Short answer: in Paris, a strike and a protest are two different problems. A strike cuts trains, above all the RER and the suburban lines, while the metro can keep running normally. A protest closes stations and streets, often far from the march itself. On Thursday 5 November 2026, the RATP expected a normal metro, yet 25 stations closed from 11 am, and 19 of them were not on the march route: they were around the Champs-Élysées, Concorde and Saint-Germain, exactly where visitors go. So check the forecast the evening before, check your station before every trip, plan to walk more than usual, and book a car in advance for the two journeys that cannot go wrong: your flight and your long-distance train.

Last updated: 5 November 2026. Written by our team in Paris. The rules in this guide work for any strike in France; the dated examples come from the autumn 2026 movement. For the situation of the day, see our page on the Paris strike today.

Flying or catching a train on a strike day? We operate 24/7, strike days included, from €110 per vehicle between CDG or Orly and central Paris, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup. Message us on WhatsApp, we usually reply within 30 minutes, or request a transfer online.

Key Facts (5 November 2026)

A strike hits trains. The forecast for 5 November was a normal RER A, one train in two on the RER B towards CDG, one in two on the RER C and one in three on the RER D.
A protest hits stations. 25 metro stations closed from 11 am at the request of the Police Prefecture, with no reopening time announced.
Forecasts come late. The train-by-train timetable usually appears from 5 pm the evening before.
Flights are a separate question. The French civil aviation authority asked airlines for no flight cuts on 5 November. The difficulty was reaching the airport.
Monuments can close too. The Eiffel Tower stayed closed all day on 5 November, for lack of staff.

Strike or Protest? Know Which One You Are Facing

They behave differently, and you plan around them differently.

A strike is announced days in advance. Rail and public transport staff must declare themselves on strike at least 48 hours before, so operators can publish a line-by-line forecast. It reduces the number of trains.
A protest depends on the Police Prefecture, sometimes until the last minute: the route of the 5 November march was only settled in court on the evening of 4 November. It closes stations, diverts buses and seals off streets, and nobody publishes a reopening time.

A national strike day is usually both at once. So do not stop at "is the metro running?". Ask two questions: is my station open, and is my train on the list?

What Still Works: Mode by Mode

Metro: your first choice, with one trap

Verdict: use it, but check your station. For 5 November, the RATP expected a normal service on the metro. Lines 1 and 14 are driverless, and in past metro strikes they have been the ones that kept running, although they get very crowded. Stay alert all the same: a CGT-RATP strike notice with no end date has been open since late September.

The trap: a line can show normal service while your station is shut, because trains simply pass through without stopping. On 5 November, seven stations in a row were closed on line 1, from Argentine to Tuileries, the stretch that serves the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs-Élysées and the Tuileries Garden. Get off before or after the closed section, and walk.

RER and suburban trains: the weak point

Verdict: expect fewer, fuller trains, and never plan a tight connection. This is where a rail strike really bites. The forecast for 5 November: RER A normal, apart from Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, which was on the closed list, RER B one train in two north of Gare du Nord and two in three south of it, RER C one in two, RER D one in three, RER E two in three.

The trap: the north of the RER B is the section that goes to CDG airport. One train in two there means a long wait, then a packed carriage with your suitcases. There is a second trap that has nothing to do with strikes: on many evenings this autumn, the RER B stops between Châtelet-Les Halles and the airport from 10:45 pm for engineering works, with replacement buses instead. If you land late, check the RER B works calendar first.

Our tip: for CDG, metro line 14 to Saint-Denis-Pleyel, then the express bus 9517 to the airport, avoids the RER B altogether. The old Roissybus from Opéra no longer exists: it stopped on 1 March 2026.

Buses and trams: fine, until they meet the march

Verdict: a good fallback, especially if stairs are a problem. The RATP also expected normal buses and trams on 5 November, and nearly all Paris buses are wheelchair accessible. Any line that crosses a march is diverted or cut for the afternoon, and the T3 trams on the outer boulevards can be cut when a march uses that route.

Our tip: if your bus stops moving near a march, get off and walk away from the route. It will not get there before you do.

Taxis: fair prices, few cars

Verdict: reliable on price, less so on availability. Taxi fares are regulated. Between the airports and Paris a flat rate applies, €56 or €65 for CDG and €36 or €45 for Orly depending on the bank of the Seine, and nothing is added for luggage, booking or traffic. The problem is finding one: during the long transport strike of December 2019, AFP described taxis booked out "sometimes days in advance". We have seen no taxi strike announced at the time of writing.

