1st Italy trip - where is English spoken most?
Jun 18th, 2007, 04:42 PM
#21
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 57,890
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Have been to Italy numerous times and never found it necessary to speak Italian beyond a greeting. However - we both speak some spanish - and if necessary can bumble along in that - which is close enough. Most people you will meet can at least understand basic English.
What we found helpful was a small Berlitz menu reader- which not only translated main ingredients - but also explained something about preparation of popular dishes in several areas. (I't easy to figure out what's chicken, what's lobster etc - it's exactly what's going to happen to it that's a little bit of a mystery. But - that's part of the joy of travel.)
What we found helpful was a small Berlitz menu reader- which not only translated main ingredients - but also explained something about preparation of popular dishes in several areas. (I't easy to figure out what's chicken, what's lobster etc - it's exactly what's going to happen to it that's a little bit of a mystery. But - that's part of the joy of travel.)
Jun 18th, 2007, 07:24 PM
#22
I've only been to Venice, twice, and had no problem getting around and do not speak any Italian. I think people overestimate the need to speak -lol! If you have your day planned out, and keep your eyes open around you, no real need for chit chat. I would carry a phrase book for the basics and menu translations.
Jun 19th, 2007, 03:31 AM
#24
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Since Piedmont is my adopted home, I have to agree with Franco. English, while present to some small degree, is not spoken widely here. People don't come here because the English is so good, they come here because the wine and food are so good, and because it is so untouristed and pristine.
In Italy, any area where English is spoken extremely well will be a tourist area. Italians learn English out of necessity, that necessity being business. Unlike other European nations (such as Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, etc) there is no national paradigm that a second languge is critical to life in general.
This basically means that if you want English spoken well around you, you need to go to those areas where tourism flourishes -- the Tuscan region from Florence to Siena, Rome, Venice, and to a lesser degree Milan, Torino, the Cinque Terre, and so on.
Having said all this, you can very well make yourself understood in PIedmont and places like Le Marche and Puglia, etc. and have an extremely enjoyable, very individual vacation.
In Italy, any area where English is spoken extremely well will be a tourist area. Italians learn English out of necessity, that necessity being business. Unlike other European nations (such as Germany, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, etc) there is no national paradigm that a second languge is critical to life in general.
This basically means that if you want English spoken well around you, you need to go to those areas where tourism flourishes -- the Tuscan region from Florence to Siena, Rome, Venice, and to a lesser degree Milan, Torino, the Cinque Terre, and so on.
Having said all this, you can very well make yourself understood in PIedmont and places like Le Marche and Puglia, etc. and have an extremely enjoyable, very individual vacation.
Jun 19th, 2007, 04:33 AM
#25
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 75
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi there,
Yes you will enjoy yourself no matter wher e you are, but I think you were asking about how much you will get out of the tours.
I agree with Bellacqui - the standard hotspot circuit of Venice-Florence-Tuscany-Rome will provide you with plenty of opportunities for tours in English.
Remember that English is used by non-Western people to communicate in Italy.
I noticed in Torino, however, that many sites did not have tours in English (Stupinigi for one).
But I always feel that where there is less English, you will enjoy yourself more because the touristy element is low. If you read up before your leave on your trip about the places you want to visit, you will be fine.
Have a great trip,
Ellen
Yes you will enjoy yourself no matter wher e you are, but I think you were asking about how much you will get out of the tours.
I agree with Bellacqui - the standard hotspot circuit of Venice-Florence-Tuscany-Rome will provide you with plenty of opportunities for tours in English.
Remember that English is used by non-Western people to communicate in Italy.
I noticed in Torino, however, that many sites did not have tours in English (Stupinigi for one).
But I always feel that where there is less English, you will enjoy yourself more because the touristy element is low. If you read up before your leave on your trip about the places you want to visit, you will be fine.
Have a great trip,
Ellen
Jun 19th, 2007, 07:19 AM
#26
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
You guys are awesome - thanks for the words of wisdom! Last question (well, for the moment! 
) - the only time we can go is, unfortunately, during the last 2 weeks of August. I know, crazy tourist high season, but I have no choice. So, given that, what sounds like the best place(s) to go for my first trip? Are Tuscany, CT, or Venice just asking for trouble from a bazillion tour buses?
(Oh, and to address a question someone posed about why am I renting a car - I love going off the beaten path, and winery visits are going to be essential, so that's why I would rather have a car than travel by train.)
) - the only time we can go is, unfortunately, during the last 2 weeks of August. I know, crazy tourist high season, but I have no choice. So, given that, what sounds like the best place(s) to go for my first trip? Are Tuscany, CT, or Venice just asking for trouble from a bazillion tour buses? (Oh, and to address a question someone posed about why am I renting a car - I love going off the beaten path, and winery visits are going to be essential, so that's why I would rather have a car than travel by train.)
Jun 19th, 2007, 08:20 AM
#27
Guest
Posts: n/a
ejb, has anyone suggested you fly 'open jaw', rather than roundtrip to Milan? It's much more efficient to fly into one city and home from another city, so you don't have to backtrack just to fly home. For instance, fly into Venice and home from Rome, etc.
