No ferry strike to Capri, Ischia or Procida is on the books before Christmas 2026. The 48-hour port strike on 15 and 16 October expressly excludes services to the islands. The strikes on the official register are short: EAV on the evening of 16 October, Air Campania on 28 October from 8am to 4pm, and ANM on 16 December from 11am to 3pm. The heavier disruption comes from works: Capodichino in November, replacement buses at Cancello, and the Cumana’s status is unclear. Check the Ministry’s register 48 hours before each journey.
Between 9 October and Christmas, Naples is piling up disruption, and not all of it is strikes. A union notice, an airport works programme and a rail network under repair don’t have the same effect on your journey. This article goes through the strike register of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, the operators and the dates to avoid, with the status of each item: confirmed, reported by the press or unconfirmed. You’ll know what’s certain, what still needs checking and how to plan a backup.
The strike calendar as of 9 October 2026
The Ministry’s register, checked on 9 October, is our reference for dates. When a news outlet reports a strike that isn’t on the register, we say so. The table runs in date order and only includes actions that affect transport around the Gulf of Naples or the national services that pass through it.
| Date | Sector | What the register says | Likely effect in Naples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday 15 and Friday 16 October | Ports of the central Tyrrhenian (Naples, Salerno, Castellammare di Stabia) | Regional 48-hour strike, from midnight on the 15th to 11:59pm on the 16th | Services to the islands excluded |
| Friday 16 October, evening | EAV, 4-hour staff stoppage | Window of 7:30pm to 11:30pm according to the register | Start time and type of service (bus or train) not confirmed |
| Wednesday 28 October | Air Campania, buses in the province of Naples | 8am to 4pm | Buses only, the airport is not affected |
| Thursday 29 (9pm) to Friday 30 October | USB, national general strike | Rail from 9pm on the 29th to 8:59pm on the 30th; motorways from 10pm on the 29th | No press coverage found, effect on Naples not confirmed |
| Friday 30 October | USI-CIT, general strike | Full day | The notice excludes transport |
| Friday 20 (9pm) to Saturday 21 November | CUB and SGB | Rail from 9pm on the 20th to 8pm on the 21st; urban transport on the 21st, for the companies listed | Register only, no press coverage found |
| Thursday 3 (9pm) to Friday 4 December | CUB and other unions, general strike | Rail from 9pm on the 3rd to 9pm on the 4th | Register only, no press coverage found |
| Wednesday 16 December | ANM Napoli, metro and buses | 11am to 3pm | Day before the year-end strike-free period; date of the notice to recheck |
The general strike of 29 and 30 October was proclaimed on 6 October. A strike-free window for urban transport, from 30 October to 5 November, could limit its effect on buses, but the official text doesn’t confirm this. For strikes outside Naples, see our guide to Italy’s strikes in mid-October.
The register has no rail or urban strike scheduled for 24, 25 or 26 December. That’s not a guarantee: a notice can be filed or withdrawn within days, and an aggregator can quote the wrong date.
Pompeii and Vesuvius: the train is disrupted, but there’s a backup plan
Pompeii from Naples: what’s affected and what still runs
The Campania Express, EAV’s tourist train linking Naples with Pompeii and the coast, has been suspended since 1 October 2026 until further notice. If your plan depends on it, drop it. According to the press, refunds are claimed through EAV’s form: keep your ticket and proof of purchase.
The Circumvesuviana remains the simplest option to reach the site from Naples station. Napolike reports no general interruption as of 4 October, and extra services have run since 28 September on the Vesuvian lines between Volla, Baiano and Naples. Trenitalia’s regional train is also listed for Pompeii: compare timetables on the operator’s journey planner, as the journey times and fares quoted by unofficial guides have not been checked.
On the Circumvesuviana, watching your belongings matters as much as the timetable. Pickpocketing is the main risk reported around the stations, notably Pompei Scavi, Ercolano Scavi and Torre Annunziata. Carry your bag in front of you, across your body, and don’t hold your phone in your hand in crowded areas.
For the site itself, buy your entry ticket on the official Pompeii Sites website. Prices changed in 2026; we don’t quote a figure here because we haven’t checked it on the ticket office. One press report says the site closes on 25 December and 1 January and opens from 9am to 5pm between November and March: confirm on the official site in December.
