Don’t be treated like a tourist. Connect with locals and have an authentic travel experience in Italy.
Planning your dream trip to Italy? Don’t know any basic Italian phrases? Worried about being tongue-tied or ending up in a tourist trap? Go from clueless to confident with my travel Italian course and I’ll help you avoid the tourist traps in Italy and make real connections with locals that will enrich your travels.
Why you should learn Italian for travel
It was August, the height of Italy’s summer. At 10 pm, it was a hot and humid evening. The streets of Palermo were packed with families dining outside, live music was bouncing off the buildings in the main piazza, and groups of friends were laughing and dancing with plastic cups of wine in their hands.
My four girlfriends and I had travelled to Sicily’s capital from Rome (where we all lived), to celebrate one of their birthdays. On our first night, we wandered the narrow streets with centuries-old buildings looking for a restaurant to kick off our girl’s trip. We strayed so far from the main tourist track that we ended up in a small piazza where two restaurants were spilling out into the square. There was no tourist menu or English translations and the waiters couldn’t speak English. Perfetto! We’re in the right place, we thought.
As a group of 5 Anglo-Saxon females, it’s fair to say we stuck out like a sore thumb. A chubby manager with a tight white shirt and light blue-rinse jeans came out to greet us before seating us inside.
After about 10 minutes at our table, drinking in the bustling atmosphere of this popular osteria, a middle-aged lady from a neighbouring table leaned over to me and asked “Di dove siete?” (Where are you from?”). Surprised and impressed, her eyes lit up when I replied in Italian. I explained we had all travelled from Rome to celebrate our friend’s birthday. She was so delighted and fascinated by us but also proud that we had chosen her hometown to visit.
Later on, after returning from il bagno (the bathroom), the same lady stopped me again. This time, she told me her name was Maria and holding my arm proudly introduced me to her family. She then invited my friends and I around to her house the next day for coffee and cake. I couldn’t believe her generosity. She wrote down her number and address and told me to call her tomorrow. It was all set!
I’d never in my life received such an invitation. After some internal juggling wondering if it was safe to go to a stranger’s house, we decided it was and so we all went. And I’m so glad we did.
When we arrived, Maria eagerly welcomed us into her home and led us to the dinner table where she presented us with two different homemade cakes. She must’ve been up all night making these I thought. I was so touched. When she saw how much we enjoyed the cakes, she even gave us her recipe. A real honour coming from Italians who traditional only share their recipe with family.
After we left, I couldn’t help but feel how lucky we were and what a wonderful experience it was. None of this could’ve ever happened, had we not been able to speak Italian. And we all spoke it at various levels. Even years later, spending the afternoon with Maria and her family is still one of my most memorable travel experiences, and I owe it all to the magic of language.
Learning and speaking foreign languages has transformed my life, but it all started with learning Italian.
After WWII, my dad immigrated from Italy to Australia with his family when he was just 4 years old. As a little curly-headed Michele, I used to visit my nonno (grandfather) who lived with my auntie after my nonna (grandma) passed away. The only problem was that I could never communicate properly with him because he didn’t speak English and I didn’t speak Italian. This really pained me, especially since I was named after him. Yes, Michele is a male name. It’s like the Italian version of Michael, but in Australia, they pronounce it Michelle.
Nonno and I when I was 6 years old
It wasn’t until nonno passed away that I became serious about learning Italian. I wanted to carry on his legacy by never being in a situation again where I couldn’t communicate with someone in Italian.
Do you ever feel this way when you travel?
This eventually led me to move to Rome where I found a job and lived for 3 years. I travelled extensively around Italy, making connections, laughing with hotel staff when they expected a male to check in, not a female (thanks to my male name), and building some of my closest friendships along the way.
All these experiences inspired me to create The Intrepid Guide, a language and travel blog designed to help other travellers like you achieve their own language goals, especially for travel. I want to enrich your travel experiences with the help of language, which is why I created my collection of free travel phrase guides.
Here are top 10 Travel Italian Phrases You SHOULD Know
But, I still wanted to do more.
I wanted to make it even easier for travellers. Both to get started but also to make the language learning journey more enjoyable. To do this, I created my new course, Intrepid Italian for Travel: Master Italian for Travel FAST!.
What is Master Italian for Travel Fast!
Master Italian for Travel Fast! is an online self-guided course designed for travellers which teaches them how to speak Italian before they travel to Italy.
I believe learning even just a few key phrases can do wonders for enriching your travels. It’s a great way to show respect, but also make an awesome first impression when meeting the locals.
My course gives students freedom and confidence. Freedom to travel around Italy without feeling like a typical tourist. Freedom to communicate with locals and engage in interesting conversations. Plus, the confidence to make the right decisions, like choosing to dine in a certain restaurant because you know how to ask a local for recommendations. There’s nothing worse than ending up in a tourist trap. It actually pains me when people tell me they hated the food in Rome. If I can help you avoid that, then I’ve done my job.
