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Traveling to France? What You Need to Know About the Protests.

Unrest has spread across France in response to the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old in a Paris suburb. Here’s what to expect.

By Ceylan Yeginsu

Violent protests have spread across France over the past week since the fatal police shooting of a 17-year-old in a Paris suburb.

More than 800 people were arrested on Thursday night after protesters caused widespread destruction in dozens of cities, setting cars and buildings on fire, looting stores and clashing with the riot police. On Friday, many roads in the Paris region and other major cities like Marseille were cordoned off, and public transport routes were disrupted as more than 40,000 police officers were deployed across the country to bring the protests under control.

With the peak summer travel season underway, many tourists are headed to Paris and other parts of France for their summer vacations. Here’s what you need to know about how your trip might be affected.

Which cities have been hit hardest?

The clashes began in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on Tuesday night, after the police shot and killed the male teenage driver — a French citizen of North African descent, publicly identified as Nahel M. — who was stopped at a traffic light. The violence quickly spread to nearby areas in the greater Paris region as news of the killing reignited decades-long grievances over racial discrimination in working-class areas. The police officer who shot the driver was detained on Thursday on charges of voluntary homicide.

After three nights of riots, Clamart, in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, imposed a curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. through Monday. Other communities affected by the violence include Bezons, Gennevilliers, Garges-lès-Gonesse, Meudon and L’Île-St.-Denis, close to the headquarters of the 2024 Olympics.

The center of Paris, home to tourist attractions like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, had largely been unaffected until Thursday night, when looters descended onto the Rue de Rivoli, one of the city’s main shopping streets, and ransacked a Nike store.

Police asked people in popular tourist areas in Marseille and Bordeaux to leave the area on Thursday night after fires were set alongside streets, and violent clashes erupted between the police and protesters. On Friday, Marseille banned all demonstrations.

How has transport been affected?

On Friday, the Interior Ministry ordered the suspension of all bus and tram services after sunset, in response to the unrest.

The greater Paris region had already reduced services in recent days to limit the mobility of the protesters at night, and the city’s metro system will close an hour early over the weekend. Île-de-France Mobilités, the regional transport agency, has been issuing service updates on its website.

Is it safe to visit France?

The State Department has not advised against travel to France, but it issued a security alert on Thursday highlighting the violence and urging United States citizens to avoid “mass gatherings and areas of significant police activity.”

“Some cities are imposing curfews,” the alert said. “As always, it is a good practice to notify friends or family of your whereabouts.”

A State Department advisory issued in 2022 remains in place, urging travelers to “exercise increased caution in France due to terrorism and civil unrest.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2023 .

Ceylan Yeginsu is a travel reporter. She was previously a correspondent for the International desk in Britain and Turkey, covering politics; social justice; the migrant crisis; the Kurdish conflict, and the rise of Islamic State extremism in Syria and the region. More about Ceylan Yeginsu

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What Travelers Need to Know About the Ongoing Paris Riots

On its anniversary, the yellow vest protests against a gas tax and french president emmanuel macron turned violent once again in 2019..

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Protesters from the Yellow Vests Movement have gathered in Paris’s streets every Saturday since mid-November 2018.

Photo by Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock

>> See our most up-to-date coverage on the 2023 Paris protests , and how they’re impacting travel.

Violence returned to the streets of Paris on Saturday, November 16, as protesters marked the one-year anniversary of the anti-government Yellow Vests Movement. After demonstrators set trash cans and several cars on fire at the Place d’Italie, police fired tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Instead of wearing the gilets jaunes or yellow vests associated with the movement, these protesters were mainly youths wearing masks and dressed in black, Reuters reports .

At its peak in late 2018, an estimated 282,000 people took part in anti-government protests across the country. In recent months, the number of people taking part in the demonstrations dwindled to just a few thousand people. But on the movement’s first anniversary, its leaders called for people to turn out once again. While police have banned protests from taking place near the Eiffel Tower and other tourist attractions, several dozen Paris Metro and RER stations were closed on Saturday and into Sunday in light of the violence.

