October 2024 Italy Train Strikes

You will be fine because the October 5 strike is going to impact buses, trams and some commuter rail lines--not the high-speed trains of Trenitalia or Italotreno.

Thank you.

I am in a similar situation on October 5, 2024, with tickets on the regional train from Varenna-Esino to Milan Centrale. Are the regional trains affected by this scheduled strike. Thanks in advance!

We are planning to take the bus from Siena to Florence on October 5th - does anyone know if this bus service might be affected by the strike?

@mkerby. The regional commuter trains of Milan’s Trenord have gone on strike during these bus/tram/commuter train strikes called by the transit unions. You might need to take a ferry from Varenna to the town of Como and continue by a shuttle to Milan.

@Tim
The buses in Tuscany have been operated by a single company since 2021. While I don’t know if the employees of the Firenze public transit system have been joining these local transportation strikes in a big way- you may want to e-mail the proprietor of your accommodation in Florence to get their input.
In any event, you can always take a Trenitalia train from Florence to Siena. They depart almost hourly and only take 15 minutes longer than the Express bus. There is an escalator that will get you from train station to Siena’s historic center on the hilltop.

What a ou ferries on Lago Maggiore? We plan to travel by ferry to Locarno that day.

We're flying into Milan Malpensa on Delta on September 24. The strikes website I've found shows numerous entries that mention "Aeroporto di Milano Malpensa" on the 24th. Could someone explain if any of the listed strikes would affect us?

Thanks!

Hi Lola, I haven’t learned that the lake ferries are part of the October 5 strike. The ferries seems to have their own separate union which did go on strike just a day or two ago, separately from the regional transportation strike hitting buses, trams and local commuter trains of Trenord.

@johnva
Whenever a strike affects the trains between Milan Malpensa Airport and Central Milan, substitute buses are brought in to make sure travelers can get to and from the airport. The problem on 24/9 is the baggage handlers at Milan’s airports will be on strike.
If you have checked luggage— you may be delayed considerably in getting your luggage.

Thank you Kenko - I will check with our AirBnB host and may also contact the bus company directly.

Can anyone post a link to the official strike information pages, please?

We are on Trenitalia trains that day, Lecce-Caserta-Napoli, but it sounds as if that won’t be affected.
Thank you.

We are travelling on 5 October from Bolzano to Milan Central on Trentalia, then on to Varenna on Trenord. I understand the Bolzano to Milan won't be affected, but Milan to Varenna on Trenord will? How should we go about getting to Varenna? Leave Bolzano a day early? We have bought tickets already that are changeable and refundable.

Can anyone post a link to the official strike information pages, please?

https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi

Thank you!

We are arriving at FCO on Oct. 5 and we were planning on taking the train to Orvieto which is a regional train. I presume this regional train will be on strike? And the bus will be affected by the strike? Thank you.

Hi Theresa, The Regional train from Rome to Orvieto is one operated by TRENORD and I believe will be hit by the strike. As luck would have it, you can continue from Rome to Orvieto on a TRENITALiA IC ( Intercity) train. www.TheTrainline.com shows you what trains are operated by which company as does www.Trenitalia.com
Trenitalia is Italy’s national train company and its high-speed trains are not part of this strike.
The Leonardo Express trains from Rome FCO into Rome will run as usual.

@kcdav
Yes- the TRENORD train from Milan to Varenna-Esino will be a target of the strike.
With changeable train tickets and a cancellable hotel reservation, your best bet— as you’ve already figured out—is to leave Bolzano for Varenna a day earlier ( or later) than you planned.
Enjoy Tyrol and Lake Como!

Thanks for the link to the strikes page, how scary is that?

We fly in to Malpensa on 24th September and there are lots of airport related strikes listed that day.

We do have a driver booked to take us to Varenna, but is anything else at the airports likely to affect us? It is somewhat hard to understand what it all means.

Secondly, we leave by train from Varenna-Esino to Tirano on 28th September. There are no strikes mentioned for that day, but is that locked in or might they announce some before then?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

It does indeed seem that we will be affected on Oct 5 from Milan to Varenna. We do have changeable refundable tickets. My questions are: do the strikes ever get called off? and how soon should we make alternate arrangements?, i.e. reschedule our train tickets to the day before or after and alter our hotel reservations? I have already reached out to our host in Varenna to see if we can check in a day early.

@kcdav. Occasionally strikes do get cancelled.
However, I fully expect the October 5 strike will happen because the Italian government in Rome banned strikes during this summer’s peak tourism season and the strikes that could not happen then have been scheduled for this fall. In Italy, strikes are required to be declared at least two weeks in advance. and posted on a government website! ( Yeah-like really?!)

We were planning on taking the bus round trip from Siena to Florence on October 5th and I contacted the place we were staying for information and they hadn't heard about the potential strike. Since it is not much more effort to take the train, we bought train tickets for the day simply to avoid the uncertainty caused by the potential strike since the cost is similar, to the bus the train, the location in Florence is similar and the time on the train is similar. Though it is highly unlikely that the train would be overcrowded, my wife has memories of several years ago when a regional train in Germany was packed due to Bayern Munich's Bundesliga championship celebration. Still a fun travel memory.

Tim, That would have been a wild train ride with all the Bayern football fans!

You did what I would do in buying Trenitalia tix rather than waiting to see what happens once you’re there and needing to keep an eye on the news. It’s better to have no worries when on vacation and enjoy all your time in Europe.
Cheers!

