France holiday warning as strikes cause chaos

Just Stop Oil protesters damage petrol station pumps in August

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The Foreign Office has issued a travel warning for France. Strikes across the country have led to fuel shortages at petrol stations.

The Government said: “Due to strike action, there are currently shortages of petrol and diesel at some fuel stations in mainland France.

“Some fuel station operators are limiting how much you can buy. The French Government is advising motorists to avoid filling up where possible.

“There may be queues at fuel stations.”

Yesterday, a third of petrol stations in France were out of one or more types of fuel as strikes entered their 13th day.

Strikes are taking place at TotalEnergies and Esso-ExxonMobil refineries and fuel depots across France.

Long queues have formed at petrol stations around the country as people struggle to fill their tanks.

The CGT union, taking part in the industrial action, is demanding a wage increase of 10 percent.

It has threatened “war” against French president, Emmanuel Macron, if he forces refinery workers back to work.

The French Government has said it is ready to intervene to end the strike which has now gone on for weeks.

It said it was ready to dip into strategic fuel reserves and order striking workers to return to work.

In response, a senior CGT union representative told franceinfo: “I can guarantee you that there will be war.

“If Macron wants to spread this to other parts of the economy, then let him do it.”

British tourists who have driven to France or rented a car in the country are likely to face queues at petrol stations.

The Government has advised motorists to avoid filling up their vehicles if possible to limit the chaos.

If tourists do have to fill up their car, they should be prepared to wait in a queue and plan accordingly.

The petrol crisis comes as many people across France struggle to cope with a rise in the cost of living.

France is one of the UK’s top tourist destinations and many Britons choose to drive there for their holiday.

The Eurotunnel takes around 35 minutes to cross from Folkestone to Calais in France.

Some Britons even travel to France for the day to stock up on cheap alcohol from French winesellers.

Many British families are expected to travel to France for a holiday during the October half-term.

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