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French rail strikes March 2023

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caminojon

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Time of past OR future Camino
March & May 2023
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?
 
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Sometimes they will have a bus as a substitute if the tracks are out or something.
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.


@jonmarch Have you considered contacting Express Bourricot to find out if they are running their shuttle service that day and have spaces available?
 
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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.
 
Congratulations! Your Camino has already begun. And this will not be the only curve ball it throws at you.

You need to think of this as a learning experience. A way to sharpen your travel skills. Once you get to your hotel (in Bayonne I assume), start looking for other pilgrims. Four of you should be able to snag a taxi the next morning for approximately 100 Euros. Or chat up the bartender to see if he or she knows anyone local who can drive you to SJPP for a small fee. Or you could go old school and put out a thumb and hitch a ride.

Whatever the solution is, there is a solution. What a wonderful and fun problem to solve. Buen Camino.
 
Kool, a chance to be creative. Let the camino guide you. Open your heart.
 
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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?
On the Camino, the best plan is to not have a plan. Welcome to the change! Make it a fun experience.
 
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That sucks and it ain't no fun. I was stuck in Bangkok Thailand back in 2008 when a sort of a coup shut down the airport for weeks.
If you can't get a cab share with others just hunker down in Bayonne-Biarritz until the bus or train rolls again. It's a lovely town.
 
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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.
 
The 17:13 train was cancelled yesterday (March 10), but they provided a bus service at 18:40, got to SJPDP a little later than desired, but still got to start my Camino on time - got to Espinal today and the Camino is REALLY quiet at this time of the year………
 
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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.
 
Lots of ways to do this. I’d look for best connections and affordability. If you can get to Pamplona, and work your way back to SJPP. First Camino lesson in process (although it doesn’t lower stress…hold plans lightly). Also by prebooking everyday, there is a bigger problem with glitches like this, injuries etc.
 
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We are now well past Thursday, March 9th 2023 and @caminojon has sorted his problem of how to get by 🚌 to Saint Palais and from there to SJPP.

Note that there are still cancellations on the Bayonne-SJPP line on Monday 13th March due to industrial action and there are no replacement buses. Only the train departing Bayonne at 17:13 is scheduled to run. Express Bourricot, the "car pooling" business, is "closed until March 13". I don't know whether it means that they are open on Monday or whether Tuesday is their first business day of the season.

Trains Bayonne 13 March 2023.jpg
 
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Does anyone know if the trains are back to normal yet?
Are you travelling today or tomorrow (13 and 14 March)? From Bayonne to SJPP? Did you see post #20 just before your question?

If you want to see for yourself, all you have to do is to enter date and departure station and arrival station into www.sncf-connect.com or https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train-ticket, and you will see in real time which trains are cancelled and which trains are scheduled to run on that date between the two stations. Buen Camino!
 
No.. no. Yes.

I did Enter it.

The question more specifically was are things back to relative normal given the last minute nature of cancelation due to strikes. I will find out fur myself.

I'll move on from this thread.

Bye
 
At the top of https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train-ticket it says this today in English:

Attention
National interprofessional strike on March 13 and 14
Due 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.
 
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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.
And updated today as:

Mouvement social national interprofessionnel ce mardi 14 et 15 mars.
La circulation des trains est perturbée sur le réseau SNCF le mardi 14 mars 2023.
Le trafic devrait rester perturbé sur la journée du mercredi 15 mars.
Today (Tue 14 March) all trains from Bayonne to SJPP appear as “cancelled” on sncf-connect. No replacement buses are announced.
 
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At the top of https://www.sncf-connect.com/en-en/train-ticket it says this today in English:
Attention
National interprofessional strike on March 13 and 14
Due 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.

Any idea why some trains run and some do not?

I am flying in late April via Air France to CDG and if this isn't resolved by then, I'm wondering if there will be a strike and such.
 
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I totally agree with post #5 above. This is the Camino working its magic on you.

On the first day of my first Camino, snow forced me to walk from SJPdP to Roncevalles in one day on the Valcarlos instead of from SJPdP to Orrison and then to Roncevalles over 2 days as I had sooooo carefully planned.

Snow? In mid-May?? Really????!!!!!

Take a chill pill and realize that your adventure of a lifetime has already started. When you are sipping that last vino on your last day in Santiago before you head home, you will think back to this day and smile.
 
I totally agree with post #5 above. This is the Camino working its magic on you
If you continue to read until post #19, you will see that it was actually this forum that did wonders :cool:: @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.
 
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went by bus first to Saint-Palais and then on another bus to SJPP.
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 Biarritz / Saint-Palais / 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.

It's early in the pilgrimage season - there may not be the same abundance of pilgrims to share taxis with as in May and September ...
 
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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.
How long does it take by bus to get from CDG to St Jean ?
 
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Bus from Paris, oh la la! Rome2Rio says 15h29.
 
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Flixbus take a little over 10 hours for their fastest Paris - Bayonne service
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 ... :cool:
 
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Do 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 ... :cool:
Perhaps not ideal :) But the cheapest flights from the UK tend to leave Gatwick or Stansted in the very early morning. With travel time to the airport and security and the rest to consider it usually means spending the night at the airport before boarding. Dozing overnight in a comfy seat on a warm bus might be preferable to several hours hanging about the departure area of Stansted airport in the middle of the night and get you to Bayonne at a similar time of day!
 
