Hello,
I have already booked train travel from Monterosso leaving at 9:07 a.m. via Pisa to Florence on May 29. I recently learned that is a strike day.
Suggestions for alternate travel? I looked on Rome2Rio. The only option listed is a rental car.
Your assistance is appreciated.
JMH
I think you can change the time. The strike details say they are still providing service during certain hours. Can you move it earlier? The info I see say they are running some trains between 6-9am.
However, the strike info looks like it starts on the night of the 29th, so maybe you are ok?
I believe there's a bus from La Spezia to Florence but getting to La Spezia itself could be a challenge. I'm sure the taxis will be circling and probably charging way too much but if you can get a larger city a bus may be an option.
Check out Marino Bus. 07:05 La Spezia - 10:05 Florence
Leaves: V.le Italia c/o Chiosco Palme by the cruise ship dock (I doubt the ferry is running early enough for this) and by the Tram for getting into Florence proper. Honestly not great options but it seems to be an option.
I'd check other places like Flixbus too.
To cover the whole distance the only other thing I can think of is an NCC driver or a tour company that offers transportation.
Hopefully the strike won't happen - they are never certain, good luck,
=Tod
The general advice for rail strikes in Italy includes:
- You won't know for sure if the strike will happen until very close to the date. Keep watching a reliable strike tracker and/or the official government strike website for updates.
- Trains running from 6 to 9 am and from 6 to 9 pm are usually guaranteed to operate. There is a website with a list of guaranteed trains. You will probably need to look up both the Liguria and the Tuscany regional trains..
From Monterossa, you probably have to change in La Speezia. If you can switch to an earlier train that not only leaves Monterossa before 9 am but also allows you to get the next leg in La Spezia before 9, and if you can get a train that doesn't require a change in Pisa after 9 am, you should be ok. If needed, you should be able to get a bus from Pisa to Florence.
- If there are trains leaving Monterossa after 6 pm on the strike day that will get you to Florence, that should be ok too.
- Consider traveling the day before or the day after the announced strike if you are able to change lodging.
- If the train you booked doesn't run due to a strike, there is a way to get your money back. The information is somewhere on a Trenitalia website.
Hopefully other folks will add further advice.
Hello!
I am also traveling that day but our train is booked from Florence to Siena. Trenitalia has a list of "Minimum Guaranteed Service" trains (https://www.trenitalia.com/it/informazioni/treni-garantiti-incasodisciopero.html) there is a National list and a Regional list. I rebooked our train to one on this list and plan on checking the main Trenitalia strike page and a site called ViaggiaTreno to be sure the strike isn't cancelled.
I've read that Italo also posts a PDF of the guaranteed trains on their website but not until a few days before the scheduled strike. According to the MIT website (https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi) the strike will impact both rail and motorways from 9PM on the 28th to 9PM on the 29th.
Safe travels,
Sam
transit strikes are the bane of travel in Europe. As has been said, you may not know until the day before if the strike will be called off.
@hiredman wrote: Check out Marino Bus. 07:05 La Spezia - 10:05 Florence
It would make for an early wakeup but the train R12213 leaves Monterosso at 6:20am and gets to La Spezia Centrale at 6:45am. On the map it looks like about a 1 mile walk to the bus stop for Marino bus. It would be tight, and the destination in Florence from the bus company website seems to be way out of town. So not sure this is a great solution. But the R12213 is on the list of guaranteed trains at https://www.trenitalia.com/it/regionale/liguria/treni-garantiti-liguria.html
The problem with piecing together a rail solution is you're crossing regions. So you'll need to find both a regional train that gets you to a larger train station, then a longer-haul train to Florence. And you'll need both of them to be guaranteed trains.
One option that works on paper is taking R12411 at 16:21 to La Spezia, arriving 16:48. This train is on the guaranteed list above. Then take R18407 to Firenze leaving at 19:16 and arriving at 21:57 This train is on the guaranteed list at https://www.trenitalia.com/it/regionale/toscana/treni-garantiti-toscana.html
But it sounds like a lousy trip; you'll arrive in Florence at 10pm at nite, losing the whole day. If possible try to go a day early or a day later.
We are facing the same issue that day, but going from Ortisei to Salzburg. Flixbus to the rescue. There is a direct Flixbus from La Spezia to Florence on 29 May leaving La Spezia at 10:55 am and arriving in Florence at 1:05 pm. It's about $30. You should be able to ride the Ferry from Monterosso to La Spezia (with a transfer at Porto Venere) https://www.flixbus.com/bus-routes
