Spain general strike 11 November 2026: flights, trains and what to do

Last updated: 22 October 2026

Spain's two biggest unions, UGT and CCOO, have called a 24-hour general strike for Wednesday 11 November 2026, across all sectors and the whole country, including the Balearic and Canary Islands. Smaller unions such as CGT and CNT have joined the call. As of 22 October, the strike is still on, the government has not yet set the minimum services that decide how many flights, trains and metros run, and no airline has cancelled anything yet. If you travel to, from or within Spain on 10 to 12 November, the one thing to do now is make sure your airline and rail operator have your mobile number and email, so a cancellation notice reaches you wherever you are.

Traveling earlier? Renfe train drivers strike on Thursday 29 October, and Ouigo drivers on 30 October and 2 November, with partial stoppages on 6 and 9 November and 4 and 8 December (see Trains below).

What changed since 21 October

• Both rail strikes are still called. We found no report that Semaf has called off the Renfe strike of 29 October or the Ouigo strikes, and no official list of cancelled trains yet (Noticias de Logística y Transporte, 21 October).
• Ouigo hours confirmed. The two full strike days, 30 October and 2 November, run from 00:01 to 23:59. Mediation between Semaf and Ouigo at the Madrid mediation body (IRMA) ended without agreement, and the union has asked the Ministry of Transport not to set minimum services, arguing that Renfe and Iryo run more than 80% of the trains on the routes concerned (Hosteltur, from EFE, 15 October). The ministry has not answered publicly yet.
• Still not announced (22 October): minimum services for 29 October, for the Ouigo days or for 11 November; any statement from Aena; any airline cancellations.
• A date to watch: 28 October. That is 14 days before the strike. Under EU and UK rules, a cancellation you are told about 14 days or more ahead carries no compensation, though you still get a refund or rerouting. After 28 October, compensation depends on whose strike caused it (see Your rights below).

Earlier updates (14 to 21 October)

• Ouigo drivers strike on six days. Semaf has called strikes for the roughly 100 drivers of Ouigo, the low-cost high-speed operator: full 24-hour strikes on Friday 30 October and Monday 2 November, and partial ones (06:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 23:59) on 6 and 9 November and 4 and 8 December (El Español, 8 October). It is separate from both the Renfe strike and the general strike.
• Renfe strike hours. The 29 October Renfe strike runs from 00:01 to 23:59 and covers driving staff at every company in the Renfe group (Infobae, 16 October). Renfe says most of the measures the union asks for are already done or under way.
• The Barcelona airport baggage strike is over. The indefinite strike by Groundforce ground-handling staff at Barcelona El Prat, which CGT says cancelled 270 flights and left 6,000 bags undelivered, ended with an agreement on 17 October (Metrópoli Abierta, 17 October). CGT plans protests at Terminal 1 on 19 and 26 October and 2 November over three dismissals; those are gatherings, not a strike. If you read about Barcelona cancellations from August to October, that was this dispute, not the 11 November strike.
• CSIF will not join. CSIF, a large public-sector union, has said it will not back the 11 November strike (Euronews, 7 October).

What is confirmed so far

	Status on 22 October 2026
Date	Wednesday 11 November 2026
Length	24 hours. The CGT notice runs from 00:00 to 24:00 on 11 November, and for shift workers from the last shift starting before midnight on 10 November
Called by	UGT and CCOO, joined by CGT, CNT and other unions. CSIF is not joining
Why	Wages, the cost of housing and rising prices
Minimum services	Not published yet
Cancellations announced	None yet
Separate rail strikes	Renfe drivers (Semaf), Thursday 29 October, 00:01 to 23:59. Ouigo drivers (Semaf), 30 October and 2 November from 00:01 to 23:59, partial (06:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 23:59) on 6 and 9 November and 4 and 8 December. No minimum services published for either yet

Flying in from the UK, the US or Australia? On a strike day you will want data for rebooking, live maps and ride-hailing. US and Australian carriers charge for every day abroad, and so do many UK plans since Brexit (see Traveling from the UK, below). A week of data for Spain costs $11.99 with us, about what AT&T charges for a single day of roaming, and it installs before you fly. If your EU plan already includes Spain, you are covered and need nothing new. Coming from the US? Will my phone work in Spain? has what Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile charge there. Other plans: will my phone work in Europe?

