I’ve pulled together everything I’ve been able to find out about tomorrow’s strike actions across France, with a focus on how they might affect those of us living here. Things are changing quickly, and some official forecasts are only landing today, so please treat this as a snapshot and check your own local operators and schools before you set out.
Tomorrow, unions across France are holding a national strike. It’s part of a wider push over wages, public services, jobs, pensions and industry. You don’t need the politics to plan your day, so here’s how it’s likely to affect you.
Getting around
Trains. SNCF expects slightly disrupted TGV service and disrupted Intercités, TER and Île-de-France trains. If your TGV or Intercités is cancelled, you can exchange or get a refund at no cost. SNCF’s detailed plan is due on 4 November from 5pm, so check the app tonight and again in the morning.
Paris. The RATP expects normal metro, tram and bus service, but the RER lines are expected to be disrupted.
Other cities. It varies. In Lyon, metro lines B, C and D and both funiculars will be completely shut. In Marseille, tram workers are also striking.
Flights. Several unions have filed strike notices, but the main air traffic controllers’ union (SNCTA) is not taking part, so only light disruption is expected. Check with your airline anyway.
Roads. Expect heavy traffic on major routes, especially Paris-Marseille, as rail passengers switch to cars. Leave extra time.
Ferries and Channel ports
If you’re travelling to or from the UK or Ireland, here’s what I found :
Ouistreham (Caen). I found no strike notice, closure or ferry cancellation announced specifically for the port or for Brittany Ferries tomorrow. The local picture is about marches rather than the port. The Calvados unions have called a general strike with five demonstrations planned in the department, including one in central Caen. In neighbouring Manche, union representatives in Cherbourg have set out their plans for Thursday’s mobilisations. Expect busier roads and some closures around the city centres.
The Yellow Vest movement may set up roadblocks in or around the Ferry terminals, but so far there is no information about planned disruption.
Other Channel ports. The dockers are the thing to watch. The CGT’s national ports and docks federation held a 24-hour strike on Friday 30 October and said it will also join Thursday’s national call. That call covered ports including Dunkirk, Calais, Boulogne, Le Havre, Cherbourg, Saint-Malo and Roscoff. On 30 October, most terminals in France were not operating for 24 hours. That action was aimed at loading and unloading, so freight was hit first. I couldn’t find confirmation of what will happen at each port tomorrow, or of any ferry or Eurotunnel cancellations, so I can’t say whether passenger services will be affected.
What to do. Check your ferry operator’s website or app tonight and tomorrow morning, and allow extra time to reach the port. Having a fully charged phone and the operator’s customer service number to hand won’t hurt.
Kids and school
Schools. Schools won’t automatically close. A minimum reception service may be offered in nursery and primary schools. Unions are calling a strike in both primary and secondary schools, and all unions in contract-based private schools are striking too. Your school will tell you what’s running, so check your messages tonight.
Canteens. Lunch is often the first thing to go. Marseille has announced 150 school canteens will be closed. I found no figures for other cities, so check locally.
School buses. I couldn’t find any information on school transport for this strike. Check with your school or local transport authority. Students who commute by TER may be affected by the rail disruption.
Fuel: fill up today
Fuel is the part of this story that could outlast the strike.
Where things stand. Supply has been shaky for weeks. On 18 October, 595 petrol stations had run dry, and 1,570 of 9,611 reported a shortage of at least one product. TotalEnergies stations made up most of those outages. A tracker site shows today’s availability: 92% of stations have diesel, 86% have E10, 82% have SP98 and only 72% have SP95. If you drive a petrol car that takes SP95, it may take more than one stop to find it.
Prices. The average price of diesel on 3 November was €2.23 a litre, or about €111 for a 50-litre tank. There’s some reassurance: TotalEnergies’ CEO says he sees no risk of a shortage in Europe.
Why the strike matters here. The Gilets jaunes coordination is calling on people to join the strikes and to carry on the action over the following two days. One report warns that prolonged blockades could push more stations into shortage. I can’t tell you how likely that is, but it’s the main way the strike could affect supermarkets and daily life beyond Thursday.
What to do:
Fill up today rather than tomorrow, and top up rather than hoard. Panic buying is how local shortages get worse.
If your usual station is empty, try another brand, as stock varies a lot.
Check a live availability tracker such as penurie-carburant.fr before a long drive.
Plan Thursday’s journeys so you don’t need to refuel.
Supermarkets and shopping
I found no sign that supermarkets will close or that deliveries are being cut, and retail isn’t among the sectors named in the strike call. Any problems would come indirectly, through road blockages or fuel supply. A normal shop and a bit of common sense should do.
Errands and appointments
Rubbish collection. In Marseille, the CGT has filed a renewable strike notice for all Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropole staff from 5 November. Bin collection may be patchy in some areas.
Town halls, prefectures and hospitals. Civil service federations are urging public employees to strike massively. Don’t book an appointment for tomorrow if you can help it.
Demonstrations. There will be marches in cities across France. In Marseille, the main one sets off at 10:30 from Les Réformés. Expect road closures and crowds in city centres.
Your Checklist:
Check the SNCF or RATP app tonight and again in the morning.
If you’re sailing, check your ferry operator’s status.
Fill up the car today.
Check your school’s messages.
Stay home if you can.
Postpone any non-urgent admin appointments.
Leave extra time for everything.
Could it go on?
Possibly. FO has filed a strike notice running to 31 December, and unions plan to meet after Thursday to review the day and decide next steps. Keep an eye on your usual transport, ferry and school channels over the next few days.
That’s everything I’ve been able to find out about tomorrow’s strike actions. Things can change quickly, so please check your train, ferry, airline and school updates directly before you set out, and take care if you’re driving.
If French admin gets in the way of your plans, whether it’s a cancelled appointment or a form you can’t make sense of, you can book a free 15-minute call or email me at info@helpinfrance.fr, and I’ll help where I can.
This post is a summary of information I found in news reports and union and operator announcements as of 4 November 2026. It is for general guidance only, may not be complete or up to date, and is not legal, tax, financial or medical advice. Help in France accepts no liability for decisions made based on it.