Thanks, Kenko! Now should I book ahead, allowing some time for possible delayed flights? Theresa

Hi Theresa, The Leonardo Expess train ( takes 32 minutes with a train departing every 30 minutes) will run from FCO to Roma Termini as it’s exempt from strikes. You can buy your ticket after you’ve landed.

Buy a Trenitalia ticket for an Intercity or Frecciarosa train from Roma Termini to Orvieto at www.Trenitalia.com and click the horizontal lines in upper right corner for English. At the moment, there are trains departing Termini for Orvieto on October 5 at 10:22, 10:50, 12:40, 15:30, and 16:10 and later. ( These trains may sell out shortly so buy your tix ASAP).

Give yourself a buffer of 3.5 hours or so after your scheduled landing time, if you feel comfortable with that- more time if you want to eat lunch before departing Rome.

Have a great trip!

I contacted the Bolzano Tourist Office and this was their reply:

"thank you for your kind request and your interest in our region. We have spoken to the mobility office in Bolzano, and they informed us that, as of now, no strike is planned for the 5th Oktober.

We remain at your disposal for any further information you should need.
Thanks, and best regards from Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites"

Do you think I can rely on this?

@ kcdav, If you’re on a Trenitalia train from Bolzano to Milan— then you should be fine. Do you have an alternative to get to Varenna from Milan on October 5? That is the snag if you cannot book an Intercity (IC) train.

@DebH, It looks like the baggage handlers at Milan’s Malpensa and Linate airports ( LIN and MXP) will be going out on strike on October 5. That may affect you if have any belongings checked in on your flight. If you only have carry-on luggage— no problem.
Currently there are no scheduled strikes for September 28 so that day should be fine.

For all scheduled transportation strikes in Italy which could impact your itinerary:
https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi

We are monitoring the situation. I think it may be best to either leave the Dolomites a day early ( and we may want to depending on the weather anyway) or hire a drive to take us from Milan to Varenna.

Kenko, I really appreciate all the detailed information you provided! Thank you so much! Theresa

Good luck everyone!

We are taking the train from Florence to Venice on October 5th. Based on what everyone is saying here our train will not be affected. But what about vaparetto? Is that considered same as bus?

I just discovered this group after reading Rick's Italy and Sicily guide and am so glad I did! We are leaving in two weeks for our first trip to Italy. I appreciate sharing the link regarding the train strikes, however, I just can't figure out how to read it. We are planning to take the train from Rome to Naples on October 5. Will we be impacted by the strike? Thanks all for your help!

I am also so grateful for this thread. Can I have your suggestions? I will be attempting to travel from Lerici to Sarzana to catch a Trenitalia train to Pisa and then on to Florence, all on October 5th. I was originally going to take a bus from Lerici to Sarzana, but…you know. Strike.

Should I attempt to book a car transfer?

Do you think any taxi apps service the Lerici area?

What would you do? It’s about a 15 min drive or a 2.5 hour walk (with luggage) to Sarzana. I don’t know what to do! Thanks for the advice!

@grtful2, The October 5 strikes are targeting public transportation such as city trams, buses and commuter trains.
Sometimes the underground Metro systems in the larger cities are also affected.
The trains of Trenitalia— the government-run train company in Italy— and the high-speed trains of the private train company called “Italotreno” should NOT be affected by the October 5 strike and those trains should run according to schedule.

So, you can expect to reach Naples on schedule. .
Now, on October 12 from 9 pm through 20:59 on October 13, the situation is reversed. . The nationwide strike that day is targeting all the trains of Trenitalia and Italotreno. All intercity train in Italy are subject to the strike.
The only exceptions will be the high-speed Trenitalia trains which are guaranteed on their published list. Italotreno has not yet posted its list of trains which will run during the strike.

The guaranteed trains during rush hours is to give employees a way to get to and from ywork on strike days. There are very few guaranteedTrenitalia high-speed trains that will run, but I can almost guarantee those trains are already sold out,
Italotreno will eventually post updates on its website regarding which of its high-speed trains are cancelled in October but currently there is only information on the September situation.
The best thing to do on October 12/13 ( the strike is scheduled from 21:00 on Oct. 12 through 20:59 on Oct 13) is to stay in the city you’re already in as the buses, trams and metro systems should be running as usual so you can get to attractions within the city you are already in.
If you’re planning to change cities on October 13, then I strongly suggest you leave by the afternoon of October 12 to get to where you need to go. Distance train travel during a nationwide rail strike in Italy is not something for the uninitiated.

@kimberlyjpowers, On October 5, If you can get a ride from your hotel proprietor or a taxi for the five miles from Lerici to Sarzana’s train station, Trenitalia’s train RE 19339 departs Sarzana for Viareggio at 6:15 am.

I believe this train is guaranteed as it runs after 6am and before 9am but you’ll want to verify that this is the case. It is scheduled to arrive in Viareggio at 6:52am.
Fifteen minutes later, Trenitalia’s RE 18425 is scheduled to depart at 7:08am from Viareggio for Firenze Santa Maria Novella arriving into Florence at 8:48am. There also is train RE 18505 departing Viareggio at 7:10am arriving at Firenze SM Novella at 8:52am. The tickets cost about €16 for both journey legs and you can buy them online today from the websites listed below.
www.TheTrainline.com
www.Trenitalia.com

Kenko, thanks for your advice.

My travel date was not October, but 24th September, where there are airport strikes at Malpensa in Milan.

I have cirumvented this by changing our flight from Dubai to Milan to Dubai to Zurich.

