Ok, last year when we traveled all over Italy, we discovered very early that we had to say when ordering water - "no gas"! Otherwise, the water tasted horrible.

This time we will just be in Rome & Venice. Do we need to say that in restaurants & stores there or is that not an issue in the big cities?

- I'm serious!

Julie

Unless you want more of that "naturally carbonated" mineral water then you definitely need to tell them "no gas" or "ancora acqua" (still water).

Unless you specifically ask for water with no gas, you'll be served carbonated water in big and small cities alike.

If you want still water you must request it as you found out last year.

Many people, myself included, very much enjoy a glass of San Pellegrino or other sparking mineral water with dinner - it runs about $1/bottle at Sams's club.

In most cities, when you order water, they will bring you bottled water, in most cities, the water will be carbonated or fizzy or aqua con gas or gassato ..
Unless you specify that is usually what happens, even in the US..

I like sparkling/fizzy/mineral water so it rarely comes up .. Marling Menu Master makes a translator for Italy, you might want to get one. I have worn my French one out and I am not working on the Spanish one

that should have been I am now working on the Spanish one.

OMG I thought you were going to say there was gasoline in the water!

I've never heard someone ask for "ancora acqua". Maybe a native could correct me if I'm wrong, but I think it would be best to ask for "acqua naturale" or "sensa gas".

"ancora" means "still" or "yet". For example the sentence "ancora mangia" means "He/she/it is still eating." I've heard, "ancora un' altra" which means "one more" or literally, "yet one more"

I'm willing to bet there's not a waiter in all of Italy who doesn't know what is meant by "gas -- no gas".

Julie-you can say "gas" "no gas" of course-but the terms in Italian are:

"acqua frizzante" (carbonated) and, what you want: "acqua naturale" (natural, or still water)

Actually I stopped saying "acqua naturale" when I found that some water is naturally carbonated. Right on the bottle it would say "naturale" but have bubbles. I hated it. I also mistakenly bought some at a store that way.

Even back in the 1970's we ordered water saying "no gas"..and that is what we got. I don't like carbonated water either. BTW, a friend in Milan in the 1970's told us to say "no gas"..so I think that is the way to communicate what you want in the way of water. It has always worked for me regardless of where I am in Italy.

Yes, and actually I am usually asked by the waiter even before I have a chance to order water at all "Gas or no gas?"

I have always said, senza gas.

Be aware though that still water in a bottle can be substituted by plain tap water, they can't do that do the carbonated water. Be sure you watch them uncap it or let you do it, experience has taught me.

Yes, "gas" "no gas" are words that Italian, Spanish and even French waiters use with the tourists, because it is easy to understand-but it isn't correct terminology, and I don't hear Italians using it, nor have waiters used it with me when they ask me which kind of water I want-but I don't order in English.

If you go and buy bottled water in Italian shops or supermarkets, the bottles will not have the words "gas" or "no gas" anywhere on them. It's either "frizzante" or "naturale" and there are different colored labels to denote the difference.

I just drink tap water (in addition to wine) in restaurants in Italy. Acqua municipale.

Interesting Girlspytravel as so many of my Italian friends in Italy DO say NO GAS. And sensa means without which is also correct as SeaUrchin uses. But to say GST that Italians do NOT say no gas..well I will have to tell my friends in Italy, LOL.

The term I've encountered is non frizzante.

Since it was brought up to watch the waiter uncap the bottle...

In Venice I asked for tap water in a restaurant and was told we had to buy bottled water. The waiter made a big show of uncapping the bottle and my son and I drank the entire bottle during dinner. At the end of dinner, I happened to pick up the cap and noticed that there was stuff growing in it! How gross is that?!

I guess I got my tap water after all!

kwren: Do you remember the name of that restaurant? It's certainly something to warn other tourists about.

How awful!

Hi J,

Whether it has gas or doesn't mineral water can still taste horrible.

Maybe you want plain tap water.

My menu translator calls it "aqua rubinetto".