Train strike help!

Demi,

Not all trains will be cancelled during the strike.
Trenitalia guarantees minimum transport services.

I’d suggest going to the train station 2 days prior to the proposed strike to find out if your specific train will be cancelled , and if so, the trenitalia ticket agent will assist with changing your ticket(s)
You’ll find more detailed information here: trenitalia.com/incaseof strike

Safe travels!

Unfortunately my advice is not going to be useful -- so why give it ?? I don't know. Over nearly 50 years of European train travel we only been stop once by a train strike. Strikes are more of a threat than an actually occurrence. We tend to ignore the talk until we are in the station looking for our train. Even with a strike some trains are always running. An exception for us was the Spanish train strike when nothing was moving. So we took the bus, slow and much cheaper. We have ridden some full trains with some standing till seats became available.

Don't worry too much about the strike unless you have to be at a critical point like a return flight home. Something like that, I would a day earlier just to be sure. If you are fairly flexible, there is always a work around and generally it is the bus system. For your travel day, you might make of note of where the bus station is and the schedule.

Hello demi_p24, and welcome to the fourm!

As everyone has said there's no way to know if the strike is going to happen - the one earlier this month everyone was worried about didn't actually happen.

Here is a list of the trains that are supposed to be guaranteed even in event of the strike - they tend to be three in the morning and three in the evening but you can check your train number against the list:
https://www.trenitalia.com/content/dam/tcom/allegati/trenitalia_2014/informazioni/TABELLA_A_Treni_garantiti_DPLH.pdf

You can also look at .Italo which is privately run and may not be affected by the strike as an alternative/back-up.
Last year I was trying to get from Verona to Venice during a big national strike that just kept growing as time went on. I booked the last guaranteed train from the list out of Verona and 2 super cheap none refundable tickets on .Italio that left 15 minutes as a back-up. The train was late, it left even later and ran at what felt like half speed, but we got to Venice. I don't know if the other train left because I was waiting on the late train when that was supposed to have happened.

Good luck,
=Tod

I was one of the people worried about the train strike earlier this month. I decided I did not want to risk a day on Lake Como and changed our train plans so that we left at 7:30 instead of late morning. The strike didn't happen, but we spent a wonderful morning in Varenna while our hotel rooms were being prepared. The alternative was to stay in Milan until the evening. I'm comfortable with my decision. Take in the available info and adjust according to your best judgement. Think of strikes as an Italian cultural experience.

Note: on our return to Milan we found a really nice, historic hotel on the outskirts of Milan. We had a 3 pm flight, but luckily asked our hotel about calling a taxi to the airport after breakfast. We were informed there was a taxi strike announced only the previous evening! Fortunately the hotel had a car service they used who gave us a ride to the airport. Issues will arise--give yourself time to pivot in case things don't work out.

Happy Travels,
Scott

wow Scott, that was unexpected! I'm glad the hotel had the foresight to come up with a plan for you!

Thanks to this board my friend has a last minute trip to Italy in 1.5 weeks and she was nervous about taking an IC train across the country from Rome upon arrival and I discovered a strike that day! Good thing the train she had her eye on was on the magic list, so she was ready and has her ticket already! (she is meeting people in Rome before the train in the afternoon, so she has time)

I experienced a train strike last year going from Sienna to Naples via Florence. The train from Sienna to Florence was cancelled due to the strike and we had to take a bus instead. However, our high speed train from Florence to Naples was not impacted by the strike.

Thank you everyone for your help! We’re coming up with plan B just incase the strike is still happening. Other than the original website that I posted, is there any where else to check to confirm if a strike is actually happening? When I go on https://scioperi.mit.gov.it/mit2/public/scioperi
The strike is no longer listed. Does that mean it got cancelled?

Thanks!