Now I have to figure out how to get from Zurich to Varenna, but at least the Swiss do not seem to strike as the Italians do.

At this point there are no strikes planned for the 28th when we need to get from Varenna to Tirano, but if one gets called I'll organise a driver.

Thanks again, and good luck to those travelling by rail in Italy for the next few weeks.

I'm heading back from Belluno City to Venice Airport on Saturday October 5th. My Italian is very poor so where can I find out how this will effect me and whether they'll be bus replacements or a skeletal service on that day?

Thanks Kenko. I've booked a hostel in Venice for the Friday as an insurance policy.

Thanks again, Kenko. Trenitalia train booked for Oct. 5! We will be in Sorrento Oct. 12 so will plan on juts staying out that day.

@Kenko Thanks for the info!

Kenko:
I looked again at our train tickets for Oct 5th.
The first leg is a Frecciargento 8312 from Lecce to Caserta.

Then we are changing to a Trenitalia Regionale 5777 Caserta to Napoli, with a 5 minute connection.
Am I right in thinking that this Regionale train, and subsequent others on that route will be cancelled?
If so, so we get rebooked or refunded ?
Both tickets were booked together as one booking.

I wonder now if we should book a hotel in Caserta for that night and cancel our hotel in Naples.

The trouble is: my traveling companion has a flight out of Naples the next morning.
We could get up really early for the first train into Naples, her flight is at 11:00.

Thanks so much for all your knowledgeable help.

I’m so tired of all this upset to travel these days.

Kenko, please correct me if I am wrong, but according to the Italian government strike website (link below), it looks like the strike planned for October 12 begins at 9 pm that day and ends of 8:59 pm the following day.

https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi

Hey everyone! I am so glad to stumble upon this site/thread as I’m also struggling with understanding these strikes. First timer in Italy and already pre-booked all my tickets on ItaloTreno. The one that I’m specifically worried is the train from Venezia S.Lucia to Firenze S.M. Novella on 10/9 at 11:05AM. It seems like this strike will take place nationwide and specifically the railway maintenance for 24 hours.

I just wanted to see if anyone has anymore insight regarding this strike happening on October 9, 2024? I’m stalking the ItaloTreno app/website but I don’t see any guaranteed trains for October yet. Should I just keep refreshing the page or expect it to be updated during early October?

(Info below was copy and pasted from the official ministry of infrastructure and transport website)

*10/09/2024 10/09/2024 COBAS PRIVATE WORK/RAILWAY COORDINATION Railway SOC STAFF. RFI INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS 24 HOURS: ENTIRE WORK PERFORMANCE National

10/09/2024 10/09/2024 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WORKERS MAINTENANCE RFI INFRASTRUCTURE Railway SOC STAFF. RFI INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS 24 HOURS: ENTIRE WORK PERFORMANCE National*

Any info would be greatly helpful and appreciated. This is very stressful. Thank you so much guys!

I have train tickets from rome to florence on 9th October. If you have any information regarding strike please let me know.

Note that 10/09/2024 means September 10, not October 9, in European date-writing.

Hey Lola, thanks for the heads up!

I meant October 9, 2024. Sorry for the confusion! I’m so used to typing 10/9 instead of 9/10 (European date-writing).

The official announcement that was copied and pasted was directly from the website since it was already translated to English. Hence the dates were reversed back to 10/9/2024 instead of the European format of 9/10/2024.

I’ve booked bus tickets as my Plan B for now.

Are you sure the translation switched the date format? How was it written in Italian?

Hi Sasha,

I hope I’m not reading the dates wrong, but just in case I am…I’ve copied and pasted the original announcement in Italian below!

09/10/2024 09/10/2024 COBAS LAVORO PRIVATO/COORDINAMENTO FERROVIERI Ferroviario PERSONALE SOC. RFI IMPIANTI MANUTENZIONE INFRASTRUTTURE 24 ORE: INTERA PRESTAZIONE LAVORATIVA Nazionale

09/10/2024 09/10/2024 ASSEMBLEA NAZIONALE LAVORATORI MANUTENZIONE INFRASTRUTTURA RFI Ferroviario PERSONALE SOC. RFI IMPIANTI MANUTENZIONE INFRASTRUTTURE 24 ORE: INTERA PRESTAZIONE LAVORATIVA Nazionale

About the date format, I too noticed that a few dates but not others seemed to switch to American format in the English translation, at least in my Chrome browser ,but when I look at the Italian version in a different browser, (rather than switching the translation on and off) the dates are all consistently European format and in chronological order.

I greatly appreciate Kenko's man;y responses on the strikes. Although this may have been addressed, I am still confused on various points. On my arrival date, Sept. 30, it specifically says Trenord so I know that includes the Malpensa Express. On my return home date, Oct. 18, it says "local public transport." Is this likely to include the Malpensa Express on the 18th?

For a guaranteed regional train on a strike day such as Sept 30 or Oct 5, given that there are no reserved seats and regional trains don't sell out, is it a total mob scene or is there a reasonable chance of getting on one of the guaranteed regional trains?

Got it. But I wonder how a strike by “infrastructure maintenance personnel” affects the overall operation of the trains, and which ones.

My presumption would be that "infrastructure maintenance personnel" means the workers who look after the tracks.

So it would be OK until there was a signal failure or a track fault- then the trains would grind to a halt unpredictably as no-one would be around to do a repair.

