French strike 5 November 2026: trains, flights and rights

1. What is confirmed so far

A call, not yet a transport strike notice

Thursday 5 November 2026 Transport strike notice: none identified as of 13 October Air: no announcement found Checked on 13 October 2026

The appeal from the union alliance (CFDT, CGT, FO, UNSA, FSU) is dated 5 October 2026 and was published on union websites on 6 October 2026. It calls for a strike and demonstration on Thursday 5 November over wages, pensions, the civil service pay index point, ecological planning and tax justice. It also asks for a review of €211 billion in public aid. Read the CFDT UFETAM statement.

• The statement mentions no transport, no strike notice, no place and no time.
• A disruption only becomes known once a strike notice is filed and the operator announces it.
• 17 October and 5 November are two separate dates, not to be confused.

Pixidia tip: this transfer is for travellers who need to reach Roissy-CDG or Orly on 5 November and do not want to rely on public transport that day. It is a private transfer from your hotel. When to use it: if you must leave on 5 November and do not want to depend on transport that day; otherwise, nothing requires you to book it. No disruption has been announced at this stage: it is a precaution, not a forecast. The pitfall to avoid: thinking that a transfer entitles you to compensation. Compensation and re-routing are claimed from your carrier (section 4).

Private Paris departure transfer: hotel to CDG or Orly Airport

See my airport transfer

2. What to watch before 5 November

The table lists the known movements around this date. None of them proves a disruption on 5 November: they show where to look. The start of the All Saints’ school holidays (Saturday 17 October) and the public holiday on Wednesday 11 November are confirmed; the end of the holidays, the status of the flight crew strike notice and the possible long weekends are not. For another strike this autumn, read our guide to the 29 September strike.

Source: InfosTourisme (12 October 2026), Sortiraparis (updated 12 October 2026), CFDT UFETAM statement (5 October 2026), checked on 13 October 2026.

Thursday 29 October (J-7, one week before) is the right time for a first check: strike notices filed in your journey’s sector, your operator’s traffic information, the conditions of your ticket. A notice can also be published shortly before a strike, so recheck the last few days before 5 November. The signal to watch remains the publication of a strike notice followed by the operator’s announcement of the trains or flights affected. Without that, there is no disruption to anticipate, only a date to watch. For the flight crew strike notice of 17 to 21 October, see our guide for pilots and cabin crew.

Around All Saints’, InfosTourisme reports possible difficulties on the A6, the A10 and the tolls, in the direction of departures: this is a forecast, not an observation. Unrelated to the strike, the RER C is interrupted between Choisy-le-Roi and Massy-Palaiseau on 17 and 18 October for works. This affects the All Saints’ departures, not 5 November.

In Paris, the metro, RER and tram are less exposed to national train strikes, but they depend on local RATP strike notices. No RATP strike notice for 5 November had been found as of 13 October. Check the traffic information of your local network: notices are often published a few days before the day concerned.

3. Train: compensation is not paid automatically

EU regulation 2021/782 provides for compensation at arrival once a delay reaches 60 minutes: 25% of the ticket price for a delay of 60 minutes to 2 hours, and 50% beyond 2 hours (amounts to be confirmed on EUR-Lex, text not re-read for this article). A strike by the operator’s staff does not cancel this compensation. Some TER regional services may be exempt depending on the Member State (to be confirmed).

Keep your ticket, the proof of delay (app screenshot, email or SMS from the operator) and your booking reference.

The refund of a ticket depends on its type: a promotional fare does not always have the same conditions as a full-fare ticket. For the SNCF strike of 10 June 2026, articles disagree on the automatic refund of tickets bought on SNCF Connect, as an Ulysse article shows. Do not count on an automatic refund: check the conditions of your booking before the day. During the 10 June strike, refund requests were made at stations or by phone (36 35), before the scheduled departure time. That experience concerns 10 June, not 5 November, but it shows the right reflex: do not let the train leave before you have made the request.

4. Plane: the cause of the cancellation changes everything

For a flight, the fixed compensation is €250 for a flight of up to 1,500 km, €400 for a flight of more than 1,500 km within the EU and for other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and €600 beyond 3,500 km (Regulation EC 261/2004; amounts to be confirmed on EUR-Lex).

If the strike comes from your airline’s staff, it is not an extraordinary circumstance, according to the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (to be confirmed): the compensation remains due.

If the strike comes from a third party, such as air traffic controllers, it may be considered an extraordinary circumstance (interpretation to be cross-checked with Regulation 261/2004). In that case, fixed compensation is in principle not due, but refund or re-routing remains a right, as does assistance, such as meals and, if needed, accommodation. For air traffic controller strikes, also read our guide to air traffic controller strikes.

