Has an Italian transportation strike ruined your trip? How to prepare?

[mikeerdas]

Ok, so it seems Italy has many transportation strikes; some get called off. And evidently, they are announced in advance--doesn't really help if you've booked your cruise and airfare months in advance and can't get a refund.

 

What does one do during a strike and how does one prepare for them?

 

I thought arriving a few days early might help, and that's what I intend to do. But if multiple modes of transportation are on strike (metro, taxi drivers, air), what can you do?

 

On the day my cruise ends, I'd been planning on booking a flight out in the afternoon--and save on hotel costs. But again... what happens if the metro gets shut down and other forms of transport are striking as well?

 

Think I heard it costs something crazy to take a taxi from the port to the airport--maybe USD $200 to USD $300? Is that right? A bit of a budget buster. I know some feel comfortable with this as a solution, and if it's the only one, I'll deal with it. But I'd rather not pay those prices.

 

How can airport workers strike? With the interconnectedness of international air travel, doesn't that create absolute chaos?

 

The strike issue has made me want to cancel my cruise and choose non-Italian ports of embarkation / disembarkation.

 

Please someone tell me not to worry; or at least how to strategically plan.

 

Mike

 

 

[Leejnd4]

I think someone has needlessly alarmed you about the transportation strike situation in Italy. Yes, strikes happen...but I've been to Italy 7 or 8 times, including cruises as well as 3-week land-based trips, and I've only been impacted by a strike once...a rail strike. We had a car anyway, so the only way it affected us was that it took us twice as long to drive into downtown Rome that day (we were meeting friends at the Spanish Steps) because it seemed like everyone and their brother was also trying to drive into downtown Rome on that day!

 

As far as travel from the port to the airport, most cruisers that I know either take the ship transfer, or they make arrangements with a private driver. These are independent companies and, to my knowledge, don't cease operating when there is a transportation strike. I know of some people who have used the train to get from the port to the airport, but since strikes are announced in advance, you can find out if there's supposed to be one on that day and, if so, make private arrangements or use the ship transfer instead.

 

I have never seen the airport in Rome shut down due to a strike, but maybe others can address this? Suffice to say that if it does happen, the likelihood of it impacting you is pretty low.

[mikeerdas]

Thanks for the info Lee Anne.

 

Can you in fact rent a car from the port and drop off at the airport? Seems like it might possibly be cheaper than hiring a driver (as weird as that sounds), if hiring a driver costs ~USD $200+.

 

Wondering if it's tough to hire a private driver on strike days. I don't want to be stranded and have to pay double airfare.

 

Also wondering if it's generally ok to book a flight out in the afternoon; cruise would arrive back in Rome around 6am. Flight out would be 2:30pm the same day. Does that seem reasonable?

[Terpnut]

I thought arriving a few days early might help, and that's what I intend to do. But if multiple modes of transportation are on strike (metro, taxi drivers, air), what can you do?

 

On the day my cruise ends, I'd been planning on booking a flight out in the afternoon--and save on hotel costs. But again... what happens if the metro gets shut down and other forms of transport are striking as well?

Not sure how staying pre or post-cruise in a hotel will help you in the event of a strike--you can't go anywhere in any case. IOW, if you can't get to the airport, how were you going to get to the hotel?

Think I heard it costs something crazy to take a taxi from the port to the airport--maybe USD $200 to USD $300? Is that right? A bit of a budget buster. I know some feel comfortable with this as a solution, and if it's the only one, I'll deal with it. But I'd rather not pay those prices.

It is imperative that you understand that, Fiumicino (airport), Civitavecchia (port) and Roma (city) are not close to each other. Look at a map if you have not already done so. If you cannot afford the intercity transfers (yes, it can be very expensive due to the substantial distances), or you are truly worried about transportation-related risks such as strikes, then you probably should consider other embarkation ports. However as Lee Anne already pointed out, when it comes to strikes, you are probably making a big issue out of nothing and worrying needlessly. And to save money on the transfers, consider joining the roll call for your sailing and share a transfer. You can probably get the per person cost down to 25-30 Euros each way--maybe a total of 50 Euro or about $65 roundtrip if you are lucky!

Can you in fact rent a car from the port and drop off at the airport? Seems like it might possibly be cheaper than hiring a driver (as weird as that sounds), if hiring a driver costs ~USD $200+.

 

Wondering if it's tough to hire a private driver on strike days. I don't want to be stranded and have to pay double airfare.

 

Also wondering if it's generally ok to book a flight out in the afternoon; cruise would arrive back in Rome around 6am. Flight out would be 2:30pm the same day. Does that seem reasonable?

Renting a car is probably not an option because I don't think you can do an affordable (or even at all!) one-way drop-off in Civitavecchia.

