Hey, fellow travelers!
A friend (and client) just returned from the Mediterranean (Italy to be specific) and was so glad that she had practiced some basic phrases in Italian before her trip!
Many of the folks that you’ll encounter in shops and restaurants in Europe DO speak English; however, they always welcome an American trying to communicate with them in Italian. (Wouldn’t we expect the same for those traveling to the USA? The answer is YES by the way! LOL) Don’t worry if your pronunciation isn’t the greatest as they’ll appreciate your effort! It may lead to a shared moment of laughter, or an impromptu language coaching session from a native.
Here are the five key phrases that you’ll probably need when ordering at a bar or restaurant. Let’s assume that you already have ‘yes/no,” “please/thank you,” and “excuse me” in your repertoire. And if you’re headed to Italy soon…take note as these are the phrases I’m using for my example:
“May I have?” – “Posso avere”
“I’m allergic to (or I don’t eat)”- “Sono allergico al…”
“Where is the bathroom?” – “Dov’è il bagno?”
“Is the tip included?” – “La mancia sia inclusa?”
“Sorry, I don’t speak more Italian.” “Scusa, non parlo più italiano.”
You’ll enjoy your trip abroad more if you try to embrace their culture by learning to use some key phrases. I always send clients off with a list of commonly used phrases in the country’s language they’ll be visiting. I even have some translated for clients with allergies so even if they can’t speak it they can show their server to avoid any reactions.
If you’re ready to plan your trip to Italy (or anywhere else in the Mediterranean), I’m at your service so click here to fill out my client interest form, call me at 904-503-2957 and let’s chat, or send me an email to hello@adventurebooktravel.com and I’ll be in touch soon!
Buongiorno!
