CIV ticket Belgium strike

[atillathehunn]

As may have been reported in the UK, there is currently widespread strike action in Belgium. Normally rotating between the regions on successive Mondays, there will now be a general strike on the 15th December. A press release from various Unions indicates from the 15th there will be widespread strike action without warning and in all regions until the dispute is resolved.

I have a train ticket with the Eurostar to London. It is booked from Any Belgian Station, for me: Vise.

My question: if there is wildcat strike action on the day of travel, will I be given any form of protection for my travel? I do not wish to be stuck in Belgium.

 

[Haywain]

You are likely to be stuck in Belgium if the strike affects Eurostar, which some strikes to date have done. Your protection is that you will be carried when the strike action that affects you has finished.

 

[CyrusWuff]

The official line from Eurostar is that there will be no service between Lille and Brussels on the 15th, and no alternative transport due to the expected scale of the strike.

Options are to rebook for another date within 120 days (subject to availability) or to request a refund (even on tickets that would normally be non-refundable).

As for your rights under CIV rules, I wouldn't be surprised to discover an exclusion applies in the event of industrial action, because I'm cynical like that...

 

[button_boxer]

Given where you are, I'd be tempted to look into the Flybe service from Maastricht to Southend, though that only runs on a few days a week.

 

[atillathehunn]

I may well be able to hitchike as far as Lille, will my ticket be automatically valid on any Eurostar train?

I'm planning to use the Eurostar quite a bit in the next few weeks. If there are wildcat strikes and I'm stuck, will they sort me with a hotel and onward transport?

I have no idea what time I will get there. I will try and find a lift on Blablacar. While normally reliable, the motorways are always jammed when the strike is on, especially travelling via Wallonia.

What fun.

I've used the Maastricht to Southend route a few times. However, on this occasion I've got quite a lot of luggage and it's going to cost me quite a bit to put it in the hold.

 

[button_boxer]

Maybe Stena's Rail & Sail between London and Maastricht - you get one ticket that covers London to Harwich, the Harwich-Hoek ferry, and NS rail from Hoek to any Dutch station for about 50 quid (or reverse, though it appears you can only book one-way fares starting from the Netherlands on the Dutch language version of Stena's website).