The trap: inside Paris there is no flat rate. The meter counts time as well as distance, so a ride that crawls through diverted traffic costs more.

Uber and other apps: they work, at the price of the moment

Verdict: useful if you check the price and can wait. In Uber's own words, "in these cases of very high demand, prices may increase", and surge can change quickly and differ from one area of a city to another. AFP reported Uber fares rising "in line with demand" during the 2019 strike. Uber says its app tells riders when surge pricing applies, so look before you confirm.

Our tip: never order from inside a closed zone, because the car cannot reach you. Walk a few streets away from the route first, then set your pickup there.

Vélib' and shared e-bikes: one person, no luggage

Verdict: a real option on a dry day. Paris has protected cycle lanes on many main streets. The Vélib' public bike scheme and private e-bike apps cover the centre, and a bike has no timetable.

The trap: bikes vanish where you need them most. On 5 November, Vélib' stations around the march had been emptied. And do not look for a rental e-scooter: Paris banned them in September 2023.

Walking: the best strike-day tool in the centre

Verdict: unbeatable if you have no suitcase. Central Paris is smaller than it looks on the metro map. Notre-Dame to the Louvre takes about 20 minutes on foot, and the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower about 45 minutes, through the Tuileries and past the Invalides. On a closure day, walking two stations often beats looking for a way around them. On protest days, watch for police cordons around Concorde and the Invalides and go around them.

Batobus: the line no strike forecast mentions

Verdict: our favourite tourist trick, if you check before you go. The Batobus is a hop-on hop-off boat on the Seine with 9 stops: Eiffel Tower, Invalides, Musée d'Orsay, Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Notre-Dame, Jardin des Plantes, Hôtel de Ville, Louvre and Concorde. In other words, it links many of the places the metro stopped serving on 5 November, with no rail staff involved. A 24-hour pass costs €23 online, and until 31 March 2027 the first and last departures from the Eiffel Tower stop are at 10 am and 5 pm from Monday to Thursday, and at 10 am and 7 pm from Friday to Sunday.

The trap: the full loop takes 2 hours, so this is for sightseeing, not for catching a train. We have no confirmation of how it ran on 5 November, and a stop next to a protest may be affected: check on the day.

Renting a car: we would not

Verdict: the worst of both worlds inside Paris. You get the same traffic, no local knowledge of the closures, and a limited-traffic zone in the four central arrondissements, reserved for trips that start or end there. Rental agencies can also run short: AFP reported it in 2019. It only makes sense if you are leaving Paris and are comfortable driving in France.

A car with a chauffeur: what it solves, and what it does not

Verdict: worth it for the journeys you cannot miss. A booked driver solves three things: once your booking is confirmed the car is yours, the price is fixed, and your luggage stays with you from door to door. It does not open a closed street or clear a traffic jam. That is why we suggest a pickup time with margin on strike days. For a two-kilometre hop in the centre, walk and keep your money. Our comparison of taxi, Uber and private driver goes through it situation by situation, including when not to book us.

The Strike-Day Clock

Here is how the hours of a big day unfold, based on 5 November and the protest days before it. Times change from one day to the next, but the pattern holds.

The day before, from 5 pm: forecasts appear. Look up your own train by number or time, not just the line.
Morning: check the list of closed stations and the march route. On 31 October, Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon were inside a security perimeter from 8 am, so allow extra time to reach them.
11 am: stations start to close, three hours before the march on 5 November. Do your metro journeys before this.
2 pm: the march sets off. Streets on the route are closed, and traffic spreads to nearby boulevards.
Late afternoon: leave the area if you are nearby. Trouble tends to come at the end of a march, as at Porte de Vincennes on 24 October and Porte de Charenton on 31 October.
7 pm: the authorised slot ended at this hour on 5 November. Stations only reopen when the prefecture allows it.
10:45 pm: on evenings with works, RER B trains stop between Châtelet-Les Halles and CDG. Plan any late journey to or from the airport accordingly.

The French Words You Will See

Notices on the day are often in French. These terms cover most of what you will read.

Mouvement social: the official way of saying strike. You will see it more often than grève.
Préavis: strike notice. It means a strike is possible, not certain.
Trafic normal, perturbé, interrompu: normal, disrupted, suspended.
1 train sur 2: one train in two.
Station fermée: closed station.
Le train ne marque pas l'arrêt: the train does not stop here.
À la demande de la préfecture de police: at the request of the police. The usual reason on a protest day, with no end time.
Manifestation, or manif: a march or protest.
Déviation: diversion, for buses.
Bus de substitution: replacement bus.
Reconductible: renewable, so the strike can continue from one day to the next.

