Italian Phrases to Use at the Train Station

You’ve been in Rome for a few days, and you’re ready to venture out of the city to somewhere with a slower pace, like Orvieto or Assisi—or perhaps you just want to see more of Italy and you’re heading out to places like Venezia, Milano, or Napoli. Wherever you want to go, Italy is well-connected by train, so it’s easy to get around without having to brave the streets in a rented car. Of course, you’ll run into inconveniences like gli scioperi or strikes when taking the train and it’s likely that there will be a delay, but overall the system works. To help you get around Italy, here are some phrases to use in train stations and on trains. Phrases for the Train Station Dov’à ¨ la stazione dei treni? - Where is the train station?Dove si comprano i biglietti? - Where can I buy tickets?Quanta costa il biglietto a Orvieto? - How much does the ticket to Orvieto cost?Un biglietto per (Venezia), per favore. - A ticket for (Venice), please.Vorrei comprare un biglietto per (Roma). - I would like to buy a ticket to (Rome). A train ticket can be†¦ ...di sola andata - one way ...(di) andata e ritorno - round-trip ...di prima classe - first class ...di seconda classe - second class A che ora passa l’ultimo treno? - What time does the last train come?Da quale binario parte il treno per (Orvieto)? - What platform does the train for (Orvieto) leave from?Dov’à ¨ il binario (otto)? - Where is platform (eight_?Quali sono le carrozze di prima classe? - Which cars are for first class? You might hear†¦ Il treno à ¨ in ritardo. - The train is late.C’à ¨ un ritardo di (cinque) minuti. - There is a 5-minute delay.Oggi c’à ¨ uno sciopero. - There is a strike today.Il treno numero (2757) à ¨ in partenza da binario nove. - Train number (2757) is leaving from platform nine.Il treno numero (981) à ¨ in arrivo a binario tre. - Train number (981) is in arrival at platform three.Ci scusiamo il disturbo. - We apologize for the disturbance. For all of the phrases above, it’s very useful to be able to say and understand the numbers. Phrases on the Train Quanto tempo ci vuole? - How long does the trip take?Qual à ¨ la prossima fermata? - What is the next stop?La prossima fermata à ¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ - The next stop is†¦Ho l’Eurail pass. - I have a Eurail pass. While you’re on the train, it’s very likely that a person, called il controllore, will come by to check your tickets. Most likely, they’ll say something like, Buongiorno / Buonasera, biglietti? - Good afternoon / Good evening, tickets? You’ll simply show them your ticket—either ones that your printed from the Internet or the ones from the ticket counter. If you got your tickets from the counter, remember to validate them at any of the machines in the train station prior to boarding. If you don’t, you could be fined fifty or more euro. È questo il treno per...? - Is this the train for...?Questo treno va anche a (Firenze)? - Does this train also go to Florence? When you look at the boards with all of the arrivals (arrivi) and departures (partenze), you’ll notice that the only destination shown is the final one, so it’s more reliable to depend on the number of the train as opposed to the city that’s being shown. FUN FACT: There are three main types of trains: 1.) Fast trains - Frecciabianca (or Frecciarossa) / Italo 2.) Intercity - IC 3.) Local trains - Regionale/Regionale veloce TIP: Never buy a first-class ticket for local trains as the carriages are all the same and they’ll charge you more for first-class. You can check the timetable for the trains online at Trenitalia or Italo. You can also buy tickets at the ticketing office of the train station or at the self-service machines using both credit card and cash, although some machines may only take cards. If you are doing longer bouts of train travel, you may want to consider taking a high-speed train. If you do that, you can determine your carriage number and seat by looking at the bottom of the ticket. Finally, if you know you’ll be traveling a lot throughout Italy, you can save some money by buying a eurail pass.