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Euro 2016: Strikes cause travel disruption for fans ahead of England and Wales matches

A number of flights from Paris to both Marseille and Bordeaux have been cancelled

Simon Calder
Travel correspondent, St Pancras International, London
Saturday 11 June 2016 08:58 BST
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Striking transport workers have jeopardised travel connections across France
Striking transport workers have jeopardised travel connections across France

Thousands of football fans, wearing the colours of England, Wales and Northern Ireland, have converged at St Pancras station in London to make the journey to France for Euro 2016.

They were greeted by dozens of British Transport Police, and the news that alcohol is banned from all services before noon. The train operator, Eurostar, has banned the serving of alcohol in the departure lounge, and warned anyone trying to smuggle drink on board:“You will not be permitted to bring alcohol through check-in. It will be confiscated at the security screening zone and you will not be able to retrieve it at a later date.”

Many of the fans joined the 7.19am departure for the south of France, taking around seven hours to Marseille St-Charles station. England’s first match, against Russia, kicks off tonight. Others were planning to travel to Paris and change in the capital.

However, striking transport workers jeopardised onward connections to Marseille - and to Bordeaux, where Wales play Slovakia. The game will be their first top-flight international for 58 years, since they were beaten 1-0 by Brazil in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Some Air France pilots have begun a strike. The airline says only one in four flight crew have stopped work, and that it hopes to operate more than 80 per cent of services. But links to the England and Wales games have been disproportionately hit. Of seven flights from Paris Charles de Gaulle to each of the venues, two to Bordeaux and four to Marseille have been axed.

The unions will continue their action until Tuesday, Pilots have a range of demands covering pay, hours and investment in sister airlines including Transavia and KLM.

For anyone keen to reach the England game, British Airways has one seat available on its Heathrow-Marseille flights today, at £592 one way.

The Foreign Office has warned supporters to be patient and to moderate their drinking. The official advice to England, Wales and Northern Ireland fans says: “There are likely to be long queues to access public transport, stadiums and Fanzones so arrive early. Fans deemed to have drunk too much alcohol may not be allowed into the stadiums or Fanzones.” The FCO also urges fans to avoid touts, saying: “Get your tickets from a credible source. Selling tickets outside the stadiums is illegal in France.”

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