Help with train strike issue

I just called italiarail US customer service number, and they said that they high speed trains are rarely affected. She said she was 99.9 percent sure that we would be fine, but the internet seems to indicate that people stay extra days in cities, so I'm not sure I believe that. Any knowledge or experience would be appreciated right now.

Italo travels Venice to Rome. That's the private train company . We used them to get from Venice to Florence and on to Rome four weeks ago. Your refund question would be better answered at the Trenitalia website or someone here. The Italo trains are nicer in my opinion. We took trenitalia to Verona and back to Venice. Trenitalia is good but for longer trips I always book with Italotreno. Google their website.

Our experience, and it is only our experiences with train strikes in Italy and Spain. is that there is always a lot of huffing and puffing and dire predictions with min effect concerning rail strikes. We just ignore the hype and stick to our schedule. Only once in 20 plus years did we find that the trains were not running and that was in Spain. In Italy we have found one or two trains not running and the ticket office is adept at handling the situation. In your case I should go to the station an hour earlier or so than originally planned to see what is on the departure board and deal with the situation from there. I am sure you will be able to get to Rome that day but you may need to be a little flexible. We would not be personally concerned because we have been through it before but understand your concern so it is very hard to advise you on how to proceed. Don't worry, you will be fine. But - if this was our first trip, we would probably be in a late stage melt down crisis by now. Good luck. Part of the travel experience is rolling with the punches.

I've actually been through it before, but it was when I was young, backpacking, and had an easily adjusted schedule. I got stuck in La Spezia long before it was a big cruise port. It was a military port only and there was very little there. Now I am old :) and have a family in tow. It's a very different experience with a tight travel schedule and kids counting on me. Oh well. It sounds like there may not be a problem at all. IF there is, we will arrive a day late in Rome and just enjoy Rome for one afternoon, I guess. I'm sure I can find a hotel in Venice for one extra night.

We traveled most of those years with two sons. Some small delays but nothing fatal. In Spain we took a taxi to the bus depot and rode the bus. But we are often accused by our friends (especially my brother) of being too laid back. My attitude is, -- I only worry about thing I can directly control and there are always options. In all fairness, we rarely have fixed schedules that cannot be easily adjusted. Understand your concern but still think you will be OK.

You have made me nervous about this! We need a train from Venice to Florence on 6 July for our family of 6. Do you think I should book with Italo now? Are these the nicest trains? Thanks for info!

Momto4

There is no real difference between trenitalia's and italotreno's bullet trains, apart from the fact that those run by trenitalia boast higher top speeds. Trenitalia runs also the cheap, subsidized regional and intercity trains while Italotreno runs only the expensive high speed ones: do not compare oranges and apples.

Trenitalia publishes a list of long distance trains guaranteed to run even during strikes, there is a link on their home page. Google "trenitalia in case of strike" if you can't find it.

The strike on the 16th has been called by a small union looking for visibility. No Italian travelling on Freccia-something trains will be particularly worried about it. I think that only commuters travelling on regional trains will know about it.

Two different train strikes impacted us while in Italy. One self-corrected and the other was managed by taking a bus. Locals seemed nonplussed, while we fretted about destroying our schedule, reserved accommodations, and missing our flights.

In terms of pricing of tickets: Regionale trains are, in terms of ticket pricing, cheap. Italo does not run regionale trains. Trenitalia runs the slow regionale trains and they are indeed different from the fast trains run by both Trenitalia and Italo. I did not notice a difference in speed between Italo or trenitalia fast trains, both were great!! I wish we had them in the states.

Italo compared to Trenitalia, Italo had better pricing when I purchased our tickets, discounts they offered made them either cheaper or the same in pricing. I have not ever found them to cost more over the time I have used them. In this years case, they have discounted their tickets. The trains are comparable but I do find I prefer Italo. Cleaner for one and with the discounts they had in April I paid less Venice to Florence and Florence to Rome. Same case last year when I used them.
Trenitalia's regionale trains: cheap and buy tickets day of travel. I use them for day trips between places like Siena and Florence, or Ravenna and Bologna where the fast trains of Italo and Trenitalia don't go.

Regional trains are frequently impacted by the strikes. Depends on who all is striking also. An example 2 years ago July the high speed trains from Florence to Milan were not affected but virtually all regional trains into both cities were canceled except for 2 hours in morning and 2 hours in evening. My friend drove to Milan from his town while I took high speed from Florence.

Thank you. Your experience is comforting!

I have not found the Trenitalia high speed trains to be less clean than Italo. I am here for 3-4 months at a time and travel quite a bit. I buy tickets based on price.

Most strikes are only hours long, and most high-speed trains are not affected. Go a little early but you should be fine. Strikers try to avoid disrupting rush-hour morning and evening schedules.

To tell the truth, zoe they actually try to, but strikes are forbidden during morning and evening rush hours.

Of course I wouldn't travel during the guaranteed hours, because all commuters are forced travel on the same trains.

I can only share our "train strike" experience last June (2016). We had tickets for a 6:30am train from Monterosso to Pisa, as we had to catch a noon flight from Pisa to Dublin, IR. I went to the hotel desk at 9:00pm the night before departure to pay our bill, and just happened to see a flier stating that a train strike was beginning the next morning at 6:00am. I expressed my concern regarding the strike to the receptionist, explaining that we had to catch the 6:30am train. She casually mentioned that the strikes don't always start on time, and that the early morning trains generally run. The next morning, while standing on the train platform at 6:15am, the announcements began.......The train system was on strike and there would be no trains. Monterosso is the only village in the Cinque Terre that allows cars. So our adult daughters remained in the taxi area, trying to flag a taxi, while my husband & I returned to the hotel, to see if the receptionist could provide assistance. She gave us a blank look, then suggested calling a taxi driver they often recommend. Called the taxi driver, who told us that EVERYONE was trying to get a taxi due to the train strike. (Really?) Returned to the taxi area. Fortunately, one of daughters is fluent in Italian, so she started calling local taxi drivers. Finally one agreed to "squeeze us" into his van. When the driver arrived, he refused to take us because he didn't think there was enough room for us AND the luggage. The owner of the van pulled up and started yelling at the driver, while jamming all of our luggage in the back, and pushing one of us in the van sitting on the floor, and another one of us sitting on the floorboard. The driver, clearly not happy, took off at a high very high speed on the winding Italian roads, and we all held on for dear life. By the time we arrived at the Pisa airport, we were a mess.......But thankful to still be alive!

I realize that not everyone has the same experiences w/Italian train strikes. However, after having this experience, we've decided not to take any chances w/train strikes. . If the trains say they're going on strike, we will proceed as if they are truly going on strike. We will be spending a week in Southern Tuscany this Fall. We will take the train from Rome to Florence. But once we leave Florence, we're renting a car! ;)

Thanks for clarifying, dario. I run into a strike situation every few years.

karenaw3, I know that must have been stressful since you had a flight to catch, but it's quite a memorable story, yes? I giggled a little, I admit.

Oh, yes......We look back on it now and laugh! (Just one of numerous memories!)
But at the time, while we were praying to God that the van door didn't fly open on one of the turns and we all go rolling down a mountain, well............You can imagine!!! ;)

Oh, yes......We look back on it now and laugh! (Just one of numerous memories!)
But at the time, while we were praying to God that the van door didn't fly open on one of the turns and we all go rolling down a mountain, well............You can imagine!!! ;)