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I think the cancellation is probably due to the SNCF strike which is happening today and tomorrow. Their website is warning that many services will be cancelled on Thursday 9 March. If the trains are cancelled because of a strike I think it is unlikely that a replacement bus will run.Sometimes they will have a bus as a substitute if the tracks are out or something.
I think the cancellation of trains has to do with the strikes in France related to the proposed change in retirement age from 62 to 64. Extra service not likely. In 2018 I was walking the Canal du Midi. Since there was a labor strike that year, too, I ended up flying to Toulouse rather than taking a train. Buses were filled and traffic kept me from renting a car. Come to think of it, almost every time I've been to France in the past nearly 50 years there's been some sort of labor strike affecting transportation, several times air traffic controllers not working.Sometimes they will have a bus as a substitute if the tracks are out or something.
On the Camino, the best plan is to not have a plan. Welcome to the change! Make it a fun experience.I am about to begin the Camino from St Jean Pied de Port on Thursday only to just get notification that all trains are now cancelled from Bayonne that day!
Due to my flight getting into Biarritz late-ish I can’t get to SJPDP until Thursday morning.
Any ideas what I can do?
If no taxi share possible, there's a bus from Bayonne to St Palais then a second bus to SJPP. Google maps gives details. Takes 3hrs. Its a solution.I am about to begin the Camino from St Jean Pied de Port on Thursday only to just get notification that all trains are now cancelled from Bayonne that day!
Due to my flight getting into Biarritz late-ish I can’t get to SJPDP until Thursday morning.
Any ideas what I can do?
Take the bus from Bayonne. They pick up right outside the train station.I am about to begin the Camino from St Jean Pied de Port on Thursday only to just get notification that all trains are now cancelled from Bayonne that day!
Due to my flight getting into Biarritz late-ish I can’t get to SJPDP until Thursday morning.
Any ideas what I can do?
Personally, I would fly to Bilbao Spain. It’s a beautiful seaside town in northern Spain frequented by visitors so good flights. A quick 2 hours bus ride to Pamplona. Then from there there are multiple options. This strike may not be easy to navigate. Get out of France and work your way to SJPP. Flights within Europe are fairly reasonable. If not Bilbao I’d fly to Madrid or Barcelona. I have done all three options and Bilbao is easiest and closest.I am about to begin the Camino from St Jean Pied de Port on Thursday only to just get notification that all trains are now cancelled from Bayonne that day!
Due to my flight getting into Biarritz late-ish I can’t get to SJPDP until Thursday morning.
Any ideas what I can do?
This was such helpful advice and served me well. Nice place to have a drink in while you wait in St Palais!If no taxi share possible, there's a bus from Bayonne to St Palais then a second bus to SJPP. Google maps gives details. Takes 3hrs. Its a solution.
Are you travelling today or tomorrow (13 and 14 March)? From Bayonne to SJPP? Did you see post #20 just before your question?Does anyone know if the trains are back to normal yet?
And updated today as:The French version on http://www.sncf-connect.com/ has this to say today:
Mouvement social national interprofessionnel ce lundi 13 et 14 mars.La circulation des trains est perturbée sur le réseau SNCF le lundi 13 mars 2023.Le trafic devrait rester perturbé sur la journée du mardi 14 mars.
At the top of https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train-ticket it says this today in English:
AttentionNational interprofessional strike on March 13 and 14Due to a national interprofessional strike, the traffic of trains is disrupted on Monday 13. We invite you to postpone your journey free of charge to another date, or to cancel your journey and obtain a full refund.The French version on http://www.sncf-connect.com/ has this to say today:
Mouvement social national interprofessionnel ce lundi 13 et 14 mars.La circulation des trains est perturbée sur le réseau SNCF le lundi 13 mars 2023.Le trafic devrait rester perturbé sur la journée du mardi 14 mars.Nous vous invitons à vérifier la circulation de vos trains et correspondances sur vos canaux d’information habituels la veille à partir de 17h00.But as a forum member discovered only two days ago, some trains run from Paris to Bayonne and some trains run from Bayonne to SJPP despite the strike. In fact, because other passengers had cancelled their tickets, she could book herself on a high speed train that had previously been fully booked and she arrived fast and without problems in SJPP. Despite the strike.
