The first day of the Christmas holidays is fraught with worry for some travellers looking to join their families in other parts of the country. But for many, the day is likely to end on a positive note. A scheduled strike by SNCF rail staff is notably cancelled, reducing the potential for timetable carnage. "In the end, our train was not cancelled except that we had already bought another train ticket... everything turned out fine," says Marine, leaving for Perpignan from Paris's Gare de Lyon. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES