mad_rich

SNCF appears to be offering fee-free refunds and exchanges up to 5 January if you booked directly with them. There is availability coming and going as different trains are cancelled and reinstated, so do keep checking even if the train you want is showing sold out. It seems there is no penalty for booking if you see something, and then cancelling later.

I'm booked on the Paris-Briançon sleeper on Jan 1, and Oulx-Paris TGV on 6 Jan. Both of these (booked on Raileurope.co.uk) appear to be fully refundable even though they haven't been cancelled yet. I'm almost certain the sleeper will be cancelled eventually if the strike is ongoing.

Unfortunately my (expensive) Eurostar tickets won't be refundable unless that train is cancelled, and my Eurostar train has run every day during the strike! They may allow free changes eventually.

I've booked backup flight London-Lyon, and a backup TGV Paris-Lyon (then rental car), all of which can be cancelled for little or no penalty.

The irony is that I chose Serre Chevalier as it's so easy to reach by train! A complete pain by air.

IstKong

Don't forget that some of the smaller shops/restaurants may be closed not because of the strike but because of the Christmas Holidays.

If your travel plan highly rely on your train to Zurich, it can be judicious to cancel it and book a flight instead.

You can check the latest update on the Lyria trains here : https://www.tgv-lyria.com/fr/en/time...ic-information If it's confirmed then everything should be fine.

fransknorge

The problem is refund if booked with them. I book TGV with Deutsche Bahn and I can not refund them on DB website.

mad_rich

That might be an IT issue that prevents automated refunds, rather than a policy. That's the impression I got when talking to Raileurope who I booked through.

Have you tried ringing/ emailing DB? It may be a case of filing in a form and waiting for it to be processed manually.

fransknorge

I wil go to a DB Reisecenter once I am back to Germany and see what they say.

EmpressRouge

Anyone taken the Roissybus to CDG or experienced departing from CDG recently?
We're going to be in Paris at the end of the week for a quick trip without any specific must-dos, so decided to keep our trip despite the strikes. I did switch our hotel reservations from a boutique place to the Park Hyatt Vendrôme for its more central location and easy access to the Roissybus stop at Opera. The latest news seems that Roissybus is still running but with reduced frequencies. Our flight to the US leaves at 10h30 and we plan on just taking a bus between 6h-7h. Will that give us sufficient time? We're also open to just getting a taxi/Uber.

DavidDTW

If you are going with this, probably better to take a taxi rather than rideshare. Uber has really jacked up prices to take advantage of the strike.

vilntrav

Problem with taxi from/to airport is that it is reported they do not always apply compulsory fixed rates. Although if one uses G7 app I think it should be safe. Be careful to book a fixed fare price on the app, as otherwise you may end up with a non-fixed fare.

Also Kapten and Lecab can provide fixed fares when booked in advance. I will report my experience with Lecab (booked already two months in advance).

VickiSoCal

We were charged 50 from the official queue. Our 20 year old was charged 70, I think she just looked like she wouldn't argue.

We have a train to Zurich changing in Basil. I tried to change in person twice and failed. I booked online and paid extra 200 euros and will submit for reimbursement as I am sure I was not supposed to be charged.

ShopAround

I arrived yesterday and am staying at the W Paris Opera, so I took the RoissyBus. I’ve taken it many times, but this time was... challenging. I waited at the 2E stop for about half an hour and when it arrived, it was already full. No seats or space on the luggage racks. I had just reloaded my weekly Navigo and didn’t really want to spend more on a taxi so I boarded the bus with another dozen or so people. Stood in the crowded aisle and chatted with the people around me. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride, but I got where I needed to go.

Today was much better. I was on two buses, one empty, one moderately full. I usually prefer the bus to the metro anyway. The CityMapper app is helpful, it indicates which buses are “strike safe” and how long the wait is.

I’m assuming the RoissyBus will be better going to the airport, when Opera is the first stop. I’m transferring to an airport hotel the day before I leave, so if the bus is full when I get to the stop, I’ll just wait for the next one.

Yahillwe

And has Uber jacked up their prices. My kids had a resto reservations, they took and uber since there were no taxis, no metro (I forgot about the bus) from the 7th to the Bastille area, it cost 100 euros. Unbelievable.

vilntrav

I took my Lecab car I had booked for about 46 Euros today at Roissy. Driver was waiting for me at exit of my flight with an Ipad showing my name. No surprises, and I gave a big tip because it was well deserved.

I would recommend Lecab rather than G7 as I use Lecab from and to Roissy since creation of the company without any problem.

Tamino

Well deserved? For just doing his job?

You potentially saved a few euros with this company, then unnecessarily tipped which ultimately cost you more than a taxi as drivers in France are not tipped nor are tips expected.

For those who use taxis to depart CDG into Paris, the price is fixed by the Préfecture du Police: 50€/55€ for the Right/Left Bank respectively. If there is any confusion, the prices are posted, in English, on a sticker found on the left rear passenger window. It doesn´t make any difference what the driver says, give him either 50€ or 55€ as appropriate. There are no special up charges due to the strikes. There are no extra charges for luggage. The only possible price addition when leaving CDG is for passengers in excess of 4. Then and only then one pays an additional 4€ each for the 5th, 6th, or 7th passenger.

Additionally, on the widow sticker is printed the taxi identifier which is used if making a complaint. Direct complaints to the address on the sticker or one may use this email form in English.

vilntrav

Kapten runs a promotion until Jan 1st : 50% off ride cost for two first rides (new clients). Don't know how it works for airport rides (cap...).

adrianelvn

G7 has been notoriously unreliable during these strikes. They will confirm reservations, then contact you minutes before to inform of a delay- sometimes a more than 40m+ delay...