If the trains are unreliable on the day of your visit, an organised day trip means you don’t depend on the Circumvesuviana. The tour below combines a guided visit of Pompeii with an archaeologist, the climb to the summit of Vesuvius and a local lunch, leaving from Naples. The product includes a skip-the-line entry and free cancellation: check the exact conditions when you book.
What to know before you go
- Check the Campania Express first: it isn’t an option until the suspension is lifted.
- Book your entry on pompeiisites.org, where the current price is listed.
- Leave a buffer on arrival at the station, as connections are changing with the disruption.
Naples port: the 15 and 16 October strike leaves the islands running
48-hour port notice, island services outside its scope
The Ministry’s register lists a regional strike of maritime staff across the central Tyrrhenian port system, covering the ports of Naples, Salerno and Castellammare di Stabia. It runs from midnight on Thursday 15 October to 11:59pm on Friday 16 October. FILT-CGIL, FIT-CISL and UILT-UIL called it. Some outlets give a different length or shifted dates: the register is the reference.
The key point is the exclusion. The notice expressly excludes transport to and from the islands, as well as passenger assistance, security, maintenance of facilities, perishable goods, live animals and dangerous goods. A ferry or hydrofoil to Capri, Ischia or Procida is therefore not covered by this notice.
According to the trade press, the dispute concerns payments owed to cargo-handling firms for 2025. The Port Authority is refusing those 2025 payments and proposes a check on 2026. A first strike, set for 11 and 12 September, was suspended. The dispute explains the notice, but it changes nothing about the island services being excluded.
Ferries to the islands from Naples
- To Ischia: Caremar’s ferry starts from €16.70 (around 90 minutes), and Alilauro’s hydrofoil costs about €23 (60 minutes), according to an aggregator checked on 9 October.
- To Capri: hydrofoils mostly leave from Molo Beverello, between €26.50 and €28.50 depending on the pages checked, for a crossing of about 50 minutes.
- To Procida: the most frequent link is from Ischia, according to one aggregator. A timetable page says Alicost runs daily from 1 June to 30 September, then only at weekends: the winter service is not confirmed.
- Capri in December: one timetable page shows the Alilauro service to Capri running until 3 November. We haven’t confirmed a December service. Don’t plan a return from Capri on that date based on this alone.
Metro, buses and funiculars: short strikes, to be checked day by day
ANM, EAV and Air Campania: three notices, none targets the airport
The register lists three local actions that affect transport in the region. The first concerns EAV, operator of the Circumvesuviana and the Cumana, on Friday 16 October evening. The register gives a window of 7:30pm to 11:30pm, but sources disagree on the exact hours and on the type of service, bus or train. We don’t present it as certain: check EAV’s notice before planning a journey that evening.
The second is an Air Campania strike on Wednesday 28 October, from 8am to 4pm. It affects buses in the province of Naples, not Capodichino airport. No press article covered it as of 9 October: only the register confirms it.
The third is an ANM strike on Wednesday 16 December, from 11am to 3pm. ANM runs Naples’ metro and buses. It’s on the register, but one aggregator lists it with an inconsistent date in its metadata. Check the date of the notice before relying on it.
The overall pace remains high. According to the 2025 annual report of the Commission of Guarantee, presented in June 2026 and reported by the AGI news agency, local public transport recorded 176 strikes nationally in 2025, spread over 101 days, against 62 days the year before. These figures say nothing about Naples specifically, but they explain why the notice of the day matters more than the annual calendar.
A few taxi strikes have taken place in Naples in 2026, on 13 January and 5 May according to the press. None is on the register for the period we cover.
Cutting the impact on an urban journey
- Shift your departure out of the strike window when the journey isn’t urgent.
- Keep a ride-hailing app or a taxi number for the affected window, and check the fare before you get in.
- On longer trips, compare the regional train with the intercity bus rather than relying on a single operator.
Trains: Cancello, Cumana and works, with disruption mostly technical
Cancello, Cumana and works: the Naples rail network slows mainly because of construction
No regional rail strike is on the Naples register for the period, apart from the national actions at the end of October, November and December listed above. The most concrete disruption is therefore engineering works.