After completing the course, you’ll have a clear understanding of the fundamentals of the Italian language so you don’t just survive, but thrive in typical travel situations.
Using supportive and interactive content, You’ll be able to introduce yourself, greet people correctly, buy tickets, ask for directions, order a meal and so much more.
I want to help you make the most out of your trip to Italy by succeeding in Italian.
How the Intrepid Italian for Travel course works
Unlike traditional travel phrasebooks that force you to memorise lengthy sentences without any understanding of the backbone of the language, what I’ve created is a fun, interactive and realistic approach to learning Italian – specifically for travel.
Each module and lesson is structured and organised so that you fully understand the language easily and don’t forget it. The best part is that you’re constantly learning new material whilst revisiting previously learned material. This means you progress quickly and can start speaking even after completing the first module.
If you want to learn a new language efficiently and effectively, you’re in the right place. Using my simple building-block method, you’ll be able to speak Italian as you travel around Italy.
In order to speak a language fluently, you need to learn thousands of words. However, if your goal is to hold basic conversations, knowing just a few hundred words can be plenty!
To help you learn Italian efficiently, I use the Pareto principle or the 80/20 rule which states that 80% of your success comes from just 20% of your effort. If we apply this to language learning, what you get is an effective learning method. Think about the typical situations you will find yourself in when you travel.
For example, on a typical day in Verona, you’ll buy tickets for the Verona Arena, ask for directions, to Juliet’s Balcony, order lunch a restaurant, buy a gelato then take a stroll along the river, do some more sightseeing then go out to dinner. It’s fair to say that most days will look similar to this.
What if you could focus on learning the top 20% of the language so that you can communicate in 80% of the situations you find yourself? Well, now you can. That’s exactly how my Intrepid Italian course works.
I spoke about how the Pareto principle can be applied to language learning at the London Language Show last year and I explore it in further detail in my how to be travel fluent guide.
Speaking at the London Language Show
Most traditional language courses and language learning apps teach you the language without a specific goal or timeline in mind. This means you end up learning unnecessary vocabulary like colours, names of body parts, items of clothing, and animals.
Learning these words is both unsatisfying but a waste of time since you’re unlikely going to need to know how to say “giraffe” or “raincoat” when you’re wandering the canals of Venice.
If your trip to Italy is in 3 weeks or even 3 months, you won’t gain much from attending a group lesson or signing up to Duolingo. This is why I teach you only what you truly need in order to speak Italian during your trip.
Better than Duolingo?
It would be a stretch to say that my Intrepid Guide course is better than Duolingo. What I will say is that Master Italian for Travel FAST! is more focused and the learning is more targeted.
Let me explain.
Duolingo is a great language tool when you’ve got plenty of time on your hands and don’t have any specific language goals that you’re working towards. What Duolingo doesn’t give you is a clear roadmap to learning Italian specifically for travel.
In my course, you only learn what you need to thrive in typical travel situations. What you get is targeted learning that doesn’t waste your time.
Have you ever seen those funny memes called, “Stuff Duolingo Says” that shares examples of strange phrases Duolingo teaches you?
For example, one of them is “I’m eating bread and crying on the floor”, another one is “They are washing the holy potato”. Seriously, Google it and you’ll see what I mean.
Plus, with Master Italian for Travel FAST!, you also get access to a private Facebook group with direct access to me (your teacher and coach) where you can ask for feedback, share your exercises, and receive extra help whenever you need it.
Use my step-by-step approach and successfully learn Italian for travel.
As a student, you have extensive support to help you make the most of your learning. Here’s what’s included:
- Complete 14-module Italian course to learn to speak Italian with confidence
- 10+ video lessons on Italian grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation
- 5+ Audio conversations and dialogues with native speakers including transcripts to help you learn natural Italian.
- Worksheets and engaging quizzes to track your progress, consolidate your learning & grow your vocabulary
- Fully downloadable material so you can learn faster – anywhere, any time, on any device
- Lifetime access and updates
Here is just a sample of what you’ll learn:
- How to sound like a real Italiano and nail your pronunciation
- How to greet people and introduce yourself
- How to be polite and use the formal and informal tense
- How to ask questions with ease
- How to ask for a restaurant recommendation, order your meal, understand the menu, and ask for the bill
- How to ask for and understand directions
- How to count, use the days of the week, and tell the time
- How to ask for a discount when you go shopping and make a purchase
- How to ask for help in emergencies
- … and so much more!
Plus, you’ll also get:
BONUS #1: Italian Menu Cheat-Sheet ebook (Value: $47)
Access and unlock 500+ food-related words found on typical Italian menus.
BONUS #2: Essential Italian Phrases for Travel ebook (Value: $47)
Access all phrases on-the-go with a beautiful downloadable ebook.
BONUS #3: Access to a private Facebook group (Value: $297)
Stay connected with me (your teacher) and other students, ask questions and receive help from me and the community.
That’s a total bonus value of $391, but today is just $97. Hurry! This Offer Expires Soon!
Enrol & Get Instant Access!