Which is why it makes sense to check one’s own dates and journey. People who have booked a ticket and communicated their email are notified anyway when their train has been cancelled for the following day.
See this article in Le Monde for example: Comment la SNCF choisit les trains qui circulent pendant la grève.Any idea why some trains run and some do not?
If you continue to read until post #19, you will see that it was actually this forum that did wondersI totally agree with post #5 above. This is the Camino working its magic on you
Here is the town's website on how to get to Saint-Palais: Venir à Saint-Palais.went by bus first to Saint-Palais and then on another bus to SJPP.
How long does it take by bus to get from CDG to St Jean ?Here is the town's website on how to get to Saint-Palais: Venir à Saint-Palais.
And here are the bus timetables for getting to and from Saint-Palais / Biarritz / SJPP: https://www.txiktxak.fr/preparez-votre-trajet/fiches-horaires-hiver-a-telecharger/.
The bus company (https://www.autocars-hiruak-bat.com/) also confirms that in particular line 11 Saint Palais-Bayonne is running today, 15 March, which is yet another day of strikes by some transport unions.
Sorry, I have no idea how long it takes to go by bus from Paris to SJPP. I have only ever taken the fast train or the plane from Paris to either Biarritz or Bordeaux.How long does it take by bus to get from CDG to St Jean ?
Flixbus take a little over 10 hours for their fastest Paris - Bayonne serviceBus from Paris, oh la la! Rome2 Rio says 15h29.
Do I see this correctly? The fast Flixbus service leaves Paris (including CDG) around 10 pm and arrives around 11 am in Biarritz? And then you still need to get to SJPP ... oh the joys of long-distance long-duration bus travel ...Flixbus take a little over 10 hours for their fastest Paris - Bayonne service
Perhaps not idealDo I see this correctly? The fast Flixbus service leaves Paris (including CDG) around 10 pm and arrives around 11 am in Biarritz? Oh the joys of long-distance bus travel ...
But why are you worried about this now when you will travel at the end of April? Besides, there have been TGV trains serving the Paris to Biarritz line every day of the strike, even today there is at least one such train or even two, real-time online info says that the first one is to arrive in Biarritz soon and the second one later in the afternoon. If there is a SNCF strike, you can exchange or return any ticket without costs. And if the experience of another forum member is anything to go by, you can even get a place on a previously fully booked train because other passengers cancel their booking and thereby free places on the train. Win-win!10 hrs by bus sounds miserable. Why did I book through Air France to Paris ? I should have just flown straight to Madrid then wrestled with buses / trains to St Jean.
Right, Im just hoping I can get from Atlanta to Paris if there is a strike. If it is an overseas Air France plane, or if air traffic controllers strike at the end of April, who knows if I can even get into France from the US. Lots of weird unknowns !But why are you worried about this now when you will travel at the end of April? Besides, there have been TGV trains serving the Paris to Biarritz line every day of the strike, even today there is at least one such train and even two, apparently real-time online info says that the first one is to arrive in Biarritz soon and the second one is to leave Paris later today. If there is a SNCF strike, you can exchange or return any ticket without costs. And if the experience of another forum member is anything to go by, you can even get a place on a previously fully booked train because other passengers cancel their booking and thereby free places on the train. Win-win!
Don't worry about something that you don't even know will happen!Lots of weird unknowns !
Of course!If you continue to read until post #19, you will see that it was actually this forum that did wonders: @caminojon followed @giteportesaintjacques‘s advice and went by bus first to Saint-Palais and then on another bus to SJPP.
That is not a bad thing to do when you have the time and the bus schedules fit. Saint-Palais is a nice place … it was on my way to Santiago and I spent the night there.
