Planning to visit or travel within France this November and December?

Be warned that this is expected to be the season of the strike, as several of France’s largest unions, including transport workers and farmers, plan to take industrial action.

All four of France’s major rail unions have joined together for an initial one-day action on Thursday 21 November. This collective strike day is expected to cause significant disruption, and it could even extend to the Christmas holidays and beyond.

Earlier this week, the unions highlighted that if the French government does not meet their demands, they will go on what’s being called a longer and stronger strike (‘un mouvement de grève plus long et plus fort’) from 11 December.

The timing is no coincidence: December is the busiest time for the country’s railways.

Why are there strikes in France?

Unions are concerned about the increasing privatisation of the French state rail company SNCF, the regional train network ‘Transport Express Régional’ (TER), the commuter rail network Transilien and the non-high-speed services Intercité.

In fact, the SNCF has been state-owned since it was founded in the late 1930s, but unions are aggrieved that, since 2019, the French rail network has been open to other potential players so that the national company no longer has a monopoly.

For example, rail companies such as the Spanish state-owned Renfe and the partially Italian state-owned Trenitalia now run some of the Paris services.

France is not the only European country opening up its state railways: this is part of a wider EU initiative to improve the network and encourage more people to choose rail over car or plane travel.

France strikes: How will flights be affected?

You might expect some delays at the airports too, as France’s National Union of Airline Pilots, the SNPL, have issued a strike for 14 November.

This action is likely to affect the national airline Air France and other carriers that employ pilots on French labour contracts.

While the SNPL has only warned of a one-day action, it is possible that this, too, could be extended.

This strike has come about because pilots are unhappy about the French government’s scheme to raise flight taxes by 300 per cent, which they say is being introduced without consulting the aviation industry.

Known as the solidarity tax, right now, passengers pay just under €3 to fly in economy class or €18 in first class, which is added directly onto the cost of their ticket.

But if the tax increase goes ahead, the price could rise to €9.50 when flying economy to a destination in Europe and as much as €120 for a business class ticket from Paris to New York.

France hopes to raise an additional billion euros each year from the aviation sector to cover gaps in the country’s 2025 budget.

Protests and strikes have long been engrained in French culture

Alongside these travel strikes, farmers will also be protesting, which will likely include road blockages that target Spanish and other EU truckers delivering produce.

Likewise, three days of action by two unions representing civil servants are expected to take place in early December. Specific dates have not yet been announced.

When it comes to the sheer breadth of strike action each year, France tends to be at the top of most European countries. However, 2024 has been relatively peaceful compared with previous years until this month.

France has been known for its so-called ‘orderly disorder’ since the 1789 Revolution, which was fuelled by starvation.

Striking was legalised in 1864 and has always been seen as a last resort for demanding better living conditions, but in recent years, it’s become an easy way for groups to make themselves heard against the centralised state government.

French strikes are typically led by well-disciplined unions that can quickly mobilise with specific demands and aims. In turn, this has increased participation, and strikes are nowadays celebrated as a symbol of social victory.

Have you ever travelled by train to visit several European destinations in one interrailing adventure and wished there was a simpler way to cross borders?

Right now, you probably have to have your wits about you as you navigate through a myriad of booking platforms and work out the different ways in which rail providers sell their seats and arrange their schedules.

But it’s not only the inconvenience of booking that’s the issue with the current system.

If you’re committed to more sustainable travel options or simply enjoy the more leisurely experience offered by train travel, then you tend to pay a lot more money than opting to fly between destinations on a budget airline.

The good news is that this could change in the next two years, with the launch of a single European booking system for train tickets.

What this means is that you could travel to multiple destinations on just one ticket with your full travel schedule clearly mapped out.

This new hassle-free experience probably won’t interest you if you have an adventurous spirit and like to regale your friends with stories of missing departures and negotiating cultural differences at the railway station.

But if you’re on a budget or have a time limit on your trip, and you can’t afford to miss connections or pay for new tickets out of pocket, then the new single-ticket system will definitely appeal to you.

How will the new single European booking system work?

Right now, most travellers rely on experts such as Mark Smith, the brains behind Seat61.com, one of the earliest websites offering tips and solutions to the frustrations of travelling across Europe by train.

