to say what in France is not on strike?
What in France is not on strike?
Merci!
What in France is not on strike?
Merci!
Jun 10th, 2016, 04:35 AM
#2
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While I love France, I think I'm done with her for a while. Rail strikes disrupted my train plans twice last week. But worst of all, the threatened AirFrance strike next week forced me to cut my trip short 4 days. I had to gut my Provence itinerary.
I work too hard and put too much effort into planning these trips to have random strikes blow it all up. Sorry, France, no more of my euros for you for a while. My next visit will be to countries with more reliable transportation infrastructure.
I work too hard and put too much effort into planning these trips to have random strikes blow it all up. Sorry, France, no more of my euros for you for a while. My next visit will be to countries with more reliable transportation infrastructure.
Jun 10th, 2016, 04:44 AM
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Honestly I have to agree with Edward above. Always love Paris but it starts with CDG and so many issues even before the trip. I get that in Europe there may be strikes but France is out of control. Headed out July 1 for Provence and just hoping for the best but planning anything to or thru France is probably not going to happen after this trip. It just seems like the problem in France is getting worse and worse.
Jun 10th, 2016, 06:22 AM
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Totally agree, Paris is my fav city in Europe but right now there's just too much going on and not in a good way.
We planned a spur of the moment trip two weeks ago for 6.14-6.22, unfortunately we cancelled on Wednesday. Too many negatives and unknowns at this point, between the rail issues, flooding (which I know was unavoidable), labor demonstrations and trash strike, not to mention the impending call for Air France pilots to strike 6.11-6.14, with our AF flight departing 6.14, at some point you have to let it go. Luckily due to the pilot strike we were able to cancel flights and get our miles back and the apartment hotel was cancellable with no penalty so we'll try again in a few months.
I get that's there are always unknowns in travel but it's the knowns causing stress.
We planned a spur of the moment trip two weeks ago for 6.14-6.22, unfortunately we cancelled on Wednesday. Too many negatives and unknowns at this point, between the rail issues, flooding (which I know was unavoidable), labor demonstrations and trash strike, not to mention the impending call for Air France pilots to strike 6.11-6.14, with our AF flight departing 6.14, at some point you have to let it go. Luckily due to the pilot strike we were able to cancel flights and get our miles back and the apartment hotel was cancellable with no penalty so we'll try again in a few months.
I get that's there are always unknowns in travel but it's the knowns causing stress.
Jun 10th, 2016, 06:41 AM
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Three rules we try to follow:
1. Avoid flying Air France. We fly United from SFO.
2. Avoid trains - except from from mid-July through August when the French take their vacations and rarely go on strike.
3. Spend more time in one destination and don't have a "tight" travel schedule where one "miss" would "wipe out" the remaining itinerary.
Stu Dudley
1. Avoid flying Air France. We fly United from SFO.
2. Avoid trains - except from from mid-July through August when the French take their vacations and rarely go on strike.
3. Spend more time in one destination and don't have a "tight" travel schedule where one "miss" would "wipe out" the remaining itinerary.
Stu Dudley
Jun 10th, 2016, 07:36 AM
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I take comfort in Stu's comment that strikes less likely when the french vacation ....hope that holds true. Wish I had just booked straight Delta but cost differential on this trip was very big...but never again AF. That said looking foward to following Stu's routes for the lavender.
Jun 10th, 2016, 08:59 AM
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Do French workers really still get long summer holidays? I believe that in Italy, holidays have to be distributed more evenly throughout the year. Some time ago, maybe thirty years ago, many factories here still closed altogether in August, but only small family-run businesses do that now.
In Italy, transportation strikes can never last more than 24 hours, and the courts can forbid them if the impact is judged to be too great. Regional and urban transportation strikes can only take place outside of rush hours.
I'm also surprised that intercontinental flights would be impacted by an Air France strike. In Italy, air strikes affect only domestic, inter-EU, and Mediterranean basin flights, and again within limited hours, and for no longer than one day.
The summer is a favorite time for transportation strikes in Italy. Especially on a Friday, which makes for a nice long weekend at the seaside.
In Italy, transportation strikes can never last more than 24 hours, and the courts can forbid them if the impact is judged to be too great. Regional and urban transportation strikes can only take place outside of rush hours.
I'm also surprised that intercontinental flights would be impacted by an Air France strike. In Italy, air strikes affect only domestic, inter-EU, and Mediterranean basin flights, and again within limited hours, and for no longer than one day.
The summer is a favorite time for transportation strikes in Italy. Especially on a Friday, which makes for a nice long weekend at the seaside.
Jun 10th, 2016, 09:18 AM
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I think that the French are getting fed up too - my friend is planning to fly here June 23 and has to take train/metro to airport - right now she does not feel confident about trains or metro or airport being on strike or slow down.
