Italian · Travel

Essential Italian phrases for travel

Italian is one of the most rewarding languages to use as a traveller — it's warm, expressive, and because it's written exactly as it sounds, you can say these phrases correctly almost immediately. Below are the ones you'll reach for most across Italy, grouped by situation, with plenty of words you'll already recognise.

Greetings and being polite

ItalianEnglish
CiaoHi / Bye (informal)
BuongiornoGood morning
BuonaseraGood evening
Per favorePlease
Grazie / PregoThank you / You're welcome
ScusiExcuse me (polite)
Parla inglese?Do you speak English?

At a café or restaurant

ItalianEnglish
Un tavolo per due, per favoreA table for two, please
Il menù, per favoreThe menu, please
Vorrei un caffèI'd like a coffee
Cosa consiglia?What do you recommend?
Il conto, per favoreThe bill, please
È deliziosoIt's delicious

Directions and transport

ItalianEnglish
Dov'è...?Where is...?
Dov'è il bagno?Where is the bathroom?
Come arrivo a...?How do I get to...?
A sinistra / a destraTo the left / to the right
Sempre drittoStraight ahead
Un biglietto per...A ticket to...

Shopping and money

ItalianEnglish
Quanto costa?How much is it?
È troppo caroIt's too expensive
Accettate la carta?Do you take card?
Sto solo guardandoI'm just looking

Help and emergencies

ItalianEnglish
Aiuto!Help!
Ho bisogno di un medicoI need a doctor
Chiami la poliziaCall the police
Mi sono perso / persaI'm lost (man / woman)
Non mi sento beneI don't feel well

A quick word on pronunciation

Good news: Italian is about as friendly as pronunciation gets. Every letter is sounded, the vowels are pure, and stress is predictable. Two things to remember — double consonants are held slightly longer (pizza, caffè), and ch sounds like "k". More on the Learn Italian page.

From phrasebook to real conversation

Reading these is the easy part; saying them with confidence is the goal — and Italian makes that jump short. Navoq lets you practise exactly these phrases out loud with instant pronunciation feedback, so they come out naturally when you're actually there. Learn a handful before you fly and your whole trip changes.

Ready to start? Read more on the Learn Italian page.

Travel-ready Italian, fast.

Navoq helps you say these phrases out loud with confidence before you go.