While it’s early days, a few platforms are already in place that could inspire this new booking system.

For example, Rail Europe and Omio already offer train trips across international borders, yet they still sell each part of the journey on separate tickets.

This new single-ticket proposal is just one of several made by the new EU transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, who is focused on promoting sustainable transport and decarbonisation solutions.

“It is unbelievable that we do not have this in 2024,” says Tzitzikostas, who adds that it would make booking trains as easy as booking a flight.

Tzitzikostas has also proposed ambitious plans for a European high-speed rail network that will better connect Europe’s capitals, including using night trains.

His goal is that by coupling green and digital innovations, travelling through Europe will “remain safe, accessible and affordable”.

As Euronews Travel has previously reported, European sleeper trains are undergoing a renaissance.

More exciting routes are being added, including one that allows you to have dinner in Brussels and wake up in Venice early enough to still catch the bustling morning ‘Mercati di Rialto’ (Rialto market).

The Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER), which represents over 70 railway companies and national associations across Europe, was one of the first supporters of the proposed scheme. It says, “This recognition that digitalisation is essential to help modernise the transport system is vital.”

The new pan-European train booking system is due to launch at some point in 2025.

Battery-powered trains are looking to shape the future of Europe’s rail after the first successful trial of an intercity battery train in the northeast of England. This ‘tribid’ train easily switches between battery, diesel, and electric power.

Right now, the UK’s railways run diesel trains, which draw their power from overhead electrified wires or onboard diesel generators. However, the last generation of diesel trains is due to be replaced, and so a phase-out to cleaner alternatives is underway.

The trial happened in the region that first brought coal-powered engines to the world and as Britain celebrates 200 years of the modern railway next year.

High-speed and cheaper? Battery-electric trains show promise

Using just one powerful 700kw battery, this innovative technology can run trains at speeds over 75mph (120kph), making them high-speed.

During the trial, the train operated solely on battery power for 70km before switching back to its diesel engine, but the engineers say this range is enough to cover a typical intercity route that includes bridges, tunnels, and stations.

When launched, it’s expected that the train will have a range of between 100 and 150kms.

Single-battery trains not only boast superior performance, but they’re also more cost-effective than diesel trains.

They can reduce fuel costs by around 35 to 50 per cent, according to this trial which was run by Angel Trains, Hitachi Rail, and TransPennine Express.

Passengers will no doubt hope that any cost savings will be passed on to them, particularly given rising ticket costs, which go up every year in many parts of Europe.

Battery-powered trains are more environmentally considerate

Electric trains are currently considered the best solution to delivering clean trains as part of the global railway industry’s transition to net zero. Other options, such as trains that use grey hydrogen, are carbon-intensive, as Euronews Green has previously reported.

Using battery-powered trains reduces the need for rail operators to install or upgrade overhead wires on any unelectrified tracks. In turn, this could save Europe billions of euros in electrification projects.

It’s good news for those who live near train stations, too. Battery-run trains can enter and leave stations in zero-emission mode, drastically reducing noise and air pollution.

“The success of this trial will pave the way for even greener, more reliable journeys for millions of passengers,” said the UK’s rail minister, Lord Hendy.

When will everyone get to travel by battery-powered trains?

The evolution of battery-electric technology is moving quickly.

Hitachi Rail is already considering this next-generation technology for railway networks and other large vehicles globally. This latest success comes after delivering the world’s first passenger battery train in Japan and Europe’s first battery ‘tribrid’ train in Italy, the Masaccio, a couple of years ago.

A EuroMasaccio platform is already on track to be rolled out across European countries, and if Italy’s project is any indication, this could immediately cut CO2 emissions in half when replacing existing diesel train fleets.

Meanwhile, Siemens Mobility has also developed bi-mode battery trains that are already being used by passengers in the Ortenau region of Germany, saving 1.8 million litres of diesel every year. Plans are underway to roll them out across more countries, including the UK and more regions in Germany, within the next decade.

Siemens’ new trains only require small sections of track to be electrified, as the company supplies its own fast-charging points along the route, known as Rail Charging Converters (RCCs).