Please sign in to post.
Holiday Sale! Save 20% Storewide!

Italy Train Strike - October 12

Posted by on

Hi all.

Will be traveling to Italy this October and have been reading about the public transport strikes that are planned for this autumn.

It looks like there is a scheduled train strike on October 12:
"The walkout may impact both regional and long-distance trains run by state operator Trenitalia, as well as journeys operated by private company Italo"

We were planning to take a train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella (Florence) to Venezia Santa Lucia (Venice) on this day. Wondering what other travelers suggest with high-uncertainty on this day?

A few of my ideas include booking tickets with both Trenatalia and Italo, booking an early train ticket with time for a plan B, relying on bus, etc.

I will continue to follow news and articles leading up to the date, but I definitely like to be prepared. I can't find any guaranteed trains out of Florence, and this is a weekend date so I am unsure if it applies.

Thanks!

Posted by
199 posts

Hmmm, I am concerned about a train strike on October 5th, Could there be two so close together? And my understanding is that we'll be ok on Trenitalia from Bolzano to Milan Central but Trenord from Milan to Varenna -Esino could be problematic. Between this and the recent weather in the Dolomites, wondering if we should scrap going to the Dolomites (Sept 29-Oct.5th) and change our itinerary which has us flying into Milan, taking a train to Bolzano, going to Ortisei for the above dates, then going to Lake Como October 5-9th and then spending our last two nights in Milan before flying home. Now I'm thinking we should pivot and go somewhere else from Milan for the first leg of our trip. We have refundable, changeable train tickets, but at this point we would lose 50% of our booking value at the hotel in Ortisei. We welcome any thoughts/suggestions.

Posted by
2004 posts

Hi Hal, Welcome to the forum. The “guaranteed trains” were established mostly for Italians to be able to get to work on the “Regionale” trains during weekdays and on Saturdays. There actually are very few high-speed guaranteed trains on strike days in Italy. For Trenitalia high-speed trains, I only see one Trenitalia train from Rome Termini to Venezia listed as guaranteed. It is Trenitalia Train #9404– likely stops in Florence but it is sold out. (Italy’s private high-speed train company, “Italotreno,” currently has no information regarding how its trains will be affected in October on its website). A nationwide train strike targeting both Trenitalia and Italotreno will mostly bring things to a standstill for travelers.
I would try to change the plan to travel from Florence to Venice by the afternoon of October 12- before the strike begins at 9pm on 10/12. The strike runs through 20:59 on October 13. Note that train schedules can be unreliable even the day after a strike as trains may need to be repositioned in the aftermath of the strike.

Posted by
1060 posts

We have tickets on Italo for Friday Oct. 11 from Venice to Florence. Hoping we all make it to our destinations.

Posted by
2 posts

Wondering if anyone can tell me if Trenitalia trains on October 13 between Milan and Venice will be affected by the strike. There are multiple abbreviations/words on the strike website that I can’t understand, even when translated into English.

Posted by
2004 posts

@rtcsntravel, The Strike beginning 9 pm on October 12 and continuing through 9 pm on October 13 is nationwide with the trains of Trenitalia and Italotreno being targets of the strike. So, yes, any train from Milan to Venice may not run according to schedule.
You can check Trenitalia’s website for guaranteed trains and then see if you can book a ticket on one.
Itabus runs buses from Milan to Venice in 3.5 hours.

www.Trenitalia.com
www.Itabus.it/en

Add Reply

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines.