Rick S

My family and I will be in Europe starting 1 April when we will be
flying to LHR then on to Rome, spending three days, then a night
train to Paris, five days there, then back to London for two and home
to the US. I had everything planned and booked (non-refundable!),
including tix on Ryanair to Rome and non-refundable night train
tickets Rome to Paris and then I found out this (thanks to this board)

"April 3rd ~ April 4th 2004: 24 hours nationwide strike of Italian
railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferrovie dello
Stato - State Railroads), from 2100 (Apr. 3) till 2100 (Apr. 4). "

Our train is scheduled to leave 18.10 on 4 April so we are at the tail
end of the strike. If I chicken out and rebuy tickets for 3 April
(same time) looks like we would still be affected enroute even though
we could leave Rome. This appears to be followed the next day by an
aviation strike so, with everything else booked I almost feel like we
should just blow off Rome entirely and just get to Paris earlier (like
on the 1st or 2nd). Or am I panicing too soon? Has anybody been
through one of these?

Rick S
Florida

Ulf Kutzner

Rick S schrieb:
    >
    > My family and I will be in Europe starting 1 April when we will be
    > flying to LHR then on to Rome, spending three days, then a night
    > train to Paris, five days there, then back to London for two and home
    > to the US. I had everything planned and booked (non-refundable!),
    > including tix on Ryanair to Rome and non-refundable night train
    > tickets Rome to Paris and then I found out this (thanks to this board)
    >
    > "April 3rd ~ April 4th 2004: 24 hours nationwide strike of Italian
    > railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferrovie dello
    > Stato - State Railroads), from 2100 (Apr. 3) till 2100 (Apr. 4). "
    >
    > Our train is scheduled to leave 18.10 on 4 April so we are at the tail
    > end of the strike. If I chicken out and rebuy tickets for 3 April
    > (same time) looks like we would still be affected enroute even though
    > we could leave Rome. This appears to be followed the next day by an
    > aviation strike so, with everything else booked I almost feel like we
    > should just blow off Rome entirely and just get to Paris earlier (like
    > on the 1st or 2nd). Or am I panicing too soon?

If you have five days in Paris, you can risk. I guess your train might
be a few hours late but it should run.

Regards & X-post, ULF

Rick S

Ulf Kutzner <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > Rick S schrieb:
    > >
    > > My family and I will be in Europe starting 1 April when we will be
    > > flying to LHR then on to Rome, spending three days, then a night
    > > train to Paris, five days there, then back to London for two and home
    > > to the US. I had everything planned and booked (non-refundable!),
    > > including tix on Ryanair to Rome and non-refundable night train
    > > tickets Rome to Paris and then I found out this (thanks to this board)
    > >
    > > "April 3rd ~ April 4th 2004: 24 hours nationwide strike of Italian
    > > railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferrovie dello
    > > Stato - State Railroads), from 2100 (Apr. 3) till 2100 (Apr. 4). "
    > >
    > > Our train is scheduled to leave 18.10 on 4 April so we are at the tail
    > > end of the strike. If I chicken out and rebuy tickets for 3 April
    > > (same time) looks like we would still be affected enroute even though
    > > we could leave Rome. This appears to be followed the next day by an
    > > aviation strike so, with everything else booked I almost feel like we
    > > should just blow off Rome entirely and just get to Paris earlier (like
    > > on the 1st or 2nd). Or am I panicing too soon?
    >
    > If you have five days in Paris, you can risk. I guess your train might
    > be a few hours late but it should run.
    >
    > Regards & X-post, ULF
ULF-
I would hate to lose any time in Paris (or Rome for that matter). Do
you think if I called FS would they KNOW if it would run and can I
trust them? Will the whole train system be backed up for days or
would enough knowledgable locals avoid the mess that it won't be so
bad? I am pretty nervous about this. I can get the family out of
Rome at the same time via Volareweb (air) for 200 Euros (plus a night
in a hotel)

