Britons planning a visit to Italy this month may see their holiday plans thwarted as strike action threatens air, rail and road travel.
A nationwide general strike is set to take place on March 8, meaning potential disruption to those enjoying a weekend away.
It has been warned that the strike, supported by the SLAI-COBAS, CUB, and USI-CIT trade unions, will affect flights for the whole day.
Railway company Trenord warned that its services could be impacted by the strike action, with “repercussions on Trenord’s Regional, Suburban, Airport and Long-Distance services”.
Britons going to Italy should keep up to date with their travel provider’s latest guidance
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Those planning on travelling to, from and around Italy on this day should keep up to date with their travel provider’s latest guidance.
Experts at AirAdvisor commented on the potential impacts of these strikes on holidaymakers.
They claimed that between 50 and 70direct flights from the UK to Italy will be impacted by the strikes, affecting 8,000 to 11,000 passengers.
According to the experts, British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair passengers will “mainly be impacted”, with many direct flights to key Italian destinations like Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples and Florence on March 8.
They added that key routes affected include London to Rome, London to Milan, Manchester to Rome and Edinburgh to Milan.
Holidaymakers were warned that more strike action is expected for March 16, meaning passengers should expect increased flight disruptions between March 8 and March 20.
Aviation expert and Founder of AirAdvisor Anton Radchenko told holidaymakers: “My top advice for passengers is to make flexible travel plans and plan ahead of time to minimise inconvenience.
“Plus, avoid connecting flights via Italy because they are at risk, even if not landing in Italy.
“Ideally, travel after March 20, when situations would be back under control, with flights facing fewer disruptions.
“If postponing is not an option, fly to nearby airports outside Italy, such as Nice (NCE, France) or Zurich (ZRH, Switzerland), and take a train to Italy. Train journeys take approximately four hours, with fares starting from £25, making them a great cost-effective option.
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Holidaymakers have been advised to travel after March 20, when things are ‘back under control’
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“Also, carry more cash because ATMs and card machines tend to crash during high crowds.
“Last but not least, act fast because airlines have an overwhelming number of requests during peak times, so they struggle with rebookings. Bypass this by contacting airlines through social media, where they’re more responsive to expedite your rebooking.”
Britons were recently issued a warning as a popular destination braced for “severe disruption”.
With a general strike scheduled in Belgium for March 31, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office warned that the entire country could be affected.
GB News has contacted British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair for comment
