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TRAVEL NEWS

What does Italy’s general strike on Friday mean for travel?

Italian trade unions have called a nationwide general strike for Friday, May 20th. Here's a look at how travel within the country will be affected.

Trenitalia, Italy
Italian rail services will be affected for a period of 24 hours, from 9pm on Thursday to 9pm on Friday. Photo by Geoffrey VAN DER HASSELT / AFP.

The strike has been organised by a range of national and regional trade unions representing various sectors in protest at the Italian government’s spending on the Ukraine war.

Union leaders say the funds should be targeted instead at increasing workers’ wages and, in turn, families’ purchasing power.

Walter Montagnoli, national secretary of the CUB union, told SkyTG24: “The conflict needs to be stopped. […] Draghi’s government is taking military expenses to 2 percent of our GDP: national defence expenses will go from 25 to 38 billion euros, thus reducing the budget for healthcare, education, public transport, the construction industry and, naturally, pensions and wages.”

Demonstrations are set to take place in cities across Italy, including in Milan, Rome, Messina, Palermo, Catania, Cagliari, Turin, Bologna, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Turin, Genoa, La Spezia, Reggio Emilia, Trieste, Bergamo and Taranto, according to media reports.

Strike action is otherwise expected to focus on the transport sector, meaning some disruption to travel plans is likely – depending on where you are in Italy and what time you’ll be travelling.

Here’s a look at what you should know before setting out on your journey on Friday. 

Train services 

Railroad services will be affected for a period of 24 hours, from 9pm on Thursday to 9pm on Friday.

However, Trenitalia has already communicated that Freccia and Intercity trains will run regularly and essential regional services will be guaranteed in the following time frames: 6am to 9am and 6pm to 9pm.

If you’re travelling with Italo, the company has published a list of its guaranteed services on its website

Local public transport 

Local public transport including buses, trams and metro trains in Italian towns and cities will also be affected by the strike action, but the magnitude of disruption to regular services will depend largely upon the area.

Rome and Milan will likely be the most affected cities.

In Milan, metro trains will run regularly until at least 6pm, whereas buses and tram services may be affected between 8.45am and 3pm and after 6pm.

In the capital, local transport providers ATAC and TPL said services will operate normally before 8.30am and from 5pm to 8pm.

If you’ll be commuting, you’re advised to consult the website of your local transport provider before setting off.

Flights

The ENAC (Italian Civil Aviation Authority) confirmed that all flights between 7am and 10am and between 6pm and 9pm will operate as normal.

However, they strongly suggest that travellers contact their airline to check the status of their flight before leaving for the airport.

See ENAC’s website for further information.

Travelling by car

Travelling by car might also be fairly problematic (or more problematic than it usually is) as motorway toll booth staff are set to strike from 10pm on Thursday to 10pm on Friday.

While the impact may differ from one part of the country to another, this is likely to mean a smaller number of toll booths are open and, as a result, lines at some motorway entrances will be longer than usual.

Drivers are advised to consult motorway operator Autostrade per l’Italia’s traffic map for real-time updates.

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TRAVEL NEWS

Labour Day: What’s open and what’s closed in Italy on May 1st 2024

Wednesday, May 1st will mark Italy’s Labour Day. But how will shops, transport services and museums be affected by the public holiday?

Labour Day: What's open and what's closed in Italy on May 1st 2024

First established back in 1890 to celebrate workers’ rights and the achievements made by Italian trade unions, Labour Day (or Festa del Lavoro) is a national public holiday in Italy, meaning a day off for many around the country.

Generally speaking, much of Italy tends to grind to a halt on public holidays and Labour Day is no exception as some services will be significantly limited or, at times, even unavailable on the day.  

But what exactly can you expect to find open, or closed, next Wednesday?

Public transport 

Most local public transport companies in the country will operate on a reduced timetable (also known as orari festivi) on May 1st, with the quality and frequency of services during the day likely to vary significantly between rural and urban areas, as well as between cities.

Areas that are usually served by just the occasional bus may see stripped-to-the-bone services on Wednesday, whereas parts of the country that already have robust public transport networks should keep them fairly active.  

Having said that, Labour Day transport services in both urban and rural areas may experience delays and/or cancellations this year due to a 24-hour general strike involving staff from public and private operators around the country.

There’s currently little information available as to exactly how the walkout will affect travel on Wednesday and what level of disruption passengers can expect, though further details are expected to become available closer to the date of the walkout. 

You can keep up with all the latest updates in our strike news section. 

Rail and air travel

Much like public transport services, regional and local trains will run on fairly reduced timetables on Wednesday, whereas most interregional and long-distance high-speed trains will run on standard weekday timetables. 

However, the normal operation of these services may be affected by the above-mentioned 24-hour general strike. 

As for air travel, inbound and outbound flights shouldn’t be affected by the strike, according to the latest reports. 

Schools and offices

Public schools in all Italian regions will be closed on May 1st. 

Pupils in Molise and Liguria will enjoy a longer break as they’ll be home from school on Monday, April 29th and Tuesday, April 30th as well.

As it’s usually the case on national public holidays, offices in both the public and private sector (this includes banks, post offices, town hall desks and CAF fiscal assistance centres) will be closed. 

Tourist attractions

Most state-run museums and archaeological sites, including Florence’s Galleria dell’Accademia and Rome’s Colosseum, will be open on Wednesday, though some may have slightly reduced hours, which is why it’s advisable to check the opening times in advance if you have a specific site you want to visit in mind. 

Privately run museums, galleries or collections may be closed on the day.

Pasticcerie, panifici and restaurants

Some panifici (bakeries) and pasticcerie (pastry shops) in major cities may remain open on Wednesday morning to allow customers to buy bread and sweets for their Labour Day lunch.  

Many restaurants will remain open on Labour Day to welcome the families who choose to dine out for the holiday. But if you’re planning on eating out on that day, it’s advisable to make a reservation in advance to avoid any unpleasant surprises later on.

Shops and supermarkets

Many supermarket chains around the country will have limited opening hours on Wednesday. For instance, some may open around 9 in the morning and then close in the early afternoon.

Most mini-markets will remain completely closed instead. 

Most shops in non-urban areas will be closed on Wednesday, whereas businesses in big cities around the country may open for either the morning only or the afternoon only.

Doctors and pharmacies

GPs’ clinics will be closed on Wednesday. 

However, should you be in need of an urgent appointment, you can ask to see a doctor from Italy’s Guardia Medica, a medical care centre that operates outside of GPs’ normal working hours and on weekends, or visit your local hospital’s ER (pronto soccorso).

Should you need to buy medicines or pick up a prescription, pharmacies in Italy operate a rota system during national holidays to ensure that at least one is open in each area. 

To find the nearest one, Google farmacia di turno plus the name of the municipality (or comune) you find yourself in.

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