What would worry me is the SOC personale striking. My Italian isn't up to the translation but I would strongly suspect that means the signalling staff. If no one turns up to man a signal box then no train (for any company, "guaranteed" or otherwise) will be going anywhere even if the track is in tip top shape.

That's the bit which if I was travelling in Italy on those dates would get me worried, unless I could get a sound translation.

@SJ. Your train may not run, but the good news is that the train immediately after yours— the RE #51160 should run at 15:06 (3:06 pm) arriving in Naples at 16:00 ( 4pm).

No need to change your train ticket . If your train does run out of Caserta just before 3 pm you’re good to go. If it doesn’t Trenitalua will allow you just take the next train.

Thanks, Kenko…but why would the one after ours definitely run if ours does not, if both of them are Regionale services?
Are you saying that Trenitalia Regionale services are not included in the strikes?
I’m a wee bit baffled!

Hi S.J. An error on my part for which I apologize (I misread the train times on the schedule…. This is how you know I’m a sentient being!
In order for Italians to get to and from work in accordance with an agreement between Trenitalia and all the unions, there is “guaranteed” train service Monday- Saturday for Regionale trains (RE trains) running between the hours of 6am and 9 am and again from 18:00-21:00.

You will be able to train from Caserta to Naples during those timeframes on October 5.

There also are a few Trenitalia Frecciarosa, Frecceargento, and Intercity trains from Lecce to Naples on 10/5. If there are any train connections, be sure to book a train only if the train you transfer to is also a Frecciarosa, Frecceargento or Intercity train.

ITABUS, a private bus company that is unaffected by strikes has buses from Lecce to Naples.

Kenko:

Ahh, I see!
Thank you.

That would be a nearly 4 hour wait between trains for us as our Lecce- Caserta train gets in at 14:02.
I’m still considering rebooking a hotel in Caserta for that night instead of waiting and going to Naples later.

Do you think everything will run as normal the next day Sunday the 6th?
My friend has to get to the airport in Naples by 9am at the very latest, and I have a train booked from N. Centrale at 11am.
We can get an ATC bus Caserta to Capodicchino and onward to Centrale leaving at 08:20, or a train at 06:30 earlier to N. Centrale.

https://www.atcbus.it/p/linea_aereoporto_nuovi_orari.htm

(Do you have any insight if the ATC buses are also involved in the Oct 5th strikes, being that they service the airport….if not, I’m thinking we could just get one right after arriving in Caserta on the 5th.)

I’m also seeing a “Metropolitano” service at 07:35, but I’m not sure what that is.
I’m just a bit worried the airport bus might be jammed and we would not get on.
What to do!!
I am so grateful for all your help, you have no idea….thanks again.

@CD in DC, In the event of strikes, TRENORD has buses substituting for the trains running between MXP and Milan Centrale. These buses to and from MXP are guaranteed to run during a strike. There also is a private company running airport buses throughout Italy. The website is www.Terravision.it
Are the guaranteed trains mobbed? I wouldn’t want to try to board the final two guaranteed trains as 9am or 9pm draw close.

What about strikes on Oct. 9 and Oct. 13? It's a bit confusing and stressful as we plan on travelling from Orvieto to Sorrento on Oct. 9 and then from Sorrento to Rome early morning on Oct. 13. I need advice for these dates please if anyone has any. Thank you.

Kenko, I’ve just edited and added another question to my last post.
Thank you.

@SJ, When it comes to international flights, my unalterable rule is to be in the departure city the night before the flight. I would book one of the Frecciarosa or Frecceargento trains from Lecce to Naples on October 5.

ITABUS also has buses running between Lecce and Milan.
You can always go see Pompeii’s artifacts at the National Archaeological Museum and. for dinner, have a Margherita Pizza in the city that invented it!

Kenko you seem so knowledgeable! Thanks for helping everyone. Do you know what kind of trains the Oct 18 strike effects? Struggling to understand. This is very stressful.

@Susan That is correct.

@juleem13, The October 18 strike is a nationwide action targeting local transportation to include local buses, trams and metro trains.

Thanks Kenko. So this shouldn't affect the regional trains between the Cinque Terre villages and La Spezia or a Frecciargento train from La Spezia to Rome?

ITABUS and FLIXBUS are two private bus companies whose buses are not targeted during strikes in Italy.
These two companies have buses between cities in Italy such as Venice to Florence, Rome to Florence, Rome to Naples, Lecce to Naples , Milan to Como. Milan to Bolzano etc.

For bus schedules, fares and to buy tix online visit:

www.ITABUS.it/en
www.Flixbus.com

Ok thanks Kenko. Sounds like we'll have to find another way to La Spezia that morning and then take the Frecciargento to Rome.

Thanks, Kenko.
Being in a city the night before a flight is my rule too!
I now have another “challenge” for my trip….my friend may not be able to join me after all, as the person who agreed 5 months ago to look after her dog ( she arranged this first, before she bought her flights) has bailed….10 days before our trip!
This affects not only her if she can’t find a dog sitter, but me too as I’m the one who has booked and paid $$ two bedroom places all along the way.
Trains now seem the least of my worries……
First world problems, I know……

I think all of us being affected by these upcoming strikes should have a virtual drink together when we all return home, with Kenko as the guest of honour! ;)
It will be interesting to read all the trip reports when we all have changed our plans, to see how everything worked out.

Gosh… I love dogs and know how upsetting that would be to have someone flake out as the dog sitter at the last minute with all the dominoes following.
Hopefully your friend can find someone or a good kennel to take care of her best friend.
Best regards-

Thanks!
She is already anxious…this is making it worse!