Rick

Ryan B

"Rick S" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > Ulf Kutzner <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
    > > Rick S schrieb:
    > > >
    > > > My family and I will be in Europe starting 1 April when we will be
    > > > flying to LHR then on to Rome, spending three days, then a night
    > > > train to Paris, five days there, then back to London for two and home
    > > > to the US. I had everything planned and booked (non-refundable!),
    > > > including tix on Ryanair to Rome and non-refundable night train
    > > > tickets Rome to Paris and then I found out this (thanks to this board)
    > > >
    > > > "April 3rd ~ April 4th 2004: 24 hours nationwide strike of Italian
    > > > railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferrovie dello
    > > > Stato - State Railroads), from 2100 (Apr. 3) till 2100 (Apr. 4). "
    > > >
    > > > Our train is scheduled to leave 18.10 on 4 April so we are at the tail
    > > > end of the strike. If I chicken out and rebuy tickets for 3 April
    > > > (same time) looks like we would still be affected enroute even though
    > > > we could leave Rome. This appears to be followed the next day by an
    > > > aviation strike so, with everything else booked I almost feel like we
    > > > should just blow off Rome entirely and just get to Paris earlier (like
    > > > on the 1st or 2nd). Or am I panicing too soon?
    > >
    > > If you have five days in Paris, you can risk. I guess your train might
    > > be a few hours late but it should run.
    > >
    > > Regards & X-post, ULF
    > ULF-
    > I would hate to lose any time in Paris (or Rome for that matter). Do
    > you think if I called FS would they KNOW if it would run and can I
    > trust them? Will the whole train system be backed up for days or
    > would enough knowledgable locals avoid the mess that it won't be so
    > bad? I am pretty nervous about this. I can get the family out of
    > Rome at the same time via Volareweb (air) for 200 Euros (plus a night
    > in a hotel)
    > Rick

The Italians are very good at getting the rail system back to normal very
quickly after a strike. After all they get a lot of practice at it with so
many strikes. I have been caught up in these strikes in Milan, Genoa and
Florence in the past two years. During these strikes not all trains are
halted. Most international trains do operate so chances are you may not be
stranded and besides that the strike may not happen at all. I would not
change my plans. Really. If it happens it will give you the opportunity to
experience just one more ingredient in the wonderful Italian culture. You'll
survive it just as I and thousands of others have.

Good luck.
Ryan

Robberg

The trains will probably run better if their staff are on strike.

--
Kevin

"Rick S" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > My family and I will be in Europe starting 1 April when we will be
    > flying to LHR then on to Rome, spending three days, then a night
    > train to Paris, five days there, then back to London for two and home
    > to the US. I had everything planned and booked (non-refundable!),
    > including tix on Ryanair to Rome and non-refundable night train
    > tickets Rome to Paris and then I found out this (thanks to this board)
    > "April 3rd ~ April 4th 2004: 24 hours nationwide strike of Italian
    > railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferrovie dello
    > Stato - State Railroads), from 2100 (Apr. 3) till 2100 (Apr. 4). "
    > Our train is scheduled to leave 18.10 on 4 April so we are at the tail
    > end of the strike. If I chicken out and rebuy tickets for 3 April
    > (same time) looks like we would still be affected enroute even though
    > we could leave Rome. This appears to be followed the next day by an
    > aviation strike so, with everything else booked I almost feel like we
    > should just blow off Rome entirely and just get to Paris earlier (like
    > on the 1st or 2nd). Or am I panicing too soon? Has anybody been
    > through one of these?
    > Rick S
    > Florida

B Vaughan

On 12 Mar 2004 19:16:03 -0800, [email protected] (Rick S) wrote:

    >Ulf Kutzner <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    >> Rick S schrieb:

(re: strike of April 3-4)

There are always some trains that are guaranteed to run. Have you
looked at the Italian rail web site to see if they have them listed?
-----------
Barbara Vaughan
My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Rick S

