Next Saturday (1st Feb) I need to travel between Lourdes and Biarritz. Back in November I booked a train ticket on the SNCF Website on train "Intercities 14157" departing Lourdes at 19:24 and ariving at Biarritz at 21:19. This is a direct train and I believe it is the last possible journey of the day. (I think it is also the only direct train).
Since I booked the tickets there have been transport strikes across France and I'm trying to find out what happens if (as I suspect it will be) this train is cancelled.
I have been monitoring the situtation on the SNCF website and it seems if I look to travel about 5 days or so ahead all the trains are listed as running. Then each day more and more of the trains show up as cancelled usually until only about 2 or 3 trains are shown as actually running by the day before and often by then those that are running are shown as full so I believe it's not possible to travel on them (most of the services involve a change with one part on a TGV service which I believe are reservation compulsory). Sometimes every single train on this route is cancelled.
I have checked and over the last 4 Saturdays the specific train I'm booked on has been cancelled every week. For this coming Saturday (25th Jan) it was not shown as cancelled yesterday, but today it is showing as cancelled.
What I have not been able to find is what happens if the train is cancelled and hoping someone who travels a bit more often in France might be able to help me. Do SNCF provide replacement buses (I suspect the answer is no - I can't seem to find anything that says they do)? If not do they book a taxi or provide a hotel and a train the next day (I suspect again, the answer is no). I know in the UK TOCs are obliged to get you to the destination printed on the ticket (and pay for an overnight stay if needed) if booked in advance and there is no published amended timetable, as seems to be the case (it seems the trains to be cancelled are only decided a day or two in advance). But I suspect no such condition exists in France and if the train is cancelled the best I can expect is a refund and if I ask for any alternative transport I'll probably get nothing more than shrug of the shoulders. Is there any compensation in this case?
Assuming I'm correct what is the best thing for me to do? I can see the SNCF website also offers bus connections but it shows nothing on the day I need to travel. It also shows something called "BlahBlahCar" which looks to be something like Uber but whilst there is someone offering a lift this coming Saturday between Lourds and Biaritz (and at similar times), so far there is nothing at all for next weekend (maybe there will be in a few days time but...)
I am wondering if it might be prudent to book another ticket on the previous train (which is still shown as running this coming Saturday) on the basis that if I leave it until nearer the time even if it is running it might get fully booked up by then so I won't have the chance. Then worst case I end up with tickets for two trains and if neither of them are cancelled one of the tickets will be wasted (but if one is cancelled and not the other I can get the other ticket refunded). Of course both could be cancelled and then I'm still stuck and have two tickets to request a refund on.
Otherwise I guess the only option is a taxi which I imagine will be very pricey (and I suspect in high demand given how many trains are cancelled)?
Since I booked the tickets there have been transport strikes across France and I'm trying to find out what happens if (as I suspect it will be) this train is cancelled.
I have been monitoring the situtation on the SNCF website and it seems if I look to travel about 5 days or so ahead all the trains are listed as running. Then each day more and more of the trains show up as cancelled usually until only about 2 or 3 trains are shown as actually running by the day before and often by then those that are running are shown as full so I believe it's not possible to travel on them (most of the services involve a change with one part on a TGV service which I believe are reservation compulsory). Sometimes every single train on this route is cancelled.
I have checked and over the last 4 Saturdays the specific train I'm booked on has been cancelled every week. For this coming Saturday (25th Jan) it was not shown as cancelled yesterday, but today it is showing as cancelled.
What I have not been able to find is what happens if the train is cancelled and hoping someone who travels a bit more often in France might be able to help me. Do SNCF provide replacement buses (I suspect the answer is no - I can't seem to find anything that says they do)? If not do they book a taxi or provide a hotel and a train the next day (I suspect again, the answer is no). I know in the UK TOCs are obliged to get you to the destination printed on the ticket (and pay for an overnight stay if needed) if booked in advance and there is no published amended timetable, as seems to be the case (it seems the trains to be cancelled are only decided a day or two in advance). But I suspect no such condition exists in France and if the train is cancelled the best I can expect is a refund and if I ask for any alternative transport I'll probably get nothing more than shrug of the shoulders. Is there any compensation in this case?
Assuming I'm correct what is the best thing for me to do? I can see the SNCF website also offers bus connections but it shows nothing on the day I need to travel. It also shows something called "BlahBlahCar" which looks to be something like Uber but whilst there is someone offering a lift this coming Saturday between Lourds and Biaritz (and at similar times), so far there is nothing at all for next weekend (maybe there will be in a few days time but...)
I am wondering if it might be prudent to book another ticket on the previous train (which is still shown as running this coming Saturday) on the basis that if I leave it until nearer the time even if it is running it might get fully booked up by then so I won't have the chance. Then worst case I end up with tickets for two trains and if neither of them are cancelled one of the tickets will be wasted (but if one is cancelled and not the other I can get the other ticket refunded). Of course both could be cancelled and then I'm still stuck and have two tickets to request a refund on.
Otherwise I guess the only option is a taxi which I imagine will be very pricey (and I suspect in high demand given how many trains are cancelled)?