Europe's Travel Strikes: Flight And Train Disruption You Can Expect In February And March

Our guide is updated as soon as a new European strike is announced.

ADVERTISEMENT

Strikes are a regular occurrence in Europe, as employees withhold their labour to fight for better pay and conditions.

Walkouts are sometimes planned months ahead but others are announced last minute, showing that it always pays to check before you travel.

Luckily, we have gathered all of the strike information together below.

Read on to find out where and when are walkouts taking place.

If your flight or train is cancelled or delayed, you will be entitled to a new ticket or compensation. Read our guide for the full details.

Germany: Local transport to be disrupted during March

90,000 employees from local transport companies in Germany are striking on various days from 26 February-1 March.

1 March will see the most disruption. Check local transport websites for full details.

The strikes have been called by German union Ver.di. In addition to the introduction of a 35-hour week, the union is demanding that the length of shifts be limited to a maximum of ten hours. They also want the minimum rest period between shifts extended to twelve hours.

Spain: Renfe train drivers call for strikes during March

Rail travel across Spain will be severely disrupted this month as staff walkout in the first half of March.

There will be three days of 24-hour strikes on 1, 4 and 12 March.

There are also further walkouts planned throughout the day on 6 March from 7am to 10am, from 1pm to 4pm, and from 7pm to 10pm.

The stoppage has been called by Renfe drivers who are members of the Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf). They are striking over non-compliance with contract clauses concerning working hours and the freezing of their employment plan.

During February train strikes in Spain, hundreds of trains were cancelled but a skeleton service still operates. Under Spanish law, a minimum service must be maintained.

UK: London Underground staff call multi-day strikes

London Overground strikes will take place on 4-5 March, union RMT has announced.

The 48-hour walkouts by security, station, revenue and control staff come after RMT members rejected a below-inflation pay offer. 

Members of the Aslef union called strikes and an overtime ban earlier this month.

The walkouts impacted several different operators, including Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, West Midlands Trains, GTR, LNER, Southeastern, SWR and TransPennine Trains.

Train drivers are in a long-running dispute over pay, which they say has not increased in five years. 

ADVERTISEMENT

France: Seven-month strike notice could hit Paris Olympics

Disruption is expected on the Ile-de-France bus and metro network as CGT-RATP has announced a seven-month strike notice from 5 February to 9 September.

Workers at the state-owned public transport company say they are walking out over pay. Strikes could hit during the Paris 2024 Olympics if a deal is not reached.

If you know of a big strike happening in your country that we have missed, we'd love to hear from you via Twitter.

RECENT NEWS

New Life For Old Jets: How Cabin Refurbishments Deliver On Sustainability As Well As Comfort

As demand for air travel continues to surge, airlines are holding onto their planes for longer and working hard to make ... Read more

People Are Not Props: The Sámi Reindeer Herders Fighting Stereotypes To Build Ethical Tourism

A new wave of positive-impact experiences in northern Finland is finally allowing the Sámi to benefit from the tourism ... Read more

Cyprus Is Funding Desalination Plants For Hotels To Tackle Tourism's Water Shortage Woes

The government will provide €3 million of funding over the next two years to help hotels build their own desalination ... Read more

We Expect Respect: Bali Cracks Down On Naughty Tourists With Strict New Rules

Bali’s mayor has warned that some transgressions could be met with legal consequences. Read more

Fundamental For Tourists Trust: Why Italy Is Cracking Down On Fake Hotel And Restaurant Reviews

Italy’s new rules aim to tackle both mistaken and malicious reviews by requiring proof of a visit and banning incentiv... Read more

Ryanair Launches Prime Subscription Service For Frequent Travellers. Is It Worth It?

While subscription services might save travellers money, they are also a way to persuade more people to fly - which is b... Read more