A fresh round of French travel disruption is expected from tomorrow (Thursday) as nationwide protests against pension reforms continue.
The latest demonstrations and co-ordinated strikes threaten to disrupt travellers returning to the UK through France following the Easter school holidays.
In updated travel advice, the Foreign Office warned: “Since mid-March there have been spontaneous protests in central Paris and elsewhere in France.
“Protests are likely to take place around Friday 14 April and could occur with little notice. Some protests have turned violent. The protests may lead to disruptions to road travel.
“Trade unions have announced demonstrations and co-ordinated strike action on Thursday 13 April, affecting multiple sectors including transport networks.
“Industrial action may start the evening before the strike day and run for several days.
“You should monitor the media, check the latest advice with operators before travelling, avoid demonstrations and follow the advice of local authorities.”
The alert came as EasyJet yesterday confirmed disruption to its flying programme due to industrial action by French air traffic controllers.
“When air traffic controllers strike, the number of flights that can fly in, out and over France are significantly reduced,” the budget carrier said.
“Sadly this is leading to delays and cancellations as only a small number of flights are being protected by the minimum service covers.
“We understand how disruptive this is to your travel plans which is why we’re asking the French authorities to act now and reduce the impact that these strikes have on our customers in the future.”
Ryanair issued a warning on Sunday of more cancellations and delays over France until May 1 due to repeated air traffic control strikes which has forced the grounding of 3,350 flights during 32 days of industrial action this year.
Eurostar insisted that Thursday’s strikes “will not impact our timetable and our trains will run as normal on that day”.
However, public transport and train connections may continue to be disrupted in France.
The Easter holiday period has already seen high levels of cross-Channel traffic on all routes.
“There might be delays for passengers, especially those on coaches, travelling between UK and French ports,” the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office reiterated.
“Check for latest information with your travel operator, including their advice on how early you should arrive at the terminal.
“Where possible, you should make sure you have a confirmed booking before you travel and ensure you are fully prepared for your trip with enough food and water.”