Italy Rail Strike: Trains Disrupted 28–29 May 2026
A national rail strike is confirmed for Italy from 21:00 on Thursday 28 May to 21:00 on Friday 29 May 2026. The 24-hour action covers Trenitalia (Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Frecciabianca and regional services), Italo and most regional rail operators. Travelers with intercity or high-speed journeys planned on those dates should act now.
Guaranteed service windows
Italian labour law requires minimum guaranteed services during strikes on rail routes. Train services are protected between 06:00–09:00 and 18:00–21:00 on the strike day — some trains will run in these windows, but seat availability is expected to be tight. Outside those windows, very few trains will operate. Italo typically publishes a specific list of guaranteed trains on its website in the days before a confirmed strike; Trenitalia does the same via its strike information page.
Simultaneous trucking action
A separate five-day protest by road freight operators runs from 25 to 29 May, which may create additional road congestion on motorways and in urban freight zones. This is unlikely to directly affect tourist travelers moving between cities but could slow luggage couriers and some bus services.
May has been a difficult month for Italy transport
Travelers will recall that May 2026 already saw a major aviation disruption on 11 May, a 48-hour CSLE strike on 15–16 May and a USB general strike on 17–18 May that covered rail, metro, bus and maritime services. The 28–29 May strike marks the final major confirmed transport action of the month. June is not yet subject to any confirmed strike action.
What to do if your train is affected
Trenitalia and Italo both offer free date-change options for tickets booked on strike-affected services. Check your booking and rebook to a guaranteed-service window or the day before (27 May) or after (30 May). For short intercity trips, coach services such as FlixBus are not covered by the rail strike and provide an alternative on the Rome–Florence, Florence–Milan and Rome–Naples corridors. Rental cars are fully available and may be the most reliable option for travelers with fixed onward connections.
Our guide to getting around Italy covers train booking, strike rebooking rights and alternative transport options in detail. Our Rome guide includes transport from Termini and Tiburtina stations, and our Florence guide covers connections from Santa Maria Novella. For travel disruptions involving flights booked through Italian airports, our flight delay rights guide explains EC 261/2004 compensation rules.