Travel warning issued for this popular destination, check if your holiday will be affected

People travelling to France have been warned to expect disruption over the next few days as cancellations to ferry crossings, flights and rail services due to strike action will cause significant delays to journey times. Holidaymakers are being advised to check all their travel arrangements before leaving.

The industrial action in France is due to pension reforms taking place from 6 March until 7am Friday 10 March. The unions are striking because of proposed pension changes, including raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

Flight disruption

Easyjet has issued a travel warning that travellers can expect to see significant disruption and advise that people should allow plenty of extra time to reach the airport.

A spokesperson for the airline said, as per the Daily Express:

We have been advised of a National Strike in France starting 7pm local time on Monday March 6 to 7am Friday March 10.

Air Traffic Control staff are joining the strike action and therefore like all airlines, our flights to and from French airports, as well as those flying in French airspace, could be affected.

We expect that there will be delays and some disruption due to the industrial action, therefore we advise all customers to check the status of their flight on our flight tracker either or on our mobile app or website.

Customers with cancelled flights have been advised not to travel to the airport but to instead transfer their flights free of charge or take a refund.

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Trains and ferries

The majority of train and metro services have been cancelled across France and Eurostar has said they will be running a reduced timetable on Tuesday and Wednesday. Passengers are being urged to check if their train has been delayed or cancelled before travelling.

P&O Ferries said it was still sailing between Dover and Calais but ‘with some disruption’ to its services, which they ‘anticipate to be the case for the rest of the day’, according to the BBC.

President Macron has called the reform ‘essential’ due to future deficits forecast for France's pension system over the next 25 years but recent polling shows that the majority of the French population back the strikes. In the UK, the state pension age is currently 66 and will be increasing for both men and women to 67 in 2028.

Passengers are advised to check their travel insurance as it sometimes covers delays and cancellations caused by strikes but this isn’t always the case.

Read more:

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Sources used:

- Daily Express 'Holiday warning for easyJet passengers as possible 'disruption' expected'

- BBC 'Trains and flights to France cancelled due to strikes'