"Ryan B" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > "Rick S" <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:[email protected]...
    > > Ulf Kutzner <[email protected]> wrote in message
    > news:<[email protected]>...
    > > > Rick S schrieb:
    > > > >
    > > > > My family and I will be in Europe starting 1 April when we will be
    > > > > flying to LHR then on to Rome, spending three days, then a night
    > > > > train to Paris, five days there, then back to London for two and home
    > > > > to the US. I had everything planned and booked (non-refundable!),
    > > > > including tix on Ryanair to Rome and non-refundable night train
    > > > > tickets Rome to Paris and then I found out this (thanks to this board)
    > > > >
    > > > > "April 3rd ~ April 4th 2004: 24 hours nationwide strike of Italian
    > > > > railroaders and maritime personnel belonging to FS (Ferrovie dello
    > > > > Stato - State Railroads), from 2100 (Apr. 3) till 2100 (Apr. 4). "
    > > > >
    > > > > Our train is scheduled to leave 18.10 on 4 April so we are at the tail
    > > > > end of the strike. If I chicken out and rebuy tickets for 3 April
    > > > > (same time) looks like we would still be affected enroute even though
    > > > > we could leave Rome. This appears to be followed the next day by an
    > > > > aviation strike so, with everything else booked I almost feel like we
    > > > > should just blow off Rome entirely and just get to Paris earlier (like
    > > > > on the 1st or 2nd). Or am I panicing too soon?
    > > >
    > > > If you have five days in Paris, you can risk. I guess your train might
    > > > be a few hours late but it should run.
    > > >
    > > > Regards & X-post, ULF
    > > ULF-
    > > I would hate to lose any time in Paris (or Rome for that matter). Do
    > > you think if I called FS would they KNOW if it would run and can I
    > > trust them? Will the whole train system be backed up for days or
    > > would enough knowledgable locals avoid the mess that it won't be so
    > > bad? I am pretty nervous about this. I can get the family out of
    > > Rome at the same time via Volareweb (air) for 200 Euros (plus a night
    > > in a hotel)
    > >
    > > Rick
    >
    > The Italians are very good at getting the rail system back to normal very
    > quickly after a strike. After all they get a lot of practice at it with so
    > many strikes. I have been caught up in these strikes in Milan, Genoa and
    > Florence in the past two years. During these strikes not all trains are
    > halted. Most international trains do operate so chances are you may not be
    > stranded and besides that the strike may not happen at all. I would not
    > change my plans. Really. If it happens it will give you the opportunity to
    > experience just one more ingredient in the wonderful Italian culture. You'll
    > survive it just as I and thousands of others have.
    >
    > Good luck.
    > Ryan

Ryan and Ulf

Thanks for the advice , it's some comfort. I have in the distant past
been much more flexible and impromptu (six weeks loose with a
Eurailpass in 1977)but this time my itinerary is much more fixed due
to non-refundable fares and booked hotels with penalties. Does
anyone know how to contact an English-speaking customer service rep at
FS? I can't figure it out from the Italian side of the
trenitalia.it(mostly broken) website. I see an intelligible phone
number at passagi.it which appears somewhat related to FS but no
answer (closed on Saturday?)

If I can't eventually speak to someone in authority (?) at FS can
someone out there with hands-on experience give me some sense of the
chaos I may encounter if we just show up 21 hours into this 24 hour
strike? Will FS come up with some sort of train for us poor lost
souls? I would expect the locals would easily plan around this event,
right? Can anyone help with a strategy to minimize the potential
delay?

Rick

(I think I'm going to discover why my grandparents emmigrated!)

Terryo

These one-day strikes happen with some regularity in Italy. They
don't stop ALL service; a few trains always continue to run. At
worst, you'll have to wait a day somewhere that you didn't plan on,
not necessarily a bad thing.....

Luca Logi

Rick S <[email protected]> wrote:

    > If I can't eventually speak to someone in authority (?) at FS can
    > someone out there with hands-on experience give me some sense of the
    > chaos I may encounter if we just show up 21 hours into this 24 hour
    > strike? Will FS come up with some sort of train for us poor lost
    > souls? I would expect the locals would easily plan around this event,
    > right? Can anyone help with a strategy to minimize the potential
    > delay?

The first thing to do should be checking the appendix of the official
Trenitalia timetable that includes a list of trains (mainly long
distance trains) that are required by law to run even on a strike day,
and check if EN 226 "Palatino" is included in the list. Sorry, but I
have not the official timetable at home and I won't have the chance of
consulting one before next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Apart from the information in the timetable, you will find difficult to
get any further information, as nobody will know how many engineers and
dispatchers will actually go on strike before the strike actually
begins, so the effective level of service during the strike cannot be
planned in advance.


--
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.angelfire.com/ar/archivarius
(musicologia pratica)

Rick S

B Vaughan<[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>. ..
    > On 12 Mar 2004 19:16:03 -0800, [email protected] (Rick S) wrote:
    >
    > >Ulf Kutzner <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
    > >> Rick S schrieb:
    >
    > (re: strike of April 3-4)
    >
    > There are always some trains that are guaranteed to run. Have you
    > looked at the Italian rail web site to see if they have them listed?
    > -----------
    > Barbara Vaughan
    > My email address is my first initial followed by my surname at libero dot it
    > I answer travel questions only in the newsgroup

Barbara-
I have poked around in the trenitalia website and found my train for
that date. I do not see any special notation that tells me that it
will be running. But then, I may not be looking in exactly the right
place.