What students are saying
Loved it, loved it, loved it. I’ve been trying to learn languages using various language learning apps for years now and although I know random words I feel no more confident in actually speaking the languages than I was when I started. I’m 5 days into this course and feeling more confident in actually speaking Italian than I am while using the apps. This course cuts through all the unnecessary stuff the apps were teaching me and focuses on getting me comfortable and confident to put my new-found Italian to use.
The audio and worksheets are my favourite as it gets me to speak and write which is definitely speeding up the learning process for me. I can not recommend this course highly enough. Definitely worth every penny.
Thank you Michele. I can’t wait for my next trip to Italy. – Basil P.
It is a very well crafted course. It makes language learning fun to do and very much aimed at the sort of standard situations anyone is likely to find when visiting Italy. Well done! – Don Woodall
I now feel I can give it a go when we get to Italy and that I will have reasonable pronunciation, even of unfamiliar words. I am confident that I can say and understand numbers, order food and drink and ask questions about a menu. Best of all my reluctant partner has become enthusiastic and the pair of us have been practising at odd moments of the day. A really good start and confidence boost! – Helen Robertson
Sets out a clear framework to help you learn the language quickly with a good level of proficiency. Excellent choice for anyone planning on taking a trip to Italy. – Dave
Easy to use and learn from. Keeps you interested in the language. A must for learning Italian. – Debra P
Ready to have a trip of a lifetime? Enrol in Master Italian for Travel FAST! today.
Got a question about my travel Italian course for beginners? Let me know in the comments!
Want more than an introduction to Italian? Introducing…
Are you a beginner or an intermediate Italian learner? Got a trip coming up or want to communicate with your Italian partner or relatives in Italian? Learn Italian with my unique 80/20 method
Registrations are now open to join Intrepid Italian, my new series of online video courses that use my unique 80/20 method. You’ll go from a shy, confused beginner to a proficient and confident intermediate speaker, with me as your trusty guide.
You’ll finally be able to connect with your Italian partner, speak to your relatives and enjoy authentic travel experiences in Italy like you’ve always dreamed of, and so much more.
As a native English speaker who learned Italian as an adult, I know what it’s like to feel hopeless and lack the confidence to speak. I know what it’s like to start from scratch and to even go back to absolute basics and learn what a verb is!
Intrepid Italian was created with YOU in mind. I use my working knowledge of the English language to help you get into the ‘Italian mindset’ so you can avoid the common pitfalls and errors English speakers make – because I made them once too! I break everything down in such a way that it ‘clicks’ and just makes sense.
No matter what your level is, there is an Intrepid Italian course for you, including:
- 🇮🇹 Intrepid Italian for Beginners (A1)
- 🇮🇹 Intrepid Italian for Advanced Beginners (A2)
- 🇮🇹 Intrepid Italian for Intermediates (B1)
You can join 1, 2, or all 3 of courses, it’s entirely up to you. The best part is that you have lifetime access so you learn anytime, anywhere and on any device.
As your guide, I walk you through each lesson, step-by-step, using my unique 80/20 method. My approach is different from traditional methods because I teach you the most important 20% of the language right from the beginning so you can start to speak straight away.
Each course includes video lessons, audio exercises, downloadable worksheets, bonus guides, a private support community, and lifetime access all designed to streamline your learning while having fun.
It even comes with my famous “Celebrate with a Spritz Guarantee”. After 30 days of using Intrepid Italian, if you don’t want to celebrate your new-found Italian skills with an Aperol Spritz, you don’t have to pay a penny! Cheers! 🥂
Join Intrepid Italian here and start learning today!
Ci vediamo lì! (See you there!)
Learning Italian? Check out these Italian language guides
- How to Conjugate Italian Verbs in 3 Simple Steps [Italian for Beginners]
- Master Days of the Week in Italian (7 Simple Memory Hacks)
- Italian Numbers: How to Count in Italian From 0 to 1 Billion (Audio & PDF Download)
- 11 Effective Hacks That’ll Help You Learn Italian So Much Faster
- 41 Italian Greetings: How to Say ‘Hello’ in Italian Like a Local
- How to Order Food & Drinks in Italian [Italian for Beginners]
- 15 Italian Words You Should NEVER Mispronounce [& How Not To]
- 20 Hilarious Everyday Italian Expressions You Should Use
- 125 Most Common Italian Phrases for Travel You’ll Ever Need [PLUS Printable]
- Top 14 Italian Words You Should NEVER Say [& What to Use Instead]
- 10 Reasons Why Learning Italian Will Change Your Life
- How to Learn Italian Before Your Trip
- 10 Italian Expressions Italians Love Saying
- 10 Italian Phrases That Will Instantly Make You Sound more Italian
- Funny Italian Sayings: 26 Food-Related Insults You Won’t Forget
- Master Basic Italian with these 63 Italian Travel Phrases
- 15 Romantic Italian Films That’ll Make You Love Italy Even More
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Over to you!
Got a question about my travel Italian course for beginners? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.
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