By Saturday night, the Paris police said they had arrested 147 people involved in the protests in France’s capital city.

Here’s what travelers need to know about visiting Paris and other parts of France right now.

What caused the Paris riots?

The Yellow Vests Movement—named after the fluorescent vests the protesters are wearing during their demonstrations—began in mid-November 2018 in reaction to French President Emmanuel Macron’s fuel tax hike, which was implemented to help reduce emissions and combat global warming.

Even though Macron cancelled the tax on December 5, 2018, the protests continued and have become a more generalized reaction against the government’s overall economic policies and the high cost of living. On December 10, 2018, Macron addressed the divided country promising to increase the minimum wage by €100 a month among other things.

On April 25, 2019, during Macron’s first press conference in two years as president, the politician promised hefty income tax cuts as well as pension raises for the country’s middle class. In response to the protests, he also vowed that no more schools or hospitals would be closed during his presidency.

Despite Macron’s efforts, the movement is still alive. On Wednesday, May 1, 2019, Yellow Vest protesters were on the streets in Paris for the annual May Day marches, which are traditionally led by local union organizers. According to the BBC , France’s interior ministry said that more than 150,000 demonstrators took to the streets around the country this year, but the more volatile protests took place in the capital, where a reported crowd of up to 40,000 united.

“It won’t be enough to erase what many perceive as 18 months of disdain from the president,” says Lindsey Tramuta , a freelance writer and frequent AFAR contributor based in Paris. “The ‘emergency’ measures to ease the population’s pain are seen as insufficient gestures.”

Which neighborhoods in Paris are affected?

The U.S. Embassy previously warned people to avoid the main routes and gathering points in Paris during the protests, as well as major landmarks, including the Place de la Concorde, Place de la Madeleine, Place de la Bastille, Place de la République, Assemblée National, and the Champs de Mars near the Eiffel Tower. In addition to the clashes between police and demonstrators at the Place d’Italie on Saturday, November 16, violence also broke out near the Porte de Champerret just north of the Arc de Triomphe as a protestors prepared to march to Gare d’Austerlitz, Reuters reports .

Currently, French police ban Yellow Vest demonstrations near major tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower. Police have used rubber bullets, water cannons, and tear gas against protesters in some cases, while Paris police prefect Michel Delpuech says that several officers encountered protesters using hammers, gardening tools, and rocks in physical confrontations with the police.

The demonstrations may cause traffic and impact transportation in and around Paris, including significant delays in travel between downtown and the major airports, Charles de Gaulle Roissy and Orly . According to Tramuta, the areas that haven’t been affected during Saturday protests in Paris include most of Saint-Germain des Pres, the 14th, and 15th arrondissements, as well as the Belleville/Buttes Chaumont neighborhood.

Paris police and firefighters at the Yellow Vest protests on December 8, 2018

Photo by William Lounsbury / Shutterstock

In late 2018, protesters also blocked traffic circles and highways in places like Marseille, Toulouse, and Bordeaux, as well as at the French borders of Belgium and Italy, causing traffic jams. While trying to leave Nice airport in early December 2018, AFAR cofounder Joe Diaz said that protesters were blocking traffic to the airport and his Uber driver was forced to go over a sidewalk and “some gardens” to reach the arrivals area.

If you plan to arrive in or depart from France on a Saturday, it could be best to take public transportation to the airports. The U.S. Embassy in Paris issues regular Demonstration Alerts to give people an idea of where the protests are taking place.

What are the December 5 strikes about?

Anyone with winter travel plans to France should also be aware that trade unions are calling for railway workers, civil servants, truck drivers, and Paris public transport staff to strike on December 5, 2019, against the government’s pension overhaul plan, Reuters reports .

For more information, read AFAR’s explainer on how the France transit strike will affect travelers in Paris in December 2019.