I did post my questions on other travel forums just to get absolute confirmation about everything around the strikes.
Doesn’t hurt to get a few opinions.

On Trip Advisor, a person from Italy with 44,000+ previous posts adamantly tells me that as there is no problem I don’t need a solution, and that Trenitalia is NOT affected at all, despite the fact that the Trenitalia site is listing only their guaranteed Regionale trains that day, and none of the others .
So a lot of misinformation about it all.

Not only Plan B, but Plan C is needed these days.

I’m listening to Kenko’s advice….thank you again!

We are traveling from Siena to Florence round trip on October 5th and originally had intended to take the bus but switched to the train because of the possible impending strike. We bought round trip tickets from Siena to Florence on Trentalia for the following trains on Oct. 5th:

Regionale #18278 leaving Siena at 8:48 and Regionale #18223 leaving Florence at 17:10

From reading the string of posts, the early train at 8:48 will definitely be running because it fits into the 6 am to 9 am window and the later train at 17:10 may not run until the next train scheduled after 18:00 which is at 18:10. Am I understanding the situation correctly?

If we have to spend another hour in Florence to take a train, that is not a major problem. Travel helps us to remember to be flexible and that is the attitude I am taking concerning the strikes.

https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/it/treni_regionali/toscana/treni_garantiti_toscana.html

I believe it was Kenko that pointed out this strike info to me…this is the Trenitalia link to each region, listing guaranteed trains in case of strike.

We have a regional train booked on October 5 from Chiusi-Chianciano Terme to Rome. The train says Trenitalia RE 4101. We are dropping off our rental car with the plan to take the train to Rome.
I knew about the strike, but thought train travel wasn’t impacted. By reading these posts, it looks like we might be out of luck. Trying to figure out if we should change to dropping rental car off in Rome. Any input is appreciated.

Amy, Unfortunately, I can't find Train R 4101 on the "guaranteed" train list but there is a 4110 that leaves at 20:01 (8:01 pm) that takes the route you mentioned. https://www.trenitalia.com/content/dam/tcom/allegati/trenitalia_2014/in_regione/treni-garantiti/Regionale%20Lazio_sito.pdf BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THE OCT 5 STRIKE DOES NOT AFFECT TRAINS: BUT PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I AM INCORRECT.

What time does your 4101 train leave ? Some trains between 6 am and 9 am & later evening rush hour trains are guaranteed.

Given that Oct. 5 is a Saturday and I believe I read that the guaranteed trains and times are only on weekdays, I am thinking that there may not be any guaranteed trains that day. Perhaps Kenko or someone will be able to clarify. I was originally planning to travel by bus from Ortisei to Bolzano and then by regional trains to Padua on the 5th but decided to stay in Ortisei an extra day.

This gets more confusing every day. A previous post stated the Trenitalia trains would not be affected. We are taking the Frecciarossa # 9721 from Bolzano to Milan Central on October 5th and then transferring to Trenord Regional # 2824 to Varenna-Esino, this is the train I thought would be affected by the strike, so we reserved a car at Mian Central. I emailed Trenord asking about our train and they emailed back saying " to date" they are not aware of any strike planned for this day, I guess that's the key phrase.

@CD in DC :
Guaranteed trains are Monday to Saturday https://www.trenitalia.com/en/purchase/info_contacts/in_case_of_strike.html#:~:text=If%20trains%20that%20are%20travelling,hour%20from%20the%20strike's%20beginning.

See my new thread from this morning: ” I have new info direct from Trenitalia”.
I called them today and spoke to a real live agent.

There is info about what to do before or on any day a strike may occur.

Can you tell me if the strike listed for Oct 9 2024 and 24hour includes the local trains and ferries from Naples to Sorrento?

09/10/2024, COBAS PRIVATE WORK/RAILWAY WORKERS' COORDINATION, Railway,
PERSONALE SOC. RFI INFRASTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE SYSTEMS, 24 HOURS: FULL WORK PERFORMANCE, National and includes the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF WORKERS MAINTENANCE OF RFI INFRASTRUCTURE, Railway;

I have looked at the official site as well and am unclear on the impact to my train schedule. Leaving Venice the morning of 10.5 on Trenitalia high speed but changing at Ferrara to Regional train into Ravenna. Should I be concerned about the connecting train to Ravenna but the Venice train may be okay since it's high speed? Not sure what type of taxi service is available from Ferrara to get to Ravenna as we board our cruise ship that afternoon.

Good afternoon all, thank you so much for sharing all these information! Definitely helpful! Wondering if someone can offer some guidance here. We are flying from Naples to Milan MXP (12:40pm-14:20pm) on Oct. 11th. And I read there will a national airline strike on that day from 1PM to 5PM. Will my plane be affected or not? Should I cancel and re-book for safe? If unfortunately we got impacted by this strike, would the airline move us to next available one? We have to get to Milan that day since we will have a flight from MXP to JFK on Oct. 12th.... Thank you in advance! Have a great weekend!

EDIT: The OCTOBER 5 strike is one targeting “ Local Transportation” to include trams, buses and metropolitan trains. TRENITALIA’S REGIONALE TRAINS SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE STRIKE.
and all high-speed trains of Trenitalia and Italotreno should run as scheduled.
I previously read that local trains would be affected by the strike and misunderstood what trains that includes. My apologies to anyone confused by this error.

That’s ok!
We’ll just see how it all works out.
I do appreciate the help you’ve given.