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.
 
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.
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!
 
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Very light, comfortable and compressible poncho. Specially designed for protection against water for any activity.

Our Atmospheric H30 poncho offers lightness and waterproofness. Easily compressible and made with our Waterproof fabric, its heat-sealed interior seams guarantee its waterproofness. Includes carrying bag.

€60,-
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!
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 !
 
If you continue to read until post #19, you will see that it was actually this forum that did wonders :cool:: @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.
Of course!

I wasn't saying to sit back and wait for something to happen. I said - although perhaps not well - that the Camino works in mysterious ways. You plan for option 1 for months, then have to figure out option 2, 3 or 4 at the last minute. In this case, ask the Forum for ideas!

I stand by my scenario for the last day, though.
 
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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.
I took the European international bus from Santiago back to Germany a few years ago. More than 10 hours.

As an American, my hopes were not high.

I was so very surprised and pleased to discover how comfortable the ride was. It was roomier than a plane and quiet. We stopped a few times along the way. It was cheap and I didn't have to drive.

I know 10 hours on a bus sounds terrible, but it wasn't that bad. Now, I no longer automatically rule buses out of any European transportation plans.
 
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 !
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.
 
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.
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.
 
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My ticket is near the May Day weekend so that also may increase the chance of strikes.
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.
 
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'm an American so I don't know anything about how Europeans celebrate holidays except what i read on Wikipedia
 
This year, the first of May is on a Monday. Which means an extra long weekend in numerous European countries including France. Think of it as similar to the Labour Day weekend in September in your country.
 
Technical backpack for day trips with backpack cover and internal compartment for the hydration bladder. Ideal daypack for excursions where we need a medium capacity backpack. The back with Air Flow System creates large air channels that will keep our back as cool as possible.

€83,-
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.
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.
 
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.
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.
 
i really don't know the feelings of the french people or the resolve of the unions
Neither do I and it would be futile and unproductive to speculate.

What matters is that there are calls for another day of industrial action on Thursday 23 March 2023 and there are presumably more trains at the beginning of the coming week or things are even back to normal.

The big take-away, however, for pilgrims is this: Even when there are SNCF strikes, some trains are running like 2 TGV trains out of 5 and 1 TER train out of 3, there are bus connections that are not affected, taxi trips can be pooled, Express Bourricot is back in action, and, if that appeals to you, www.sncf-connect.com even lists suitable Blablacar offers from Bayonne to SJPP as I saw yesterday. SNCF updates their website at 5 pm to show trains available on the following day.

You can organise yourself when you stay informed and up to date, and that’s easy to do. If you “lose” a day where you can’t walk as you had planned, it’s not a big deal and you presumably had allowed for some extra days in your walking schedule anyway. If not, just start in Roncesvalles or in Pamplona instead of in SJPP. Buen Camino!
 
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Perhaps useful background to know for the future. Might diminish the panic and feelings of gloom and doom among potential pilgrims when they hear of an impending railway strike in France ;):

On 16 March, around 4% of employees were on strike at the SNCF, according to a trade union source, with mobilisation reaching 27% among drivers, 11% among controllers and 8% among signalmen.
And for this weekend 18+19 March:
  • More than 4 out of 5 TGV trains will run on average
  • 3 TER regional trains out of 5 will run on average
  • 3 out of 5 daytime Intercity trains will run on average
 
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.

I have been to France 5 times.

Once We got caught in a French Airline Controllers strike/ work slow Down and we missed our connecting flight and spent 26 nightmare hours at CDG before we caught another flight.

Another time the French Ferry workers set fires resulting in the Chunnel being closed down. We had to buy an expensive indirect flight to Toulouse.

While we were visiting Paris, one year, we scrambled to find alternate means of Transport when suddenly we found out the Paris metro workers and some train workerswere calling in sick. The metro came to a stop.

So, I avoid France as a transit point if at all possible!
 
Express Bourricot stop transfers after 18:00
Are you sure that this is current information?

Today they have this on the “Last Minute“ section on their home page:

March 26: Biarritz airport SJPP
13h30: from 65€
15h30: from 44€
20h30: from 33€
 
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I'm an American so I don't know anything about how Europeans celebrate holidays except what i read on Wikipedia
You can do a search - try “what holidays are celebrated in, Spain, or. France?
But I would also search-holidays celebrated in local cities, towns and state/counties.

so, e.g. when are the running the bulls in Pamplona. Or Wine festival (Logrono?)
Religious days, etc. Galicia holidays 8nclude days not celebrated by all of Spain. Most of this info one can get on line.
 
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 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?
 
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
 
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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 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.
 
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.
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 not
 
158 pilgrims managed to get through to SJPP yesterday.

It was probably more than 158 but 158 is the number of pilgrims that the pilgrim welcome office counted.

And March is nearly over and this thread can be closed 🙂.

Will there be a thread with the title French rail strike April 2023? We will know soon …;)
 
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Yes, the photo shows 158 pilgrims lined up yesterday at the Pilgrim Office to start from SJPdP, hoping to take the Napoleon Route and now it is officially closed until 3 April due to a snowy weather forecast. Let's hope they heed the warning and start up the Valcarlos Route we are not reading about multiple rescues over the weekend.
 
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?
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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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
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.
 
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