Summer travel strikes 2025: Popular European tourist destinations face disruption amid strike action - where and when?
Industrial action is threatening a summer of travel chaos in Europe.
French and British rail workers, Scottish airport staff and transport employees in dozens of Italian locations are all threatening to strike. There could also be more strikes announced in the upcoming peak summer months.
These are the key strikes that are known of at the moment. Other strikes may be called at short notice. For example, members of the taxi drivers’ union for the Athens area went on strike, with a stoppage called at just 48 hours’ notice.
Belgium
Members of Belgian trade unions working for public services – including railways and airports – have been striking roughly once a month so far during 2025. No specific strike days have been set for the summer months, but grievances that triggered the earlier walk-outs still persist which means that there could be future industrial action.
France
Rail passengers may face disruption.
4 June: Train drivers working for SNCF (French Railways) will walk out. Typically around half of long-distance trains are cancelled. City transport is less badly affected.
5 June: National strike involving rail staff as well as many other professions in protest against pension reform.
Cross-Channel ferries may also experience some disruption.
11 June: Train controllers (on-board staff) working for SNCF will walk out. The impact is likely to be similar to the train drivers’ strike, with about half of trains running.
Italy
The Italian transport ministry has a dedicated web page that lists the dozens of walk-outs each week by transport workers across the country. Many of these are localised and may be for as little as four hours. But they can still affect travellers.
1 June: Public transport workers, Genoa, 24 hours.
3 June: Public transport workers, Sardinia, 4 hours.
4 June: Public transport workers, Tuscany (including Florence), 5.30pm-9.30pm.
6 June: Public transport workers, Bolzano, 24 hours.
9 June: Public transport workers, La Spezia, 11am-3pm.
13 June: Airports – a big one. Workers at Venice, Milan Malpensa and Milan Linate airport will walk out for 24 hours. A concurrent nationwide strike will affect airline passengers from 1pm to 5pm, a key time for many arrivals and departures.
14 June: Sardinia rail staff for 24 hours from 9pm.
15 June: Public transport workers, Naples, 12.45pm-4.45pm.
15 June: Piedmont rail staff for 23 hours from 3am.
16 June: Staff working for Trenord (Milan and Italian Lakes) walk out for 23 hours from 3am.
19 June: In the evening, 24-hour nationwide strikes by rail workers and motorway staff will begin, continuing until late on 20 June.
5 July: At 2pm staff working for the large ferry company Grandi Navi Veloci will begin a 48-hour strike.
7 July: As the ferry strike ends, a national rail strike begins – 21 hours from 9pm.
11 July: Palermo airport staff, 24 hours.
17 July: Ferry workers, Strait of Messina (connecting mainland with Sicily), 9am-5pm.