A five-day national rail strike in Belgium running 25–30 January has slashed services by up to two-thirds and is cascading across international corridors that feed Paris, Lyon and Lille.(thetraveler.org)
Eurostar has cancelled around 40 % of trains between London St Pancras and Paris Nord, while SNCF has withdrawn several TGV-INOUÏ and Thalys departures on the Brussels–Paris axis. French travellers heading to Amsterdam or Cologne via Brussels face connection gaps exceeding four hours.
The strike—over pension reforms and staffing rules—comes at the height of winter tourism, stranding ski-bound passengers and causing knock-on hotel and car-rental re-bookings in northern France.
![Belgium Rail Strike Snarls Eurostar and TGV Links to France]()
Corporate mobility teams report missed Monday-morning assignments, with consultants rerouted through Lille by coach before boarding domestic French rail.
Even as travellers juggle trains and coaches, they should also verify that their identity documents and any necessary visas are in order; online specialist VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can streamline French and Schengen applications, monitor entry requirements and deliver rapid courier pick-ups, allowing corporate travel managers to concentrate on rebooking rather than paperwork.
Under EU rail-passenger rules, carriers must offer refunds or re-routes, but compensation for industrial action is limited. Employers should therefore budget for incidental costs and remind staff to collect proof of disruption for expense claims.
With Belgian unions warning of further action in March, travel managers may need to shift short-notice trips onto air or road alternatives, adding pressure to already weather-disrupted French airports.(thetraveler.org)
Eurostar has cancelled around 40 % of trains between London St Pancras and Paris Nord, while SNCF has withdrawn several TGV-INOUÏ and Thalys departures on the Brussels–Paris axis. French travellers heading to Amsterdam or Cologne via Brussels face connection gaps exceeding four hours.
The strike—over pension reforms and staffing rules—comes at the height of winter tourism, stranding ski-bound passengers and causing knock-on hotel and car-rental re-bookings in northern France.
Corporate mobility teams report missed Monday-morning assignments, with consultants rerouted through Lille by coach before boarding domestic French rail.
Even as travellers juggle trains and coaches, they should also verify that their identity documents and any necessary visas are in order; online specialist VisaHQ (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can streamline French and Schengen applications, monitor entry requirements and deliver rapid courier pick-ups, allowing corporate travel managers to concentrate on rebooking rather than paperwork.
Under EU rail-passenger rules, carriers must offer refunds or re-routes, but compensation for industrial action is limited. Employers should therefore budget for incidental costs and remind staff to collect proof of disruption for expense claims.
With Belgian unions warning of further action in March, travel managers may need to shift short-notice trips onto air or road alternatives, adding pressure to already weather-disrupted French airports.(thetraveler.org)