Have fun planning your trip!
(You might enjoy train travel there, it's so convenient. Such a hassle to have a car in those cities, too.)
>-
Have fun planning your trip!
(You might enjoy train travel there, it's so convenient. Such a hassle to have a car in those cities, too.)
>-
Jun 19th, 2007, 08:34 AM
#28
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 240
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If your Italian is beyond basic, does that mean you are an intermediate speaker?? A car is a good idea -it will allow you to get to the areas out of the big cities and enjoy real Italian food and great wine, without the tourist menus and high prices.
Tommassocroccante, who are you friends who lived in Sutri? I'm just down the road elegantetruria.com and several US school programs have been set up in nearby Viterbo because the area is traditional and with few English speakers-perfect for US students to USE the language they are learning.
Tommassocroccante, who are you friends who lived in Sutri? I'm just down the road elegantetruria.com and several US school programs have been set up in nearby Viterbo because the area is traditional and with few English speakers-perfect for US students to USE the language they are learning.
Jun 19th, 2007, 10:57 AM
#30
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
"Open jaw' flights are usually referred to at airline web sites as 'multi-city.' These days it is usually about the same price to fly into one city and home from another. (People who complain that these flights cost too much are usually booking them incorrectly by treating them as two one-way flights rahter than using the multi-city option.)
Taking into consideration travel time and hotel needs, flying open jaw can increase your vacation time by a day or more by eliminating the need to return to your starting point at the end of your trip.
Taking into consideration travel time and hotel needs, flying open jaw can increase your vacation time by a day or more by eliminating the need to return to your starting point at the end of your trip.
Jun 19th, 2007, 02:46 PM
#31
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Mary Jane:
First, really enjoying your web site. I would definitely consider taking a course at your school myself. My Italian "training" consists of 10 weeks (15 hrs, actually) of tutoring with a Torinese instructor here in NYC.
My friends who spent the year in Sutri were Michael Rips and his wife and daughter. Michael wrote a book about their year there called Pasquale's Nose. It's a rather fantastic take on the mythology of the characters inhabiting a small town (and as a former small-town boy I know whereof I speak) that has been reprinted in 8-10 languages. (Dutch, German, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Hebrew ... Italy is a popular subject everywhere)
They happened to choose Sutri partly for its proximity to Rome, and largely because it is the summer home of another friend of ours, artist Michelle Zalopany.
They loved Sutri, and I must say, so did I. You know this already, Mary Jane, but for others: it is a real town, with enough beauty and artistic and historical distinction to be attractive to a visitor, and with a typically welcoming (if at a friendly arm's length) populace. Here there are no more than half a dozen tourists strolling through the square (closed to vehicle traffic) in a given week, so one definitely spends more time with "veri Italiani" than with other tourists.
In fact, the hill towns north of Rome have many attractions, even if they aren't the jewels of the Renaissance you find elsewhere in Italy. I had boots made for myself in Ronciglioni (a town with a grand saddlemaker's tradition), ate brilliantly in Capranica (Risorante I Vitigni) and San Martino al Cimino (La Pergoletta). The farms have a different look and feel than their Tuscan/Umbrian counterparts. I waded in Lago di Vico (too cool to swim that day, but we lunched at a great lakeside restaurant, nestled under some pines right at the beach.)We were guests at a local farm for an "abbondanza" harvest meal. And my short visit happened to coincide with the feast week of Sutri's patron saint, Sta. Dolcissima (a figure with no historical record, as it turns out.) Among the events: a talent show one night in the town square; a dance program at the Amfiteatro (etruscan) performed by local teenagers; the requisite grand religious procession involving what seemed to be half the town; and fireworks. The great thing, they were doing it all for themselves, not for paying guests.
Not a lot of English spoken in any of these places (visitors are more likely to be Romans tending their weekend places), though when you did come upon an English speaker they were always happy to exercise their linguistic skills - or even show off in front of friends. What is spoken all over, by the way, is affection for children: my friends' daughter celebrated her first birthday in Sutri, and they learned that a small child opens many doors in this kid-loving land. A baby girl especially seems to melt hearts, from the barrista to the landlord ...
First, really enjoying your web site. I would definitely consider taking a course at your school myself. My Italian "training" consists of 10 weeks (15 hrs, actually) of tutoring with a Torinese instructor here in NYC.
My friends who spent the year in Sutri were Michael Rips and his wife and daughter. Michael wrote a book about their year there called Pasquale's Nose. It's a rather fantastic take on the mythology of the characters inhabiting a small town (and as a former small-town boy I know whereof I speak) that has been reprinted in 8-10 languages. (Dutch, German, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Hebrew ... Italy is a popular subject everywhere)
They happened to choose Sutri partly for its proximity to Rome, and largely because it is the summer home of another friend of ours, artist Michelle Zalopany.