Ok, I admit I am a bit inexperienced with Italian strikes. So, the one that is scheduled for 12 October, indicates rail travel interruption is National. I am assuming this includes transport from Lecce to Monopoli, right? Are there alternatives available? Bus? Any suggestions on a bus line? I unfortunately already had to cut some of my travel time in Monopoli - I cannot cut it anymore.

And, I am trying to interpret the strike on 18 October. I will be traveling to Paestum, likely on train and then to Minori. Do I need to find alternative transport?

Sorry, but this is a PITA.

first experience looking into this! above it was posted by kenko (I think!) that:

The OCTOBER 5 strike is one targeting “ Local Transportation” to include trams, buses and metropolitan trains.

So...we will be in Rome that day. So we should be prepared to NOT be able to use the metro that day? I am assuming taxis will be near impossible that day also?

On the scioperi.mit.gov.it link I see it only says "24 hours with territorial modes"? So what does that mean in terms of when the strike starts and ends?

Luckily none of the other dates will affect us.

Still confused as to whether we'll be affected on Oct 5th going from Milan Central to Varenna on Trenord, but I'm a iittle more hopeful now. However now I am reading about an airline strike on October 11 which is the day we fly Milan to CDG ( Air France/Delta partner ) and CDG (Delta) back to the US. Can anyone lend any insight on how that may affect us?

Will the October 5th strike affect buses running from Atrani to Salerno?

Kcdav and sametivi, you will more likely get responses if you start new threads with your specific questions.

Hi! Adding on to the October 9 inquiry. We arrive in Rome at 10a and plan to take a train to Bari. Should we risk buying a trenitalia ticket or would we be better off renting a car in Rome and driving straight to Bari?

@ scungillidawitch: On October 9 there are 3 guaranteed Trenitalia high-speed trains traveling from Roma Termini to Lecce. Guaranteed trains are listed on Trenitalia’s website.

The three trains are the #8303 departing Rome Termini @8:05am; the #8315 departing Termini @ 15:05 and #8323 departing Termini @18:05.

At the moment, www.TheTrainline.com shows all three trains have tickets still for sale.

www.Itabus.it has buses that travel from Rome to Lecce and throughout Italy. Since it’s a private company, Itabus is not subject to any strikes

If you're arriving in Rome after an overnight flight, driving to Bari doesn't seem to be safe--unless your driver sleeps well on planes.

Hello! Also have a question regarding train travel on October 5th 2024

My partner are travelling from Milan to Germany this day, via the Bernina express.

We will be training from Milan to Tirano and then from Tirano to St Moritz Switzerland.

Would any of these lines be affected? From what I can see the strike starts at 8:45am, we would be leaving Milan around 6AM and catching the Bernina express at approximately 10AM.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

Hello! I am taking a train in Sicily on October 18th from Cefalu to Messina. And then Messina to Taormina. Will I be affected by any of the 3 strikes?

@boors.sb, The October 18 strike targets Local Transportation including city buses, trams and metro systems and commuter rail lines.
It does not target the trains of Trenitalia or Italotreno.

I'm new to all of this so please have patience with me. What is the best way to get from Milan to Venice the morning of October 13th? We are currently booked on Italo high speed train. Thank you in advance!

@coffeejenjen, The nationwide train strike beginning October 12 at 9pm ( 21:00). and ending at 20:59 on October 13 targets all Italotreno and Trenitalia trains. You should contact Italotreno roughly a week prior to learn what the status of your train is.
As a back-up plan, you may want to book a €6 Milan to Venice bus ticket for October 13 with Itabus or another bus company.

www.Itabus.it/en

Hi all,
I am currently stuck in Roma Termini, with most of the trains showing delayed since about 7 am. I am trying to take the train from here to Firenze S.M., and then on to Lucca. One official I talked to said all of the trains were coming, and one said that it could be an hour or it could be a day. I was curious if anyone had any information on what to do/what is happening?

Also, I’ll need to take the train from Lucca to the Rome airport station on October 5. Will the strikes affect me?

Thank you!

The live train departure boards state-

I TRENI POTRANNO SUBIRE RITARDI FINO A 120 MINUTI VARIAZIONI O CANCELLAZIONI PER UN GUASTO AGLI IMPIANTI DI CIRCOLAZIONE NELLE STAZIONI DI ROMA TERMINI E ROMA TIBURTINA

which translates as-"Trains may be delayed by up to 120 minutes, changes or cancellations due to a failure of the circulation systems in the stations of Roma Termini and Roma Tiburtina."

(In other words there is some kind of major infrastructure issue, probably signalling,- but this is not a strike.). In practice delays are currently running at close to 4 hours- 240 minutes.

You need to keep checking/refreshing this- https://iechub.rfi.it/ArriviPartenze/en/ArrivalsDepartures/Monitor?Arrivals=False&Search=&PlaceId=2416

But until the infrastructure problem can be solved there are few if any arrivals or departures including the Fiumicino Airport Express- also at a standstill. When trains do restart it will take a long time to restore service as trains and crews will be out of position.

Here is a news article on today's rail disruption at Rome- https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/chaos-grips-italys-rail-network-as-trains-fail-to-depart-from-romes-two-biggest-stations/ar-AA1rzMb4?ocid=BingNewsSerp

At the time of writing the Flix bus to Florence at 1640 from Rome is the first with any availability.

