jskb

We have plans for a trip to Italy in mid-April but I'm starting to get concerned about strikes. We fly British Airways from LHR to FCO, and they have had some strikes, but seem to be flying at the moment. A google search suggested that there are also some concerns about American Airlines, which we use flying to London from Boston. But I just discovered that a transportation strike has been scheduled for Trenitalia on the 23rd, and local transportation on the previous day. We plan to take a train from Naples to Rome on the 24th. And there is a scheduled baggage handlers strike in Italy for the 16th, and that's the day we arrive. Yikes!
If we are planning to use the trains on the day following a planned strike, what are the chances that train schedules will be disrupted? And should be try to put everything in carry-on to avoid problems with getting our luggage when arriving?

Zerlina

Trains function normally the day after a strike.

The only strikes at airports on April 19 that I can see on the site of the government agency that regulates strikes affect only the airports of Genoa and Turin.

Zerlina

What I said above is true enough for April 19, but I looked up the wrong date.

There is no strike at all listed for April 16. Where did you learn of the baggage handlers' strike?

kybourbon

There are also strike proof trains.
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/inde...003f16f90aRCRD

jskb

This site has the information that I referred to:
http://www.easytravelreport.com/

Zerlina

Yes, I see it there. But I have no idea where they got it, because it's not on the government site. Also, strikes are generally declared well in advance of three weeks before the proposed date.

You can keep checking yourself. Go to
http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/
choose Elenco Scioperi on the left and scroll down to Trasporto aereo. If you find it, it should say nazionale under Rilevanza.

jskb

Thank you Zerlina.
The Easy Travel Report site indicates that this was announced on Friday, so perhaps it won't appear on the government site until after the weekend. I will check the government site myself (although this is not easy since I don't speak -- or read -- Italian. But our travel partner does, some, so I'll ask him to do this for me. What does Rilevanza mean?
And, if there is a baggage handlers strike, any thoughts about what it will be like at the airport. Will flights still take place?
Joe

kybourbon

April 22, 2010 All Trenitalia personnel will be on strike for 24 hours, from 9.01 pm of April 22, until to 9 pm of April 23.

Local buses and trams April 23, 2010 Public Transportation personnel will be on strike for 24 hours.

kybourbon

http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp

On the government website, click the picture of the calendar, then click scioperi nazionali.

tuscanlifeedit

Oh, the value of Fodors!

I was just surfing through Italy posts when I saw this, and ran and changed my car rental in Italy to cover us.

DH is actually happy about not going by rail FCO > Termini > Orvieto. He says he's been thinking about driving from FCO to Orvieto, anyway. So good for us, and thank you all for posting this.

I always used to check the strikes, but I have been super busy (thank God for work) and I just didn't think about it.

Costs will be about the same, even with petrol and tolls.

ellenem

How convenient that this strike day falls on a Friday of a weekend when there is a major Italian holiday (April 25, which would have been a day off except it falls on a Sunday) . . . careful planning on the part of the Trenitalia personnel.

sarge56

Should I feel blessed that we are arriving on 4/21 and training to Venice right away?; and then not training again until 4/26? whew!

What can we expect from this "big holiday" in Italy on the 25th? We'll still be in Venice.

Thanks! (Now if we can just aviod an AA strike. Because we fly both ways on AA.)

yestravel

sarge56-We were in Venice on April 25 and some shops were closed. Most sights and restaurants remained open. It was pretty crowded with Italian tourists.

Tiggy22

Like Tuscanlifeedit, I've been too busy to look at the strike link the past week and am so thankful for this thread. I had been planning to travel from Turin to Venice early on April 23. I have reservations to see The Holy Shroud of Turin late in the afternoon of the 22 and can't make the last train out that day so luckily I was able to change hotel reservations this afternoon - an extra day in Turin, one less day in Venice (9 instead of 10). And I was able to change my train ticket as well (I'm sure the Saturday trains will be a nightmare). So alls well that ends well! Thanks all for the great info!

jskb

The government website now reports the baggage handling strike on the 16th. Can anyone tell me what that means. Will planes fly without luggage? Will they find someone else to unload the planes?

ellenem

It can mean almost anything, including that the rest of the airline unions will join the strike and nothing will move.

travelfan1

I just found this from another thread...we're landing on the 23rd and needed to take a train from Naples to Rome....................