What to Keep on Your Phone

SNCF Connect: long-distance and regional trains, train by train.
Transilien: RER and suburban lines run by the SNCF.
Bonjour RATP: metro, RER A and B, buses and trams, with closed stations.
Ma Ligne B: the RER B's own site, in French, for the airport line.
Your hotel's address and phone number, saved offline, with your battery charged before you go out.

Arriving or Leaving on a Strike Day

This is where a strike costs real money, so plan these two moments first. For flights, our guide to getting to CDG and Orly during a strike covers every option, and Orly is the easier airport because metro line 14 goes there directly. For trains, read what to do if your train is cancelled: refunds are free, but you must ask for them yourself. If you are in the city on a protest day, our guide to the areas to avoid tells you where not to be.

Do not wait for the 5 pm forecast to book a car. Our free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before pickup, so for a morning departure it ends before the forecast comes out. As soon as a strike is announced for your travel day, send us your details: a booking request is free and does not commit you. Ask on WhatsApp.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Paris metro run during a strike?

Often, yes. For the national strike of 5 November 2026, the RATP expected a normal metro service. Lines 1 and 14 are driverless and have kept running in past metro strikes. Individual stations can still close on protest days, so check your station as well as your line.

Why is my metro station closed if the line is running?

On protest days, the RATP closes stations at the request of the Police Prefecture, for security. Trains keep running and pass through without stopping. On 5 November 2026, 25 stations closed from 11 am, and 19 of them were not on the march route.

When are strike forecasts published in Paris?

The train-by-train timetable of a strike day is usually published the day before from 5 pm, on SNCF Connect and Transilien. The RATP publishes its forecast the day before too. Closed stations are announced separately and can change during the day.

Are taxis and Uber on strike when the trains are?

Taxis and ride-hailing apps are not part of rail strikes, and we have seen no taxi strike announced at the time of writing. They are in higher demand, so waits are longer. Taxi airport fares stay fixed, while app prices can rise with demand.

How do I get to CDG airport during a strike?

Check the RER B forecast the evening before. If trains are reduced, look at metro line 14 to Saint-Denis-Pleyel, then the express bus 9517 to the airport, or at buses 350 and 351. Leave at least one hour earlier than usual, or book a car in advance. Our guide to getting to CDG and Orly during a strike has the details.

What should tourists do on a strike day in Paris?

Choose a part of the city away from the announced march, make your metro journeys before late morning, check that your museum or monument is open, and walk between sights. A strike day is also a good day to leave the city on a day trip.

Can a private driver reach my hotel if my street is closed?

Not through a closed street, nobody can. With Samantha Travels, your chauffeur contacts you before pickup and agrees on a nearby meeting point that is easy to reach, such as a side street or another hotel entrance.

Should I cancel my trip to Paris because of a strike?

Strikes and protests fall on specific days, and many travellers simply plan around them. Follow your government's travel advice and police instructions. See our main guide: is Paris safe to visit right now?

Strike Days with Samantha Travels

We operate 24/7, strike days included, and everything below is written into our booking terms or our standard service.

A fixed price per vehicle, not per person: from €110 in a Mercedes E-Class (up to 3 passengers) and from €150 in a V-Class (up to 7) or S-Class (up to 3), between CDG or Orly and central Paris. The price in your quote is the price you pay, even if a diversion makes the ride longer.
Closures checked for you: we check the march route, closed stations and curfew zones before each ride, and we agree on a quiet pickup point if your street is affected.
Airport arrivals: flight tracking, a meeting inside the arrivals hall and 60 minutes of free waiting after landing.
Trains cancelled: long-distance trips across France, Belgium, Switzerland and Monaco, on quote.
A full day in the city: hourly hire keeps the same car and chauffeur with you, from 2 hours, on quote.
No risk in asking: a booking request is free and does not commit you, cancellation is free up to 24 hours before pickup, and if your flight is cancelled we move your transfer at no charge.

Our chauffeurs are licensed and speak fluent English and French, and we are rated 5/5 on Google and Tripadvisor.

Send us your date, pickup and destination: message us on WhatsApp, we usually reply within 30 minutes, or use our request form and get an answer within 2 hours.

Sources

Book your trip

Paris Strikes: The Visitor's Survival Guide to Getting Around