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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?

Published: 26 April 2024 15:33 CEST
Updated: 1 May 2024 08:27 CEST
People enjoy a sunny day at the Villa Ada park in Rome
People enjoy a sunny day at the Villa Ada park in Rome on May 1st 2014. Photo by ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

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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EES PASSPORT CHECKS

EES border checks could undergo ‘soft launch’, UK says as app concerns mount

The UK government is preparing for a "soft launch" of the new EU border system – the Entry/Exit (EES) system - in October but authorities are still waiting for European Commission to confirm the start date, amid concerns over the delay of a new app.

Published: 4 May 2024 09:30 CEST
EES border checks could undergo 'soft launch', UK says as app concerns mount

The government is working on the assumption that the system will go live on October 6th, ministers told a hearing at the House of Commons European scrutiny committee this week.

But the European Commission is expected to confirm the exact launch date of the new biometric checks for non-EU travellers entering the Schengen area at some point this summer, they added.

“We are very much working on a basis whereby this policy will go live on the 6th of October. It is important that we plan for that eventuality. We are expecting to hear definitively from the European Union that ‘go live’ arrangement in the summer,” Tom Pursglove, UK Minister for Legal Migration and the Border told the committee.

The parliamentary committee is conducting an inquiry on the disruptions the system will cause in the UK.

Pursglove also said that “precautionary measures” have been agreed by the EU, that will be put in place in certain circumstances after the start of EES, for example if delays at the borders exceeded a certain length of time.

Guy Opperman, Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, said that in practice this meant a “soft launch” of EES for 6 months before “a full go live”. During that soft launch EU member states and the UK could deploy flexibility measures should problems occur.

“The likelihood is, after multiple delays, that the 6th of October will proceed” and the implementation looks “very different” compared to previous scenarios considering the flexibility allowed in the first 6 months, he argued.

No details were given on what these “flexible” measures would involve however. 

READ ALSO: Your questions answered about Europe’s EES passport checks

He conceded that “a lot of work” still needs to be done but the UK “should be as ready as everybody” and “better be at front of the queue”.

App not ready

During the meeting, it also emerged that a much-anticipated app that would allow remote pre-registration of non-EU citizens subject to the checks will not be available for testing until August “at best”, prompting concerns about the EES launch date.

“You don’t need to be a sceptic about future projects to think that the provision of the app in August for going live in October is optimistic,” Opperman said.

Ministers confirmed that the app will not be ready in time for October and the committee previously stated it might be delayed until summer 2025.

The app will facilitate pre-registration, but photo and fingerprints will still have to be taken at the border in front of a guard, the committee heard.

READ ALSO: How do the EU’s new EES passport checks affect the 90-day rule?

Several MPs asked whether the entry into operation of the EES should be delayed again if technology is not ready. But Under-Secretary Opperman said the app “is not going to be a panacea to fix all problems”.

The main aim of EES is to increase security and to ensure that non-EU nationals visiting the Schengen area for a short-term do not stay more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

The entry into operation of the system has already been delayed several times and there have been calls from certain travel companies and national authorities to delay it again.

Under the new scheme, non-EU/EFTA travellers who do not need a visa will have to register their biometric data (finger prints and facial images) in a database that will also record each time they enter and exit the Schengen area.

Instead of having passports manually stamped, travellers will have to scan them at self-service kiosks before crossing the border. However, fingerprints and a photo will have to be registered in front of a guard at the first crossing and there are concerns the extra time needed will generate long queues, especially in Dover, Folkestone and St. Pancras station in London, where there are juxtaposed French and UK border checks.

Progress in preparations

Minister Pursglove also updated MPs on ongoing preparations. He said some testing of the system will take place within days, 5 kiosks have been installed at St. Pancras station and are available for testing. “You are beginning to see the physical infrastructure appear,” he said.

Kiosks and extra lanes are also being created at the port Dover and it was agreed with the EU passengers travelling by coach will be checked away from the Eastern dock, where controls usually take place, allowing to gain space. The vehicles will then sealed and drive on the ferries.

MPs also discussed the infrastructure cost linked to the introduction of the EES. Opperman said all EU countries will have to make “huge investments” in their ports. In the UK, he argued, this will help “address problems that have existed for some time”. Because of this “massive investment”, in a few years time “Dover will be totally transformed,” he said.

This article is published in cooperation with Europe Street News.

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