British tourists heading to Disneyland Paris say they are ‘heartbroken’ about disruption due to strike action in France.
Travel to and from France is being severely disrupted from today owing to large-scale strikes across the country in protest at plans to overhaul its retirement system.
The walkout is expected to hit transport the hardest as flights, trains and buses suffer cancellations, and most of the Paris subway system comes to a halt.
No tickets are available on Eurostar trains until Tuesday, with the company saying it had cancelled almost 100 services between now and then.
Daryl Moran, an electrical engineer from Merseyside, said he and his family had their flights changed as they were travelling to Disneyland.
Daryl Moran and his family were left heartbroken at the industrial action, which has delayed their trip to Disneyland by several hours
Mr Moran said: ‘It was a surprise for my eldest daughter, who is eight next week. She is absolutely heartbroken that we are missing a full day there now’
The Moran family and several other British families have had their Christmas trips to Disneyland disrupted by the strike
A French SNCF railway worker on strike holds a flare as he walks at Gare du Nord railway station before a demonstration against French government’s pensions reform plans in Paris
A man walks by a closed RER gate in Paris today during a strike public transport operator RATP employees over the French government’s plan to overhaul the country’s retirement system
Passengers are helped by RATP agents in the metro during the strike by workers in Paris today
Mr Moran said: ‘It was a surprise for my eldest daughter, who is eight next week. She is absolutely heartbroken that we are missing a full day there now.
‘We should have arrived at Paris 9.30am local time, we will arrive in Paris now at 5pm local time. We have been at the airport since 4am.
‘We had no idea of the strike, we’ve received no emails off our airline Flybe nor the travel agent Hays Travel.’
The walkout has affected most of the Paris underground system, as well as Eurostar journeys and flights.
Air France said around 30 per cent of its domestic flights would be cancelled.
A bus information board with messages reading ‘Not in service’ during the strike in Paris today
Commuters are helped by RATP agents at a metro station today during the strike in Paris
A man walks into Saint-Michel metro and regional train RER station in Paris this morning
Dockers march with smoke bombs and hold a banner as they take part in the demonstration in southern France
A protester dressed in black and wearing a gas mark walks amid tear gas smoke in Nantes
People wave the flags of French trade union General Confederation of Labour as they march in Marseille
Easyjet, British Airways and Ryanair have also opted to cancel many of their flights to and from France.
Sophia Massey, who is also travelling to Disneyland, said: ‘It’s a nightmare, I booked with Hays Travel for my daughter’s birthday and now we have to fly to Southampton and then connect to Paris from there, we are losing a day in Disneyland Paris.
‘We booked this as a surprise, she’s in floods of tears.’
Eurostar will operate a reduced timetable until December 10, however some trade union leaders have said they will keep the strikes up until Mr Macron abandons his campaign promise to overhaul the retirement system.
Passengers walk next to a TGV high-speed train on a platform at Lille railway station today
A placard warning of strikes on an access gate at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris today
A man looks at an information board today at Saint-Michel metro and regional train RER station
An electronic ticket checkpoint and access gate at the Gare du Nord station in Paris today
As tourists cancelled travel plans, police said they would deploy thousands of extra officers across Paris to help the city cope with what is expected to be a challenging day today.
Workers at the national railway SNCF stopped on work yesterday evening while other services planned to shut down today for an indefinite period.
In Paris, where workers’ unions are planning a large-scale protest march on Thursday, police are warning of possible violence and damage and ordered all businesses, cafes and restaurants along the route to close.
Authorities also issued a ban on protests on the Champs-Elysees, around the presidential palace, parliament and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Paris police chief Didier Lallement said 6,000 police officers would be deployed around the city, amid fears that yellow vest protest groups and extremist troublemakers could join the action.
French SNCF railway workers stand on a platform to provide assistance at Lille station today
Empty tracks are seen on the departure train platform at Gare du Nord railway station today
A man walks into Saint-Michel metro and regional train RER station in Paris this morning
A sign at Saint-Michel station today says: ‘The station is closed due to a social movement’
The Eiffel Tower is warning tourists to delay a visit to the famous monument because the strike will disrupt access on Thursday.
The Louvre Museum said its opening on Thursday may be delayed and some viewing rooms may be closed.
Hotels across Paris reported receiving numerous cancellations ahead of the strike, as wary tourists eyed closing transport routes and decided to skip their Paris trips.
The SNCF railway company expects nine out of 10 high-speed trains to be cancelled.
The French government said 55 per cent of teachers would be on strike on Thursday and hospitals will also be affected.
Workers are angry at President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to streamline the country’s 42 state pension systems, fearing they will have to work longer and earn less upon retirement.
French SNCF railway workers walk on a platform at Lille railway station during the strikes today
Passengers walk next to a TGV high-speed train on a platform at Lille railway station today
Red lights of a high-speed train are pictured at Lille railway station during the strike today
A passenger waits on a platform at Lille railway station during the strike this morning
A spokeswoman for Flybe said: ‘We continue to send alerts to all passengers whose flights have been cancelled as a result of this strike action and for whom we have the relevant contact details.
‘We also advise our customers to continue to check our live flight information for the latest updates.
‘Flybe will, as always, do everything possible to minimise the disruption resulting from this industrial action.
‘We would however sincerely apologise to our customers whose flights are still operating but have been delayed because French airports have placed restrictions on the number of flights movements per hour they are able to safely accommodate.’
A spokeswoman for Hays Travel said: ‘In the case of the French strikes, we have not been contacted by the airlines or given any advice to pass on to customers.
‘However our customers who are concerned are contacting us, and we are helping where we can to re-book and make new arrangements.’