Is the U.S. State Department warning against travel to France?

As of April 1, 2019, the France Travel Advisory remains at a Level 2 (indicating that travelers should continue to exercise increased caution). The U.S. Embassy cites the reasons as terrorism and civil unrest.

Yellow Vest protesters confront anti-riot police in Paris on January 5, 2019.

Photo by Paulo Amorim / Shutterstock

What should you do if you’re traveling to France? The U.S. State Department recommends anyone traveling in or near the protests in Paris or other parts of France to use their common sense and “be aware of your surroundings,” “review travel plans if you will be in France on weekends,” and “avoid demonstrations,” which are typically announced the day before they happen.

If you happen to find yourself in the area of a protest turned violent, they recommend sheltering in place and closing the windows to avoid any smoke or tear gas. If you’re traveling by car, do not park your vehicle near the demonstration areas since protesters have set cars on fire during the riots. If possible, consider relocating to another area before the protests begin if a march is scheduled near where you are staying.

Lastly, monitor local news stations for updates. The following English-language websites cover local French news.

• France24.com
• TheLocal.fr
• RATP.fr (for information on Metro closures)

For additional assistance, contact the U.S. Embassy in Paris at +33 (1) 43 12 22 22 or [email protected]. Those traveling in the south of France can contact the U.S. Consulate General in Marseille at +33 (1) 43 12 22 22 or [email protected].

The Associated Press contributed reporting. This article originally appeared online on December 10, 2018; it was updated on May 1, 2019, and again on November 17, 2019, to include current information.

Protests in Paris: how unrest could impact Easter travel plans

Mar 31, 2023 • 5 min read

Paris has been gripped by strikes and demonstrations related to the recent, controversial pension reform. Left Bank bistro La Rotonde was damaged on the 11th day of action © Julian de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images

Over the last few weeks, images of overflowing garbage bins and violent street protests in Paris  have dominated the international news cycle – raising qualms among travelers.

If you have plans to visit the French capital this spring, here’s the low-down on how to experience the city fully – but safely.

What’s happening in France and why are people striking? 

Over the last three months, the government’s unpopular pension-reform scheme, which will gradually raise the age of retirement from 62 to 64, has unleashed a wave of discontent in France .

The level of anger and violence escalated after the government used a controversial executive power to push through the bill without putting it to a vote in parliament, where it faced fierce opposition.

Millions of people have marched in union-organized protests since they began in January. The 11th day of protests took place this week on Thursday April 6 with trains and planes disrupted as well as hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to demonstrate. Left Bank  brasserie La Rotonde, a haunt of  President Macron, saw it's awning set on fire.  Trade unions have vowed to continue staging rolling strikes until the bill is withdrawn.

Is it safe to visit Paris?

Since October 2022, the US State Department has placed France at a Level 2 travel advisory, which recommends that citizens exercise “increased caution” due to threats of terrorism and civil unrest.

The US embassy has also been regularly releasing “demonstration alerts” advising people to avoid demonstrations and areas with significant police activity, to be vigilant of surroundings and to notify friends and family of their safety. The most popular spots for protests have been Place de la Bastille , Place de la République and Place de la Concorde . 

Overall, authorized protests have been largely peaceful and can even be festive in atmosphere, with music, food and dancing. But this vibe has been largely restricted to the early start of the marches. The atmosphere tends to degenerate as the protests continue and the crowds of peaceful demonstrators begin to thin, and clashes between anarchist infiltrators and anti-riot police heat up. These violent protesters set fires, shoot fireworks, smash storefront windows and throw projectiles; in reaction, police have been using tear gas, water cannons and batons to disperse crowds.

Travelers should also be aware that protesters, mainly young people, have been staging spontaneous, unauthorized protests and sit-ins that have often ended in violence as well. 

You can minimize the risk of being caught up in the chaos and being at the receiving end of either projectile or tear gas by steering clear of the protests as much as possible.

How can I keep up to speed on the latest developments?

