lilleyl2

if I'm going to Bologna, Florence, and Rome? I'm getting a bit nervous--it's 13 days before the plane leaves.

What I'm most concerned with are taking taxis, buying train tickets, taking buses and reading signs, especially since we will be travelling to some of these places by train and we will be taking daytrips by train.

I have a little phrasebook Italian, and probably need to pick up more between now and takeoff. Will I be able to "navigate" Italy with a phrasebook in hand?

Thanks in advance!

Lil

Judy_in_Calgary

Hi Lil, the train ticket dispensing machines display information in six lanugages, including English.

It's important to know the Italian versions of cities' and towns' names. On Rick Steves' Graffitti Wall, I read about a couple who caught a train from Venice to Florence and didn't know they'd reached Florence because the train platform signs said Firenze. They discovered too late that they'd missed their stop and now were on a train bound for Rome.

When it comes to verbal communication, many urban Italians speak English.

Whether or not people can understand English, they appreciate a small attempt on the part of foreigners to learn a few polite words in their language, like Please, Thank you, Hello and Goodbye.

From a survival point of view, it also behooves the tourist to learn numbers up to 20 and the main ones from there upwards (30, 40, 50, 60, etc.)

Also, it's considered impolite for an English speaker to approach an Italian person and launch into an English conversation right away. It's regarded as polite to check first if the Italian person speaks English by asking, "Parla inglese?" If the Italian person responds, "No" (which is the same in English and Italian), the English speaking person then has "permission" to attempt to communicate in whatever way works (struggling with a phrase book, using sign language, falling back on English, or whatever). The point is to have, in a sense, asked permission to communicate by means other than proper Italian.

Many signs are in the form of pictures, like the signs outside of churches that show that visitors cannot enter with sleeveless tops and shorts or skirts above the knee. So there are some instances of user friendly signs like that that don't require knowledge of Italian.

It helps to get a guidebook because the guidebooks explain how things work, like the courses in an Italian meal and how those courses are served in a restaurant. It's not just the lack of language skills that prevents a first-time tourist from functioning; it's also ignorance of the ways in which things are done (like the example of a restaurant meal that I've just mentioned).

So, between the fact that some signs are multi-lingual, some signs use pictures instead of words, many Italians (and especially urban Italians) speak English, and you'll be armed with a phrase book, you should manage.

One other tip about communicating in a foreign country. This doesn't apply only to Italy, but is a fairly universal phenomenon.

The instinctive expressions that the human face makes are the same across all cultures, and are universally understood. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to know what it means when someone laughs or cries.

Hand gestures, on the other hand, are learned within a culture and may have other meanings in other cultures. For example, the thumbs up sign has a very rude meaning in the Middle East, as does the sign in which one makes one's thumb and forefinger into a circle to indicate perfection.

If one wants to avoid offense in a new cultural environment, it is better to rely on facial expressions (smile, etc.) and to avoid hand gestures.

Hope that helps.

JonJon

other than knowing the name of a town in Italian as was mentioned you shouldn't have any trouble with signage in Italy in terms of train departure boards and station signposts. Firenze is one of the biggies....I suspect you won;t have any trouble figuring out that Bologna is Bologna and that Roma is Rome, etc.

The pharsebook will help when you need it.

And I agree with the not launching right into English when approaching someone...but that's just common sense in ANY country I think. You may be worrying more than you need to.

A taxi tip: if you know where you are going by taxi such as an address..I would write it down on a piece of paper and show it to the taxi driver...sometimes that helps a little even though Europeans tend to use slightly different notation for the numbers "1" and "7".
Overall, I think you'll find it much easier to navigate than you may expect.
Have a wonderful trip.

skaf

Italy is my favourite country. I know only 5 basic words like - yes, no, please, thank you, excuse me, and of course bon journo.
I learn those words for every country I travel to. (was lots of fun seeing people laugh at my Thai).
it breaks the ice and will get you help everywhere.
besides, the Italians are great with smiles and pantomime. have fun !

rex

You'll need to know 130 words; lucky for you, that just works out to 10 words a day. Today would be a good day to start. You can do it. Why not make yourself the entire list, as soon as you can?

The number, obviously (I hope) is tongue in cheek, but the sentiment is serious.

Best wishes,

Rex

ira

Hi lilley,

Good advice here.

I would only add say "per favore" (please) as often as possible.

Where is the toilet?
Dove il gabinetto?

MFNYC

We found the Italians incredibly willing to help out with any questions even if they didn't understand English, particularly asking directions. One gentleman walked us (we were in the car following him on foot) to our hotel when we were lost in Orvieto. In general though, in the major tourist area, many people do speak English. I've also foudn that my high school Spanish has come in quite handy in both understanding and speaking.

We always make sure we're familiar with the basic pleasantries beforehand and try to pick up key phrases in our travels. My kids learned how to say their favorite gelato flavor in Italian after 1 visit to a gelateria and my son also learned how to ask for marinara sauce on the side.