CCOO announced the joint call on 7 October 2026 (CCOO, "Convocamos huelga general para el 11 de noviembre"). The unions' joint statement asks for higher wages, a shorter working week, an end to precarious jobs, curbs on housing speculation and control of prices (CCOO and UGT strike statement, PDF). UGT points to inflation of 4.9% in September and asks for a 7% rise in the minimum wage for 2027 (UGT, 14 October). Spanish media report that it is the first general strike called jointly by UGT and CCOO since 14 November 2012.

Hours. UGT and CCOO describe it as a 24-hour strike but have not published hours on their own sites. The notice registered by CGT in Andalusia sets them out: from 00:00 to 24:00 on 11 November, and in workplaces that run shifts, from the last shift that starts before midnight on 10 November to the end of the last shift that starts on 11 November, even if it finishes on the 12th (CGT Andalucía, 14 October). In practice, expect the first effects on the night of Tuesday 10 November and some knock-on delays into the morning of Thursday 12 November.

The election. The strike falls 18 days before a snap general election. The royal decree published in Spain's official gazette on 6 October calls the vote for Sunday 29 November 2026, with the campaign running from 13 to 27 November (BOE, Real Decreto 806/2026). For travellers this mostly means more rallies and demonstrations in city centres through November.

Flights and airports

As of 22 October 2026, no airline flying to Spain has announced cancellations for 11 November, and neither Aena, which runs Spain's main airports, nor ENAIRE, the air navigation service, has published a statement about the strike.

What matters is who stops work. A general strike covers every sector, so airline crew, airport ground handling and baggage staff, security staff and some air traffic staff could all take part. Because air transport is an essential service in Spain, the Ministry of Transport sets minimum services for flights before the strike. Those orders are usually published only a few days ahead, and airlines then publish their reduced schedules, often one or two days before.

The last comparable strike gives an idea of the scale. Ahead of the 14 November 2012 general strike, Iberia, Vueling and Air Nostrum cancelled 473 flights between them and offered free changes or refunds, announced two days before (Hosteltur, 12 November 2012). That is a precedent, not a forecast: 2026 schedules and minimum services may differ.

What to expect, in short:

• Spanish airlines (Iberia, Vueling, Air Europa, Air Nostrum and Binter) are the most exposed, because their own staff are covered by the strike.
• UK and Irish airlines (Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, British Airways) mostly crew Spain flights from bases outside Spain, but they still depend on Spanish ground handling and airport staff. Ryanair and easyJet also have bases in Spain, so check with them too.
• Airport journeys may be the weak link: metro, train and bus links to the airport could run a reduced service (see below).

Barcelona: the separate Groundforce baggage-handling strike at El Prat ended on 17 October (see above).

If you land at Madrid or Barcelona, our Madrid Barajas guide and Barcelona El Prat guide cover the free Wi-Fi and getting online on arrival.

Trains and city transport

Renfe on 29 October. Semaf's strike on Thursday 29 October, from 00:01 to 23:59, covers all Renfe drivers, so AVE high speed, long distance, Media Distancia and Cercanías trains can all be affected. The Ministry of Transport sets minimum services for Renfe and publishes them on its page of rail minimum-service resolutions; as of 22 October it had not published them for this strike. Renfe then lists the trains that run. If you have a train on 29 October, check Renfe a day or two before, and consider the 28th or the 30th.

Ouigo from 30 October. Ouigo, which runs low-cost high-speed trains between Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante, Andalusia and other cities, faces a drivers' strike all day (00:01 to 23:59) on Friday 30 October and Monday 2 November, and partial stoppages (06:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 23:59) on 6 and 9 November and 4 and 8 December. These fall on the long weekends of All Saints and the December holidays. Semaf has asked for no minimum services; the ministry has not said whether it will set any. If you hold a Ouigo ticket for one of those days, watch for an email from Ouigo and check its app the day before. Note that the Renfe strike on the 29th and the Ouigo strike on the 30th fall on consecutive days, so moving a high-speed trip by one day may not be enough that week.

Renfe on 11 November. Renfe (AVE high speed, long distance, Media Distancia and Cercanías commuter trains) has not published a strike timetable for 11 November yet. For Renfe services, minimum services are set by the Ministry of Transport; for Rodalies in Catalonia, the Generalitat sets them. Renfe usually lists the trains that will run on its website a day or two before a strike. If your trip can move, a train on 10 or 12 November is the safer choice.

City transport is run by regional and city operators, whose minimum services are set by the regional or city government:

• Madrid: Metro de Madrid and EMT buses (minimum services set by the Comunidad de Madrid and the city).
• Barcelona: TMB metro and buses, and Rodalies trains (set by the Generalitat).
• Valencia: Metrovalencia and EMT Valencia.
• Seville and Málaga: their metros and city buses, and Cercanías Málaga for the airport line.
• Palma: EMT Palma buses, including the airport line.

