Italy Travel Warning: Strike Action Could Result In Vacation Nightmare

The UK Foreign Office has sent out a warning to people who are planning to travel to Italy in the coming days.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly updates its advisories to help UK citizens who are travelling to any number of 226 countries and territories. In case of urgent cases such as extreme weather, outbreak of an illness and any kind of travel disruptions, the FCDO urges people to check their portal before they travel.

In their updated guidance, the UK Foreign Office has warned people heading to Italy over a potential disruption due to strike action. The FCDO has said there could be a 24-hour national strike of airport, airline and ground handling staff on Nov. 24.

"Travellers are advised to seek updates with their booking provider," wrote FCDO.

In regards to local travel, holidaymakers have been advised to use officially licensed taxis only. The Foreign Office pointed out that the licensed cars will have a taxi sign on the roof and a taxi company name and the number written on the side. The FCDO has also advised travellers bound for Italy to take a taxi from an official rank and not from the street.

"Transport strikes are often called at short notice. You can find information on the Ministry of Transport website (in Italian).

"Traffic can be busy, fast and chaotic, especially in the larger cities. Take care when crossing roads. Pedestrians should cross roads using a crossing. You can be fined for crossing the road if you are within 100 metres of a pedestrian crossing but do not use it," added FCDO in its latest advisory.

There are several traffic restricted areas in Italy, with the UK Foreign Office warning people that private and hire cars are not allowed to enter the historic centre of many Italian cities without an official pass. If a person is caught breaching the rule, they will face a hefty fine.

The passes can be bought from most car hire companies. The boundaries of historic centres are usually marked with the letters ZTL in black on a yellow background and if a car passes this sign without a pass, "the registration number is likely to be caught on camera and the person will be fined".

Travellers must be also aware that in order to reduce pollution, city authorities in Rome sometimes restrict traffic on specific days so vehicles with odd or even number plates are not allowed on the roads in the green band (fascia verde) area, which covers most of Rome.