Hello fellow travelers -
Looking for some specific guidance from those who have successfully navigated national train strikes. We've been caught before but have managed to slide through on Frecciarossa trains without incident - this time might be different.
Specifics:
We are staying in Figline Valdarno, and need to rely on Regionale service to get into Firenze in order to catch any Freccia train.
Currently booked on Frecciargento 8588 from Campo di Marte to La Spezia, departing 20 June at 07:54; train does not appear on the guaranteed to go list. Return trip on Frecciargento 8591 also does not appear on the guaranteed to go list.
It appears that even if I do make sure to hop on a Regionale to ensure I get to Firenze during the guaranteed commuter hours, my Freccia trains are not guaranteed.
To that end, I have already rebooked my tour plans to 19 June, but of course did not call TrenItalia within one hour of booking to change my tickets. I am holding 4 super economy first class tickets, which of course on their face are not refundable.
What is my best course of action here? Call to see if they will take pity on me and rebook? I hate to log an international call if the collective here knows I am out of luck. If those trains truly don't go on 20 June, will a refund be automatic or must I file? I've not had this experience before. My goal is to book the exact same trip one day earlier.
I think I've salvaged the greater potential for loss by rearranging our itinerary to avoid the struggle on 20 June, but what's the best next step to try to salvage my train fare here?
Thank you in advance for your input.