None of these had published minimum services as of 22 October 2026. In past general strikes, metros and buses typically ran a reduced service, strongest at peak hours, and marches closed central streets for part of the day. Taxis and ride-hailing apps keep working where drivers choose to work, but demand rises sharply, so allow extra time and money for the trip to the airport.

The Balearic and Canary Islands

The strike is nationwide, so it covers Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura too. No island-specific announcement or minimum services had been published as of 22 October 2026.

Inter-island flights in the Canaries are mostly flown by Binter, a Spanish airline whose staff are covered by the strike, so check with Binter if you plan to hop between islands on 11 November. Most UK holiday flights to the islands are flown by UK airlines, which depend on Spanish ground handling at the airport.

Your rights if your flight is cancelled

Flights from Spain, or to Spain on an EU airline (EU261). EU passenger rules apply to every flight departing from the EU and to flights into the EU on an EU airline, according to the EU's Your Europe air passenger rights page. Whatever the cause:

• Refund or rerouting. You choose between a refund and the next available flight, or a later date that suits you.
• Care. Meals and refreshments while you wait, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight.

Compensation (€250, €400 or €600 depending on distance, when you are told less than 14 days before departure, so from 28 October for an 11 November flight) depends on whose strike it is. The EU says strikes by the airline's own staff are not extraordinary circumstances, following the Court of Justice ruling in case C-28/20 of 23 March 2021. Strikes by people outside the airline, such as air traffic controllers or airport staff, may be extraordinary, in which case no compensation is due, though refund, rerouting and care still apply. In a general strike both kinds of staff may walk out, so the answer depends on why your particular flight was cancelled. Ask the airline in writing for the reason.

Flights from the UK (UK261). UK rules cover flights departing a UK airport on any airline, flights arriving in the UK on a UK or EU airline, and flights arriving in the EU on a UK airline, according to the UK Civil Aviation Authority. You get a refund or an alternative flight, and care while you wait. Compensation is £220, £350 or £520 by distance when you are told less than 14 days ahead, but the CAA says disruption caused by "airport or air traffic control employee strikes" is not eligible.

Keep receipts for anything you pay for yourself. If you bought travel insurance after the strike was announced on 7 October, check whether the policy excludes it.

Practical tips

• Check your booking the day before, and again on the morning, in the airline's app. Do not go to the airport for a flight shown as cancelled unless the airline tells you to.
• Turn on app notifications for your airline, Renfe or Ouigo and the airport, and make sure your booking holds your mobile number.
• Save your boarding pass offline, in your phone's wallet or as a screenshot, so you are not relying on airport Wi-Fi at the gate.
• Move your trip by a day if you can. Airlines usually offer free changes once a strike is confirmed, and 10 or 12 November is usually the easier choice.
• Plan the airport run. If the metro or train to the airport is on minimum service, leave early. Taxis and ride-hailing will be in heavy demand, and central streets may be closed for marches.
• Have mobile data when you land, so you can rebook, check a reduced timetable or order a car without hunting for Wi-Fi.

Traveling from the UK

Since Brexit, UK networks set their own charges for using your phone in Spain, and they differ a lot:

• O2 still includes roaming in its Europe Zone, Spain included, up to a 25 GB roaming limit (O2).
• Vodafone puts Spain in its Zone B. If your plan does not include European roaming, Vodafone's roaming passes cost £16 for 8 days and £21 for 15 days (Vodafone).
• EE and Three charge a daily fee for Europe on many plans, depending on the plan and when you joined. Check your network's roaming page, or the roaming line on your last bill, before you fly.
• On a smaller network? We cover what giffgaff, SMARTY, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile, Lebara, iD Mobile and VOXI charge abroad.

If your plan charges for Spain, our Europe eSIM costs $11.99 for 7 days with 1.5 GB a day, or $19.99 for 15 days, and the same eSIM also covers Portugal, France and the rest of a 30-country list if the strike reroutes you. Your UK number stays on for calls and texts, including bank codes. Turn data roaming off on the UK line; on networks that charge by the day, a call or text can still start that day's fee.

Staying online

On a strike day, nearly everything happens in apps: the airline's rebooking, Renfe's list of trains that run, the metro operator's service updates and the ride-hailing queue. Airport Wi-Fi is slow when a whole terminal is rebooking at once, and you may be doing it from a taxi or a station platform.

