Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

TRAVEL NEWS

Franco-Swiss airport Basel-Mulhouse reopens after bomb alert

A Franco-Swiss airport has reopened after being temporarily evacuated on Friday due to a bomb alert, hours after arson attacks disrupted the French rail network ahead of the Olympics opening ceremony.

Published: 26 July 2024 12:08 CEST

An Airbus A330 aircraft is pictured at the EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg airport.

An Airbus A330 aircraft is pictured at the EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg airport. Photo: AFP / SEBASTIEN BOZON

Flight operations are “gradually restarting”, the Basel-Mulhouse Euroairport said on X.

End of alert – 26/07/2023 12:42

The airport has reopened, and flight operations are gradually restarting. Passengers are requested to contact their airline for information about their flight. We wish you a safe and happy journey.

— EuroAirport (@euroairportcom) July 26, 2024

Earlier, the Basel-Mulhouse airport said that it had been evacuated and closed “for safety reasons”.

The prefecture of France’s Haut-Rhin department told AFP earlier that this was “a bomb alert”, specifying that “the usual procedure” had been deployed, including the dispatch of bomb disposal experts.

Several French airports, including EuroAirport, had to be evacuated late last year due to a series of fake bomb threats.

Basel-Mulhouse airport is the third-largest airport in Switzerland after Zurich and Geneva.

The evacuation came as French authorities were hunting for the perpetrators of arson attacks on the high-speed train network, which disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of people.

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will be held Friday evening.

Member comments

Anonymous - 26 July 2024 at 12:15 CEST

Mindless damage and huge disruption, to customers and staff. awful.

Log in here to leave a comment.

Become a Member to leave a comment.

Deals and discounts: How to save money on train travel in France this September

French national rail service, SNCF, is launching ‘Les Jours Traincroyables’ – a set of deals available from August 28th to September 30th meant to ‘extend the summer’ with reduced prices for tickets and subscription cards.

Discount offers will range from lower prices on regional trains (TERs and Intercités), as well as deals on high-speed TGV InOui and Ouigo services. You can find more details on the SNCF website.

You can purchase tickets online or via the SNCF Connect app.

Here’s what to expect;

OUIGO flash sale (September 4th and 5th)

Over 200,000 tickets for both high and slow-speed (Grande Vitesse and Classique) Ouigo trains will be sold for under €19.

TGV InOui and Intercités flash sale (September 23rd to 27th)

Discounted Intercités tickets will be available (as low as €19), while TGV InOUi tickets as low as €29 will be on offer. Upgrading to first class will cost just €1.

READ MORE: MAP: Where high-speed trains can take you in France

Tickets to other European destinations (September 18th to 29th)

High-speed train tickets from Paris to other European countries, including Spain, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, and Switzerland (via TGV Lyria) will be on sale as low as €39.

There will also be tickets from France to Spain for as low as €29. These will depart from Montpellier, Valence or Nîmes.

Regional trains within France

There are also several deals for regional train networks during the ‘Jours Traincroyables’. Keep in mind that TER services are run by the 13 different French regions and each region has its own website for ticketing information.

READ MORE: Do I need to reserve a train ticket in advance in France?

Normandy (September 10th to 13th) – 30,000 tickets for journeys within Normandy or to/from Paris will go on sale for under €12.

Centre-Val de Loire (starting September 10th) – There will be a 40 percent discount on 20,000 tickets with the TER Rémi service. However, the discount would only apply to tickets for the period between October 19th and November 3rd. Some tickets will be within the Centre-Val de Loire region, while others will be to/from Paris.

Nouvelle-Aquitaine – For the whole period of the ‘Traincroyables’, people under 28 will benefit from tickets as low as €2 for journeys in the region.

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – If you are travelling with two or more people, then you can benefit from a 40 percent discount for journeys on Saturdays or during the school holiday periods along the region’s TER network. This will be available soon, according to SNCF.

Hauts-de-France – On a daily basis, there will be 5,000 tickets as low as €2 available for trips within the region. This will be available soon, according to SNCF.

Brittany – Young people under 26 will benefit from tickets as low as €4, €8 or €15 (depending on the distance) for travel within the region. This will be available soon, according to SNCF.

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté – Train tickets for journeys within the region and to/from Paris will be sold for a maximum of €3, €6 or €13. This will be available soon, according to SNCF.

Reduced-price subscription cards

This year-long deal offers up to 80 off normal prices for the Liberté card, which costs €299 with a ‘professional’ contract and €349 without one.

The Liberté card offers flexible tickets, including free exchanges and refunds up to 30 minutes after the train has departed, as well as fixed prices year-round (based on destination and class) and a 45 percent discount on business class (Business Premiere).

Url copied to clipboard!