People travelling to France have been handed a warning by the Foreign and Commonweath Office. Today’s update highlighted that a date has been set for the latest in a series of disruptive strikes which could impact on people travelling there.
The FCDO said that people on holiday or business visits should be wary of the strikes and protests, frequently over pension reforms. Officials said that the confrontations with police often turn violent - so people should be careful around June 6 when the next demonstrations and strikes have been announced.
Advice said:”Since mid-March there have been spontaneous protests in central Paris and elsewhere in France. Protests are likely to take place and could occur with little notice. Some protests have turned violent. The protests may lead to disruptions to road travel or targeting of parked cars in areas where protests take place.”
The Foreign Office said that the strikes will impact on multiple sectors including transport networks. Industrial action may start the evening before the strike day and run for several days.
Advice was also updated on travel insurance - with it being highlighted that people may not be covered fully if they have an accident or issue in certain parts of France. The Foreign Office said that if people are in the departments of départements of Savoie and Haute-Savoie they could end up having to be transferred over the border to Switzerland.
For adventure sports fans the Foreign Office says in the new update: “For sports activities like skiing, potholing and mountaineering, and for sports classed as particularly dangerous (eg off-piste skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, climbing, ice-climbing, paragliding), make sure you have appropriate insurance. In the départements of Savoie and Haute-Savoie, you may require transfer to Switzerland for treatment.
“For travel to mountainous areas, make sure your insurance covers you for extra medical costs in case of accident or emergency, mountain rescue services and helicopter costs.”
It also warns: “Altitude sickness is a risk in parts of France, including mountainous regions and many popular ski resorts. More information about altitude sickness is available from TravelHealthPro (from the UK’s National Travel Health Network and Centre).”