Be realistic about whether you need anything new. If your plan includes roaming in Spain, as most EU plans and O2 in the UK do, you are already covered. A travel eSIM is mainly worth it if your plan charges a daily fee for roaming in Europe, has no roaming at all, or caps your data, and for most US and Australian travellers, whose carriers charge for every day abroad. Our guide to travel eSIM versus international roaming sets out the trade-offs, will my phone work in Europe? covers each US carrier, and the 30-second check tells you whether your phone takes an eSIM.

If the strike pushes you onto a reroute through Lisbon, Paris or another European hub, our Europe plans cover Spain and the rest of the region on one eSIM. See also our Spain eSIM plans.

FAQ

Is there a strike in Spain on 11 November 2026?

Yes. UGT and CCOO have called a 24-hour general strike across Spain for Wednesday 11 November 2026, announced on 7 October 2026, and smaller unions including CGT and CNT have joined it. CSIF has said it will not. As of 22 October 2026 it had not been called off.

Will flights to Spain be cancelled on 11 November?

As of 22 October 2026, no airline has announced cancellations. Flights depend on the minimum services the Ministry of Transport will set, usually a few days before; in the 2012 general strike, Spanish airlines cancelled several hundred flights two days ahead.

Is there a Renfe train strike in October 2026?

Yes. Semaf, the train drivers' union, has called a strike for all Renfe drivers on Thursday 29 October 2026, from 00:01 to 23:59. It is separate from the 11 November general strike. As of 22 October no minimum services had been published; check Renfe a day or two before for the trains that run.

Is there a Ouigo strike?

Yes. Ouigo's drivers strike all day (00:01 to 23:59) on 30 October and 2 November 2026, and from 06:00 to 12:00 and 18:00 to 23:59 on 6 and 9 November and 4 and 8 December. Watch for an email from Ouigo and check its app the day before you travel.

Is the Barcelona airport strike over?

The Groundforce ground-handling strike at Barcelona El Prat ended with an agreement on 17 October 2026. CGT plans protests at Terminal 1 on 19 and 26 October and 2 November, which are gatherings, not a strike. The 11 November general strike is separate and covers Barcelona too.

Are there minimum services for the 11 November strike?

Not yet: as of 22 October 2026 no minimum services had been published for flights, Renfe or city transport. The Ministry of Transport sets them for flights and Renfe, and regional governments set them for metros, buses and Rodalies, usually a few days before the strike.

What time does the Spanish general strike start?

The notice registered by CGT runs from 00:00 to 24:00 on 11 November 2026, and for shift workers it begins with the last shift that starts before midnight on 10 November. UGT and CCOO describe their strike as 24 hours long.

Does the strike affect Mallorca, Tenerife and the other islands?

Yes. It is a nationwide strike, so the Balearic and Canary Islands are included, although no island-specific minimum services had been published as of 22 October 2026.

Will I pay roaming charges in Spain on a UK phone?

It depends on your network. O2 includes roaming in Spain up to a 25 GB limit. Vodafone, EE and Three charge on many plans, by the day or with a roaming pass, depending on the plan and when you joined. If yours charges, a Europe travel eSIM costs $11.99 for 7 days with us.

Can I get compensation if my flight is cancelled by the strike?

You always get a refund or rerouting, and care while you wait. Compensation of €250 to €600 under EU rules, or £220 to £520 under UK rules, is owed only when you are told less than 14 days ahead (from 28 October for an 11 November flight) and the cancellation is not caused by extraordinary circumstances: a strike by the airline's own staff normally qualifies for compensation, a strike by airport or air traffic control staff normally does not.

Is the strike linked to the general election?

The strike is over wages, housing and prices, but it falls 18 days before the snap general election of Sunday 29 November 2026, called by royal decree in the official gazette on 6 October 2026.

Facts checked on 22 October 2026 against CCOO and UGT statements, the CGT Andalucía strike notice, Spain's Boletín Oficial del Estado, Infobae, The Objective and Noticias de Logística y Transporte for the Semaf Renfe strike, El Español and Hosteltur (EFE) for the Ouigo strike, Metrópoli Abierta for the end of the Groundforce strike, Euronews for CSIF, Hosteltur for the 2012 precedent, the EU's Your Europe portal, the UK Civil Aviation Authority, and O2's and Vodafone's roaming pages. Check your airline, Renfe and Ouigo for the latest schedule, and your network for its current roaming charges, before you travel.