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I was supposed to travel to Paris from Barcelona on 7th June via the 9:25 train. But due to the France railway strike, all the trains on 7th June are cancelled except the one at 1:25 pm. The problem is, I will reach Paris by 8pm, loosing almost half a day of my originally planned 1.5 days' excursions. I am on a tight schedule here, which has made me consider the option of flying via Vueling air. Any ideas on how reliable (delays etc), and safe the airline is? Should I consider this alternative, as I will gain almost half a day more in Paris?

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  • If you're going to Paris to sight-see, keep in mind that some other things may be closed during the strike, so getting there earlier may still limit your options. On a strike day in March, I know Versailles, Musée de l'Orangerie, and the Notre Dame tower were all closed, though I don't know if that's been the case on all strike days since then. Some flights were cancelled as well. May 24, 2018 at 17:52
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    To the question are airlines an alternative when there are no trains, the answer is probably yes. To the question is vueling an alternative compared to other airlines, this might be opinion based. Notice that if you land in CDG airport, the trains going into Paris from there are also subject to restrictions on train strike days. You can expect some delays in transport, heavy car traffic, crowded public transports. Is it the best way to spend two days in Paris ?
    – audionuma
    May 24, 2018 at 18:34
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    Airlines within the EU are essentially all safe. May 24, 2018 at 18:37
  • Although these are two different movements, there was another strike on tuesday may 22, where air traffic operators were involved, that led to some flights cancellations. There are no such strikes planned currently.
    – audionuma
    May 24, 2018 at 18:38
  • Thanks everyone for your input. I got to know that even the RER services might get disrupted during strike days. But I have my flight back home on 8th evening from Paris, so I have to be in Paris on mentioned dates somehow. As far as I know there are no ATC strikes on those days, so hopefully I will reach on time. I just wanted to know if vueling airlines is reliable option as opposed to TGV.
    – B_Kaur
    May 24, 2018 at 19:16

2 Answers 2

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Vueling is just fine. All EU-based airlines are generally safe and Vueling appears to be among the most punctual.

It's a low-cost airline so you can expect a bare-bones service compared to long-haul flights on legacy airlines (for short-haul flights, the difference is not large). Low-cost airlines tend to use different terminals or different airports and to enforce luggage rule very strictly, to name a few differences.

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  • Thanks! I was worried more about the punctuality. Thanks for clearing that up. You mentioned strict luggage rules though. I will be carrying a small back pack and one cabin bag (22 inches, I think). I hope that should not be a problem.
    – B_Kaur
    May 25, 2018 at 14:33
  • You may have a problem then. Vueling's policy is one piece of hand (not checked in) luggage/baggage. You really need to triple check each airline's current policy and not assume it will fit or be acceptable.
    – CGCampbell
    May 25, 2018 at 14:39
  • Okay. How about I check in the bigger bag and take the back pack with me in cabin. Will I be charged extra for checking in the bag if it is below 23 kgs? I guess Ryanair doesn't charge extra but I am not sure about Vueling.
    – B_Kaur
    May 25, 2018 at 16:06
  • @B_Kaur Yes, that's the kind of things you have to pay attention to and hold luggage is not included in the cheapest fee. Vueling does seem to allow one personal item on top of the regular cabin bag.
    – Relaxed
    May 25, 2018 at 17:29
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Going by plane will be the fastest.

A cheaper option is to use a bus. It will cost you around 70€ by Eurolines. Good thing is you'll arrive inside Paris, not at an airport. But you'll have to sit in a bus for about 15 hours.

As for your other question (how to go from Paris to the airport when the trains are on strike) there is a bus service. Google "navette" and the name of the airport. Expect the price to be horrendous though. Here is an example.

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  • Thanks! Yes I was looking for something like this in case RER is not available option. What about cabs though, from the airport to city? Are the fares on higher side?
    – B_Kaur
    May 25, 2018 at 14:30
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    That's not a very good example, Ouibus are long-distance busses and your link is for a trip between two airports. From CDG, the main options are RoissyBus (for €12.50) and Le Bus Direct (€18). The former is not that expensive (the RER might feel essentially free if you have a monthly Navigo card but it's actually over €10).
    – Relaxed
    May 25, 2018 at 17:35

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