Transport unions in New Zealand, Spain and Italy have announced or escalated strike action across air and rail networks in February, raising the prospect of serious disruption for Valentine’s Day city breaks, ski getaways and long‑haul holidays.

With walkouts clustered around mid‑month and falling just before or after 14 February, airlines, rail operators and tourism businesses are bracing for cancellations, timetable cuts and last‑minute changes that could ripple well beyond the strike days themselves.

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Spain’s Rail Network Faces National Walkouts After Deadly Crashes

Spain is at the heart of February’s strike calendar after a pair of deadly derailments in Adamuz, Córdoba, on 18 January and in Gelida, Catalonia, on 20 January pushed railway unions into confrontation with the government and infrastructure managers. The high‑speed collision near Adamuz on the Madrid–Seville line killed 45 people and injured nearly 300, making it Spain’s worst rail disaster in more than a decade and severely damaging one of the country’s key north–south corridors.

In the wake of the accidents, the powerful train drivers’ union Semaf has called a three‑day national strike in February, scheduled for 9, 10 and 11 February, to demand urgent safety improvements, better emergency protocols and more training for on‑board staff. The action, affecting Renfe and private high‑speed operators, is expected to hit long‑distance AVE and Avlo services, as well as some intercity and commuter lines, compounding the disruption already caused by damaged infrastructure in Andalusia and Catalonia.

On 27 January, the CCOO union widened the conflict by calling its own stoppage across Renfe and infrastructure manager Adif on the same dates, backing Semaf and bringing station, maintenance and administrative staff into the dispute. Other unions have signalled support or parallel action in service companies that handle catering, customer care and logistics on Spanish trains, raising the likelihood that even services that do operate on strike days will be running with reduced on‑board amenities.

For travellers, the timing means potential knock‑on effects into the Valentine’s Day period, even though the main Spanish strikes are not set for 14 February itself. Lines and rolling stock already stretched by diversions around damaged track will have little room to absorb lost capacity, and operators are warning that services could remain altered, fully booked or over‑crowded in the days immediately after the walkouts as they work through backlogs of rebooked passengers.

Spanish Tourism Corridors Between Madrid and the Coast Under Pressure

One of the busiest and most tourism‑sensitive corridors, connecting Madrid with the southern city of Málaga and the wider Costa del Sol, is already seeing emergency measures. After the Adamuz crash severed high‑speed links between Andalusia and the capital, airlines have rushed in extra capacity. Air Europa has added a rolling programme of additional flights between Madrid and Málaga from late January through 16 February, supplying thousands of extra seats to partially offset the loss of rail options.

While welcome, the airlift will not fully compensate for the throughput of the high‑speed network, which carries both domestic leisure travellers and a large volume of international visitors arriving via Madrid’s long‑haul hub. With February bringing spikes in demand for short romantic breaks, golf and spa trips, and early‑season sun on the Costa del Sol, hoteliers are already reporting a higher share of guests asking about alternative arrival routes, car hire availability and flexible check‑in for those forced onto slower road options.

Elsewhere, the Catalan commuter and regional system is trying to reassure residents and visitors in and around Barcelona after the Gelida accident exposed vulnerabilities in infrastructure affected by heavy rain and landslides. The government in Madrid insists the Adamuz and Gelida crashes are unrelated freak events, but unions argue they point to systemic under‑investment and flawed risk management and say they will keep up pressure until concrete safety upgrades are visible on the ground.

For visitors planning to travel between Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville for Valentine’s Day dinners, cultural weekends or football matches, that adds a layer of uncertainty to what are normally among Europe’s most dependable high‑speed links. Even if the most severe stoppages end by 11 February, experts caution that altered timetables, rolling engineering works and revised safety procedures could remain in place, constraining capacity at peak hours on 13 and 14 February.

