Winter strikes across Europe will likely impact your travel plans

Europe is no stranger to strikes of any kind. They’re actually fairly common as workers often employee them as means of putting pressure on their governments and their employers to provide fair wages, better working conditions, and retirement options. These strikes can take the form of everything from rotating walkouts to full blown work stoppages that see entire industries slow to a crawl. And as a visitor to these countries, you need to be aware of any strikes that might impact you.

Throughout December 2024 and January 2025, large strikes will be impacting travel in several European countries. Regions being affected by these measures will include Italy, Finland, Spain, and France. Various forms of travel will experience disruptions of varying lengths, including airports, airlines, public transit, and ferry services.

Any of these work disruptions has the potential to derail your travel plans, which is kind of the point. It’s worth noting that some of these winter strikes are continuations of measures that had already been in place. The regional bus strike in Spain started in November and has continued into December. Unless the underlying issues are addressed, any of these strikes has the potential to continue. The ferry strike in Italy is a huge issue as it impacts travel between Sicily and the mainland.

As a traveler, it’s important to research these ongoing strikes and how they might impact your travel plans. There are still other airlines, car rental agencies, and alternative travel options to get you where you need to go. You likely won’t need to cancel your trip, but it doesn’t hurt to have another plan in place in case these strikes to impact your itinerary. Also keep in mind these strikes could end at any time and new ones could pop up. When planning a European trip, it’s something to keep an eye on.