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Why Americans in France are casting their vote in iconic Paris bar
Harry’s Bar is known for predicting the winner of the US presidential election
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13 stations in Paris above recommended pollution levels - which are they?
The fine particle pollution found is among the most damaging to respiratory health
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Ex-hurricane Leslie set to hit south of France tonight
Rain and strong winds are expected from the Pyrenees to the Mediterranean
France-Dublin air route cancelled and worst French airports for delays
Our France travel round-up also looks at plans for electric ferries and how one French airport must change name because it is too English
Extra Eurostar trains to clear strike backlog
Eurostar says normal traffic has resumed through the Channel Tunnel with an extra six trains added to its normal rotation until Sunday (December 24) to help with the backlog of passengers.
Workers from tunnel operator Getlink staged a surprise seven-hour strike on December 21 calling for improved bonus pay. Around 30 trains were cancelled causing significant disruption.
The strike ended after negotiations between Getlink and the unions. No further action is expected
Read more: ‘Surprise’ strike closes Channel Tunnel and stops Eurostar services
Heavy traffic over Christmas weekend
People taking to the roads this weekend should expect heavy traffic at the southbound tolls around Paris and in the Rhone valley around Lyon.
Roads around shopping centres will also be heavily congested in the run up to Christmas.
Read more: Where to expect worst traffic over Christmas weekend in France
Ryanair cancels one route - and opens another
Low-cost airline Ryanair is stopping its Tours to Dublin route in 2024.
However, it will maintain its other flights to and from Tours, including from London-Stansted.
Ryanair has also announced that it will fly from Paris-Beauvais (Oise) to Milan-Malpensa from April 2024.
Easyjet to launch three new routes from Toulouse
Berlin, Milan and Zadar in Croatia are to be new destinations for Easyjet from Toulouse-Blagnac. The twice weekly flights will run from spring to autumn 2024. Tickets are available from €35.
10 worst French airports for cancellations in 2023
A list of the European airports with the most cancelled flights has been released by the consumer rights company Flightright with French airports second only to German ones for the number of cancellations.
In particular:
- Paris Orly was the worst in Europe with 2,188 cancellations for 92,860 flights (2.36%)
- Nice was ninth worst with 1,016 cancellations for 63,703 flights (1.56%)
- Charles de Gaulle was twelfth worst with 2,273 cancellations for 63,300 flights (1.19%)
French airport must change name as ‘too English’
Metz-Nancy-Lorraine airport has lost a court battle against a French-language association and cannot use English in France.
The Association Francophonie Avenir complained that the airport, known as ‘Lorraine airport’, should instead be called Lorraine Aéroport, under the Toubon law, which protects the use of French language in public.
The airport says it will not appeal. “We are a small organisation and it seemed a good idea to have a catchier, trendier name,” Airport CEO Yves Loubet told Le Figaro.
DFDS orders six electric ferries
Ferry operator DFDS has ordered six ferries, including two catamarans, which will operate on the Dover to Calais route from 2030.
The firm says it will invest up to €270m a year in the project as part of its 2030 Horizons strategy for carbon neutral travel.
The electric ‘maxi-catamarans’ will be constructed by the Australian shipbuilder Incat.