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Persistent stereotypes paint the French as a bunch of beret-wearing, skirt-chasing smokers who seem to always be on strike. Needless to say, this portrayal is highly inaccurate—French people hardly ever wear berets. But their affinity for la grève—a mass work stoppage—well, that's still pretty spot on.
January 29 marked the first French strike of 2009, and it's already being referred to as "Black Thursday." More than a third of flights from Orly were canceled, high-speed TGV trains were running at only 60%, and regional trains, including those that take passengers to both airports, were severely compromised. Service on the Paris Métro (subway) was cut only by a quarter, however—a major improvement over past years.
Strikes like this are a regular feature of life in France, occurring at least once every year. As with this most recent one, disruptions are often confined to only one or two days. In November 2007, however, a strike lasted three agonizing weeks.
For those who are traveling, this sort of thing can seem like a nightmare. But strikes are actually quite manageable if you know what to expect. Here are a few simple strategies to help you grin and bear a grève, and maybe even catch your return flight home.
Plan Ahead Tourists are generally the only people in Paris who are caught unawares by a grève. The locals have been hearing about it for weeks, and have organized their lives accordingly. Before your departure, you can stay on top of the news by setting up a Google news alert. Enter the search terms "Paris," "strike," and whatever month you're traveling ("June 2009," for example). You'll receive an email alert if any potential upcoming strikes are being discussed in the media.
Stay in the Loop If you find yourself in the middle of a transport strike, do as the locals and obsessively check the RATP website. The local transport authority publishes regular updates to inform the public of any disruptions. They'll tell you which subway lines are working, and at what capacity. You can use Google Translate to render the page comprehensible, or just glance to see if trafic is normale (great!), perturbé (uh-oh) or très perturbé (forget it).
Rein Yourself In If the Métro isn't working, you may have to reorganize your itinerary. Visits to Versailles and cross-town culinary excursions should be sacrificed in favor of alternatives that are within walking distance. You can also plan to use Métro lines 1 and 14—these are automated and will continue to run (albeit with serious crowding) during any grève. As for taxis, all of Paris is trying to catch one, too. Don't pin all your hopes on hailing a ride. Better to roll with the punches and explore your nearby surroundings, rather than straining to reach a "must-see" across town.
Use Your Feet Paris is a small and extremely walkable city. Crossing from the Marais to the Louvre requires only fifteen gorgeous minutes. Even Montmartre, way up at the top of the city, is 30-minute stroll from the center. You can also use your feet to pedal a Vélib' bicycle, although these are in serious demand during a strike.
Make an Exit Strategy The suburban rail (RER-B) that serves both airports is almost always compromised during a strike. Service could be canceled entirely, or trains might stop at the first Paris station without continuing through the city—from CDG to Gare du Nord, for example, or from Orly to Denfert-Rochereau. Check the RATP website before venturing out with your heavy suitcase. Taxis are hard to find on the street but can be booked by phone in advance. If your French isn't up to it (or you don't want to spend 30 minutes on hold), you can ask your hotel's concierge for help with this one. Other alternatives include the Air France shuttle and assorted private shuttles. Our advice is to get this out of the way early and then enjoy the rest of your vacation. Peace of mind during a stressful strike is well worth that little bit of extra time and money.
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Thanks for sharing these tips!
Posted By Marion on February 5, 2009, 10:12 AM
I, too, was trapped by a gre've, a couple of years ago. I luckily visited a college cafeteria that morning, so when the gre've began to break out at 4PM, I was able to take the Metro 14 a couple of stops from the left bank back to the right bank, then walk about 2km back to my hostel Canal St Martin, near Republique.
I was more bummed out that they were letting people onto the Metro free since there were no ticket-takers and I'd paid for a week pass (Carte Orange). Still, my walk was shorter than that of others whom had 10km or more to walk!
Posted By Bruce Edward Logan on February 6, 2009, 1:18 AM
Great article Meg--I've been to Paris three times and there've been strikes there twice. "Use your feet" is a great suggestion; I saved a lot of time by avoiding the Metro.
Posted By Zach on February 6, 2009, 4:40 PM
I've been to Paris several times and, luckily, have never been caught in a strike. However, the only time I stayed in Los Angeles, it was hit by a transit strike and I can't drive!!! I was so bummed but I still managed to see the Getty Museum, even though it cost me a LOT on taxis!!
Posted By Essie on February 8, 2009, 5:13 PM
You are so right! My husband, who had never been to Paris before, and I, who was coming from Senegal, got caught in the November 2007 strike. We arrived the morning of, in fact. Took us $200 (dollars at an all time low against the euro back then) to get to our hostel. And we were staying waaay up in the north of the city, past Montmartre, at Marcadet Poissoniers. I bought metro tickets (mistake, they were free), and checked every night and morning with the site to see how bad it was that day. We did a lot in our area - the flea market at Porte de Clignacourt, Montmartre, Place Pigalle, Barbes Rochechouart, the African underbelly of the city, places where normal everyday people ate and shopped and drank. But we had a course scheduled at Le Cordon Bleu (all the way across the city) one day, and I wanted my husband to see some famous Paris things, too, so we had to get out and about. Because of where we were we never had trouble getting on... but getting home was awful. Oh, it was also unseasonably cold... and I didn't have anything appropriate to such low temps as I'd been in Dakar. There was one night we'd walked all day, Tour Eiffel to Trocadero, Champs-Elysees, along the Seine, to the Louvre and that area, hung out with the students, had some dinner, and then couldn't get back. No taxis - the strike had them all used. My husband is not an aggressive sort. Because of him we waited 2 hours and let 3 trains go by, all full. The fourth one came and I wasn't having it anymore - I grabbed him and shoved our way on... so crowded it's unimaginable. Washingtonians have no idea. I'm short and because of the lack of air actually passed out.. and came to, and I hadn't moved, I was so hemmed in. There were verbal altercations and I think fistfights might have broken out but no one could raise their arms and get a punch in - too crowded! I tried to take some photos but it just doesn't get the situation right. On the day we left we made very sure we had transportation, and we got to the airport... and it was the day that at De Gaulle they decided to strike!
Posted By Valerie on February 10, 2009, 3:24 PM
Great advice, thanks. One time I remember running from bank to bank looking for an ATM with cash. All were down and we had no cash. Turns out it was the armored delivery trucks who were striking
Posted By Cara on February 16, 2009, 3:36 PM
Very helpful information. Thank you.
Posted By Mary on February 28, 2009, 9:33 PM
As luck (bad) would have it, Im arriving at Roissy on the 19th, the day of the mother of all greves---Supposedly Air France is not cancelling long-haul flights, but I hope their baggage handlers will off-load luggage. And what about getting into the city from the airport? I assume taxi drivers will be on strike, but possibly private van services will fill the vacuum. Does anyone have any ideas about this?
Posted By Carol Winitsky on March 14, 2009, 3:32 AM
Hopefully by August Paris will be free of the strike. Is it prudent to take the taxi from CDG to a hotel in the 15th arrondisement for 2 old travelers with suitcases? What is the going charge?
Posted By Katharine Heist on May 2, 2009, 7:42 PM