Help please, flight cancelled, what are my rights?

[hollypocks]

Hello
I went to France last weekend with 3 DSs (without my DH) and was due to fly back on Thursday 28th. However, there was a strike by French air traffic control and flight was cancelled, I was informed laste Tuesday by email which I luckily picked up. There were no flights back for 10 days and due to work, school etc I had to travel 13 hours by train with children. Aside from the nightmare journey this cost over 800 euros and I wondered if anyone knew what my rights are if any to claim this back? Insurance won't cover it as a strike and so 'exceptional circumstances'. Thanks for any advice

Sorry meant to also say that I came back on Weds as trains for striking Thurs and all booked up for the weekend.

Bumping in case anyone can please help

Normally, you would get compensation from the airline but unfortunately strikes are one of the examples of 'extraordinary circumstances' that means the airline doesn't have to pay out.

Might be worth having a chat to the AUC though, just in case:

www.auc.org.uk/default.aspx?catid=306&pagetype=90&pageid=9367

It is worth submitting all the information to your travel insurance company they usually have a maximum they pay out on cancelled flights and you will have to fight. Exceptional circumstances can be fought and won.
Our experience with ash crowd it took as 5 days, 2 flights, 11 hours in a taxi, and eurostar tickets to get back from Oman total cost £3500 for 3 of us. 4 months, 27 e-mails, 5 faxes and more phone calls than I can count our travel insurance paid out £300.