They loved Sutri, and I must say, so did I. You know this already, Mary Jane, but for others: it is a real town, with enough beauty and artistic and historical distinction to be attractive to a visitor, and with a typically welcoming (if at a friendly arm's length) populace. Here there are no more than half a dozen tourists strolling through the square (closed to vehicle traffic) in a given week, so one definitely spends more time with "veri Italiani" than with other tourists.
In fact, the hill towns north of Rome have many attractions, even if they aren't the jewels of the Renaissance you find elsewhere in Italy. I had boots made for myself in Ronciglioni (a town with a grand saddlemaker's tradition), ate brilliantly in Capranica (Risorante I Vitigni) and San Martino al Cimino (La Pergoletta). The farms have a different look and feel than their Tuscan/Umbrian counterparts. I waded in Lago di Vico (too cool to swim that day, but we lunched at a great lakeside restaurant, nestled under some pines right at the beach.)We were guests at a local farm for an "abbondanza" harvest meal. And my short visit happened to coincide with the feast week of Sutri's patron saint, Sta. Dolcissima (a figure with no historical record, as it turns out.) Among the events: a talent show one night in the town square; a dance program at the Amfiteatro (etruscan) performed by local teenagers; the requisite grand religious procession involving what seemed to be half the town; and fireworks. The great thing, they were doing it all for themselves, not for paying guests.
Not a lot of English spoken in any of these places (visitors are more likely to be Romans tending their weekend places), though when you did come upon an English speaker they were always happy to exercise their linguistic skills - or even show off in front of friends. What is spoken all over, by the way, is affection for children: my friends' daughter celebrated her first birthday in Sutri, and they learned that a small child opens many doors in this kid-loving land. A baby girl especially seems to melt hearts, from the barrista to the landlord ...
Jun 19th, 2007, 02:55 PM
#32
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
EJB, re driving, if you enjoy it, go for it. Where you don't want to take a car is into any city - in fact you generally won't be able to, or even into the center of many towns of any size. But for seeing the countryside and the freedom to go from one small town to another, a car is great. If you also stay in the smaller towns or in country hotels (can you say "agriturismo"?) the drive tour is even easier. You might decide on 4 days in a central spot like Florence, and 5 driving and staying in the countryside/small towns.
Since you're looking at late August, keep in mind how hot Tuscan and Rome can be - that may be right up your alley, but if not, you might think about the north: there are beautiful towns (Bologna, Verona, Padua, the lakes ...), cathedrals and art all over the place north of Florence - even north of Milan. You'll still see lots of tourists, but more of them may be Italians and other Europeans than elsewhere in Italia those weeks.
Since you're looking at late August, keep in mind how hot Tuscan and Rome can be - that may be right up your alley, but if not, you might think about the north: there are beautiful towns (Bologna, Verona, Padua, the lakes ...), cathedrals and art all over the place north of Florence - even north of Milan. You'll still see lots of tourists, but more of them may be Italians and other Europeans than elsewhere in Italia those weeks.
Jun 21st, 2007, 11:36 AM
#33
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 43
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Update: My, how quickly things can change!
First change: dates are now the last weekend of Sept thru the 1st week of October. (Whew! Less rush!)
Second change: Looks like we're flying into Milan, going straight to Venice via plane or train (about the same cost; plane is easier but train offers scenery; both get into Venice the same time). Figure 3 nights Venice, then rent a car and head west - 3 nights Dolomites/Lakes??, and then 3 nights in Piedmont. Does this seem reasonable? What would you suggest as far as accommodations, restaurants, and must-sees in these areas?
Thank you all!!!
First change: dates are now the last weekend of Sept thru the 1st week of October. (Whew! Less rush!)
Second change: Looks like we're flying into Milan, going straight to Venice via plane or train (about the same cost; plane is easier but train offers scenery; both get into Venice the same time). Figure 3 nights Venice, then rent a car and head west - 3 nights Dolomites/Lakes??, and then 3 nights in Piedmont. Does this seem reasonable? What would you suggest as far as accommodations, restaurants, and must-sees in these areas?
Thank you all!!!
Jun 21st, 2007, 11:49 AM
#34
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 10,253
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I'd fly to Venice from Milan upon arrival if that's an option. Sure there's some scenery along the train route, but there's also the annoying, unscenic traffic-ridden bus ride into Milan to get to the train station, and then the train ride, which can bewscenic at times, but does pass through flat farm country as well. Also, you'll see that scenery on the driving part of your trip after you leave Venice.
Jun 21st, 2007, 11:56 AM
#35
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,285
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ellenem hits it on the head. Taking the train means extra baggage handling (unfortunately the train into Milan from Malpensa doesn't land you at the station where the train to Venice departs), and since you're driving back by that route ...
The Dolomites and Piedmont are a "less-visited" part of Italy, by Americans anyway, and we will all envy you when you report back. It's very beautiful and varied country - not to mention cuisine.
The Dolomites and Piedmont are a "less-visited" part of Italy, by Americans anyway, and we will all envy you when you report back. It's very beautiful and varied country - not to mention cuisine.
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
CapriAnniversary
Europe
29
May 13th, 2009 08:03 PM