Aside from international news sites, the best way to keep your ear to the ground on the latest developments in Paris is to monitor local English-language sites like France24 , RFI and The Local France . 

On these platforms, you’ll find information about how Paris was left to stew in 10,000 tons of uncollected waste after garbage collectors joined the pension-reform strikes. Waste collection has since resumed, but workers warn strike action could resume.

For the latest updates, your best bet is Twitter, where tourist attractions and public transport operators post closures and disruptions in real-time. The city’s official tourism office also posts a comprehensive list of how strike action affects Métro, regional RER and Transilien train lines, as well as Parisian airports and attractions. On the most recent day of protests, March 28, walkouts resulted in the closure of the Eiffel Tower , the Musée d’Orsay , the Musée du Louvre and the Château de Versailles .

How do strikes and protests affect public transport and airports?

On strike days, service is drastically reduced on rail lines (including the Eurostar), buses, ferries and air travel. 

The French civil aviation authority regularly asks airlines to cancel up to 30% of flights on and around strike days when air traffic controllers walk off the job. (Most of the cancellations have affected short-haul flights in and out of Paris–Orly; long-haul international flights out of Charles de Gaulle airport have seen fewer cancellations.) Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has called for political intervention , complaining that the French strikes have forced his airline to cancel 230 flights, and that one million passengers have been affected.

Travelers should consult their airlines for updates.

Be aware, however, that protesters have also stormed Paris airports and set up blockades on highways, forcing travelers to reach the airport on foot. Give yourself plenty of time to get to the airport, especially if you’re traveling on a strike day.

Expect reduced service and overcrowded trains on the Métro , as well as on train cancellations. Count on packing a pair of good walking shoes.

What do I do if closures affect my itinerary?

Restaurants and shops are generally open, but may close on strike days if they lie along demonstration routes (consult local media for those).

If your booking for the Louvre or Eiffel Tower is canceled due to strike action, take it as an opportunity to discover alternatives. 

For instance, instead of the Louvre, check out the Musée Bourdelle , which is dedicated to the sculptor Antoine Bourdelle and which reopened to the public this month following extensive renovations. Instead of the Eiffel Tower, consider climbing to the top of the Tour Montparnasse , which offers sweeping views of the city (including perhaps the best view in town of the Eiffel Tower itself). And instead of Versailles, consider visiting the Château de Chantilly , a magnificent castle 40 minutes by train from Paris that houses the second-largest collection of antique paintings in France (after the Louvre) as well as sprawling gardens.

Overall, if you’re vigilant, flexible about last-minute changes and open to new experiences, your Parisian experience should go relatively smoothly.

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French tourism industry suffers cancellations over violent unrest

Days of violent protests across France after the fatal police shooting of a teenager have started to impact the country's tourism sector, with hotels and restaurants facing cancellations while some have also suffered damage in the unrest.

Issued on: 01/07/2023 - 11:42

Since the death of 17-year-old Nahel during a traffic stop in a Paris suburb on Tuesday, "our hotel members have suffered a wave of cancellations of reservations in all the territories affected by the damage and clashes," said chef Thierry Marx, president of the main association for hotel and catering industry employers.

Marx said Friday he was receiving daily alerts from industry professionals who have suffered "attacks, looting and destruction of their businesses, including some restaurants and cafes".

"Our establishments are intrinsically hospitality venues, and sometimes even refuges and places of help in crisis situations. They must not suffer the consequences of anger that they have not aroused and we condemn these actions," he added.

Marx wants the authorities to do "everything" to guarantee the safety of people in the hotel and catering industry in the world's most popular tourist destination.

The French retail federation (FCD) also called for reinforced police security around stores, said managing director Jacques Creyssel.

The riots "gave rise to real scenes of looting", he said, with "more than a hundred medium and large food or non-food stores vandalised, looted or even burned". 