Nikki

We too found the Italians in Rome very friendly and happy to help us with directions. They were so eager to help that they seemed to tell us directions even when they didn't really know. We got lost this way a couple of times. The guide on our walking tour laughed at this story and said it was true that the Romans want to be helpful and so will give you advice even when it is not entirely accurate.

RAR

You'll need your Italian a bit more in Bologna than those other 3 places. Less tourists go to there, and thus less locals speak it well.

Huitres

Definitely try to speak some Italian words - it can only help you. Like the other posters said, to walk right up to someone assuming they know English would be wrong. Attempting some basic words is appreciated and you will enjoy it.

I recommend buying Langenscheidt's Universal Dictionary in Italian/English. It is a nice, small (3" x 4&quot pocketsize dictionary that is unobstrusive and can easily be glanced at without making it too obvious! It is available at Barnes & Noble, Borders Bookstores, etc. Whatever you end up doing, you will enjoy yourself in Italy. The people are so wonderful and kind - they will appreciate any attempts you make at expressing yourself in their language. Have a gret trip!

ealing_calling

Hey there L -

Try the short, free courses at

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/italian/

I like listening and parroting - still not very good, though!! If you make an effort, you'll have a better time.
HTH, have fun!

suze

Since you only have 13 days, my suggestion is use that phrasebook and practice speaking the words out loud. It helps alot if you are comfortable and confident with the few words you *do* know. Listening to cassette tapes for pronunciation is good too.

My best tip is to stay calm. If someone is helping you in English, keep your own sentences slow, short and clear. Use your Italian greetings and smile alot. I've always found the phrase "I'm sorry I don't speak xxx" a good icebreaker.

I find reading signs fairly easy. It helps on a train trip if you have a map, so you can (hopefully) hear the announcements or see the signs at the station platforms, and have a general idea of when your stop will be coming up.

MileKing

I'm convinced that the reason most Americans cite Italy, Ireland, and the UK as their favorite foreign destinations is not because of the sites or the food, but because they don't need to learn another language. Having been to a number of European countries where English is not the main language, including Austria, Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic, it's clear that you can get by in English far better in Italy than in any of the others.

As other posters have noted, at least try to learn a few important phrases before visiting. At a minimum, at least ask (in Italian) if the person speaks English. Most Italians will go out of there way to help you. In the cities you are going to, you will have no problem.

StCirq

You need as much as you can learn before you leave. You are going to Italy, a land where the native language is Italian. The average Italian doesn'get up in the morning expecting to speak English, any more than you get up in the morning expecting to speak Italian.
Do everyone a favor and learn at least some basic phrases. It's an easy language. Do it!

mcgeezer

I used a book I think it was called, "Italian in 10 minutes a day" it was fun and easy to use. It came with flash cards and little stickers you could put on objects. It was quite a conversation piece for a while. I found people in Italy very receptive to my terrible Italian. I enjoyed Italian because it's a phonatic language, (or maybe that's why Italians laughed so much when we conversed. Hmmm)

Jocelyn_P

It really is an easy (and fun!) language to learn. We all learned some basic grammar and pronunciation rules before we left for our first Italy trip and couldn't believe how far it got us! In a pinch, sometimes we'd make our best guess at what the Italian word/phrase might be, and it was often correct, or at least close. Once my mother was in a small public bathroom with no lock. Someone else opened the door, and thinking quickly my mother yelled, "Occupato!" We laughed at her "made-up word," only to learn later that occupato is the real Italian word for occupied!

susanna

Buon giorno in the morning before 1:00 and the Buona sera after 1:00. You should say one of these frases before you say anything else, including, do you speak english, it is considered rude not to say this when you enter a store, when you approach someone with a question, at a market, at the train station, ect. The Italians will shorten it to giorno/sera, but it is always used. The Italians will go out of their way to help, have a great time.

Peggy_D

Before my first trip, I got a set of Italian language tapes and practiced the basic phrases. It's such a fun language to learn and use. I always say that the first phrase you should learn in another language is "I'm sorry, I don't speak much (Italian)." I start almost every interaction this way, and people are remarkably helpful and friendly.
In Italian, that's "Mi dispiace, non parlo Italiano," and be sure to say it with an apologetic expression! It works wonders.

RAR

I don't mean to nitpick, but if it's 2 in the afternoon Italians do not say sera.

cmt

When I asked when to start saying "buona sera," I was told around 4 p.m. It was late May and I was in Basilicata when I asked this. I don't know whether the time of year, or even the regional or local style, might make a difference. I would not try to say "buona sera" as early as 1 p.m. at any time of year, though. As an American, it's hard for me to remember to make distinctions in my greetings according to the time of day, and I know that I often continued to say "buon giorno" almost automatically too late in the day, but it was not such a terrible mistake, since I was a foreigner.