European holidaymakers may need a plan B. French rail unions have called a 24-hour strike for 2 December, part of a wider wave of industrial action hitting Italy (12 December) and Portugal (11 December). The stoppage is expected to disrupt TGV, Intercités and regional TER services, with knock-on effects for Eurostar cross-Channel trains and connecting flights at Paris-CDG and Orly.
Unions are protesting proposed labour-law changes that would lengthen rostering periods and freeze pay grades. The timing—just as business travellers squeeze in year-end meetings and expatriate families head home for the holidays—could magnify the impact. SNCF management says a “minimum service” will operate, but past strikes have seen up to two-thirds of long-distance services cancelled.
![Early-December Rail Strikes Threaten France’s Holiday Travel Peak]()
Airports are also bracing for disruption as ground-handling staff consider solidarity walk-outs. Travel-risk firm Crisis24 warns that flight delays could spike if baggage-screening or refuelling teams join picket lines. Companies with time-sensitive cargo should explore road freight or flexible air-freight slots.
For global-mobility managers, key advice includes issuing flexible rail tickets, booking hotel contingencies near client sites, and reminding staff of expense-policy limits if they must reroute via Brussels or Amsterdam.
Looking forward, analysts say heightened strike activity may persist into the first quarter of 2026 as governments across Europe pursue fiscal consolidation. Mobility budgets should therefore factor in higher travel-insurance premiums and potential productivity losses from recurring transport stoppages.
Unions are protesting proposed labour-law changes that would lengthen rostering periods and freeze pay grades. The timing—just as business travellers squeeze in year-end meetings and expatriate families head home for the holidays—could magnify the impact. SNCF management says a “minimum service” will operate, but past strikes have seen up to two-thirds of long-distance services cancelled.
Airports are also bracing for disruption as ground-handling staff consider solidarity walk-outs. Travel-risk firm Crisis24 warns that flight delays could spike if baggage-screening or refuelling teams join picket lines. Companies with time-sensitive cargo should explore road freight or flexible air-freight slots.
For global-mobility managers, key advice includes issuing flexible rail tickets, booking hotel contingencies near client sites, and reminding staff of expense-policy limits if they must reroute via Brussels or Amsterdam.
Looking forward, analysts say heightened strike activity may persist into the first quarter of 2026 as governments across Europe pursue fiscal consolidation. Mobility budgets should therefore factor in higher travel-insurance premiums and potential productivity losses from recurring transport stoppages.