But that will miss the last bus to Lucca- https://rd-sftp-data.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/autolineeToscane/IVU/OUTPUT/TIMETABLES_WINTER/R/DD.pdf

UPDATE at 12 noon local time- the departures board shows that a handful of trains are now beginning to depart, including to Fiumicino. The impact is across Italy, including trains to and from Civitavecchia for cruise connections.
This is why same day connections into and out of cruises (let alone same day, very tight connections) are never a good idea.

Hello everyone- can anyone help me understand how to interpret the train strike page? We are planning a tour in the Prosecco region leaving from Venice to Conegliano on October 12.2024 leaving around 11:00 We then need a return train back to Venice heading back around 21:30. If I am reading the site correctly the train strike begins on October 12 at 21:00 and ends at 20:59 on Oct 13. So we would be ok for the trip up there but would need to get on an earlier train back to Venice? The strike says National so does that mean all trains across the country? It also says multi-sector so I am not sure what that means? We have not purchased these train tickets yet but will plan to do so if my understanding is correct. We do also have train tickets from Venice to Florence that next day We are leaving October 13 at 10:30 am. We bought these from Trenitalia with a train name of Frecciarossa?? Since this strike lasts until October 13 at 20:59 will that mean this train is cancelled or won’t go? I am sorry this is so long but I am so nervous now. Any help is appreciated.

I appreciate the last posters concerns. We have a Trenitalia train from Bolzano to Milan Central on the 5th of October and then transferring to a Trenord train from Milan Central to Varenna-Esino. It's my understanding that the first leg will not be affected but the second leg might. We are travelling back to Milan on the 9th of October on Trenord. I have referred to the strike page but without knowing some of the lingo, it's diffucult to discern how we might be affected.

In relation to the October 9 strikes:

Can anyone tell me if the Frecciarossa 1000 service from Firenze to Rome would still operate?

I can’t find any of these listed in the guaranteed list.

I’m booked on the 10:48am service, train #9409

Thanks

Regarding the 9 October strikes these are of rail maintenance workers, not of train crew.

Thus all trains operated by all companies are expected to be run. But if there are rail infrastructure problems (like at Rome today, passim) there could be short notice cancellations, diversions and delays. 14 hours on from the Rome incident this morning there is still extensive disruption.

In such circumstances the whole notion of guaranteed trains is a redundant one. As in any country the timetable will be determined on a minute by minute rolling basis.

As the poster above found out today other means of transport sold out very fast.

I understand today's problem in Rome could be failure in electrical feeders of the signaling centre. Our transportation minister - a fellow always telling the truth, just like Trump - has blamed an external contractor who drove a nail through a cable.

@jamespb78, No one knows how extensively the trains will be affected by the strike of Railway Infrastructure & Maintenance Workers on October 9. Until the train companies see how many workers actually strike that day, and how effectively supervisors might substitute in for striking “infrastructure and maintenance” workers— there’s no way of knowing where the strike will have the most impact and which trains will be affected.
However, the rapidly increasing frequency of Italian train strikes this month means the strike of October 9 has the potential to freeze up major train routes throughout Italy.
All travelers with international flights departing Italy on October 9 or 10 should consider booking a bus such as Itabus or Flixbus to the airport’s departure city, or travel to their airport departure city before October 9.

www.Itabus.it/en

@kcdav. The October 5 nationwide “Local Transportation” strike targets city buses, trams commuter trains, and metropolitan trains of Metro systems. It does NOT target Trenitalia trains or Italotreno trains.
TRENORD runs the trains from Milano Centrale to Varenna-Esino. Since Trenord wrote you stating they are not a target of the “ Local Transportation” strike on October 5, you should be good to go.

@beckk129, By now you likely know today’s multi hours interruption of trains arriving at and departing from Rome Termini and Rome Tiburtina train stations was not due to strikes.
The trains you have booked from Lucca to Rome FCO airport should all be Trenitalia or Italotreno trains— AND SHOULD RUN AS SCHEDULED On OCTOBER 5.

@gracehille610, The October 5 strike only targets city buses, trams, and metro trains. The Milan to Tirano train is operated by Trenord, and Trenord has stated that Trenord will not be affected by the October 5 strike. The train from Tirano to St. Moritz, Switzerland is an international train that also is not a target of this strike.
Have a great trip!

@KDL110, The October 12/13 train strike is nationwide throughout Italy. ALL trains of Trenitalia and Italotreno. are targets of this strike. That does not mean no trains will run as scheduled— it just means your train might not run as scheduled.
You are correct in concluding you would need to return to Venice BEFORE 9 pm on 10/12 from your Prosecco daytrip.
The bigger problem for you is the train you booked for October 13 from Venice to Florence.
You can check Trenitalia’s website under “ Support”for its list of guaranteed trains to see if the one you’ve booked might be one of the few high-speed trains which are guaranteed to run even during a strike. One GUARANTEED TRAIN is the FR #9415 Train departing Venice Santa Lucia on October 13 at 11:26 arriving at Florence SMN at 13:39. You can buy seats NOW for this train at www.TheTrainline.com or www.Trenitalia.com
You might also consider booking bus tickets on Flixbus or Itabus which run buses on that route in 3.5-4.5 hours.

Cheers!

www.Itabus.it/en

Sorry, I'm not sure how to reply to a specific post.

We also have trenitalia tickets booked on Oct 13 - Lucca > Firenze > Roma (12:30-15:50).

I've seen posts about the major strike From 21:00 Oct 12 - 21:00 Oct 13, but I can't find it on the official Scioperi website.

https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi

Am I missing something?