 

As for flights, any afternoon flight should be no problem and be sure to set aside at least 1 hour for the transfer from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino itself. This is probably what MOST people do.

 

In summary, if you are on a budget, you should not plan pre or post-cruise hotel stays. If you are really, really on a budget and can't afford the additional couple hundred Euros or so you're going to spend just getting from Fiumicino to Civitavecchia and back, then you really should take Rome off your embarkation ports for cruises. Good luck!

[CathyCruises]

I have also been there multiple times and have never experienced a strike anywhere in Europe. I agree that you are being needlessly alarmed. They are almost always announced ahead of time, and sometimes last 3 hours or less--when they DO happen. If you focus on that possibility you will drive yourself nuts and reduce your enjoyment of the trip!

 

You wouldn't be taking the metro to the airport anyway--the best public transportation is the train from Civitavecchia to Termini, then the Leonardo Express to the airport. The chances of a train strike being called on YOUR day are very, very slim.

 

You should check out romeinlimo.com or romecabs.com to get quotes from the port to the airport. If you can join with other cruisers on your roll call, you can get there very inexpensively and eliminate your fear of strikes. Those companies would NOT be striking even if there was one.

 

Good luck!

 

Cathy

[Leejnd4]

I'll add a couple comments:

 

1) DEFINITELY stay a few days pre- or post-cruise. Rome is too spectacular a city to only get to spend one day in it! Unless you've been to Rome before, or plan on going there again, it would be an absolute travesty to rush through this city. Also, I personally prefer to fly into European ports at least a couple days early, just to overcome the jet lag before my cruise starts. It's no fun missing out on the first couple of days of a cruise because your sleep cycle is off.

 

2) You are correct that a private driver is expensive - but that's if you're only using it for yourself. Every time I've done a private driver in Italy, I've booked it with at least a few other people from my cruise. Trust me that you will not be the only person who wants to do this on your cruise - and if you can hook up with a few of them in advance, you can bring the per-person cost down to a far more manageable level. To find others in your cruise who want to share a private driver for ship-airport transfer, just check out your cruise's roll call thread.

 

As for finding a private driver on strike days, remember that you need to book this well in advance! As long as you've booked a driver, you will get one. If private tour companies in Italy were in the habit of stranding their clients, they would not be in business for long.

 

Editing to add: Look like CathyCruises beat me to the punch about the roll call thread! :D

[mikeerdas]

Thanks Lee Anne, Cathy and Terp.

 

I'm definitely arriving 2 days before (to see Rome, after all, like Lee Anne said) and will fly out the afternoon of disembarkation; which leads me to another question--if disembarkation is at 6am; let's say I'm off the ship by 8am in case of a late port arrival, etc. And my flight is at 2:30pm. How early do I need to be at the airport, and does this leave any time for "last day" sightseeing? (probably not a lot, so looking for suggestions).

 

Any place I could check my bags for the day? Maybe a train station? I travel light (Rick Steves'-style backpack and a day pack; no traditional luggage per se), but not so light that I want to be lugging everything with me.

 

Thanks again.

 

Mike

[CathyCruises]

You can take the train from the port to Termini and check your bags there; from everything I've heard you should plan to be at the airport 2-3 hours early since it really can be a zoo. So for a 2:30 PM flite, you'd probably want to leave Rome by 10:30 or 11 at the latest, which wouldn't give you much time to do much of anything. Even if you made the 7:36 (I think) train from Civ., you wouldn't be at Termini till after 8:45. Not a ton of wiggle room there. . .

 

Cathy

[Leejnd4]

Having flown in and out of Fiumicino on numerous occasions, I can attest to the fact that it most certainly IS one chaotic airport! For an international flight, you definitely want to get there with 2 to 3 hours to spare. And given your concerns about transportation, if I were you, I would not plan on spending much time in the city at all. I agree with CathyCruises - plan on leaving Rome for the airport no later than 11:00 am. How much time you have to spend in the city is then dependent on what time you get there.

 

To check train schedules in English, click here: http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/homepage_en.html

[cruisemom42]

Thanks Lee Anne, Cathy and Terp.

 

I'm definitely arriving 2 days before (to see Rome, after all, like Lee Anne said) and will fly out the afternoon of disembarkation; which leads me to another question--if disembarkation is at 6am; let's say I'm off the ship by 8am in case of a late port arrival, etc. And my flight is at 2:30pm. How early do I need to be at the airport, and does this leave any time for "last day" sightseeing? (probably not a lot, so looking for suggestions).

 

Any place I could check my bags for the day? Maybe a train station? I travel light (Rick Steves'-style backpack and a day pack; no traditional luggage per se), but not so light that I want to be lugging everything with me.

