Learn Italian for Travel

Is it essential to learn Italian for travel to Italy? No, probably not. But can understanding the basics make your trip more memorable? Absolutely. Imagine chilling along the Amalfi Coast and speaking Italian to order its famous lemon liquor. Or imagine driving around Tuscany asking the locals for restaurant recommendations. 

Whatever you plan to do in Italy, understanding Italian will make the trip go more smoothly and might open up doors to opportunities you wouldn’t have if you stuck to using English.

In this article, you’ll learn some useful Italian phrases for travel and why Busuu is the best language app to help you achieve your goals.

Discover the best way to learn Italian for travel

Get ready for your next adventure

Have an unforgettable trip to Italy with Busuu’s Italian for Travel course. Chat with locals, find your way around Rome, and get recommendations for the best pizza.

Master common Italian travel phrases

Complete Busuu’s Italian for Travel and learn the phrases you actually need when traveling in Italy. This practical course will help you communicate confidently on your trip.

Everything you need to study consistently

With bite-sized lessons and a handy mobile app, you can build a sustainable study habit with Busuu. Make progress in Italian no matter where you are or how much time you have.

Why should you learn Italian before your trip to Italy?

Want to make your trip to Italy as memorable as possible? Of course you do! Learning some Italian before you go will make your experience unforgettable. 

Luckily, you don’t need to be fluent in Italian (although that would be amazing). Understanding the basics will help you get by on your trip. 

Let’s look at the biggest benefits of studying Italian before you visit Italy.

1. Chat with the locals

Want to find the best lasagna near the Colosseum? Sure, you could Google it. But where’s the fun in that? With some basic Italian phrases under your belt, you can ask the locals instead. You never know, you might end up in some off-the-beaten-track restaurant full of local people. A place you wouldn't find in a best-places-to-eat-in-Rome blog post you find on the internet.

People visit Italy for the sights, the history and the food. But the locals you meet are what makes a trip truly special. Having a shared language allows you to have meaningful conversations and learn about the culture and the people there. Even if you only know the basics, people will be glad to communicate with you. 

2. Be safe

Unexpected events happen. Accidents, crimes, natural disasters and illness are common emergencies that travelers come up against. If anything happens on your trip, some Italian skills will be a big help. 

Maybe your smartphone is stolen and you need to talk to the polizia. Or you might get a terrible toothache and need to find a dentista. There won’t always be English speakers around, so learning some Italian is sensible, too. 

3. Get off the beaten track

Doing touristy things is fun. Everyone likes it. But you might be missing out if you only do touristy things on your trip to Italy. With some Italian skills (and a bit of courage), you can explore Italy instead. You can leave the touristy stuff behind and look for some authentic Italian experiences.

4. Find your way around

We can’t guarantee you’ll never get lost – there are some narrow, windy, maze-like places in Italy! Whether you’re looking for a l’ospedale (hospital) or stazione ferroviaria (train station), you’ll be glad you learned the words for things around town and how to ask for directions.

5. Have fun

Picture this scene. You’re sipping cappuccino in a cafe on Piazza Navona in Rome. A waiter comes over and asks in Italian if you’d like anything else, and you understand him perfectly. To top it off, you reply, and he understands you perfectly. 

If you’ve learned a language before, you’ll understand how much fun little interactions like this are. They seem small, but they give you a huge sense of accomplishment. And if this is the first time you’re learning another language, you’re in for a treat. Get out there and enjoy every little success you have. Be proud of yourself.

Why Busuu is the best place to learn Italian for travel

Practice Italian with native speakers

Busuu’s online community is full of millions of language learners and native Italian speakers getting together to learn languages, support each other and build connections. You can practice speaking, get feedback on your Italian and make friends. You can learn the Italian you need for your next trip with real people (and have fun while doing it). 

Learn real-life, actually useful Italian

You need real-life Italian for traveling. You don’t need super formal business language. You don’t need to worry about advanced grammar. You need Italian you can use in real-life situations. With Busuu, learn Italian that you can use straight away. Forget about grammar and focus on communicating.

Make progress without spending hours stuck in textbooks

Even if you’re busy, you can learn enough Italian for travel. Busuu fits into your busy life. Busuu’s easy-to-follow Italian lessons, short videos and mobile app mean you can always squeeze an Italian lesson in. You can prepare for your trip to Italy by studying on your commute, lunch break, or even on the couch.

Useful Italian travel phrases

Here are some useful Italian phrases for tourists that you can learn today.

Italian phrases for travelers

The best app to learn Italian for travel

Busuu is the best app for learning Italian for travel. Our Italian for Travel course includes everything you need to start conversations, find your way around new places, book tickets and ask the locals questions. Don’t waste time learning complicated grammar or practicing writing skills. Focus on only the Italian you need for your trip with Busuu’s Italian for Travel course.

Study at your own pace

Busuu fits into your busy life. You can study Italian at your own pace. Because Busuu’s lessons are designed with busy people in mind, you can squeeze the bite-sized lessons and videos into your day. You’ll see progress whether you can commit to studying for 5 or 50 minutes per day. 

Use advanced tools

The Busuu app makes learning a language more efficient and effective. Busuu’s advanced algorithms optimize your study so you can focus on learning. By tracking which words you’ve learned, which you can remember, and which you struggle with, Busuu’s app will personalize your Italian study.

The algorithm gets you to review language when needed – no more guesswork. How you perform when using the app helps the algorithm give you the right words at the right time. 

Words you understand and remember appear less frequently than words you don’t know yet. And the more you understand something, the longer the interval between reviews becomes. The words you haven’t mastered appear more frequently in the reviews, so you don’t waste time reviewing words you already know. 

Join a community

To get your Italian skills up to scratch for your trip, you need people to practice with. Busuu’s worldwide online community includes millions of language learners and native Italian speakers waiting to support you on your journey. It’s a supportive community that will help you achieve your goals, build connections and have fun. 

Find conversation partners and get feedback. And watch your Italian skills go through the roof.