Strikes and heavy traffic make for a difficult weekend for travel in France

People travelling to or from France are set to face a challenging weekend as the August 15 holiday coincides with strikes affecting air and rail services, major works on the Paris transport network and some of the heaviest road traffic of the summer.

The disruption will affect different parts of the country and different modes of transport, with Saturday August 15 expected to be the busiest day on the roads.

EasyJet strike could cancel dozens of flights

Passengers flying with easyJet could face disruption on Saturday and Sunday as cabin crew in France take part in a strike over working conditions and staff schedules.

The three unions representing easyJet's French cabin crew - UNAC-CFE-CGC, SNPNC-FO and UNPNC-CFDT - have called a strike for August 15 and 16.

The strike comes after a notice was filed by the unions covering the period from August 7 to September 2. 

The unions have been protesting what they describe as unstable rosters, last-minute schedule changes, demanding rotations and insufficient rest.

"We are not asking for anything unprecedented: we are asking for what the company has already granted to pilots. We regret having to resort to this, but our colleagues have had enough," said Gaël Leloup, an UNAC-CFE-CGC easyJet union representative.  

The SNPNC-FO has since said that around 40 flights departing France will be cancelled on Saturday, with "probably as many" cancellations expected on Sunday. The exact number could change as the airline finalises its schedule.

The action affects easyJet's six French bases: Paris Orly, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon, Nice, Nantes and Bordeaux.

Passengers booked to fly with easyJet this weekend should check their flight status before leaving for the airport and closely monitor emails, text messages and notifications from the airline.

SNCF strike hits Paris-Normandy routes

A separate local strike is affecting SNCF services between Paris and Normandy during the August 15 weekend.

Services are expected to be disrupted from Friday August 14 through Sunday August 16 on several routes, including:

• Paris - Caen-Cherbourg

• Paris - Rouen-Le Havre

• Paris - Trouville-Deauville

• Paris - Vernon-Rouen

• Paris - Évreux-Bernay-Caen

SNCF has said that a minimum level of service will be provided. Accommodations are also set in place for passengers to be able to exchange or refund affected tickets.

If you are travelling by train this weekend, check the SNCF Connect app or the SNCF/TER traffic information shortly before leaving for the station. 

Paris transport network also affected by works

People arriving in or departing from Paris also face extensive summer engineering works across the Île-de-France rail network.

The RER B and RER D are among the most affected services this weekend, with major works around Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon.

The RER B is important for passengers using Charles de Gaulle Airport. During the weekend, parts of the service are interrupted or reduced, with replacement buses and alternative routes available.

Other services affected by works include parts of the RER A, RER C, RER D and RER E, as well as several Transilien lines. Some services are suspended entirely on particular sections, while others are running with reduced frequencies or replacement buses.

Travellers making connections in Paris should therefore allow extra time, particularly if they need to change between mainline trains, RER services and the Métro.

Before leaving, check the latest information on SNCF Connect, Transilien or the Île-de-France Mobilités app, as schedules and replacement services can change.

Saturday expected to be the worst day for road traffic

For motorists Saturday, August 15 is expected to be the most difficult day of the weekend on French roads, with Bison Futé (the official French road traffic information service) classifying the day red nationwide in both directions and black in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region  when leaving from cities.

Bison Futé classifies traffic conditions as green (usual), orange (difficult), red (very difficult), and black (extremely difficult).

Busy routes are expected to include the A7 between Lyon and Marseille, A8 toward the Côte d'Azur, A9 in the south, A10 between Paris and Bordeaux, A13 toward Normandy and the A43 between Lyon and the Alps.

The Paris region will also see significant traffic, while congestion is expected on routes connecting the Mediterranean with the Île-de-France.

Sunday, August 16 will see traffic easy with only certain parts of the country including Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the Mediterranean Arc facing some traffic congestion. Then, traffic will continue to be heavy on several major routes on Monday, August 17.

It is advised to leave very early in the morning or late in the evening to avoid heavy congestion, and where possible, not drive during heavy congestion days. 

You can check the map below to see which days and parts of the country will be most affected when leaving or returning to cities.