Upcoming rail strike in Italy?
 

Hi,<BR><BR>I have heard that an Italian rail strike is planned for the week of January 20th, 2003--can anyone confirm this or add any specific information. Thank you for your help!<BR><BR>Christi

There are rail strikes planned in Italy more often than you can shake a stick at. They have a modest impact on actual operation of train service. The trains in Italy are somewhat unpredictable with or without a strike.<BR>

Striking in Italy is a mantra.

Two characteristics of strikes in Italy: Either they never come off as planned or they don't last very long.<BR>On the first day of our first trip to Italy, our Italian friend picked us up in his car with the news that gas stations throughout the country were staging a two-day strike to protest high gas prices. The two-day strike lasted less than two hours.

Try this link: http://www.trenitalia.com/home/it/index.html Regular updates on trains and train services in Italy are here but it's all in Italian. I am unable to find this on the English language version of www. trenitalia.com (it says the page is being updated). If you do not read Italian, look for the word 'sciopero' (plural: scioperi) and you may be able to glean (depending on your linguistic abilities) the information you need. Hopefully, there won't be any information to glean meaning there are no strikes.

Unlike what Tom says strikes often cause most trains not to travel, with the exception of a few trains that, according to Italian law, must provide essential services to travellers. The strike due on January 18 will start at 9 pm and will last for 24 hours. Since the main railroad workers trade union is involved I suppose it will almost stop the trains' circulation (except for the small number of train that cannot stop even though the workers take part to the strike).

. . . . (yawn) there's also a planned strike . . .<BR>

We were in Italy in May and there was a train strike. It only lasted one day but our prepaid, reserved train to our next destination did not run. We had to rent a driver/car instead. It was inconvenient and expensive. I'd recommend having a Plan B besides the train.

The information I have is the rail strike will begin on Jan 18th at 9pm and lasting until Jan 19th...this of course is subject to change

Sue:<BR><BR>youtr tickets were not at all lost, all you had lost were the booked seats, you could have used those tickets for travelling by train the next day, if you topped at a train station you might even have found sitting places to book (paying a 3 euro booking fee per person). Italian train tickets are valid for 2 months, no matter how, only the seat booking is only valid for a fixed train, day and hour.

EuroStar tickets are only valid up to the hour and day you travel. As someone else suggested, I would have alternative plans in place.

Santa Chara:<BR><BR>An unused Eurostar ticket (a ticket that has not been checked by the conductor) is still valid for travelling, although the boo&igrave;king is no more valid. If you show up to the ticket selling area of the station with your unused ticket the seller will make you pay 3 euro booking fee, destroy the old and unused ticket and issue a brand new ticket with the new booking. You have to pay a small fee but the ticket is still valid, after all. I have done it but a few weeks ago.

As previously stated, strikes occur almost daily in Italy. I'm sure workers even strike at times to protest against strikes.<BR><BR>Don't get to worried about a train strike. Chances are pretty good that someone at the airport will plan a strike for the day you are leaving!<BR><BR>When in Italy, pick up a copy of the English Language paper &quot;The International Herald Tribune.&quot; The Italy section will have a list of all the strikes that are planned.

Alice,<BR>I have been told at two different train stations, in two different instances, that my EuroStar ticket was no longer valid, and that there was no refund. Forse, per che sono straniera?

Ryan:<BR><BR>Please, if you do not leave in Italy do not talk about our strikes. Strikes do not occur daily, and they are planned in advance, There has only been one &quot;strike against strikes), in 1980 and it is called the &quot;40,000 march&quot;, it occurred in Turin. It was worst moment point of our trade unions history since 1945. The current government is not working towards the updating of workers cathegories contracts as it was scheduled, and this is a main problem of Italian economics and a political issue of great importance.<BR><BR>Santa Chiara:<BR><BR>You know how things go in Italy, I can only assure you that I have travelled with my unused Eurostar ticket with a new booking. Maybe you have been cheated because they thought that being a foreigner they could just cheat on you, maybe the guy that did it to me didn't understand how it should have worked. Siamo in Italia!!!

~
Information of a couple weeks ago in one of my travel newsletters that there are a few upcoming strikes planned for May. As you can see, it's NOT for the entire day. This relate to flying; I know I've seen someone post a website on which you can check what if any strikes may be planned for the rail service.


May 5: A four-hour nationwide air traffic controllers strike by members of the ENAV agency, noon?4 PM. Flight cancellations are possible.

May 5: Alitalia employees will hold a four-hour strike noon?4 PM; expect flight disruptions.

May 12: A four-hour nationwide air traffic controllers strike by members of the ENAV agency, 12:30 PM?4:30 PM. Flight cancellations are possible.

After reading this post it sounds as though the train strikes aren't devistating. However, we'll be on a cruise and we're planning on taking the train from Livorno to Florence.
If there is a strike, we could be in serious trouble if we don't get back to the port on time.
Should we re-think our plans and take the cruise-sponsored transportation?
Also...we'll be flying out of Venice on the 18th of May..do we need to be concerned about the airline strike?
We are on frequent flyer miles out of Gatwick.....

We'll be travelling on Alitalia and trains in May, so could you tell me of any website that tells me of impending strikes?

Transportation strikes in Italy are very common and you need to plan around them. If you spend two to three weeks at a time in Italy as I do, you will most likely be affected by one or more. This website will help you plan around such events.

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

Larry J