Italian train strike, what to do?
Apr 14th, 2004, 03:34 PM
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Italian train strike, what to do?
I need to travel from Venice to Florence on May 13th. I am now reading on Seekitaly.com that there is a 24 hour nationwide strike of Italian railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferovie dello Stato - State Railroads) from 2100 May 13 till 2100 May 14. Does this mean there will be no train travel? I am not sure if I have train options that this strike will not affect, what about Eurostar? Any advice is welcome. If there is no train travel what other way is there from Venice to Florence besides car rental?
Apr 14th, 2004, 04:10 PM
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Yes, I believe that this means there will probably be no Italian-operated trains running for the 24-hour period mentioned.
I will be traveling on May 13 as well, and am planning to buy my ticket at least a few days in advance for a train that leaves fairly early in the day, since the strike does not begin until 21:00 (9:00 PM.)
You might be able to take a bus, but it will take a long time and I am unsure as to which coach service.
I will be traveling on May 13 as well, and am planning to buy my ticket at least a few days in advance for a train that leaves fairly early in the day, since the strike does not begin until 21:00 (9:00 PM.)
You might be able to take a bus, but it will take a long time and I am unsure as to which coach service.
Apr 15th, 2004, 05:40 AM
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I've been in Italy during rail strikes. There is a law which specifies a minimum service which must run, mostly trains in the morning and evening to enable people to get to and from work. This also applies to ferry services so no islands will be entirely cut off. A very few long-distance trains will run, but are likely to be packed. Posters at the stations will indicate which trains will run.
In my case, I'd travelled from Germany to Bolzano and learned about the strike when I got there. I found a hotel for the night and got a train early in the morning via Verona to Milano, then south to Pescara where I stopped another night - the train to Pescara was packed with little room even to stand. I'd booked a ferry from Bari to Dubrovnik so needed to get down to Bari. This showed why booking things in advance is not a good idea: I could have spent a leisurely day around Bolzano (buses were running), then carried on to Croatia after the strike. The good side was that there was no problem finding hotels even when arriving in a strange town in the evening.
In my case, I'd travelled from Germany to Bolzano and learned about the strike when I got there. I found a hotel for the night and got a train early in the morning via Verona to Milano, then south to Pescara where I stopped another night - the train to Pescara was packed with little room even to stand. I'd booked a ferry from Bari to Dubrovnik so needed to get down to Bari. This showed why booking things in advance is not a good idea: I could have spent a leisurely day around Bolzano (buses were running), then carried on to Croatia after the strike. The good side was that there was no problem finding hotels even when arriving in a strange town in the evening.
Apr 15th, 2004, 07:33 AM
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What about the shuttle from the airport (Leonardo Express), isn't that a part of FS too?
We arrive on May 14 and were planning to head to Lucca, I checked into renting a car and it was $200 for one day (autoeurope), $300 for a driver, $200 each for air fare to Florence. So we are just going to spend the night in Rome and hope that the trains are running on the 15th...
We arrive on May 14 and were planning to head to Lucca, I checked into renting a car and it was $200 for one day (autoeurope), $300 for a driver, $200 each for air fare to Florence. So we are just going to spend the night in Rome and hope that the trains are running on the 15th...
