HOLIDAY CARNAGE
Brits told ‘CANCEL your holidays’ as Heathrow flights AXED, Eurostar trains scrapped & 3.2m hit roads today alone
A series of arson attacks on the French rail network has halted trains at London St Pancras
BRITS have been told to cancel their holidays as chaos erupts at airports with flights axed and Eurostar ticket-holders warned not to travel.
Heathrow has been thrust into mayhem today with hundreds of hopeful jet-setters told to head home after mass cancellations.
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Eurostar journeys from London St Pancras have also been halted after a wave of "sabotage" hit the French rail network overnight.
One in four Eurostar trains will be cancelled on Friday and over the weekend following "co-ordinated"; vandalism which caused disruption ahead of the Olympics in France.
A series of fires has caused issues throughout Europe just hours before the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer changed his travel plans after French rail networks were hit by what the French premier has said were co-ordinated acts of sabotage.
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A Downing Street spokeswoman said Sir Keir was meant to be travelling on the Eurostar to Paris ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony, but flew to France instead due to the the disruption and delays.
The rail operator, which runs international services from London St Pancras, confirmed 25 per cent of its trains would no longer run on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
One man who has spent £1,800 on Eurostar tickets to get to the Olympics said he is now considering flying or driving after trains keep getting cancelled.
Scott Wilkins, 47, booked a ticket on the 3.31pm train in November last year but discovered earlier on Friday that it was cancelled because of arson attacks that have disrupted the French rail network.
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Determined to get to Paris to watch the rugby sevens finals on Saturday with his partner, Mr Wilkins said he had no option but to book business class tickets on the 4.31pm and 8.01pm services on Friday - meaning he will have spent £1,800 altogether.
However, after the 4.31pm was cancelled on Friday afternoon, the project manager from Hertfordshire said he is now considering flying or driving to make the games.
Mr Wilkins said: "Driving is an option. We're thinking about driving because we've got the Eurotunnel."
Mr Wilkins said he will apply for a refund and has travel insurance to cover any non-refundable costs.
His partner, who did not want to be named, said: "I don't think the trains are going, so we're going to have to go home and get the car. I was looking for a flight but there aren't any."
Asked if she was hopeful about making the rugby, she said: "No."
Paris Olympics thrown into chaos as France’s rail network paralysed by ‘massive attack’ hours before opening ceremony
Mr Wilkins said: "I was hopeful about getting there today, and then I looked on the app and it said it was cancelled.
"I had some harsh words with myself [before deciding] to [buy tickets] on the 4.31pm."
Kate Fisher, 37, was travelling from St Pancras to Paris with five friends to watch the Games.
The teacher, from Louisiana, said at the station: "We knew this is absolutely the worst time to go to Paris because of the Olympics, so we're prepared for it to take longer.
"We're going to try get into the city for the opening ceremony but we don't have tickets for anything tonight.
"When I saw the delay on the departure board, I was like, 'whatever, as long as we're there'."
Adam Wigley, 28, who was planning to attend the opening ceremony, said: "I'm unclear on the system. It's a little difficult to see what's going on.
"Our train gets into Paris an hour late, so it'll be a little bit of a rush (to reach the ceremony)."
Eurostar said in a statement: “Due to co-ordinated acts of malice in France, affecting the high-speed line between Paris and Lille, all high-speed trains going to and coming from Paris are being diverted via the classic line today Friday July 26.
“This extends the journey time by around an hour-and-a-half. Several trains have been cancelled.
“Eurostar’s teams are fully mobilised in stations, in the call centres, and onboard to ensure that all passengers are informed and can reach their destination.
“We encourage our customers to postpone their trip if possible.”
One in four Eurostar trains will be cancelled on Friday and over the weekend following the arson attacks.
A spokesperson for Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, which transports vehicles from Folkestone to Calais in northern France, said its services had not been affected by the incident.
SNCF said the situation should last "at least all weekend" but that teams were already on site carrying out checks and beginning repairs.
The operator advised all its passengers to postpone their journeys and "not to go to the station".
It comes as a whopping 3.2million cars are said to be setting out on road trips today - just one week into the summer holidays.
Figures show traffic heading to major UK airports and staycation destinations will build from today onwards - expecting to the last the entire six-week break.
The RAC is predicting Saturday will bring even more despair for motorists.
An estimated 3.6m trips are predicted to be made - with the RAC calling it a "weekend of woe".
It is likely to be the second biggest summer getaway weekend since 2015.
Last year, between July 21 and July 23, 12.6m trips were carried out.
It comes as brits have been warned of huge queues at Dover on Saturday as holidaymakers sit in bumper-to-bumper traffic for hours today.
Holiday getaway traffic has ground to a halt on the A20 near the Port of Dover in Kent this morning.
Drivers sitting in a sea of red brake lights reported punishing queues at the UK's busiest port.
Experts suggest maximum congestion is set to hit today as 3.6million Brits get behind the wheel.
Best & worst times to travel
BY Jon Rogers
Transport experts INRIX are warning drivers to avoid travelling between 12pm and 5pm on both Friday and Saturday and between 11am and 1pm on Sunday when the worst delays are expected.
The best times to travel will be after 6pm on Friday and Saturday, or 3pm on Sunday.
Saturday will see the longest hold-ups, with delays on A-roads and motorways expected to take a third longer than usual.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “Anyone heading off on holiday on Saturday or Sunday should expect a ‘weekend of woe’ on the roads with journeys taking far longer than normal.
"If you can’t set off early, then it's highly likely you’ll be sitting in traffic for quite some time.
“Our research suggests this year’s getaway is set to be busier than average, possibly due to the UK inflation rate having slowed, giving people a bit more confidence to spend.
“However, with our recent bad weather causing an increase in international travel bookings, queues to major airports should not be underestimated.
“We’d advise drivers to plan their routes well in advance if jetting off abroad this week."
Meanwhile, flyers at Heathrow this morning are stuck in massive queues at check-in desks.
The UK's busiest airport was plunged into mayhem yesterday with hundreds of hopeful jet-setters told to head home after mass cancellations.
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Devastated flyers were fuming after trips to Frankfurt, Munich, Miami and New York City were all scrapped.
Weary passengers have been spotted sleeping on the floor with their bags today as they await further information.
Flights cancelled so far
Heathrow Airport
Lufthansa 6.30am LH921 to Frankfurt
Lufthansa 7.25am LH2485 to Munich
Virgin Atlantic 4.05pm VS117 to Miami
Virgin Atlantic 8.05pm VS025 to New York City
Stansted Airport
Albawings 9.30am 2B222 to Tirana
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