I have just read that there is a scheduled 48 hour railroad workers strike scheduled for Rome beginning at 9pm on 20 June. I have tickets for five people to take the train from Rome to Naples during this time (morning of 22 June) What does a "railroad workers strike" mean? Will the train be cancelled? Do I get a refund (and how?) Or is it just the baggage handlers, ticket booth people, etc? I am panicked about this..this is my first trip to Europe and this is just what I was afraid would happen! I am traveling with three kids and was really counting on the ease of the train...my hotel reservations in both Rome and Sorrento are set so I can't juggle them by a day...Does anybody know anything about this strike and what it will involve?

According to the government authority dealing with strikes in Italy, there is a strike (still) planned of 24 hours, starting at 9:00 p.m. on June 20.

The 24-hour strike starting at 9:00 p.m. on June 21 has already been cancelled, according to the same government authority, so you should be fine for your trip on the morning of June 22, particularly if you already have reserved-seat tickets.

As far as I've seen,the FS strike is posted for 24 hours: from 21:00 on June 20 to 21:00 on June 21, so you should be fine with your travel plans on the 22nd.
Curious where you read that it was sched for 48 hours? That would be very unusual but I will investigate further as will be travelling on the 22nd myself!

They're always striking in Italy...just added "adventure" I guess!
Follow the news...probably call up your hotels...sometimes these things are resolved before the strike takes place. I got stuck in Munich (in the middle of Oktoberfest!) an extra day because of an Italian railroad strike. Got to the train station and found out that I wouldn't be going to Venice that day at all! :0)
The hotel was pretty good about cancelling my booking without charging me as well.

If you understand Italian, google for "Commissione Garanzia" and go to "Elenco". Scroll down to "Trasporto ferroviare".

Traditionally certain trains in Italy are certified strike-free, in agreements with unions. This has been the case for several years so your train may actually run - the timetable they used to sell in station bookstands had a symbol for trains that were, in theory at least, strike-immune. Maybe trenitalia site carries same info.

Do your tickets include specific seat reservations? If not, this is one occasion when I strongly urge you have reserved seats. I've traveled on italian trains just before and after strikes and those trains were absolutely jammed to the rafters. Many people had to stand. Every seat was filled for the train's entire route. And that was in first class--second class was even worse.

I was just returning here to post a note for LH to be sure to have seat reservations. If in fact there is a strike it could get a little messy on the 22nd as described by BTilke. We DO have seats on the 12:45 in first class and lots of flexibility beyond that since don't need to be in Capri until dinnertime.

I saw the strike mentioned on www.whatsoninrome.com. As of today they were still calling for the strike...actually two consecutive 24 hour strikes! To Eloise...you said you heard the second strike was cancelled..where did you see this?
And (big sigh here!) we DO Have assigned seats already in first class for our morning train on the 22nd. For once I am glad I'm not following Rick Steve's advice of not getting train tickets til the last minute!!

I told you where I saw it: At Commissione Garanzia Sciopero, the Italian government authority that deals with strikes.

I also told you to click on "Elenco" and to scroll down to "Trasporto ferroviario".

Is it my fault if you can't read Italian?!?

It is clearly stated that the strike starting June 21 at 9:00 p.m. is <b>revocato</b>, i.e., it is cancelled.

To Eloise..Well, my gosh you don't have to be so RUDE about it! No, I do not speak italian but I'm sure most people on this board don't either. A more polite response would have been &quot;unfortunately the commissione garanzia website is written in Italian, but if you go to it and click on &quot;elenco&quot; which means______ and then &quot;transporto ferroviare&quot; which means___________you should look for the keyword for cancelled is &quot;recovato&quot; so look for that&quot;. That would have been much more helpful...the &quot;I ALREADY TOLD YOU&quot; tone is quite offensive. We are all fellow travelers on this board hoping to help each other out and your posting was NOT helpful NOR clearly written. SHame on you for being a travel scrooge!

My first reply was extremely polite and very clear.

My second reply was brief and clear.

I can't tell you how <b>sorry</b> I am that you find my third reply rude.

I do not see that it is &quot;unfortunate&quot; that an Italian government authority does not have an English version to help unilingual American tourists.

Finally, it is not the business of anyone on this travel forum and certainly not mine to teach you Italian.