From 22 September to 12 December 2026, suburban trains 7869 and 7870 between Cancello and Napoli Centrale are replaced by buses, Monday to Saturday. The press, notably Napolike, gives RFI network maintenance works at Napoli Centrale station as the reason. The buses leave from Piazza Vecchia in Cancello and from Corso Arnaldo Lucci, near the station. We haven’t read the official EAV or RFI notice: check it before you travel, especially for a journey on a Sunday.
The Cumana is the least certain case. After the magnitude 4.7 earthquake of 31 July 2026 in the Phlegraean Fields, according to INGV as relayed by the press, the Bagnoli-Torregaveta section was interrupted, with replacement buses. Napolike announced the reopening of the Torregaveta-Montesanto line on 11 September, with a new station at Pozzuoli. The same site wrote on 4 October that the Bagnoli-Torregaveta section remains closed. We haven’t settled it: don’t book anything that depends on the Cumana without checking EAV’s website on the day.
The Montesanto funicular is closed for maintenance, with a bus shuttle according to Napolike (4 October). Works at Naples’ rail junction, from 2 to 5 October, are finished, but they are a reminder that the Naples network has a lot of construction going on.
Capodichino airport: the November works are the real disruption
Runway works in November: a construction job, not a strike
This isn’t a strike, but it’s probably the heaviest disruption in November. According to GESAC, the airport operator, the runway and taxiway connection works are due to run from 1 to 30 November 2026, with 24 working days and a 6-day margin for rain. Reopening before the 30th is possible if the weather allows. These dates come from statements relayed by Napolike on 15 September: we haven’t found an official notice confirming them. Other sources say 10 to 30 November, or forty days.
The works were moved from 2025 to November 2026 to reduce closure days, according to an ENAC meeting in July 2025. Some flights would move to Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi airport (QSR), about a third according to Napolike, with the rest going to Rome. The list of airlines serving Salerno is changing: check it with your carrier. Extra buses and trains link Salerno with Napoli Centrale, with a journey time we haven’t checked.
For your ticket, check the arrival airport code: NAP for Naples, QSR for Salerno. If your flight is affected, follow your airline, which handles rebooking. Check the outbound and return legs separately, as they won’t necessarily shift by the same amount.
The Capodichino metro on Line 1 is not open. The mayor of Naples has targeted the first half of 2027; another source suggests mid-2027. Nothing is due to open in 2026.
For October flights and air passenger rights, read our article on flight strikes in summer 2026 and our dossier on the French air traffic control strike of October 2026.
The dates to avoid between All Saints’ and Christmas
The holiday calendar is the most fragile part of this article, because the 2026 timetables aren’t published yet. The table lists the key days. Where the information comes from 2025, we say so: it’s a reference to revise in December on the ANM and EAV websites.
| Date | Day | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| 1 November | Sunday | All Saints’ Day falls on a Sunday, so it creates no long weekend. |
| 5 to 8 December | Saturday to Tuesday | A long weekend is possible if you take Monday 7 off. This is probably the busiest travel point of the autumn. |
| 16 December | Wednesday | ANM strike from 11am to 3pm. |
| 17 December to 7 January | Period | Strike-free period for urban transport and rail, according to the press. We haven’t read the official text, so don’t take it for granted. |
| 24 December | Thursday | In 2025, metro line 1 finished service around 8pm. ANM buses stopped around 8pm, with no night service. |
| 25 December | Friday | Very reduced service: in 2025, metro line 1 stopped around 1:30pm and restarted around 4:30pm. Pompeii is closed. |
| 26 December | Saturday | St Stephen’s Day, a public holiday in Italy (not the same as Boxing Day): expect reduced service. |
| 31 December | Thursday | In 2025, metro line 1 ran all night, while ANM buses stopped around 8pm. |
| 6 January 2027 | Wednesday | Epiphany (Befana): in 2025, the metro was extended until 2am. |
The Immaculate Conception long weekend deserves a closer look. 8 December 2026 is a Tuesday, and Monday 7 makes all the difference: take it off and you get four days, from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8. We found no road or rail traffic forecast for 2026. The Anas estimates for 2025, which talk about 31.4 million trips, are a rough guide, not a forecast.
