Hi dear Fodorites. Here is the information regarding transportation strikes in Italy during June 2005 per the International Herald Tribunes "Traveller Alert" article.

June 6, 05 Pilots will strike for four hours.

June 8, 05 Air controllers will strike. No information was given regarding the number of hours.

June 23, 05 Walkout by State Railways Workers. for 24 hours.

June 26, 05 Pilots will strike for 4 hours.

Welcome to Italy!!

Wow... so they plan their strikes and give notice. That's nice, anyhow! I'm used to strikes around these parts where things can just stop without a moment's notice!!

Hopefully, since we already have our train tickets, and it's later in June, we won't be affected.

Thanks, LoveItaly, for the info!

Your welcome nbbrown! I am going to keep this thread topped as we have at least one poster, JEAN, who is arriving in Milan June 8th and had planned to fly onto to Sicily that date.

LoveItaly, Thank you for your information. I was trying to figure out how to get my son from Italy to London on the 23rd of June. Guess he will be on a plane not train! Your info may have saved us, can't thank you enough. Mille Grazie, Kim

Dear LoveItaly: FOUND YOU...
AAAGGGHHH!!!NO INFORMATION FOR JUNE 8TH
FOUR HOURS IS STARTING TO SOUND GOOD..
PLEASe post when you hear anything...I really appreciate ANY info..Do you live in Italy? My nephew in Sicily has no info for June 8th...

For anyone who can read Italian, here is a link you might try for strikes info:

http://www.commissionegaranziasciopero.it/

Jean - I've also posted this link on your "Italy Air Strike" thread.

Prego, prego!! No, I usually wish I lived in Italy, sigh. LOL. I live in California.

JEAN, I hated starting this thread but I did when I saw your flight schedule. My experience has been that you just sit around the airport and when the strike is over the airlines fly the planes out in the order that they were suppose to leave in.

Being prepared is better then not knowing I guess (which happened to me). Do put in your carryon a change of clothes, underwear et., as sometimes with these strikes luggage does not always end of arriving with you due to the confusion etc.

It seems to me that Italy is getting worse with their constant strikes.

KMH, although sometimes strikes are cancelled if your son does have to leave Italy on June 23rd I guess you better get him an airticket.

Take care everyone.

ttt

Whew, missed me! I have an Alitalia flight with a plane change in Milan on June 11/12 returning June 25. Please keep us informed.

Hi Barry, so you are one of the fortunate ones!! Isn't travelling fun.

I will post any updates. Take care everyone.

In case this information hasn't been posted already, here is a website in English that lists information about planned strikes and travel warnings in Italy.

Many of these strikes are cancelled at the last minute. Scroll down until you see "travel warnings" and "strikes" on the left hand side of the page.

http://www.seekitaly.com/news/from_roma.html

I will be arriving in Venice on June 8th thru Frankfurt and leaving Rome on the 18th. Does anyone know what "Enav" is referring to? Is this a domestic airlines or a union name? I've never been in a situation like this before? Does one just wait it out at the airport until the planes can take off?

June 8th 2005: 4 hours air strike (1200 - 1600) of Enav flight controllers.

June 18th 2005: 4 hours air strike (1200 - 1600) of Enav Caav flight controllers of Catania

This may be a dumb question, but...

How does a pilot stirke for 4 hours when he's up in the air?

Dear LoveItaly and Rookie:
How can I ever Thank you enough...I guess the only way is to POST my findings whenever I can be of help to the next Babe in the woods!! I will do everything you have advised and Post the outcome as soon as I can get to a pc...
p.s. does anyone know what that ENAV means and are those the strike hours 1200 - 1600?

ENAV is their air traffic controllers (like FAA controllers in the US). Yes, the strike hours are 12.00 (noon) to 16.00 (4:00p.m.)

And for rohani - Catania is on Sicily.

Hey Rookie: WELL NOW I AM IMPRESSED...thanks for the ENAV INFO...
I started feeling stupid so found their website...thanks again!!
soooo, if the June 8th schedule is
12 noon 'til 6:00p.m. I MAY be out of the woods...I HOPE, I HOPE...

rohani - what I should have said is the strike on June 18th is for ENAV workers for Catania (Sicily) traffic.

THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN
12 noon 'til 4:00 p.m

ENAV are the Air Controllers in Italy.

And yes 12:00-16:00 is the hour of the strike (noon to 4:00pm).

Under Italian law workers have to give official notice that they are going to strike (very efficient those Italians!).

Sometimes strikes are cancelled but this year seems really bad regarding strikes. The Italian workers are obviously not a happy bunch.

Now Barry, I have not specifically asked (and NO question is dumb IMHO when it comes to questioning why and how Italians do things the way they do, LOL)but I believe that if a plane is scheduled to fly and that flight should be flying during the hours they are on strike then the flight does not depart.

I hope this doesn't cause any of you too much stress and inconvience. I think it is terrible that airlines do not at least give their passengers that are holding tickets an advance warning about strikes. KLM sure didn't when I checked in at SFO. Got to Amesterdam and found out. Obviously KLM knew all along.

BTW, guess a lot of Alitalia scheduled planes did not fly yesterday (Sunday). They had not declared a strike as they have to under the law, people just didn't show up for work. So cancelled flights.

And today (well guess it is over now in Italy) lots of transportation workers were on strike.

Wonder if there are any Fodorites in Italy that have been pulling their hair out? Or drinking several bottles of wine perhaps?

Hi rohani, I just saw your question.
Well you are certainly not having good luck are you? Arriving in Italy on a day of a strike and departing Italy on a day of a strike. Good heavens, how often would that happen.

rohani, I would talk to the airlines as to whether you should stay in the airport or not. But I would ask at the airport. If you just call the airline phone no. the represenatives will not be able to give you proper information. When I had the problem in Amsterdam KLM told us "to stay in the aiport". I didn't dare leave because I did not want to miss my flight to Venice and then have to buy a new very expensive ticket etc.

What a mess!!