Jun 10th, 2016, 09:55 AM
#13
This is a godsend for me since I have been dreaming for years of a day when the number of tourists in Paris will decline. The strikers are not much of a bother in daily life, but I want to thank all of you others for deciding not to come to France, not take the trains and not use Air France.
Jun 10th, 2016, 10:07 AM
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Be careful for what you wish!
All that VAT tax tourists get stuck with - taxes on hotel rooms, etc - and unemployment costs, etc - you are French and don't care about the economic impact on France?
All that VAT tax tourists get stuck with - taxes on hotel rooms, etc - and unemployment costs, etc - you are French and don't care about the economic impact on France?
Jun 10th, 2016, 10:17 AM
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Just how do tourists bother you? Your residence is not in a touristed area at all - what drives you mad about tourists in your city and if a problem why not just move to say the northern suburbs where tourists will not bother you I think?
Tourists are not coming - OK not a big loss and a plus for folks like you - but the strikes can have a devastating effect on the French economy from so many disruptions.
Be careful for what you wish!
Tourists are not coming - OK not a big loss and a plus for folks like you - but the strikes can have a devastating effect on the French economy from so many disruptions.
Be careful for what you wish!
Jun 10th, 2016, 10:35 AM
#17
I am not discouraging anybody from visiting Paris (or France). I am just encouraging the whiners to stay away and to go to more perfect places. France is not at all the best place in the world, so that should not be difficult at all. Why are you angry? My favorite destination in the world for my own holidays is Vietnam, and it is far from perfect and I have to put up with all sorts of inconvenience when I go there. But you people seem to think that France should be run for the pleasure of tourists and not for the benefit of the residents.
My own neighborhood is overrun with tourists at the moment, as it usually is. We just don't get the luxury tourists, and that is perfectly fine with me. Right now they are mostly wearing football jerseys, so I can even say that most of the tourists around here are Irish and Romanian today. They like the fact that they can stay in hotels for less than 50 euros a night, and I understand that completely.
Since Chinese tourism in France is still increasing about 30% a year, I am not even sure that there will be room for the other tourists soon. Then you can complain about something different. And in any case, Chinese tourists spend double the amount of American tourists, so we are going to be buried under piles of renminbi instead of greenbacks. I thought it was interestingly symbolic that as of yesterday, there is free wifi all along the Champs Elysées -- financed by Union Pay, the Chinese credit card that they use instead of Visa or Mastercard.
PalenQ, your rabble rousing rants are always interesting, but I suggest doing a bit more research before you start them.
My own neighborhood is overrun with tourists at the moment, as it usually is. We just don't get the luxury tourists, and that is perfectly fine with me. Right now they are mostly wearing football jerseys, so I can even say that most of the tourists around here are Irish and Romanian today. They like the fact that they can stay in hotels for less than 50 euros a night, and I understand that completely.
Since Chinese tourism in France is still increasing about 30% a year, I am not even sure that there will be room for the other tourists soon. Then you can complain about something different. And in any case, Chinese tourists spend double the amount of American tourists, so we are going to be buried under piles of renminbi instead of greenbacks. I thought it was interestingly symbolic that as of yesterday, there is free wifi all along the Champs Elysées -- financed by Union Pay, the Chinese credit card that they use instead of Visa or Mastercard.
PalenQ, your rabble rousing rants are always interesting, but I suggest doing a bit more research before you start them.
Jun 10th, 2016, 11:05 AM
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I couldn't agree more with Kerouac.
I'm a bit of a grumpy lately but I can't stand those people being judgemental about everything.
You don't like France ? You stay away from it. Why do you expect French to come on their knees to beg you to reconsider ?? You are right to not want to come back, and French are right to not be bothered.
Everybody has a right to say what he/she thinks, and everybody has the right to think what he/she wants of what the other said.
The French don't strike to bother tourists, but if tourists can't stand French on strike, so be it. Tourism is NOT taken into consideration when one strikes. The goal is to annoy a max of people : the ones going to work, the ones going to school, the ones who had planned a romantic escape at Honfleur and the tourists.
I'm a bit of a grumpy lately but I can't stand those people being judgemental about everything.
You don't like France ? You stay away from it. Why do you expect French to come on their knees to beg you to reconsider ?? You are right to not want to come back, and French are right to not be bothered.
Everybody has a right to say what he/she thinks, and everybody has the right to think what he/she wants of what the other said.
The French don't strike to bother tourists, but if tourists can't stand French on strike, so be it. Tourism is NOT taken into consideration when one strikes. The goal is to annoy a max of people : the ones going to work, the ones going to school, the ones who had planned a romantic escape at Honfleur and the tourists.