I took the European international bus from Santiago back to Germany a few years ago. More than 10 hours.10 hrs by bus sounds miserable. Why did I book through Air France to Paris ? I should have just flown straight to Madrid then wrestled with buses / trains to St Jean.
Breathe into a paper bag. You're going to be fine.Right, Im just hoping I can get from Atlanta to Paris if there is a strike. If it is an overseas Air France plane, or if air traffic controllers strike at the end of April, who knows if I can even get into France from the US. Lots of weird unknowns !
Scheduling strikes in advance is more convenient. How much of a lead time did the air traffic controllers in France give for the strikes on March 7-9th? I've been trying to find something.Breathe into a paper bag. You're going to be fine.
It's true that you have lots of unknowns on the details of your trip, many of which really are cast in doubt by the French propensity for mass strike actions every few years. It is entirely possible that this is all over by the time you leave.
I ran into the same circumstances on one of my caminos a few years back......even the Paris Metro was shut some days for that one. But here's the thing - the strikers want to make a lot of noise, and create a lot of inconvenience. They do not want to shut the country down, and tank the economy.......at least not for very long. In my case, the flight went OK, they continued to run international flights normally. Historically, they usually schedule strikes affecting international flights in advance.....although that's not guaranteed.
The trains were a mess though. Yet, I still got there. Not ALL the trains shut ALL the time, and there will be a way to get there. You may wind up heading to Orly to catch a flight to Biarritz instead. You won't really know until you get there. Not knowing doesn't mean certain death. It means you may get off your flight and discover all the trains today are shut today, and you have to catch one tomorrow. Inconvenient.....yes. Fatal......no. You find a place to stay in Paris, have a terrific meal at the brasserie next door, and catch the next train. Or you may discover that all is well, and your plans remain solid. Either way, you will make it.
In my case, I had planned a few days in Paris anyway, but out of an abundance of caution, I actually headed south a day earlier than I had planned, because the train I was originally booked on was cancelled, but there was a seat available the day before. Bonus day wandering around Bayonne.
This is the second time that I read this. I really don’t know as I am not paying that much attention to strikes in France but my general impression is that here in Europe we associate the 1st of May first of all with a public holiday and a short vacation, secondly, to a lesser extent, with marches and speeches in large cities, and in third place, to an even lesser extent, with TV news about rioting by fringe elements in certain parts of capitals like Paris and Berlin. But not with strikes. I am prepared to be corrected, though.My ticket is near the May Day weekend so that also may increase the chance of strikes.
I'm an American so I don't know anything about how Europeans celebrate holidays except what i read on WikipediaThis is the second time that I read this. I really don’t know as I am not paying that much attention to strikes in France but my general impression is that here in Europe we associate the 1st of May first of all with a public holiday and a short vacation, secondly, to a lesser extent, with marches and speeches in large cities, and in third place, to an even lesser extent, with TV news about rioting by fringe elements in certain parts of capitals like Paris and Berlin. But not with strikes. I am prepared to be corrected, though.
My last time, the air traffic controllers published their strike schedule a month in advance. That said, I got stuck in Paris for an extra night 30 years ago when they went on strike without any notice at all while I was waiting to board a flight to Toronto.Scheduling strikes in advance is more convenient. How much of a lead time did the air traffic controllers in France give for the strikes on March 7-9th? I've been trying to find something.
My ticket is refundable so it is possible I could cancel it (US to Paris to BIQ) and just fly into Madrid. I know retired people can jerk around for multiple days navigating trains, but for working folks in the usa we have fewer options and a hard limit on days taken.
My ticket is near the May Day weekend so that also may increase the chance of strikes.
That is a good thought. I hadn't considered the public perception aspect. I guess I'll wait a bit and see. Macron just used the nuclear option to push it through, but i really don't know the feelings of the french people or the resolve of the unions. Some say the french are resigned to the age raise.My last time, the air traffic controllers published their strike schedule a month in advance. That said, I got stuck in Paris for an extra night 30 years ago when they went on strike without any notice at all while I was waiting to board a flight to Toronto.
