Brides Helping Brides ™ - For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

MrsSoto Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:22 PM

For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but Italy has been a consideration for a long time for our HM. I know everyone says that you just take the train when you have to travel from city to city but Im nervous about it; I dont know Italian and neither does FH...of course we would bring a dictionary and all but realistically, what if we just know how to communicate enough to be able to get to the right place, lol. I could totally see myself crying in an Italy train station.

greyeyes Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:32 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

check your FM

grkbarbie Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:32 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

u wont. try researching online..find their subway maps. and plot out your points of interest before hand.

MrsSoto Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:37 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Posted by grkbarbie

u wont. try researching online..find their subway maps. and plot out your points of interest before hand.

i have been doing research non-stop. im a wimp, lol, and FH wont speak up in America much less another country. So, its me! thanks

grkbarbie Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:39 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

http://www.rome.info/metro/

MrsSoto Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:43 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Posted by grkbarbie

http://www.rome.info/metro/

thank you!

i think ill stop by a TA today too

Joette_Terese Posted: Jun 28, 2009 02:49 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

My husband speaks Italian, so we wouldn't have had any problems but many people speak English in Italy. Also, in the train stations, there are self-serve ticket machines that you can use in any language.

Good luck, Italy is amazing.

ETA: driving is far more confusing because of the lack of signs. It is really best to travel by train if you are unfamiliar with the area/language.

Trose Posted: Jun 28, 2009 03:28 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Hello!
I spent last June in Italy and I did not speak a word of Italian nor did I have to while I was there.

The train system within Rome was easy. Basically once you are near any of the main sites - Spanish steps, trevi fountain, ect.. you can walk to each site and see it all within a day! The Vatican itself is a little further but still walkable. All in all you will be fine once you get yoruself a subway map.

As for traveling from city to city we took the train system and its very easy. There is a website for it - i dont remember if this is what i used but it will give you an idea - http://www.italiarail.com/

You just go to the train station and can buy tickets there with your credit card. It's very simple to use. I am not a very independent person but found it to be very doable! Also, Eurostar is by far the best way to travel within the cities but it is more expensive.

you can walk all throughout Florence, Venice...
If you want to see Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri - We stayed in Sorrento and did a day trip to each location via their train system.

YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST!!!!!!!
Good LUck

jenturch Posted: Jun 28, 2009 03:44 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Everyone speaks english in Italy and they are so nice. I was not a problem when I was there. The train workers usually spoke english and if not there was a passenger who would step in to help. Just do your research so you know where you want to go, which train station, and how long it takes to get there. You will feel more at ease if you have done the research. Maybe talk to a travel agent too.

Just a word of caution...buy your tickets before you get on the train. I was told it was illegal to get on the train without it and they don't let you buy them onborad. (Not like the LIRR) But the ticket machines have the option for english.

Scarpak Posted: Jun 28, 2009 09:20 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Most people in Italy speak english, at least the young ones. Especially in Milan, venice, Bari, and Naples. Relax, you will have a great time

cateydee Posted: Jun 28, 2009 09:47 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

it depends on what part of italy you go to but in florence and rome, tons of people speak english. plus if you talk with your hands, they understand lol

MrsSoto Posted: Jun 28, 2009 11:09 PM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Thank you all! I feel a lot better!!

Sandradv121 Posted: Jun 29, 2009 09:17 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

A majority of the citizens in Italy understand and speak English. Its not perfect, but they learn it in school. I traveled by train the entire time and it was fine. I did travel with Family however, but regardless, the language barrier isn't terrible. :)

Jenna_and_John Posted: Jun 29, 2009 09:25 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Posted by Trose

Hello!
I spent last June in Italy and I did not speak a word of Italian nor did I have to while I was there.

The train system within Rome was easy. Basically once you are near any of the main sites - Spanish steps, trevi fountain, ect.. you can walk to each site and see it all within a day! The Vatican itself is a little further but still walkable. All in all you will be fine once you get yoruself a subway map.

As for traveling from city to city we took the train system and its very easy. There is a website for it - i dont remember if this is what i used but it will give you an idea - http://www.italiarail.com/

You just go to the train station and can buy tickets there with your credit card. It's very simple to use. I am not a very independent person but found it to be very doable! Also, Eurostar is by far the best way to travel within the cities but it is more expensive.

you can walk all throughout Florence, Venice...
If you want to see Sorrento, Pompeii, Capri - We stayed in Sorrento and did a day trip to each location via their train system.

YOU WILL HAVE A BLAST!!!!!!!
Good LUck

I agree to all of this, it ended up not being that hard at all for me when I was there. I think you both should be totally fine, and it is so awesome!! lol

Smilenr0 Posted: Jun 29, 2009 09:32 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Posted by MrsSoto

I'm sorry if this has been asked before but Italy has been a consideration for a long time for our HM. I know everyone says that you just take the train when you have to travel from city to city but Im nervous about it; I dont know Italian and neither does FH...of course we would bring a dictionary and all but realistically, what if we just know how to communicate enough to be able to get to the right place, lol. I could totally see myself crying in an Italy train station.

Lor--

just wait for me we go together...... haha....

where you going to visit? lemme know b/c like i told you the FH wants to go.. maybe a cruise in italy?!? so i can hit all the spots???????

runnerbride1023 Posted: Jun 29, 2009 10:15 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

I studied there for a semester and traveled all over with little to no understanding of italian. With the exception of Milan everyone speaks English all over Italy.

The trains are really easy. You can order them in automated ticket machines before you board. None of the tickets are dated, so you have to have them validated by a different machine before you board. (basically just a time stamp). The metro station in Rome is just like the NYC subway system. really easy. Florence you can walk through the whole city and if you want to go to chianti region or other areas (Bologna, Luca, Siena, Pisa) you can hire a driver for the day, or take train. Rome is gigantic, so you might be exhausted if you walk from each point. Venice you will take water taxi's which are really really easy too.

MrsCM Posted: Jun 29, 2009 10:30 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Have you thought about doing it by cruise? I think cruise boat is nicer than being on a train personally and they have ones that stop in so many different ports!

We're looking at a lot of European cruises and all of them have several ports in Italy along with other places but I'm sure some have just Italy.

flairforfashion Posted: Jun 29, 2009 10:33 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

I was in Italy back in May for our honeymoon.

People speak English there and you'll be fine. And as someone mentioned, the ticket system is in any language. Map out your trip to be ahead of the game anyway. But, I assure you that you will be fine over there.

MrsSoto Posted: Jun 29, 2009 11:14 AM

Re: For those who have traveled to Italy and around Italy

Thanks again everyone! We were going to do a cruise- really close to booking it but at the end of our cruise, we were going to spend two nights in Venice. In the end, even though the cruise is an amazing way to see so many countries at a really great price, I wanted to see and feel Italy as the locals do (for more than just 2 nights) and I want to be able to spend our nights there just relaxing and walking the streets of the towns. So, we 200% want to go to Venice and as much as we would like to do 2 other towns, we dont want to be dead tired when we get home so we are thinking of just doing 1 more town not too too far from Venice. We are thinking Florence or Lake Como (or one of the Lakes). I would love to hit Rome, Naples, the Amalfi Coast and Sicily but yeah, lol, thats not happening!!!!!!

now its just those damn flight prices!!!