1 January 2027 follows the same pattern as 25 December in the 2025 timetables: the main lines restart in the late afternoon. On the evening of 24 December, plan your trips before 7pm, as the last trains leave early.
Tickets and fares: what changed on 1 October
From 1 October 2026, Campania’s fares, known as UnicoCampania, changed for single tickets, hourly tickets, daily urban tickets and on-board tickets with a surcharge. Director’s decree no. 55 of 3 July 2026 governs the changes, according to Napolike. Weekly, monthly and annual passes don’t change, and the tickets specific to ANM and EAV remain the same.
We haven’t found the new amounts. Older guides give conflicting figures, which we don’t repeat. Check the app or the UnicoCampania website before you buy. If you make several trips in a day, compare a single ticket with the daily ticket.
On national trains, there are two categories. Regional trains need no reservation and have a fixed fare. Intercity and fast trains have reserved seats and a higher price. One traveller quoted on a forum mentions price gaps between the two categories: these are anecdotes without a verified figure, so we don’t repeat them.
For Pompeii, the entry ticket changed price in 2026; we don’t quote a figure because we haven’t checked it on the official ticket office. Unofficial guides quote a fare for the Circumvesuviana to Pompeii, without a verified source: confirm it on EAV’s website before you travel.
Your rights if a strike or cancellation hits
Start with the most common case, buses and metro. Italy has no uniform automatic refund for urban transport strikes, and no EU equivalent to air passenger compensation. A season pass is generally not refunded for a single cancelled trip. Repeated cancellations can, however, open a claim with the operator under its service charter. This point rests on a reading of legal press: confirm it case by case.
For trains, Regulation (EU) 2021/782 sets out rail passengers’ rights, in particular for long delays. We couldn’t verify in the official text whether a staff strike exempts the carrier from compensation: secondary sources disagree. Don’t claim a sum without rereading the relevant article and your operator’s conditions.
For ferries, Regulation (EU) 1177/2010 applies to sea passengers. We haven’t checked how it treats strikes. In practice, the company’s own conditions apply first, and they vary by operator and route.
Italy’s transport regulator published decisions in 2026 on dispute resolution and passenger information. None sets a refund rule for strikes. In its decision 76/2026, it refers back to decision 28/2021, which sets minimum standards for handling complaints. That’s the useful benchmark when you write to an operator.
If you’re booking from the UK, check your own carrier’s terms as well: the rules described in this section are Italian and EU rules, not UK ones.
How not to get stuck: five steps
- Check the register. The Ministry’s register lists the date, sector and scope of each notice. Search again three to five days before you travel, then on the morning of departure.
- Read the scope. A port strike that excludes the islands doesn’t affect Capri. A strike by drivers or onboard crew, on the other hand, directly affects your trip.
- Check the operator. ANM, EAV, Trenitalia, Air Campania and each ferry company publish their own service notices. An aggregator doesn’t replace their website.
- Date your sources. Aggregators sometimes get dates wrong. Don’t rely on a strike calendar that has no publication date.
- Keep a written backup plan. A taxi, a ride-hailing app, an organised tour or a spare day. For Pompeii, an organised tour from Naples replaces the train if the Circumvesuviana is disrupted.
On safety in stations and metro stops, the guides we read stress that violence against tourists is rare in Naples. The main risk is pickpocketing, particularly near Napoli Centrale station, Piazza Garibaldi, Spaccanapoli and Via Toledo. In the evening, Chiaia, the Vomero and the historic centre are cited as feeling safer. In an emergency, dial 112, or 113 for the police.
Practical info for your trip to Naples
Useful for tracking your airline’s service updates, Trenitalia notifications and the strike register in real time, without changing SIM cards.
A strike that’s already announced when you take out cover may not be covered. Compare trip-interruption cover and the strike clause before you pay.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a strike that will stop ferries to Capri, Ischia or Procida in October 2026?
No strike of that kind appears as of 9 October 2026. The 15 and 16 October port strike, on the Ministry’s register, expressly excludes transport to and from the islands. The operators keep their own risks, such as sea conditions or winter timetables, which can cut sailings in November and December. Check your crossing the week you travel.
Which strikes are planned in Naples before Christmas 2026?