Une terrasse de café incendié à Nanterre. pic.twitter.com/P3pPCC4ibt — Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) June 29, 2023

These incidents "are extremely serious and have an extremely heavy cost", according to Creyssel, who said he had asked the economy, interior and trade ministers to act.

The Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce said it was ensuring its teams were mobilised to "provide the necessary support and technical assistance, particularly in terms of continuing operations, insurance compensation, etc..." for traders and managers of affected companies.

Security concerns

The GHR organisation for independent hotels and restaurants in France deplored that "foreign (TV networks) are starting to show images of Paris on fire and blood, which does not correspond to reality". 

"Will the violence and riots continue and cause a real wave of cancellations? That's the risk," managing director Franck Trouet told AFP.

"Asian tourists, in particular, who are very concerned about security, may not hesitate to postpone or cancel their trip," he warned.

Didier Arino, managing director of the Protourisme firm said: "Tourists who know us well, like the Belgians or the British, who also have problems themselves in their suburbs, will be able to make sense of things". 

But in the end, he said "it's as if we were doing a negative publicity campaign worth several tens of millions of euros for destination France".

The confederation of tobacconists was also indignant at the "looting and ransacking of shops, including 91 tobacconists during these last days of clashes".

"If it continues like this, it can significantly complicate the organisation of the Olympic Games, especially since a good part of the events will take place in Seine-Saint-Denis," a disadvantaged area in the north of Paris, said Jean-Francois Rial, president of the Paris Tourist Office.

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France evaluates damage after riots: more impact on image than on economy

“the calm has returned”, said olivia grégoire, minister of trade and tourism, to el país, and says there’s no concern about the paris olympic games in 2024.

A week ago, the manager of the Fnac store in the Créteil-Soleil shopping center, on the outskirts of Paris, saw looters arriving. He pulled down the shutters and evacuated customers through the back door. In the evening the book and electronics store suffered a new assault. “They stole phones and computers,” Joseph recalls. And books? The manager laughs: “No, unfortunately, no.”

It was Friday, June 30, and three days earlier a policeman had killed a 17-year-old teenager in Nanterre , at the other end of the capital. The young man’s death triggered a wave of violence and looting in cities and suburbs across the country. A week later, peace has returned. With the intervention during several nights of a deployment of 45,000 police and gendarmes and the mobilization of the citizens of the slums, first affected by the destruction (and also, according to some sources, with the contribution of drug traffickers in the neighborhoods who said “enough”, because the riots were damaging the business).

Now, with the storm over, it is time to assess the damage. On the French economy, minimally affected, if one looks only at the figures. But above all in the country’s image, a year before the Paris Olympics and in a world where regimes like Vladimir Putin’s in Russia are rubbing their hands at the sight of democracies in flames.“

Calm has returned,” declares Olivia Grégoire (Paris, 44), French Minister of Trade and Tourism, in her official car, as she drives from Paris to Créteil on Friday to visit the shopping center, listen to workers like Joseph, from Fnac, and also to managers of some firms that have franchises or branches in this center, and explain to them the options to compensate for the losses (they can open one more Sunday, for example, and the sales will be extended). “I do not deny that a certain number of merchants are still shocked by what happened. It has been an eruption, like a very violent fever , quite unprecedented in its sociology: a majority of people between 16 and 17 years old, and a vast majority who had never had anything to do with the police.”

On the Olympic Games and the possibility of the “eruption” to be repeated in a year, the minister recalls that there were also riots in London in 2011, a year before the same sporting event in that city. “I have no concerns,” she assures, “it will be a great moment for France and for those who come.”

There is concern in the Elysée and the government. And a message: neither France is approaching a precipice, nor this happens only here, because, according to the minister, this country “does not have the monopoly of the disturbances”. This is repeated from the advisors of the President, Emmanuel Macron, to the ministers, after a week in which the French have witnessed with shock and horror scenes of burning cars and cars, of assaults on town halls, police stations and even a prison, and of shopping centers, like this one that the minister is about to visit now. Today’s mission: to reassure. To shopkeepers in particular; to the world in general.

