I just saw a message on the Slow Travellers Board saying that transportation strikes are scheduled in Italy for May 5, May 12 and June 3. My itinerary calls for a train trip from Venice to Florence on the 5th. I know that Italy is notorious for strikes, how worried should I be about this possibility disrupting my trip?<BR>I had planned to buy the train tickets when I arrive in Rome on April 30, now I'm not so sure what to do. If I buy them and the strike takes place, how difficult will it be to get a refund?<BR>What would be the chances of getting a rental van (there will be 5 of us) in the area surrounding Venice without a reservation? We had planned on picking a van up upon arrival in Florence, should we just plan on the strike happening, and arrange for a rental from Venice now?<BR>Any advice would be appreciated.

This sort of post is very dangerous in that it can cause instant panic among many. WHO posted that &quot;message&quot; you saw and have you researched the source to find out how accurate it was?

The strike will only affect the airlines according to the strikes notices posted on these websites. Regards, Walter<BR>www.seekitaly.com/news/from_roma.html <BR>www.trasportinavigazione.it/Allegati/scioperi.asp<BR>

Thanks, Walter..you've made my point exactly and politely

Sorry, I had no idea my post would set off an instant panic, complete with riots, looting in the streets, weeping and gnashing of teeth. ;-)<BR>The &quot;message&quot; I saw was posted by &quot;dreamofitaly.com&quot; from Washington, DC, on April 17. There were no specifics given, and I didn't really know where to look to &quot;research&quot; its accuracy. I didn't mean any harm.<BR>Walter - Thanks for the information.<BR>

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Larry, First of all, if there is a train strike in Italy, it's only for maybe 8 hours. They never last like they do in the US for weeks or months. There's no reason to worry. Just plan to go the next day or whatever. They just want to make a point and then it's over. Usually not all the trains shut down. There's usually one or two that wander in the the station and you can take that if it's going in the correct direction.

During our honeymoon last year there was a train strike that stranded us in Venice for a day (not a terrible place to be stranded!). Our hotel warned us about it a day in advance and booked us on for an extra night - and we were LUCKY they did. <BR><BR>We went to the train station the day of the strike to book tickets for the following day, and it was a madhouse! We heard stories of people being dropped there when the strike hit and either getting stuck paying $300+ for a night in a hotel, or taking a spot on the floor in the houses of entrepreneurial Venetians! <BR><BR>My advice, through the locals figure out when it is coming, and just relax and enjoy! For us the strike meant we only got to spend 18 hours in Florence, instead of 2.5 days, but because we had warning we made wonderful use of our 'extra' day in Venice... It's all in how you handle it - Enjoy! <BR> -Kristy