 

Thanks again.

 

Mike

 

If you do walk-off disembarkation (usually the first group off) and carry your own bags, you could make the early train as Cathy says. You wouldn't want to wander too far from Termini, but you could possibly see the one of the buildings of the National Museum of Rome, Palazzo Massimo al Terme, which is directly across from Termini; it opens at 9am (closed Mondays) and features beautiful ancient sculpture, mosaics, and frescoes. Next door you can wander around what's left of Diocletian's baths.

 

http://www.roma2000.it/zmunaro.html

[Terpnut]

Thanks Lee Anne, Cathy and Terp.

 

I'm definitely arriving 2 days before (to see Rome, after all, like Lee Anne said) and will fly out the afternoon of disembarkation; which leads me to another question--if disembarkation is at 6am; let's say I'm off the ship by 8am in case of a late port arrival, etc. And my flight is at 2:30pm. How early do I need to be at the airport, and does this leave any time for "last day" sightseeing? (probably not a lot, so looking for suggestions).

 

Any place I could check my bags for the day? Maybe a train station? I travel light (Rick Steves'-style backpack and a day pack; no traditional luggage per se), but not so light that I want to be lugging everything with me.

 

Thanks again.

 

Mike

I'll offer a different opinion. If you have a mid-afternoon flight, I'd personally forget about trains and seeing Rome that day, and plan to share a private transport directly from Civitavecchia to FCO. Remember, you have to first walk or taxi to the train station in Civitavecchia. Then you have to take the train for over an hour to get into Rome Termini. Later, it will take you at least 40 minutes to get to Fiumicino. Including getting to/from all the stations and all the wait times, you can expect to spend over two hours to get from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino via train. Civitavecchia directly to Fiumcino by private car is probably under an hour. So I personally don't think it's worth an extra hour in transfer time just for a few additional hours in Rome.

 

So why not enjoy breakfast on the ship, get off at a more leisurely pace and share private transport straight to FCO? If you split a 140-150 Euro transfer with say five others, it'll only cost you under 30 Euros--not much more than taking the longer, roundabout path by trains. And you won't have to schlep your stuff--regardless of how light you are travelling.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Leejnd4]

^^^I have to say I agree with the above. That's why I suggested going to your Roll Call thread and trying to hook up with other pax on your ship to arrange a private transfer. A far more leisurely, stress-free way to end your cruise.

[sunsetbeachgal]

Strikes are not limited to Italy-on our Med cruise a couple of years ago there was a 1/2 strike and demonstrations in Greece-those who were planning on taking the train into Athens on their own were warned that public train service was not goign to be available on the way home.

[sanjim]

Since I am a DIY person, because of a train strike in Italy on the day we were in Florence, we ended up paying almost 200 US dollars for a cruise ship bus ride to florence and Pisa. It was not a good thing at all. what a waste of money and time. I was aware of the strike weeks before we left home, however RCL didnt know anything about it untill the day before. I think they finally checked into it because I kept asking them if they knew anything about a strike, RCL said no strike.

[iancal]

We have spent 3 vacations in Italy recently-they have have usually been 2-4 weeks each and have all involved rail transport. Fortunately we have never had a travel interuption due to a strike with one exception...a strike at FCO. We were the last plane to leave that morning. It was a code share with Alitalia but we were cleared. Had it been an Alitalia flight, we were told that we would not have made it. We had not been following the news and had no inkling of the inpending work stoppage. I understand that the strikes are not wildcat -they annouce them well in advance so travellers can make the requisite arrangements.

[mikeerdas]

Thanks again for all the great advice.

[jwds]

check out this site:

 

http://rome.angloinfo.com/countries/italy/strikes.asp

 

it contains a link to an Italian government site which has a strike calendar.

[mikeerdas]

While following up on links, I discovered the following comments on someone's Italian Train Site for Cruisers:

 

http://www.ftroute.com/FCO_ROM_CIV.htm

 

The Leonardo Express is a non-stop, one class, train service to Rome Termini (the central train station.) The trip is about 30 minutes and the trains leave about every half hour. Cost is 11 euro and children under 12 are free. One very good thing to note: “The Leonardo Express service is

always guaranteed

. In the event of a strike, services will be provided by buses.”

This is the first I've seen any mention that the Leonardo Express is strike-proof (in a sense). Can anyone else confirm or deny this?

 

So, I guess I could take private transport from the cruise terminal as far as Termini in the event of a strike. Definitely going to look into the possibility of a private transport CC-share back to the airport; just seems easier.

 

Thanks again to all for the great advice. I'm much more relaxed about my trip. :-) Have booked two nights in Rome and, after reading the advice here, to do all my sight-seeing pre-cruise. I'll focus on getting back to the airport on the day of disembarkation.

