SNCF strike/Eurostar?

[30mog]

I am holding tickets to get from Sheffield to Paris this Friday. As the SNCF strike is not taking place I should be OK.

However, I am booked to return next Monday when SNCF are on strike. I believe Eurostar’s crewed by SNCF are potentially those cancelled. Any ideas where I stand if my booked train is cancelled? Secondly, have I made a mistake by booking the Eurostar tickets and Advance singles Sheffield/London separately, in so far as I’m not covered if I miss one through a delay to the other?

 

[yorkie]

...have I made a mistake by booking the Eurostar tickets and Advance singles Sheffield/London separately...

Presumably you got the cheaper CIV fares for use in conjunction with Eurostar? If so, you're covered under CIV rules, providing you allowed the minimum interchange time.

 

[30mog]

No I didn’t. Long story. Hence, fearing I may have potentially ****** up!

They are London Stns ADV’s.

 

[LowLevel]

If you booked with EMT they will generally pass you regardless for Eurostar issues - just make sure you get an endorsement from the Eurostar train manager. The Twitter page is quite useful for this kind of issue if it does arise. If you have to travel earlier expect to hang about until your booked train though.

 

[30mog]

Right then. It’s the 15:07 from Paris I’m booked on. Would you therefore suggest if it’s cancelled they might well follow the pattern of letting you travel on the one before or one after? That being the case I’ll just head for Gare Du Nord for the one before. As yet there are no announcements on cancellations for 09/04 but for the strikes today and tomorrow they have and it seems to follow a pattern of alternate trains - those crewed by SNCF I guess.

 

[jimm]

Eurostar seem to be giving a figure of 75% of services running today, according to the BBC website.

International services are more sketchily affected. Eurostar has 75% of trains running and the Thalys services to Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany is almost normal, but there are no services to Spain, Switzerland or Italy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-43617033

What will run on any given day looks likely to depend on what staff are available and when - e.g. the 15.07 is running today but not tomorrow.

 

[30mog]

But turning up at Gare Du Nord for the return journey a few hours early is very wise?

Incidentally, it’s journey to London on EMT but return on VTEC.

 

[jimm]

I'd guess that Eurostar should know later this week what trains they expect to be able to operate on Sunday and Monday and will post something on the website and social media as they have done for today and tomorrow's services - I think that info was available online by Thursday last week.

That way you should have some sort of advance warning and have time to contact Eurostar to find out about alternative arrangements if required, such as rebooking you on an another service. If it was me, I'd be looking to get ahead of things that way, rather than just turning up at Gare du Nord and seeing what's happening on the day.