Italy transportation strike?
 

Please advise - Does anyone know - how I might travel to Florence (not driving myself) if this occurs...or is it likely to happen? Thank you.

We are schedule to take the train from Venice to Florence, October 18,
I saw this information on Summer in Italy site and further confirmed on
http://www.mit.gov.it/mit/site.php?p=scioperi

General strike Friday, October 18, 2013 Planes, trains, maritime and local transportation personnel will be on strike. Trains for 24 hours, starting 9 pm on October 17th. Planes and local ferries for the whole day on October 18th. Local transportation for the whole day on October 18th. Ferries to Sicily and Sardinia for 24 hours on October 18th.

settore GENERALE: SCIOPERO GENERALE CATEGORIE PUBBLICHE E PRIVATE

modalita: TRASPORTI: AEREO: DA ORE 00.01 A ORE 23.59 DEL 18/10; FERROVIARIO: DA ORE 21.01 DEL 17/10 A ORE 21.00 DEL 18/10; TPL, MERCI E LOGISTICA 24 ORE ( 18/10 ); MARITTIMO 24 ORE ( 18/10 ) ISOLE MINORI - DA 1 ORA PRIMA PARTENZA ISOLE MAGGIORI; ANAS DA ORE 06.00 DEL 18/10 A ORE 6.00 DEL 19/10

( OO.SS. USB, COBAS, CUB - ADESIONE OO.SS. USB LAVORO PRIVATO, CUB TRASPORTI )

http://rome.angloinfo.com/informatio...sport/strikes/

use this as a resource

I can only tell you what I might do in your shoes:

1. I would try to shift my plans a little. Perhaps by leaving Venice a day earlier or a day later. This would probably be my first choice.

2. Hire a driver to go from Venice to Florence. You would need to ascertain if the strike will involve local Venice transportation.

I'll be anxious to hear what others may say.

It used to be at least that with train strikes certain trains were immune and would run - in accords with unions and these were denoted in schedules - not sure if that is still the current situation but check it out and hope that your train is one of them, if that policy is still in place.

Thank you. I will try to research if my train is affected. And perhaps leave a day early too.

Does anyone know about the train - Venezia S Lucia to Firenze SMN?

Certain trains are guaranteed to run. These trains are usually during the rush hours. Trenitalia lists the guaranteed trains on their website.

I wonder if ItaloRail is under the same strike. Does anyone know?

There is a bus from Venice to Florence, but it doesn't go into town. It makes a stop on the autostrada.

We were caught up in a train strike in Italy some years ago. We were travelling from Florence to Rome. The train was running but there weren't any staff available to sell us tickets and there was a huge queue at the ticket machines. So my advice would be to make sure you have your tickets well in advance.

Oh my goodness!! we have just bought our tickets online to travel from Venice to Florence on October 18, and then from Florene to Rome on October 19 to catch our flight on the same day from Fuimicino!

Is it possible that the trains would run as planned but without service? in which case we absolutely don't mind as long as we get to the airport.

The trains we're booked on are: October 18 at 9:25am
October 19 at 9:04am

any thoughts???

Does anyone one what happens to air travel. We are scheduled to fly from London to Naples on Oct 18. Have a tour set up for the next day. Do I need to cancel or reschedule or is it likely that international travel will still go?

Flights aren't the same as train strikes as far as I know.

This is why so many of us recommend spending your time in your departure city last! It's way too risky for me to try to get to a far flung airport on the same day of travel...

Chillout:
just read
http://www.trenitalia.com/cms-file/a..._garantiti.pdf
and you will have got all the info you need.
You will see there that the following trains will most probably run:
9411 (Mestre dp 8.47), 585 (Mestre dp 9.20), 9423 (Venice dp 11.25), 9439(Venice dp 15.25)
seat reservation is compulsory in all these trains

Rhy:
check with your airline or with Naples airport, Only the following trade unions will strike the whole day:
OO.SS. USB, COBAS, CUB - ADESIONE OO.SS. USB LAVORO PRIVATO, CUB TRASPORTI

I, too, would like to know if the Italo trains are under the same train strike schedule as the ferrovie trains. Anyone know?

Well don't Italo trains use the same tracks as Trenitalia and the same stations - what if those stations are shuttered or the tracks being worked on as sometimes happens during a work stoppage - or staff who track trains on tracks are on strike - I would not count on it and if they are not good luck getting seats.

But yes I would like to know too.

It seems that Italo will not strike:
https://www.facebook.com/ItaloTreno/...82946591752093

RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana/Italian rail infrastructure services) will of course not be on strike, otherwise the guaranteed trains of Trenitalia couldn't run.

We just got back from Italy. Apparently Italy has not paid its employees in while. We were in Sorrento last week some people sat on the tracks in protest and so the train did not go to Naples. We all ended up finding a group of 8 and an expensive taxi ride (200 Euros or 25 each) so we could all get to our other trains in Naples. I would look to change your dates a bit or if possible go with the high speed trains which had no strikes while we were there. It was fast, clean and lovely.

I will contact my hotel in Venice Monday and report what I find out on this site. Thanks to all for your assistance/advice.

We also have tickets to travel on then 18th Rapallo to Civitavecchia. I am getting ready to buy tickets to get us there on the 17th instead.

Am I able to get a refund for the other tickets due to strike?