Italy Braces for Airline and Rail Disputes Around Mid‑February

Italy, another key European winter city‑break and ski destination, is entering February with a dense calendar of transport disputes that cluster both before and after Valentine’s Day. While the most disruptive actions are formally scheduled outside 14 February itself, travellers face the prospect of fragmented services and lingering knock‑on delays as airlines, railways and local transport agencies navigate overlapping stoppages.

On the aviation side, unions representing staff at ITA Airways, Vueling’s Italian cabin crew and ground handlers at Milan’s two airports have proclaimed a coordinated national strike for 16 February. The 24‑hour walkout is expected to trigger widespread cancellations on domestic and European routes, as well as schedule changes on some long‑haul sectors, in the first major airline strike affecting Italy in 2026. Certain early‑morning and evening flights are likely to be protected under Italian minimum‑service laws, but carriers are warning that timetables could be heavily compressed.

Ground operations at Milan Linate and Malpensa are set for additional pressure from a parallel 24‑hour strike by airport handling staff, which may slow baggage delivery, aircraft turnaround and check‑in, even on flights that are not formally cancelled. With Milan serving as both a gateway to northern Italy’s lakes and design cities and a key transfer point for Alpine ski resorts, the timing risks cascading disruption into Valentine’s weekend trips to destinations such as Lake Como, Verona, the Dolomites and neighbouring Switzerland and Austria.

On the rails, a national assembly involving train drivers and on‑board staff across the FS Group, including Trenitalia, is planned for 27 and 28 February and could disrupt long‑distance and regional services during the late‑February travel window. While that is after Valentine’s Day, the simmering disputes over contracts, rostering and safety standards underline the fragility of a system that many tourists rely on to combine multiple Italian cities in a single trip.

Italian Cities and Ski Resorts Prepare Contingency Plans

Regional authorities and tourism boards in Italy are moving quickly to limit the impact on holidaymakers. Airports and airlines are drafting revised contingency plans that prioritise core domestic links and high‑yield international routes in the event of large‑scale cancellations on 16 February. Travellers with Valentine’s trips spanning the second and third weeks of February are being encouraged to monitor their bookings closely and to consider building in buffer days to account for potential rebookings.

In major cities such as Rome, Milan, Florence and Venice, hoteliers report a cautious but steady flow of Valentine’s bookings from key markets including the United States, the United Kingdom and northern Europe. Many properties are adjusting cancellation and rebooking policies to provide more flexibility if guests are unable to reach the city on their scheduled arrival day, a move designed to reassure long‑haul travellers who cannot easily pivot to another weekend.

Ski resorts in the Dolomites and western Alps are particularly sensitive to transport disruption in mid‑February, which coincides with peak season and the school holiday calendar in many European countries. Local tourism offices are working with coach companies and shuttle providers to ensure that alternative road transport is available from Milan and other gateway airports on and around 16 February, though journey times may be longer and seats limited if rail links or connecting flights are reduced.

Industry groups in Italy stress that, despite the headline risk of strikes, the majority of services are still expected to operate and that past stoppages have often been scaled back at the last minute through late‑night negotiations. However, they warn that the current disputes are fuelled by deep‑seated issues over pay, working conditions and staffing which may lead unions to maintain a harder line in February than on previous occasions.

New Zealand Travellers Face February Turbulence Across Air And Ground

On the other side of the world, New Zealand is grappling with its own wave of industrial tensions affecting both air and ground travel in early 2026. While the country is in its late‑summer season rather than the Northern Hemisphere winter, February is a key month for domestic tourism, outdoor events and international visitors drawn to vineyards, beaches and hiking routes, as well as for New Zealanders heading overseas for holidays.

Unions representing airport staff, ground handlers and some aviation professionals have flagged possible work stoppages in February amid disputes over rosters, pay and staffing levels after a busy Christmas and New Year period. While final strike dates and formats are often confirmed only after mandatory mediation, industry officials expect any action to cluster around mid‑month, a pressure point shared with Europe that could complicate long‑haul itineraries connecting via Asia and the Pacific.

