Thousands of travelers plans expected to be derailed by French strikes

A series of strikes affecting both air and train travel are set to cause delays and cancellations for travellers planning on passing through, over or around France in the next few months.

So if you’re planning on travelling to or near France anytime soon, it may be a good idea to put that trip on hold.

On Wednesday (French time), some French traffic controllers will strike for two days, severely disrupting flights on one of the busiest days of the week, reports The Independent.

French authorities have reduced arrivals and departures by 30 per cent at several major French airports, including Charles de Gaulle, Orly, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Nantes and Toulouse.

According to the Independent, the strike will also affect those trying to fly over France, with many flights having to fly the long way around.

During previous strikes, thousands of flights around Europe were severely delayed.

A UK air traffic provider is even bringing in more staff to cope with the decreased workload caused by the diversions.

Air France staff are also striking on Friday but the airline said in a statement that it’s not yet clear if the strikes will affect its schedule.

Conde Nest Traveller says the airline is offering free reservation changes for flights booked before March 16 for Friday and Saturday.

Rail workers have also announced a series of strikes that will disrupt train travel for the next three months.

The Local reports the strike will be held between the March 22 and June 28 for two days out of every five.

The strikes will affect many domestic lines including the high-speed TGV trains, regional TER, and the Intercities line that carries around a hundred thousand passengers a day, reports Conde Nest Traveller.

The strikes are a result of new labour laws that could prevent workers from taking industrial action and could take away many employee benefits.