If we have the strike confirmed, our plan is to leave Lucca a day early and stay an extra night in Rome because we fly home on the 14th.

I see the October 12-13 strikes listed. Are you aware that Europeans display dates in the format DD-MM-YY rather than MM-DD-YY?

ETA: The moment I posted this, I saw the strike listed. I may have missed it before because I was looking for train strikes only.

Interestingly, I just spoke to Trenitalia via chat and was told there is no strike planned for that day. They suggested I check again closer to the date.

Anyway, I think we will book a train and hotel for the day before and be prepared to leave a day early if needed. Better to be safe than sorry.

Oct 12 -13

Two specific trades unions are striking on 12 and 13 October- CUB and SGB. Thus that does not necessarily mean total cessation of services that day- as members of other unions working for the railway companies will be working as per normal that day.
Reportedly they are two relatively small unions in the railway sector.

So Trenitalia may well be speaking the truth, and the effects may be being over dramatised here on the forum.

@Kenko - thank you very much for helping me and confirming I was reading the train strike page correctly. I am handling the trip for myself and my friends so am a bit frazzled by all of this. I have booked a bus as a back up and will try and figure out how to get to the Mestre station but will research that. I followed the instructions on looking for which train is a go but am not sure what I am looking at. I think our train is not listed but am not sure. Is there any possibility someone can see if our train, Venezia S.Lucia at 10:26 on Oct 13train #9413 to Firenzia SM Novella is going to run. If it’s not then I will switch my trains and have to figure out my rental car issue after that. I know it’s a big ask so I understand if it’s too much. Thank you everyone for all the help you have provided.

@isn31c, This statement on the October 12/13 strike is currently on the website of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation:

“Train passengers in Italy face disruption to rail services on the weekend of October 12-13.
A 24-hour strike by Railway staff around Italy is scheduled from 21:00 on Saturday, 12 October until the same time on Sunday, 13. October.
The strike action may impact regional and long-distance services operated by state Trenitalia and Italo.”

I have been notified by Trenord that we will not be affected by a strike on 5 Oct to from Milan to Varenna or on 9 Oct from Varenna back to Milan.

Hey glad I found this thread, I have looked through this thread and tried to find out if my train from bologna central to Venice s Lucia 9414 leaving 09/10/2024 12:01 would effected but could not find any information on it and am not sure exactly what the website with strike info means for this day. If anyone could shine some light on this day I would really appreciate it!

@ devonddunn, It is unknown what effect the strike of rail “Infrastructure and Maintenance” workers will have during the October 9 strike. Train # 9414 from Bologna to Venezia is NOT a train that is guaranteed to run during a strike, according to Trenitalia’s website.

If you email trenord with your date and train they will respond. That's how I found out my train will not be affected.
[email protected]

We are traveling from Naples central to Rome Termini station on 13 Oct. Will this route by train be affected by strike?

(We are considering getting bus tickets but the bus station is considerably further away from hotel.)

Devonddunn: I asked at the Bologna Welcome tourist information office yesterday about any strikes in the next 7 days that might affect my day trip plans. I was told that the action on October 8 will affect Bologna but only from 5-7 pm. Nothing was mentioned for the 9th or 10th ot 11 th. The strike on the 12th is national, as folks already know, and will affect Bologna.

We have tickets from Florence to Rome on the 13??? How can we get to Rome if there is a strike??

@rnlisa, check Trenitalia’s list of guaranteed high-speed trains. A post higher up on this thread has the link. Italotreno now has its list of guaranteed trains for October 12/13 and that link is on the thread about 20 threads below titled . “Help Understanding the October 2024 Train Strikes.”

A couple other options are to book an Itabus or Flixbus from Florence to Rome for October 12 or 13.

www.Itabus.it/en
www.Flixbus.com

So as an update for us.

I did online chat with Trenitalia yesterday and they finally confirmed there is a strike planned (Oct 12-13 - 9pm for 24 hours). But they also said it won't be officially proclaimed until Friday morning at the earliest and that I could contact them again on Friday to see what exact trains (if any) are expected to be affected. I think they may send out an email to that effect as well but I'm not sure.

We cannot risk missing our flight on Monday so we booked tickets to Rome for Saturday, as well as an additional night at the hotel, to ensure we have a seat on a train before the strike starts.

In the event the strike never happens, we won't be able to claim a refund for our train on the 13th, but we figure it's not worth the risk.

I guess we are somewhat lucky in that we can afford to leave our place a day early. Not everyone would have that opportunity.

In future, I won't book the cheapest (basic?) train tickets, so I at least have the opportunity to change them. :)

ETA: Our trains are not on the protected lists. It was Lucca to Firenze to Roma 12:30-4:00 on Sunday,Oct 13.

Latecomer...

We were blindsided by the Oct 12 strike and as a result wound up in Firenze for an extra day, most of it in the train station, stupidly thinking that some train would eventually go to Rome...

Now we are way off the beaten path in Faeto, with plans to take the bus back to Foggia the morning of 18 Oct, then continue by train to Rome. I can't tell if the regional bus (Ferrovie del Gargano) will be affected by tomorrow's strike. I've sent them an email, but so far, no response. Can anyone tell if such regional buses are likely to be affected by the strike? Thanks...

October 18 seems to be in larger cities. There’s a separate thread in October 18 strikes with some answers and links that may help you

Yep- The 10/18 “Local Transportation” strike will impact the urban transit systems ( city buses, trams, trolleys and metro trains) of large cities.