Several countries issue travel warnings for France amid protests | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

Two days after the French government collapsed for the second time in one year, widespread protests against President Emmanuel Macron have broken out in cities across the country under the “Bloquons tout” or “Let’s block everything” slogan.

Targeting French transportation networks in particular, the protests have spread rapidly and resulted in blocked-off entrances to Gare Du Nord in Paris, shut-down railway crossings between Bordeaux and Toulouse, as well as a number of other disruptions around bus stations and roads in Rennes, Nantes, and Aix-en-Provence, among other cities.

The French Civil Aviation Authority has also issued a notice about ongoing disruptions and flight cancellations at major airports such as Charles de Gaulle and Orly in Paris, Marseille-Provence, and Lyon Saint Exupéry.

Clashes between protesters and French security forces called in to disperse the crowds have occurred throughout the afternoon and early evening of Sept. 10.

“Calls for strikes and demonstrations” make France travel disruption “more likely,” Foreign Office warns

Amid the ongoing strikes, several governments have issued advisories to citizens traveling in France.

The British Foreign Office warned that “calls for strikes and demonstrations across France on Wednesday 10 September and Thursday 18 September could make disruption more likely.”

The Canadian government has a more general strikes section in its travel guidance for France, which it updated Sept. 9 to remind travelers to “plan extra time to get to” their destination, while also staying up to date with “local media to be aware of strikes that may affect your stay or travel plans.”

The United States has not released a specific travel advisory referencing the strikes; the State Department has long kept the country at the level two “exercise increased caution” ranking due to the ever-present risk of terrorist attacks in Paris and other larger cities.

Germany, Italy, and China all have the same ranking, and smaller European nations such as Switzerland and Slovenia are generally more likely to fall under level one’s “take normal precautions” ranking.

The government advice for those who end up caught up in a protest are to remain vigilant and aware of one’s surroundings while also obeying instructions from local law enforcement.

Generally very safe, France is among the most popular countries for American travelers to visit.

Image source&colon; Shutterstock

“Peaceful demonstrations and strikes happen often”: U.S. State Department

“Peaceful demonstrations and strikes happen often in Paris and other cities in France,” the regular State Department description of travel to France reads.

“Protests can disrupt transportation services. On rare occasions, protests have turned violent or caused property damage. Police may respond with water cannons and tear gas.”

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But despite the periodic protests with which France has become associated over its history, France is still among the safest and most popular foreign countries that Americans like to visit.

According to statistics from the National Travel and Tourism Office released annually over the years, France is almost always in the top five list of countries seeing the greatest number of American tourists.

While Mexico and Canada take top spots due to their proximity, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom shuffle between each other in rankings of top destinations for tourists from the U.S. from year to year. In 2024, the number of international visitors to France surpassed 100 million for the first time on record.

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Make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at [email protected] or call or text her at 386-383-2472.