If this is really driving you crazy, by all means, buy a new ticket and go through Madrid. But my take is the same as @Kathar1na , the May Day long weekend makes shutting the trains less likely, not more likely. They want the public on their side, not irritated that they can't take the kids to Lyon to visit grandma. We are also talking 6 weeks from now. Very good chance this is all over before then.
Neither do I and it would be futile and unproductive to speculate.i really don't know the feelings of the french people or the resolve of the unions
I think the cancellation of trains has to do with the strikes in France related to the proposed change in retirement age from 62 to 64. Extra service not likely. In 2018 I was walking the Canal du Midi. Since there was a labor strike that year, too, I ended up flying to Toulouse rather than taking a train. Buses were filled and traffic kept me from renting a car. Come to think of it, almost every time I've been to France in the past nearly 50 years there's been some sort of labor strike affecting transportation, several times air traffic controllers not working.
Are you sure that this is current information?Express Bourricot stop transfers after 18:00
You can do a search - try “what holidays are celebrated in, Spain, or. France?I'm an American so I don't know anything about how Europeans celebrate holidays except what i read on Wikipedia
I suppose there isn’t much point in striking on a public holiday when you are either a) on holiday or b) being paid a premium for working?This is the second time that I read this. I really don’t know as I am not paying that much attention to strikes in France but my general impression is that here in Europe we associate the 1st of May first of all with a public holiday and a short vacation, secondly, to a lesser extent, with marches and speeches in large cities, and in third place, to an even lesser extent, with TV news about rioting by fringe elements in certain parts of capitals like Paris and Berlin. But not with strikes. I am prepared to be corrected, though.
I have no advice, in the same boat. May I ask where you are seeing this information on the specific airports though? I fly at the end of April.Hello all, question for those currently in France and on and getting ready to start Camino Frances. With the current situation in France has anyone had to change their plans to start from Roncesvalles to avoid France please? I am due to arrive CDG airport on 13 April then onto Biaritz on the 14 April, but I see protesters are also disrupting Biaritz airport. Those currently in the area what are your thoughts please? Dont want to make change of plans if not necessary. I have already had a lot of things go wrong with trip details for this, so dont really need another isue. lol
I saw it on the news in Aus, protesting was all over France, including major transport including airports. I then googled Biaritz thinking just in Paris, and saw a piece there as well. Certainly dont want to alarm anyone, and was trying to find out, if media had blown it all out as normal. Outside of protests they have transport strikes happening. I figure Ill leave it to my airline as to if I am going or notI have no advice, in the same boat. May I ask where you are seeing this information on the specific airports though? I fly at the end of April.
Hello, I am in the same boat I was planning on starting the Camino on Firday so I will be stuck in Bayonne on Thursday as well, I will be getting to Bayonne at 5:30pm if you wanna share a taxi to St Jean Pied de Port for the nightI am about to begin the Camino from St Jean Pied de Port on Thursday only to just get notification that all trains are now cancelled from Bayonne that day!
Due to my flight getting into Biarritz late-ish I can’t get to SJPDP until Thursday morning.
Any ideas what I can do?
@caminojon posted in March. I would hope they are not still in BayonneHello, I am in the same boat I was planning on starting the Camino on Firday so I will be stuck in Bayonne on Thursday as well, I will be getting to Bayonne at 5:30pm if you wanna share a taxi to St Jean Pied de Port for the night
Do you know why the train was cancelled? I don't see anything about a strike that day. They often put on a bus if it was because of some issue with the rails and all train passengers are transferred to SJPDP by bus.Hello, I am in the same boat I was planning on starting the Camino on Firday so I will be stuck in Bayonne on Thursday as well, I will be getting to Bayonne at 5:30pm if you wanna share a taxi to St Jean Pied de Port for the night
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