In the interview with EL PAÍS, Grégoire, a Macronist and former government spokesman, says: “Beware of caricatures and generalizations. It is not because a young person living in the slums has done something stupid, or has stolen, that all young people in the slums are like that. And not because a policeman has committed a serious offense, all policemen commit offenses and are, in quotation marks, racists”.

The list of damage to private property is long: 436 tobacco outlets affected, 30 food stores set on fire and up to 200 attacked, dozens of clothing stores looted, dozens of fast food restaurants destroyed, and 370 bank branches. And some 6,000 vehicles in flames. Grégoire assesses the damage to the private sector at around 300 million euros, far below the 1 billion mentioned by Medef, the main employers’ association. He explains that the effect on tourism “is almost nil”. The minister says that, because of the brevity of the riots, four or five days, “there should be no impact” on GDP.

This is the French paradox: five years in which the image of a country in crisis - due to the revolt of the yellow vests in 2018, the protests against pension reform this winter and now the riots - has not deterred tourists or significantly weighed down the economy.

The concrete impact for retailers is another matter. Grégoire sees this first thing in the morning, when he visits damaged stores in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, his electoral fiefdom. There’s the couple who run the tobacco bar on the corner and whose windows were smashed at the weekend: the place is still closed and they haven’t recovered from the shock. And the cafe where the terrace was smashed and the manager says he had no insurance against vandalism. The damages, he says, amount to some 6,000 or 7,000 euros. Or the supermarket where they burst in to steal alcohol, cleaning products ... and more things.

Beyond all this, there is another problem: the fracture in French society that has become evident in the eruption of the banlieues, the impoverished and multicultural suburbs. This problem is much more difficult to solve. In the long term, it is what really damages France’s image. And there are no solutions in sight.

“The crisis we have lived through has to be analyzed, it has to be understood,” says Minister Grégoire. “It is too easy, as the extreme left and extreme right oppositions do, to apply to this situation the analysis that suits them. For the extreme left, it is the fault of the police; for the extreme right, it is the fault of the slums. We say that we have to take a good look at what happened in order to understand it and to deal with it”.

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More information

Young man arrested for riots in France: ‘I did it to show courage, to be recognized’

‘Liberty, equality, fraternity’ for all? New riots make France confront an old problem

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Is it safe to travel to Paris right now?

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Paris has seen nights of unrest following the killing of a 17-year-old by police officers on 27 June.

The death of the teenager, known only as Nahel, was captured on video and has shocked France, stirring long-simmering tensions between young people and the police in disadvantaged neighbourhoods around the country.

Transport and businesses have been disrupted as a result of the clashes; on Friday (30 June), interior minister Gérald Darmanin asked regional prefects for all bus and tram services to stop from 9pm local time. Before travelling, check if your plans will be affected and how you’ll get around.

Towards the end of the weekend, riots in the country appeared to be calming, with 157 people were arrested on Sunday night, compared with more than 700 the night before.

But as the French capital is gearing up for its annual influx of summer holidaymakers, is it safe to travel to Paris ?

Where are the clashes?

Clashes first erupted on Tuesday night in Nanterre, a town in the western suburbs of Paris, and nearby, and continued their overnight on Wednesday. They continued between Wednesday and Thursday, during which a fire damaged the town hall of the Paris suburb of L’Ile-Saint-Denis, not far from France‘s national stadium and the headquarters of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The troubles spread further on Thursday night and into Friday, with looting taking place in Rue de Rivoli, which is near the Louvre Museum and the Champs Elysées, and a central Nike store was broken into – a significant escalation. Videos circulating on social media show a fire at the site of an Olympic swimming pool, reported to be under construction for the 2024 Games.

Is it safe to visit Paris?

Around 17 million Brits visit France every year, and most of the visits are free of trouble, but the ugly scenes over the past couple of days could understandably cause some concern.

