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Calendar: The transport strikes to expect in Italy this February

Travellers in Italy will face disruption again this month amid a new round of transport strikes. Here's what you can expect in the coming weeks.

Crowded bus station in Rome
Public transport staff will take part in a national 24-hour strike on Friday, February 17th. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Travel in Italy was disrupted by dozens of localised strikes in January, and this is set to continue into February as Italian unions announced a further round of demonstrations affecting rail and public transport services in many areas, as well as airline travel.

READ ALSO: Should you travel in Italy when there’s a strike on?

Here’s an overview of February’s main strikes, which are again mainly local or regional, but include a national public transport strike on February 17th and a nationwide walkout by airport ground staff on February 28th.

February 5th-6th: Trenitalia staff in the southern Calabria region will strike from 9pm on Sunday, February 5th to 9pm the following day. 

A list of guaranteed services in the region is available here.

February 9th: Staff from Lombardy’s Trenord will take part in a 22-hour strike – from 2am to 11.50pm – on Thursday, February 9th.

It’s currently unclear whether Trenord will operate minimum services on the day. See the company’s website for further information. 

Travellers at an Italian airport

A national strike from ground service staff may cause delays and queues at many Italian airports on Tuesday, February 28th. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

February 12th: Air traffic control staff at Perugia’s San Francesco d’Assisi airport will take part in a 24-hour strike action on Sunday, February 12th. 

It isn’t yet clear how the walkout will affect air travel to and from the airport on the day.

February 12th-13th: Trenitalia staff in Emilia-Romagna will strike from 3.30am on Sunday, February 12th to 2.30am on Monday, February 13th.

A list of guaranteed rail services in the region is available here.

February 17th: Public transport staff around the country will take part in a national 24-hour strike on Friday, February 17th. 

There are few details available yet, but the amount of disruption and strike times will vary by city.

Rome public transport services, including buses and trams, are set to be affected between 8.30am and 5pm, then from 8pm until end of service.

Find more details about how public transport services will be affected in other cities HERE.

February 19th: Trenitalia staff in the Veneto region will strike from 9am to 5pm on Sunday, February 19th. 

Guaranteed services are available here.

On the same day, there will be no service between Milan’s Milano Centrale station and Paris’s Gare de Lyon due to a strike from staff at France’s national railway company SNCF.

READ ALSO: Trains and planes: Italy’s new international travel routes in 2023

Empty train platform in Codogno, Lombardy

Staff from Lombardy’s regional railway operator Trenord will strike for 22 hours on Thursday, February 9th. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP

February 20th: Trenitalia personnel in Lombardy are expected to strike from 9am to 5pm on Monday, February 20th. 

Guaranteed services haven’t been made available yet. 

February 28th: Baggage handlers and other airport ground service staff will take part in a national 24-hour strike on Tuesday, February 28th. 

It isn’t yet clear how the strike will affect air travel during the day, though a similar demonstration caused significant delays and queues at some Italian airports in late January.

ENAV air traffic operators based in Calabria are also expected to strike on February 28th, with the walkout set to start at 1pm and end at 5pm.

You can keep up to date with the latest strike news from Italy HERE.

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STRIKES

Reader question: Will there be transport strikes in Italy over Easter?

Easter is high season for travel and tourism in Italy, but will travellers face any transport strikes over the busy holiday weekend?

Reader question: Will there be transport strikes in Italy over Easter?

Question: “I’m travelling to Italy for the Easter break and I wondered if there are going to be any strikes?”

As Easter approaches, many people in Italy are preparing for trips – school’s out from Thursday, and although Good Friday isn’t a public holiday many Italians will take the day off work anyway to create a four-day weekend.

With more than ten million Italians plus millions of international visitors planning to travel to the country’s major cities and coastal holiday destinations this weekend, heavy traffic is to be expected on the roads and long-distance trains have been booked up well in advance.

However, Italy is known for its regular transport strikes affecting, everything from airport baggage handling to staffing at motorway toll booths, and at such a busy time these walkouts could prove very disruptive.

READ ALSO: The most popular Italian getaway destinations this Easter

So could this prove problematic for travellers and tourists in Italy in the coming days?

There are no transport strikes planned between Thursday, March 28th and Thursday, April 5th according to the Italian transport ministry’s strike calendar.

And that’s very unlikely to change at this late date, as any planned strike affecting transport in Italy has to be communicated to the transport ministry at least 11 days before it takes place.

Bear in mind however that while travel over the Easter holidays shouldn’t be affected by strikes, public transport services will likely run on a reduced schedule on Easter Sunday and Easter Monday as both days are national holidays in Italy. 

READ ALSO: What’s open in Italy over Easter weekend?

Anyone travelling on those dates is advised to check their transport operator’s orari festivi (holiday schedules) before setting off.

Keep up with the latest travel news from Italy here.

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