Anyone travelling in France right now?

[offshore171]

I’m interested to hear any first hand accounts of the situation in the ground.

It sounds like the rioting has now reached most parts of the country.

 

[Scarlett]

We’re heading there in a week. Hopefully sanity will have prevailed by then, rather than the current “let’s destroy stuff around us cause that’ll make everything better”.

 

[Forg]

It’s probably a tad glib to say it … but getting to enjoy strikes & rioting is probably a really authentic French cultural experience!

 

[kookaburra75]

It’s probably a tad glib to say it … but getting to enjoy strikes & rioting is probably a really authentic French cultural experience!

With the eau de parfum "tear gas" to go with it. Seeing France during the student riots in the 70s, it could certainly be worse. As with all places, the locals know where not to go and provide advice to visitors.

 

[Captain Halliday]

I’m interested to hear any first hand accounts of the situation in the ground.

It sounds like the rioting has now reached most parts of the country.

I departed Paris yesterday having been there for three days.

Departure was as scheduled, not due to riots.

Our final day included Louvre, Luxembourg Gardens and the Arc de Triomphe with various public transport in between.

It was business as usual at Louvre.

In the Gardens, locals (I assume) were having picnics and enjoying the sunshine.

Cafes, bistros were all open as usual.

Security at the Arc was very tight, police armed with machine guns etc. However, I recall this was the case on my previous visit too (~15yr ago) so may just be the usual.

I didn’t feel unsafe on subways etc, beside the constant alert for pick pockets.

The only notable observation I would make was the there seemed to be a general increase in police activity over the three days.

There was quite a significant number of police driving about… frequent sirens. Perhaps because of the nature of the tensions they were mostly in groups. I saw no solo or duos of police… always four as a minimum getting around together, sometimes six.

 

[Quickstatus]

DFAT yellow warning for France

ALSO CHECK TRAVEL INSURANCE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

 

[Pushka]

DFAT yellow warning for France

ALSO CHECK TRAVEL INSURANCE UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.

View attachment 335069

Most Travel Insurance Policies will handle this until it becomes Do Not Travel. In fact most won't pay out for cancellation until this happens. Reminds me of early March 2020 pre Covid. Due to fly out to Bali the day after Australia closed down. We couldn't cancel as we didn't want to go by then, but had to wait until the Feds declared the shut down for Insurance. Or shut out. Or whatever it was.

 

[meadowfield]

I have been in Paris for a month. We're staying in the 5th and there are a few more sirens heard but nothing else of note. If I hadn't read about the situation in the paper I wouldn't know anything is happening.

 

[Hvr]

@TonyHancock must be due to opine on his favourite country very soon?

 

[danielc]

I have been in Toulouse at an AirBnB since early June staying until September 1st.
Have not noticed anything extraordinary other than the (somewhat normal) police presence.
Was out Thursday night until 11pm and last evening in the Capitole area. Nothing to cause me any anxiety. Today (Saturday morning) I have been out for my usual morning walk and people seemed to be going about their normal days.....jogging along the river or walking their dogs. There was a hub of activity for a WaterRugby event on La Garonne which was looking to proceed as planned.
Maybe I am living in a bubble, but this is my take.

I asked a local Thursday evening about this. He was of the opinion that here in Toulouse the troubles were isolated in a specific area.

 

[Human]

Just spoke to a close relative who lives in Paris. She had a very pleasant evening last night in a lovely part of Paris full of bars, restaurants and nightclubs, all of which were very crowded. Three kilometres down the road, the streets were burning! But that’s Paris for you.

I was there last year during the anti-government violence brought about by the age pension increase. I wasn’t specifically trying to avoid it, but I never saw any of it.

As for the “Exercise a high degree of caution” warning, that’s the same level of warning that France and all of Europe have been on for years now, bar the COVID border closure when the whole world was “Do not travel”.

 

[Quickstatus]

I read that most rioting is more of less restricted to lower socioeconomic areas

 

[kpc]

We were in Paris in 2018 during the yellow Vest protest...they were burning cars in the Champs Elysee and looting the shops there...the protesters blocked all the roads into / out off Paris...we were very relieved to escape Paris via the Eurostar....just saying...

 

[Must...Fly!]

We were in Paris in 2018 during the yellow Vest protest...they were burning cars in the Champs Elysee and looting the shops there...the protesters blocked all the roads into / out off Paris...we were very relieved to escape Paris via the Eurostar....just saying...

Clear difference between those protests and these. Including who is organising (or disorganising) them.

 

[Thibault]

It's business as usual and the protests are in located areas - not everywhere.

 

[TonyHancock]

@TonyHancock must be due to opine on his favourite country very soon?

Concreting was definitely the way to go!