Rick

Rick S

[email protected] (Luca Logi) wrote in message news:<1galwvv.u7adhlk63dwaN%[email protected]>...
    > Rick S <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    > > If I can't eventually speak to someone in authority (?) at FS can
    > > someone out there with hands-on experience give me some sense of the
    > > chaos I may encounter if we just show up 21 hours into this 24 hour
    > > strike? Will FS come up with some sort of train for us poor lost
    > > souls? I would expect the locals would easily plan around this event,
    > > right? Can anyone help with a strategy to minimize the potential
    > > delay?
    >
    > The first thing to do should be checking the appendix of the official
    > Trenitalia timetable that includes a list of trains (mainly long
    > distance trains) that are required by law to run even on a strike day,
    > and check if EN 226 "Palatino" is included in the list. Sorry, but I
    > have not the official timetable at home and I won't have the chance of
    > consulting one before next Tuesday or Wednesday.
    >
    > Apart from the information in the timetable, you will find difficult to
    > get any further information, as nobody will know how many engineers and
    > dispatchers will actually go on strike before the strike actually
    > begins, so the effective level of service during the strike cannot be
    > planned in advance.

Luca-
If you have a chance to check on this, I would appreciate it very much.

Rick

Rick S

[email protected] (Terryo) wrote in message news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > These one-day strikes happen with some regularity in Italy. They
    > don't stop ALL service; a few trains always continue to run. At
    > worst, you'll have to wait a day somewhere that you didn't plan on,
    > not necessarily a bad thing.....

Terryo-

On my first visit to Italy in 1977 (six weeks with a Eurail pass- no
job - no family with a 3 year old- no set itinerary)it wouldn't have
been such a bad thing. But I can't imagine how I could make lemonade
out of this, should it happen...
Rick

Randee

The only timetable I have found at the magazine stands in Italy is the
'Pozzorario' DO you consider this the official timetable? This has no
appendix, nor a list of trains supposed to run during a strike. At
least none that I could find. The smaller individual timetables that I
can get at the train station also make no mention of strike operation in
the footnotes that I can tell. What would be a key phrase in Italian to
indicate this?

Luca Logi wrote:
    >
    > The first thing to do should be checking the appendix of the official
    > Trenitalia timetable that includes a list of trains (mainly long
    > distance trains) that are required by law to run even on a strike day,
    > and check if EN 226 "Palatino" is included in the list. Sorry, but I
    > have not the official timetable at home and I won't have the chance of
    > consulting one before next Tuesday or Wednesday.
    >
--
wf.
Wayne Flowers
Randee Greenwald
[email protected]

Luca Logi

randee <[email protected]> wrote:

    > The only timetable I have found at the magazine stands in Italy is the
    > 'Pozzorario' DO you consider this the official timetable? This has no
    > appendix, nor a list of trains supposed to run during a strike. At
    > least none that I could find. The smaller individual timetables that I
    > can get at the train station also make no mention of strike operation in
    > the footnotes that I can tell. What would be a key phrase in Italian to
    > indicate this?

The Pozzorario was once the official FS timetable. Now an official
timetable is published by Trenitalia. At magazine stands you can easily
find the abridged editions, but it is not impossible to find the
complete and rather bulky volume. A key phrase could be "treni
garantiti".

--
Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: [email protected]
Home page: http://www.angelfire.com/ar/archivarius
(musicologia pratica)

Stephen Ellenson

"Rick S" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
    > [email protected] (Terryo) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]. com>...
    > > These one-day strikes happen with some regularity in Italy. They
    > > don't stop ALL service; a few trains always continue to run. At
    > > worst, you'll have to wait a day somewhere that you didn't plan on,
    > > not necessarily a bad thing.....
    > Terryo-
    > On my first visit to Italy in 1977 (six weeks with a Eurail pass- no
    > job - no family with a 3 year old- no set itinerary)it wouldn't have
    > been such a bad thing. But I can't imagine how I could make lemonade
    > out of this, should it happen...
    > Rick

FWIW, we were in Rome last November and had tickets in hand for the
inter-city train to Florence when a strike was announced for the day we were
to travel. The day before I asked our hotel clerk whether the strike was
still on. She didn't know about it but went to trenitalia.it and saw the
strike announcement. She convinced me to go to Termini and change my IC
tickets for a reserved seat ticket on an early morning (pre-strike) train or
exchange for credit towards a eurostar ticket. According to her, a strike
always affects the ICs but rarely the eurostar. Having said that, don't rely
on my anecdotal information, rely on someone who lives there, like Barbara
or Luca.

I hurried from the hotel near the Spanish Steps to Termini to find that the
strike had been cancelled and trenitalia.it had not been updated.