Source: Regulation EC 261/2004 and Regulation EU 2021/782 (texts not re-read for this article, amounts to be confirmed on EUR-Lex); DGCCRF fact sheet « Voyager en train, les règles à connaître » (French only, updated 22 April 2026), checked on 13 October 2026.

For an urgent journey, ask for re-routing first: it is often the fastest way to reach your destination. If you prefer a refund, the choice is yours, but it must be expressed to the airline. Keep proof of the cancellation and a record of your request. For the review of this summer’s air strikes, read our summary of the 2026 air strikes.

5. The new air passenger regulation is not yet in force

A political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council was reached in June 2026 to revise Regulation 261/2004 on flights. The Luxembourg government published its content in a statement dated 16 June 2026.

The text still has to be formally adopted, and no date of application has been announced. It therefore does not change your rights for 5 November. What is announced concerns compensation graduated by distance, the incorporation into the regulation of the rules set by CJEU case law, a ban on « no-show » (not turning up for the outbound flight in order to use the return), and clarifications on refunds. The statement does not deal with strikes or connecting flights.

6. The practical step-by-step plan

A trip on Thursday 5 November is prepared in three stages. The first is to list your segments: for each train, flight, transfer or connection, note the operator, the departure time, the booking number and the payment method. A trip combining train and plane is handled through as many requests as there are carriers, since each operator answers for its own segment.

The second stage happens in the weeks before. The All Saints’ holidays start on Saturday 17 October, with departures from Friday evening (see section 2). Check the conditions of your ticket at that point, including whether it can be exchanged. If you have a choice of date, now is the time to make it, rather than the day before departure.

The third stage is the day itself. Check your operator’s traffic information before leaving, then again when you leave home. If an announcement changes your timetable, take a screenshot: it is the proof you will need for any compensation or re-routing claim.

If your journey is cancelled, start with the operator. Request re-routing, in writing where possible (app, form or email), and note the time of your request. For a flight, the airline must offer a refund within seven days if you choose it, as provided by Regulation 261/2004 (to be confirmed on EUR-Lex). Keep all exchanges: they will serve as proof.

For a journey with stakes, such as a wedding, an exam or a long-haul flight with a connection, ask for re-routing first if the trip is urgent: this is advice repeated by the DGCCRF and by comparison sites, to be cross-checked. Keep your ticket, your boarding pass and the proof of your request.

Three mistakes to avoid. The first is confusing 5 November with 17 October, the date linked to a flight crew strike notice, which is a separate matter. The second is cancelling your ticket before the operator’s decision. The third is believing that a strike by your airline gives you no right at all: according to CJEU case law (to be confirmed), the fixed compensation can still be due in that case, as the table in section 4 shows.

What other guides don’t tell you

General guides often describe trains and flights as « disrupted ». Here are five points checked against texts, statements and dated press coverage, consulted on 13 October 2026.

• 5 November is an appeal, not a transport strike notice. The union statement names no transport. CFDT UFETAM statement (5 October 2026, published 6 October).
• 17 October is not 5 November. The two dates are often confused, and InfosTourisme points this out explicitly. InfosTourisme (12 October 2026).
• A strike by your airline can entitle you to air compensation. According to CJEU case law, an internal strike is not an extraordinary circumstance, whereas an external strike may be. To be confirmed against the text of Regulation 261/2004. Comparison site consulted on 13 October 2026: Selectra, to be cross-checked.
• The revision of Regulation 261/2004 is not in force. It is a political agreement, with no date of application. Government of Luxembourg (16 June 2026).
• SNCF refunds are not always automatic. Sources disagree on this point, which is why it is worth checking your booking. Ulysse (consulted on 13 October 2026, about the strike of 10 June 2026).

Practical information: before and on 5 November

• Proof: keep your ticket, screenshots and emails from the operator.
• Cancellation insurance: read your policy terms: some cover airline strikes, others exclude them. We have not checked what your insurance covers.
• Coach alternative: FlixBus is a coach alternative; the announced closure of BlaBlaCar Bus remains to be confirmed.

Depending on your profile

• Early morning flight: arrive with a margin, and check the status of your flight with the airline the evening before.
• Family on holiday: if your trip combines train and plane, check each leg separately, as the compensation rules are not the same.
• Business trip: keep a modifiable booking and tell your employer as soon as any doubt arises, to avoid losing a working day.
• 11 November long weekend (pont): Thursday 5 is not a bridge day. If you travel on the bridge days, book early, as general advice.