On the register as of 9 October: EAV on 16 October in the evening (start time and type of service to be confirmed), Air Campania on 28 October from 8am to 4pm for buses, and ANM on 16 December from 11am to 3pm. The national strikes by USB, CUB and SGB are also on the register, with no effect confirmed by the press on Naples.
Is the Naples metro on strike over Christmas 2026?
No ANM strike is on the register for 24, 25 and 26 December 2026. The only ANM strike in December is on 16 December, from 11am to 3pm. The 2026 holiday timetables aren’t published yet. In 2025, line 1 stopped around 1:30pm on 25 December and restarted around 4:30pm. Check the ANM website in early December.
Will Capodichino airport be closed in November 2026?
Runway works are announced for November 2026, with dates put forward by the operator GESAC: 1 to 30 November. Those dates aren’t confirmed by an official notice we’ve read. Some flights are being moved to Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi (QSR). This isn’t a strike: follow your airline and check the airport code on your ticket.
Is the Cumana running in Naples in October 2026?
The status is conflicting as of 9 October. Napolike announced the reopening of the Torregaveta-Montesanto line on 11 September 2026, then wrote on 4 October that the Bagnoli-Torregaveta section remained interrupted, with replacement buses. Check EAV’s website on the day you travel, and don’t book a transfer that depends on the Cumana without that check.
Is there a long weekend for the Immaculate Conception in 2026?
8 December 2026 falls on a Tuesday. A four-day weekend, from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8, is possible if you take Monday 7 off. This is probably the busiest travel point of the autumn, but we found no traffic forecast for 2026. All Saints’ Day, 1 November, falls on a Sunday, so it creates no long weekend.
Is my Pompeii ticket refunded if the Campania Express stays suspended?
The Campania Express has been suspended since 1 October 2026 until further notice. According to the press, refunds are claimed through EAV’s form. Keep your ticket and proof of purchase. To get to Pompeii, compare the Circumvesuviana, Trenitalia’s regional train or an organised tour from Naples.
What are my rights if a bus or metro doesn’t run because of a strike?
Italy has no uniform automatic refund for urban transport, and no EU compensation scheme comparable to the one for flights. A season pass is generally not refunded for a single cancelled trip. Keep the strike notice, your ticket and your receipts, and ask the operator for written confirmation.
Where can I check official strikes in Naples?
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s register lists notices with their date and scope. The Commission of Guarantee, the body that oversees strike notices, also publishes the rules. ANM, EAV, Trenitalia and the ferry company publish their service notices on their websites. Check them three to five days before you travel.
Sources
- Strike notice register, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport: dates, sectors and scope, checked on 9 October 2026.
- Napolike, transport strike calendar for October 2026: list of local notices.
- Napolike, suspension of the Campania Express: suspension dates and refund claims.
- Napolike, roads and transport on 4 October 2026: state of the Cumana and the Circumvesuviana.
- Napolike, announced reopening of the Cumana: conflicting reports on the line’s status.
- Napolike, works from Cancello to Naples Centrale: replacement buses until 12 December.
- Napolike, Capodichino airport works in November 2026: dates announced by the operator, not confirmed by an official notice.
- Napolike, Christmas, New Year and Befana transport hours: 2025 timetables, used as a reference as 2026 hours are not yet published.
- Napolike, Campania transport fares from 1 October 2026: UnicoCampania fare changes.
- Trenitalia, works at the Naples rail junction: official notice for 2 to 5 October 2026.
- ENAC, meeting on the Naples runway works: works postponed to November 2026.
- Sorrento Insider, Naples-Ischia ferries: indicative fares from an aggregator.
- Affaritaliani, bus and metro strikes: what to do if the service is cancelled: rights in urban transport.
- Italian transport regulator, decision 76/2026: reference to decision 28/2021 on complaints.
- AGI, 2025 annual report of the Commission of Guarantee: figures on local public transport strikes.
- Pompeii Sites, official ticket office: prices and opening hours of the archaeological site.
- Regulation (EU) 2021/782: rail passenger rights; strike provisions not verified.
- Regulation (EU) 1177/2010: sea passenger rights; strike provisions not verified.
Research carried out on 9 October 2026
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