• Riots in Paris: Where are the French riots and why are they happening?
• Fiery protests grip France for 3rd night over deadly police shooting of a teenager
• French suburbs are burning. How a teen's killing is focusing anger over police tactics

One important thing to consider is where you’re travelling to in the capital. Most of the city is unaffected by the unrest and the vast majority of it is confined to non-tourist areas: protests began in Nanterre and have spread to other areas, including Bezons, Gennevilliers, Garges-les-Gonesse, Asnieres-sur-Seine, Montreuil, Neuilly-sur-Marne, Clamart and Meudon.

However, this are all beyond the “Periphique” ring road that circles the central district of Paris, where most of the main tourist attractions are located. If you find yourself close to any protests, the advice is to leave the impacted area.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not issued a travel warning for France, however The Independent has contacted it for an update. The US State Department issued a security alert June warning its citizens to steer clear of trouble spots.

The FCDO website currently states: “Since 27 June, riots have taken place across France. Many have turned violent. Shops, public buildings and parked cars have been targeted. There may be disruptions to road travel and local transport provision may be reduced. Some local authorities may impose curfews. Locations and timing of riots are unpredictable. You should monitor the media, avoid areas where riots are taking place, check the latest advice with operators when travelling and follow the advice of the authorities.”

Am I covered by travel insurance?

The FCDO says “it is more important than ever to get travel insurance”. If you are caught in the unrest, or if you decide you don’t want to travel, it’s important to check the fine print: many travel insurance only offer limited cover for claims related to or caused by civil unrest.

During major industrial action in France earlier this year, Helen Phipps, director at comparethemarket.com, told ITV News that it was important for travellers to “check your policy wording or contact your insurance provider to confirm what you are covered for”.

She added: “Many people risk failing to take out insurance far enough in advance, leaving them unprotected if something goes wrong.”

Amber Moon, marketing manager at travel insurance provider Holidaysafe, told The Independent said: “Your travel insurance would still be valid in the normal way for medical expenses, for example, if for some reason you got caught up in any rioting by chance and were injured. This would also apply to personal possessions if they were lost and damaged as a result of a disturbance. But we would advise all travellers to take reasonable precautions to avoid areas where rioting is taking place.

She added: “As with all trips abroad we would advise travellers to let someone know where they are going and to keep their policy details with them at all times in case something does go wrong.”

A number of holiday providers told The Independent that they have had no contact from customers about the issues in France, while a spokesperson for easyJet said: “Any customers due to fly to France this weekend who would like to change their plans can contact our customer service team for assistance with their options which includes a transfer to an alternative flight and we will waive the change fee.”

What about other cities in France?

Fires and clashes have been reported in various French cities overnight, from Toulouse in the south to Lille in the north, but the main area affected is Nanterre. Again, be sure to check your travel insurance and plan ahead.

In the southern city of Marseille, France’s second-largest, authorities banned public demonstrations set for Friday, and encouraged restaurants to close outdoor eating areas early. They said all public transport would stop at 7pm.

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Hundreds evicted from France’s biggest squat months before Paris Olympics

Charities say authorities want to clear homeless people from streets and squats to make city look better for Games

Police have evicted hundreds of people from the biggest squat in France , in a southern suburb of Paris, prompting fresh accusations from charities that authorities are seeking to clear refugees, asylum seekers and homeless people from the capital area before the Olympics.

The squat, in an abandoned bus company headquarters in Vitry-sur-Seine, had been home to up to 450 people, many of whom had refugee status, legal paperwork and jobs in France, but who could not find proper housing. As they left the building they were encouraged to board buses to other parts of France.

The early morning eviction by police in riot gear began just as France celebrated the milestone of 100 days until the start of the Paris Games . Charities have said the state and authorities want to clear homeless people from the streets and squats to make Paris and its suburbs look better for the event, which begins on 26 July.

