Traveling in Italy
during the protests.
You've probably seen the news from Italy. Here's where things stand, how we keep watch, and the kinds of adjustments we might make to a tour.
Student protests and national strikes across Italy.
Since mid-October, students across Italy have been protesting school conditions and the cost of living, and unions have joined in with strikes. On October 17 and 18, there were instances of looting and damage in central Milan, and clashes with police in Bologna and Turin. In southern Italy, truck drivers and farmers protesting fuel prices blocked roads for about a week, causing shortages in some areas, until they ended their protest on October 23. The government has sent about 500 soldiers to support police in Milan. More protest and strike days have been called. We know families and Group Leaders want a straight answer, so here it is.
The U.S. Department of State rates Italy at Level 2, “Exercise increased caution,” as it has for several years. Its current advisory was issued on September 10, 2026, before the protests began. Many popular European destinations carry the same rating. It is not advice to avoid travel.
The U.S. Embassy in Rome and the U.S. consulates in Milan, Florence and Naples advise travelers to avoid demonstrations and crowds, especially around city-center squares and railway stations, and to expect road closures and transportation disruption.
A 24-hour general strike has been called for Friday, October 30, with student marches planned in many cities. Italy’s transport ministry has ordered the transport part of the strike postponed, but the union says it will strike anyway, so it isn’t yet clear how much trains, buses and the Metro will be affected from Thursday evening through Friday.
The October 24 marches in Rome, Milan, Florence and other cities were mostly peaceful, with clashes in some cities in the evening. Italy’s largest union has called a nationwide general strike for Friday, November 20, which is expected to affect trains from Friday evening into Saturday.
Our Italy tours are going ahead, with adjustments as needed.
Traveling soon? We’re already making adjustments.
For groups in Italy now or leaving in the coming weeks, we’re already adjusting plans around announced march and strike days, using the kinds of steps described below. Any necessary on-the-spot changes will be conducted by the Tour Director in close coordination with our team and the Group Leader.
Traveling in the spring or summer?
Most of our tours visiting Italy don’t depart until the spring or summer, and conditions can change a lot between now and then. We’d encourage families not to make decisions about an upcoming tour based on this week’s headlines.
Announced ahead, and planned around.
Strikes and marches are a familiar part of Italian life. By law, transportation strikes have to be announced in advance, and trains and city transportation keep running at guaranteed times, usually in the early morning and early evening. Most marches are also announced ahead of time and are peaceful, and they’re tied to specific days, routes and places. Away from those, cities carry on as usual. That doesn’t make the recent damage acceptable, and we take it seriously. But it helps explain why a strike or a march in Italy usually means re-planning part of a day, not cancelling a trip.
Official alerts, plus people on the ground.
Official alerts, every 15 minutes
Our system checks U.S. Embassy alerts every 15 minutes. When an alert affects a city where one of our groups is traveling, it goes straight to that group's channel, so the Tour Director and Group Leader see it right away.
Tour Directors throughout Italy
We have a number of Tour Directors based in cities throughout Italy. They know which areas to avoid on a march day and how a strike will affect trains and city transportation, and they often hear about changes before most visitors do.
Local guides and partners
Our guides, hotels, coach companies and restaurants in Italy tell us what they're seeing on the ground.
Every situation is different.
What we do depends on the itinerary and what’s possible on the day. The examples below show the kinds of steps we might take, from small adjustments to bigger ones. They aren’t a list of guaranteed changes, and not every option will fit every tour.
On the day
Planned ahead
Bigger changes, if needed
If a destination is ever deemed unsafe
Official government advisories guide this decision. If it came to that, we would work closely with the Group Leader to explore appropriate alternatives, which could include itinerary adjustments or alternative destinations.
We’re here to help.
The safety and security of our travelers is always our top priority. Our team will keep watching official advisories and local conditions and adjust plans when needed. If you have questions about your tour, or if you’re considering withdrawing and want to talk through your options and the cancellation terms that apply, please contact us directly. While on tour, the same number is answered 24 hours a day for emergencies.
Advisory levels, alerts and protest and strike dates reflect what was reported as of October 28, 2026 and may change. For the latest official guidance, see the U.S. Department of State’s Italy travel advisory and alerts from the U.S. Embassy in Rome. We’ll update this page as things change. Traveling to France? See our France travel update.