On the rail side, New Zealand has a smaller passenger network than many European countries, but commuter services and tourist‑focused scenic trains have been subject to rolling disputes in recent years over funding and service cuts. Worker representatives have warned that further industrial action is on the table in February if negotiations over safety, investment and job security stall, potentially affecting regional services used by both residents and visitors.

Tourism businesses in hubs such as Auckland, Wellington and Queenstown are following developments closely, concerned that even short, limited walkouts could undermine confidence among international travellers planning complex itineraries that combine domestic flights, rental cars and rail or coach segments. With the country working hard to rebuild long‑haul markets from North America and Europe, any perception of fragility in its transport system is being treated as a serious strategic risk.

Valentine’s Day City Breaks And Long‑Haul Escapes At Higher Risk

The clustering of strikes and strike threats in February across three distant but interconnected markets is particularly sensitive for Valentine’s Day travel. In Europe, 14 February falls in the middle of a key shoulder season window for city breaks to destinations such as Barcelona, Seville, Madrid, Rome, Florence and Venice, as well as for extended weekends combining cities with coastal or wine‑region stays.

With Spanish rail strikes concentrated on 9–11 February and major Italian airline and airport walkouts set for 16 February, travellers with departures or returns around 13–17 February face the highest risk of being caught in the cross‑fire. Flight connections planned to feed into Spanish high‑speed trains, for example, may no longer match altered rail timetables, while passengers booked on multi‑stop itineraries that link Italy with Spain via low‑cost carriers could see one disrupted leg cascade into missed onward journeys.

In New Zealand, long‑haul visitors arriving from Europe and North America already face complex routings via hubs in Asia, Australia or the Middle East. Any industrial action that curtails domestic connections or ground operations at New Zealand airports in February could lead to extended layovers, forced overnight stays and missed tour departures for Valentine’s week travellers who have little slack in their schedules.

Travel agencies report a rise in queries from couples looking to understand the risks to their trips, with some choosing to bring forward or push back departures by a few days to steer clear of announced strike windows. Others are opting for destinations with more direct flight options or stronger domestic redundancy, such as major US and Canadian cities, in a bid to avoid relying on multiple rail or low‑cost air connections in Europe.

How Airlines, Rail Operators And Travellers Are Responding

Transport operators in all three countries are racing to manage capacity and provide clearer information as February approaches. Spanish carriers are filing additional frequencies on selected domestic routes, particularly between Madrid and Andalusian destinations, while also preparing rescue fares and flexible policies for customers displaced from high‑speed trains. Rail operators are required to publish minimum‑service timetables ahead of strikes, but many warn that network congestion and safety inspections will continue to constrain options even for trains that nominally remain on the schedule.

In Italy, ITA Airways and other carriers are being pressed by regulators to define which flights they will protect during the 16 February strike under essential‑service rules. Industry observers expect them to prioritise routes to islands such as Sicily and Sardinia, key European capitals and a limited number of long‑haul services, while trimming or consolidating flights on busier domestic and intra‑Schengen links. Airport authorities in Milan and Rome are also preparing for queues and slower processing on days immediately before and after the stoppages as airlines re‑accommodate passengers.

New Zealand airports and airlines are encouraging passengers to allow additional time for check‑in and security screening in February and to ensure contact details are up to date so they can receive last‑minute alerts. Some carriers are also signalling that they may temporarily cap new bookings on heavily used domestic routes if they judge that staffing or industrial uncertainty could undermine reliability, a step designed to protect those who already hold tickets.

Across all three markets, travel advisers suggest that passengers build redundancy into Valentine’s trips, whether by choosing earlier flights in the day, allowing at least several hours between independently booked segments, or avoiding the tightest possible connections between rail and air. Flexible tickets and comprehensive travel insurance that explicitly covers strike‑related disruption are also climbing the priority list for couples seeking to protect what is, for many, one of the most meaningful getaways of the year.