Clutching their belongings, 300 people left the squat at Vitry-sur-Seine calmly as about 250 police and gendarmes arrived. More than 100 others had left before dawn. Buses waited outside, ready to take people to the central city of Orléans or the south-western city of Bordeaux.

Many of those who had lived in the squat said they did not want to leave the Paris region because they had jobs there. “I want to stay here,” said Abakar, 29, from Sudan. He was in Paris to do a logistics course and had been promised a job in a supermarket.

The 450 people living at the squat included 50 women and 20 children. At least 10 children attended local schools.

The squat had doubled in size after hundreds of asylum seekers, refugees and homeless people were evicted last year from another squat in Île-Saint-Denis, near the Olympic Village site.

Paul Alauzy ,of the humanitarian organisation Médecins du Monde, had been giving health support at the Vitry-sur-Seine squat for three years. He is also a spokesperson for Revers de la Médaille (The Medal’s Other Side), a collective of charities and aid workers who warn that the Olympics are having an impact on the most vulnerable homeless people in the Paris area.

Alauzy said the collective denounced what they called “the effects of social cleansing for the Olympic Games”. He said there had been a steady pace of clearing groups of homeless people or squats for the past year.

“If there hadn’t been the Olympic Games, the population of this squat would not have doubled. The numbers grew because of the eviction of a squat near the Olympic Village,” he said.

Alauzy said the system put in place to bus people far from Paris and the surrounding area was concerning.

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“I arrived at 5.30am. Hundreds of people were waking up, brushing their teeth and packing their last things when the police arrived,” he said.

Alauzy said 80% of the people living at the squat, many from Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, had refugee status or were asylum seekers and had legal documentation. Many had jobs, including on building sites and in carpentry. One Sudanese man had shown his legal documentation, long-term work contract and payslips. “But he is a foreigner in France, and when you are Sudanese, even if you have all that paperwork, it’s impossible to find housing – landlords won’t accept you,” Alauzy said.

He said many of the people did not have proper access to healthcare. “There is also the question of psychological issues. People arrive at a squat and think they will finally have a place to live. But in the Paris banlieue, in a building with 450 people, in a collective squat with very little chance of integrating in the country, after a traumatic journey here, mental health is a concern.”

Jhila Prentis, a volunteer at the squat, said: “We know the rate of evictions from buildings and camps [of tents] has accelerated over the past few months. This building had no planning permission … The building evicted in Île-Saint-Denis is still empty … We can only draw the conclusion that they are trying to clear up the area for the arrival of tourists and international media for the Olympics.

“The situation of not having a place to sleep existed before the Olympics. It’s a crisis affecting a lot of European countries, including France. These people were living in a squat, while over 50% had refugee status and many had work. They should have appropriate housing.”

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French air traffic controllers cancel a strike but Paris flights are still disrupted

FILE - The air traffic control tower of Charles de Gaulle airport is pictured in Roissy-en-France, north of Paris, Tuesday, April 23, 2024 in Paris. Air passengers traveling to and from Paris experienced significant disruptions on Thursday, despite a canceled strike by air traffic controllers after last-minute negotiations. Although the strike was averted, the prior adjustments made in anticipation caused a substantial reduction in flight operations. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

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PARIS (AP) — Air passengers traveling to and from Paris experienced significant disruptions Thursday, despite a decision by air traffic controllers to cancel a strike after last-minute negotiations. Flight operations were substantially reduced because of adjustments made to schedules ahead of the proposed industrial action.

French civil aviation authorities had preemptively requested airlines to cut their flights significantly — by 75% at Paris-Orly, 55% at Charles-de-Gaulle, and 65% at Marseille-Provence, with varying reductions across other French airports. As a result, operations were severely limited, also affecting international flights that cross French airspace.

While the flights that did operate faced only moderate delays, significant cancellations and scheduling adjustments led to continued travel difficulties for thousands of passengers. The fallout was particularly noticeable at major airports like Paris-Orly, where delays compounded the day’s challenges.

Paris to face major disruption ahead of Games opening ceremony, says police chief

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