 

Mike

[GSPLover]

The Leonardo Express is a non-stop, one class, train service to Rome Termini (the central train station.) The trip is about 30 minutes and the trains leave about every half hour. Cost is 11 euro and children under 12 are free. One very good thing to note: “The Leonardo Express service is always guaranteed. In the event of a strike, services will be provided by buses.”

This is the first I've seen any mention that the Leonardo Express is strike-proof (in a sense). Can anyone else confirm or deny this?

Mike

 

Mike (and everybody else)...

 

The quote above (from my website) is a direct quote from the Trenitalia website. I don't know where you could get more proof than that!

[Seabee]

In 2006, we stayed in Rome a few days before our cruise. We arranged a private transfer from out B&B to the port...to be picked up at 2:00 pm on sailing day. That morning we decided to take the double decker City Bus tour to get an overall view of everything we missed. There was a strike called for that afternoon beginning at noon. We were told by the lady selling us the tickets that the double decker did not honor the strike and that there was no problem...why did I believe her???:confused:

 

Anyway, sure enough at noon, the City came to a halt. The bus did try to continue but frankly could not move in the gridlock that ensued...so at about 1:00 the driver anounced everyone off. We were completely on the opposite side of Rome from our B&B. I took out my map and we started walking, really fast. My fear was that our driver would show up and we wouldn't be there.

 

Anyway, we found out how small Rome really is...we arrived back at our B&B and had time for a refreshing adult beverage before the driver showed up...worst impact on me was that I left my Rick Steves book on that durn bus.

 

Moral of story...strikes are real and can screw you up if you are on a deadline. Private drivers don't strike (at least not as part of the public strikes) Lesson learned...when you absolutely, positively have to be somewhere on time in Italy, hire a Private Driver!

[iancal]

In our past three trips to Italy (all were three-five weeks), we never had an issue with strikes or transportation interuption. Once, on our departure day from FCO there was apparently some sort of strike of Alitalia counter agents. Fortunately we were on an Air Canada codeshare and it did not impact us in any way. Rail travel on all three trips was first rate.. As I recall, they announce the strikes well in advance so that you can easily plan around them. From our perspective, not a big deal. We have met with far more challenging issues in our travels.

[cruise luver]

We have had strikes in Italy affect us twice on one trip! We flew into Rome to be met by two of the nicest young people representing Delta airline to tell us that unfortunately our baggage had not made it on the plane and would be arriving later. They took us to a counter and help us with filling out info to get our luggage delivered to us at our hotel by afternoon. Well for the next 3 days every time we came back to our hotel after tours, etc. we were told "No luggage". It got so that we didn't even have to ask, they just told us as soon as they saw us. I had to go buy necessities, underwear, gown. By the third afternoon we had free time (up until then we had prepaid tours), so we went out to the airport to the Delta counter. Turns out Delta only had representatives there in the morning when they have flights. So we go back to the counter where we had filled out the info and presented our paperwork to the young man who had limited English. He punched in info into the computer and told my husband "Not here". My husband was mad enough to punch out the guy! I said "I know it says 'not here' but where does the computer say it is?" He punched up one more screen and said it was in the next concourse over! We walked through where he pointed and found hundreds of bags thrown up against a wall. There had been a strike by the baggage handlers! If we hadn't gone back out to the airport and been insistent we would never have seen our bags again.

 

On this same trip we got of the train in Venice to find there was a wildcat strike of the water buses. With no way to know when it would end and limited time to visit we had to hire a private boat at a very high price.

 

Even with these set backs I would not trade this trip around Italy for any thing. My grandparents came to the US from Italy and it felt very natural being there.

 

When I threw my coin in Trevi fountain I never expected it to work but I plan to be in Rome in November and can't wait!

[D4]

To the OP: what airline are you on? I read enough about very poor overall Alitalia service and their frequent strikes to know I needed to select a different airline.

[mikeerdas]

To the OP: what airline are you on? I read enough about very poor overall Alitalia service and their frequent strikes to know I needed to select a different airline.

 

I'm flying in on Air Canada and out on Lufthansa. I now know better than to ever fly on Alitalia.

[GSPLover]

Every once in a while, somebody will encounter a strike of somekind that will upset their applecart. Always have a Plan 'b' or a Plan 'C' worked out ahead of time. It's Italy - get used to it as there is nothing that you can do about it. How many of you, at home, have encountered an 'electricity' strike or a 'water strike'? Living in Italy for three years, we encountered both, on several occasions. Shrug your shoulders, say "oh well", and go on with your life.

 

Strikes are not everyday occurances, but they do happen. Just have a Plan "B' or Plan 'C' in your backpocket.