First Timer
 

My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy this fall (September). We are flying into Rome and out of Venice. We have 5 days in Rome and 3 days in Venice. We are taking the train from Rome to Venice. We do not plan on having a car while in Italy. While I have a lot of concerns because I have never traveled outside the US before, my greatest concern is the language. How much Italian do I need to know? I have been studing for the last several weeks and it's going ever so slowly.

Thanks for any advice you are able to give me.

Hi fl,

Itsa no probolema to get alonga in Italia. Everyboda spikka da Inglish.

>How much Italian do I need to know?

Not that much really. Most of the folks that you will meet on your visit will have some English.

May I suggests flying into Venice and out of Rome? I think that you will find better schedules.

Also Venice is much calmer.

((I))

In the bigger cities, many people will know some English. I was in Rome in January and still encountered people that didn't. If you know some key phrases, you will be able to get by without much trouble. Italians always greet you when you enter and leaave a store or restaurant, so don't forget your "buongiorno". "Please" and "thank you" and the biggest ones, "Where is the.." and other basic phrases will come in handy. Don't fret, Italians are very friendly.

>>How much Italian do I need to know?<<

Technically speaking, you don't "need" to know any Italian but, to enhance your enjoyment, you should "want" to know as much as you can. I suggest that you keep on studying...

Please
thank you
"il conto" when you want the bill at the restaurant
the number of people in your dinner party
where is the bathroom
and get a marling menu guide to familiarize yourself with the food, although many menus have translations
how to share a plate of food

You will get along fine in Rome. I haven't been to Venice. Friends of Friends were a bit stresssed in little towns in Tuscany because friends knew little Italian.

This was our first trip to Europe. Take the advice from our 13 year old...
"if i mess up mom, i'll never see these people again."

Get to the train station a bit earlier than recommended by hotel staff so looking at the boards and finding your way won't be so stressful..

ENJOY IT. You'll learn so much and want to go back!

I'm a little confused by ira's suggestion to start in Venice and end in Rome. I'm not sure about flight schedules if that's what he is referring to, but it is the calm of Venice that I always think gives it the edge as the best "ending" to the trip. I'd prefer the constant being on the go and energy that Rome requires at the beginning of the trip, then the relaxed and romantic Venice for the final days.

And I've spent weeks and weeks in Italy over the years and still can't master much beyond grazie and buon giorno. It really isn't a problem. A big smile and a nice attitude are FAR more important than learning the language, although no doubt speaking a little more might be nicer. You may even find it annoying to speak to someone in your well studied Italian and have him answer you in English, as he may feel he speaks English better than you do Italian.

Patrick,

There fewer nonstop flightss from Venice to the US. Therefore, since many people must connect through some other European airport, they often have VERY early departures out of Venice. This is much less true of Rome.

Also, the logisitics of getting to airport in Venice are a little trickier than getting to FCO in Rome.

OK, I understand that first point, but regarding the second point, the same could be said of getting FROM the two airports to the city. I'd prefer the easier trip to be on my arrival in unfamiliar Italy, not so much my departure. Then arriving in Venice by train from Rome and stepping out from Santa Lucia is so spectacular.

Having to take a more exhausting and longer connecting flight overnight to get to Venice, then having to deal with the more involved transport into the city and to the hotel seems a much less "friendly way" to start the vacation than flying nonstop to Rome and taking an inexpensive pre-reserved shuttle to the hotel in Rome.

And anyway, I'd rather have the connecting flight if necessary on my way home, rather than on the overnight getting to Europe and adding to the east bound jet lag.

Just personal preferences, I guess.

>Just personal preferences, I guess. <

Yup. :)

I would prefer to arrive at VCE, even if it is a one stop, than FCO because, in either case, it will be rather early and I have to run on adrenalin until bedtime. I would rather wander around Venice in a jet-lagged fog than Rome.

I also find it easier to get into the rhythm of Italy in a calmer setting.

By the time I arrived in Rome, I would be used to Italy.
((I))

<<And anyway, I'd rather have the connecting flight if necessary on my way home, rather than on the overnight getting to Europe and adding to the east bound jet lag. >>

I am just the opposite. No real jetlag arriving in Europe--I'm too excited to sleep.

But on the way home . . . I just want to get there. The trip home is already an hour longer just because of the head wind heading west, without adding a connection.

Each has its points . . .

I concur with into Venice, out of Rome. To make a connecting flight, you have to leave very early from Venice so you lose some precious time. And Venice has fewer must-sees so you can drift around in that jet-lag fog Ira describes -- without worrying about getting run over by aggressive Italian drivers. Wandering around is the #1 sightseeing activity in Venice to my mind.

In general, transatlantic flights Italy-->US leave about 10-10:30 AM Italy time. Connecting flights to the departure airport (FCO, MXP, CDG, LHR, etc.) usually leave about 7-7:30 AM Italy time, earlier for CDG/LHR and later for FCO/MXP. Knowing that it means having to get up at 4:00 AM or earlier to make a 7 AM connecting flight, given my choice of into VCE/out of FCO or vice versa, I would take the into VCE/out of FCO every time.

Quanto italiano devi sapere? [How much Italian do you need to know?] Basic stuff:
<ul>
<li>Where is the ______ (bathroom, train station, metro, exit, cashier)
<li>How much does _____ cost
<li>Cardinal numbers 1-1000 and ordinal numbers 1-10 (first, second, third...)
<li>Bar protocol and coffee protocol
<li>Please, thank you, yes, no, etc.
<li>Directions: left, right, here, there, north, south, etc.
<li>"Non parlo italiano. Solo parlo inglese." ["I don't speak Italian, I only speak English"]
</ul>

<sigh>

I guess Fodor's doesn't completely understand HTML....

tdyls, you forgot your closing </li> tags, but I am not sure Fodor's would render the HTML correct either way.

I do agree, however, that just a few key words is all that one needs to get by just fine in most foreign countries. Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank you...we have found no problems in our travels if we just are polite and know the key words.

Not speaking Italian is not a problem - almost everyone in hotels, shops and restaurants speaks some English. As long as you use the basic greetings and politenesses you'll be fine.

I disagree about Venice first.

I think you're better off doing Rome first - since it's not built around canals and is intuitively more comfortable than a place with no streets. Save Venice for last, when you're already accustomed to Italy.

I want to thank everyone for their helpful suggestions. Since our plans/reservations are already made we will stay with our itinerary of flying into Rome and out of Venice. I like the idea of being very busy at first and then time to relax at the end.

I will continue to study my Italian and not worry so much about it because I do have most of the basics (hello, good-by, please, thank-you) down. I guess I am most concerned with gender. I seem to get all confused with that. I hope they will accept the fact and not be offened by it.

Again, thanks for all your helpful advice.

FLHUSKER