Me again for anyone out there looking for some train strike strategies. My husband and I cut out one night in Paris--like cutting off a finger--to get out to the cheaper of the two Ibis hotels near CDG so that we wouldn't have to deal with transportation tomorrow morning, Monday, April 9, which will be a strike day. Today, Sunday, was a strike day as well, but we decided to leave Paris while the going was good and we wouldn't be competing for transportation with Monday morning commuters, workers, etc. We don't usually stay in an airport hotel, but it seems like a good strategy in this case. Here's what I wrote to Kathy Wood, a regular on sloweurope, whose house we rented in Bonnieux the last two weeks:
Here's how we handled the train strikes if this is any help: We'd had two full hotel nights booked in Paris, but bailed on the second night to get ourselves out (by taxi) to the 77E Ibis hotel near CDG. Yesterday was a no-strike day, so our TGV from Aix was fine--just dumb luck on our part when we booked. But today and tomorrow (Sunday and Monday) are strike days. So we sprung for the taxi 55E so that we'll already be out at the airport tomorrow AM to catch our flight. I don't know when you're coming back, or your clients, but that's how we juggled it. We had our hotel call the cab to make sure we got one during the strike. It looked as if the regular Metro was running but not the RER. Anyway we're at the Ibis (there are two; we're in the cheaper one which is totally fine). I would've killed to stay in Paris. The weather was incredible both days, but we had to leave the "party" early.