What to expect if you’re travelling to Spain this autumn
Autumn is set to be a busy season in Spain. For travellers arriving in the country, there are several events that could disrupt plans, ranging from strike action to protests and even flooding, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t travel here.
General strike
Spanish unions are set for more strike action in November, with the country’s first general strike since 2012.
The walkout will take place on Wednesday 11th November — just two days before the official start of the election campaign.
Public transport services and journeys from airports and railway stations could be disrupted, although the extent of this will depend on the minimum services provided (as of yet, unconfirmed) and any incidents that may occur.
Within Spain, many are assuming the strike action will impact domestic travel. Reporting in the Spanish press suggests that some 100,000 attendees to various conferences around the country may be affected.
Fortunately, however, reporting in the Spanish press suggests that the CGT union has called off the ongoing strike action by ground handling services at Barcelona-El Prat Airport.
Protests and camps
Arriving in Spain in the midst of a housing crisis, a general strike and an election campaign (building up to polling day on November 29th) means that there will likely be protests of all manner across the country throughout the month.
This could result in more traffic congestion and social unrest, although protests have been non-violent for the most part so far. You’re likely to see some protesters camped out in so-called ‘tent cities’ in central squares such as the one in Madrid’s central Puerta del Sol.
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Train drivers’ strike
Spain’s Semaf trade union has called a 24-hour strike on October 29th for train crew members at all Renfe subsidiaries.
Because the strike action involves all driving staff across Spain’s entire state-owned Renfe network, significant delays, service reductions, and cancellations are expected on that day.
Teachers’ strike
It’s unclear how long an indefinite strike action by public school teachers will last in Madrid, but so far the protests have caused travel disruption around the capital, including the blockade of the A-3 motorway near the Moratalaz district.
Possible flooding
Spanish meteorologists have warned that this summer’s weather conditions are similar to those recorded prior to the devastating 2024 Valencia floods, increasing the likelihood of heavy, sudden downpours such as Wednesday’s along Spain’s Mediterranean.
Spanish authorities take weather alerts very seriously and flooding over the autumn period could well cause travel cancellations, whether local or regional.
READ ALSO: Why there are fears of more serious floods in Spain this autumn
Barcelona ground staff strike called off
On a more positive note, the strike by ground staff at Barcelona-El Prat airport has been called off after more than two months of haphazard flight cancellations, delays and especially luggage problems.
No more passport checks for flights from Italy
Good news for those travelling to Spain from Italy and vice versa. Spanish and Italian authorities have recently agreed to remove tit-for-tat border checks introduced following a spat over migration after talks between the two countries’ leaders.
The detente ends a showdown that began in summer, when Italy’s interior ministry introduced controls on travellers from Spain after tens of thousands of migrants rushed from Morocco into the Spanish territory of Ceuta, in North Africa.
Italy and Spain do not share a land border, but passengers arriving on flights have been required to go through passport checks, which is normally not the case because both countries are members of the Schengen free-travel zone.
No recent EES holdups reported at Spanish airports
In mid-September, nine EU countries including France, Portugal and Italy asked to delay the full implementation of EES border checks at busy airports, but Spain has been sticking to its guns and maintaining the new biometric controls for non-EU travellers.
That’s largely because the Entry-Exit System is working relatively smoothly at Spanish airports after some holdups this summer, with no major queues or complaints recorded in recent months.
Spanish airports were among the first to implement EES and have therefore also likely had more times to iron out some of the main issues with the new system. Some problems may still persist, but rather haphazardly.
