Italian for travellers: Podcast #3, Public transportation

LearnsomebasicItalianlanguage aboutpublictransportationandlistentothepodcast.

TravelingbytrainorbusinItaly,willgiveyouanexcellentchancetocommunicatewithpeople,enjoyingthefantasticlandscape,andlearnmanythingsaboutthecountry.Italianslovetotalkwithstrangers,especiallyforeigners,andwillgiveyousometipsandusefulinformationaboutyourdestination.

Allacciatelecinture,siparte.Fastenyourseatbelts…

ThefollowingpodcastIsfree.Ifyouareamemberyoucanreadandlistentothepremiumpodcastatthebottomofthispost. Loginnowandrefreshthispage.
Inbiglietteria-Trains

Nothingexotichere…TrainstationsinItalyusuallyhaveaticketcounter(biglietteria)withanoperator(bigliettaio)whocangiveyouinformation(informazioni)aboutyourtrain(iltreno),timetables(orari)theconnection(lacoincidenza).Youcanaskthetimeofdeparture(acheoraparte?)arrival(acheoraarriva?),thedurationofthetrip(quantocimetteiltreno?).

Sometimesthetrainislate(iltrenoèinritardo),orthere’sastrike(c’èunosciopero).Loudspeakersatthestationwilltellyouhowlateyourtrainis(“iltrenoperRomaèinritardodi5minuti”),theplatform(ilbinario),ifthetrainisarriving(iltrenoèinarrivo)ordeparting(inpartenza).InformationinlargestationsisbilingualbutlivemessagesfromthestationmasterareusuallyonlyinItalian.

Theticket(ilbiglietto)canbeoneway(disolaandata)orroundtrip(andataeritorno).Remembertovalidatetheticket(convalidareilbiglietto)usingtheyellowmachinesonyourplatform.Youcangetafine(prendereunamulta)ifyouforgettodoso.Youmayneedtodoareservation(unaprenotazione)orpayarapidservicefee(supplementorapido)ontopofyourprice.

Prettymuchalltrainstationshaveanautomaticticketmachine(biglietteriaautomatica)andyoucanpaywithcash(contanti)oracard(carta).Itisnotunusualtofinditoutoforder(guasta).

  • Biglietteria
  • Bigliettaio
  • Informazioni
  • Treno
  • Orario
  • Coincidenza
  • Acheoraparte?
  • Acheoraarriva?
  • Quantocimetteiltreno?


  • Iltrenoèinritardo
  • C’èunosciopero
  • IltrenoperRomaèinritardodi5minuti
  • Ilbinario
  • Iltrenoèinarrivo
  • Iltrenoèinpartenza


  • llbiglietto
  • Disolaandata
  • Andataeritorno
  • Convalidareilbiglietto
  • Prendereunamulta
  • Unaprenotazione
  • Supplementorapido
  • Biglietteriaautomatica
  • Contanti
  • Cartadicredito
  • Lamacchinaèguasta

Bus,metroandcabs

Busesinbigcities(wesayautobus,corrieraorpullman)areusuallypublic,buttheonescovering longdistancesoftenbelongtoprivatecompanies.Ifyoubuyaurbansingleticket(bigliettosingolourbano)youcanuseallpublictransportationfor alimitedtime.

ForexampleinMilano,mycity,withasingleticketyoucantravelanywherefor90minutesfor just1,50euro.ComparedtootherbigEuropeancities,that’sreallycheap.

Youcan buyyourticketsinany tobaccostore(tabaccheria),newsstand(edicola)orbusstation.Younormallycan’tbuyticketsonboard,atleastin MilanorRome.Busstops,aswellassubwayortramstopsarecalled fermata;finaldestinationisthe capolinea;timetableistheorario.

SomeItaliancitieshavea subway (lametropolitana).Romahas3lines(A,BandthebrandnewCline)(Romahatrelinee);Milanohas4linesandothersunder construction,Napoli2,Catania,Torino,GenovaandBresciahaveasingleline.

Inmostcases,thefamousinefficiencyofItalianbureaucracyhasbeenslowingdowntheconstructionofnewmetrolines.Inothercases,likeinRoma,diggingholesinancientcitiesturnedouttobe abigproblem.Monumentsandarchaeologicalareashavebeendiscoveredanditwasnecessarytostoptheconstructionofmetrostationsandlines.

Cabs(taxiortassì)aregenerallywhiteoryellow.Youcancallacabthroughtheircustomerservice -theywillsendtheclosestavailable taxi atyouraddress.Ifyoucallthem,themeterwillstartassoonasthedriver(iltassista)getsthecall,butitgenerallytakesjustafewminutes.

Alwaysaskthepriceofyourride(quantocostalacorsaper…?)andtoswitchthemeteron(iltassametro)incasethedriver”forgets”todothat.Tipsareuncommon.Taxidriversareofcoursetheright peopleyoucan talktoforunderstandingbetterthecityyouarevisiting.

 

  • autobus
  • corriera
  • pullman
  • bigliettosingolourbano
  • tabaccheria
  • fermata
  • orario
  • capolinea

  • metropolitana
  • stazionedellametro
  • linea1
  • taxi
  • tassista
  • corsa
  • tassametro
  • destinazione
  • quantocostalacorsaperl’aeroporto?

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Trains Buyticketsandaskinformation Buses,CabsandMetro Quant’è?

  • Acheorapassail48?

Whattimeis(bus)48?

  • Imezzi(pubblici)

Publictransport

  • L’autobusèinritardo

Thebusislate

  • C’èloscioperodeimezzi

There’sastrikeofpublictransport

  • Dov’èilcapolinea?

Where’sthelaststop?

  • Quantocimetteadarrivareallastazione?

Howmuchdoesittaketothestation?

  • C’èunautobusnavettaperl’aeroporto?

Isthereashuttlebustotheairport?

  • QuandopassailprossimobusperilDuomo?

WhattineisthenextbusfortheDuomo?

  • Dov’èlastazionedellametropiùvicina?

Whereistheclosestsubwaystation?

  • Possoavereunatabellaoraria?

CanIhaveatimetable?

  • Dov’èl’obliteratrice?Dov’èlamacchinetta?

Whereistheticketmachine?

  • Dovepossotimbrare?

WherecanIpunch?

  • Vorreiuntaxialle8inpiazza Dante

I’dlikeacabat8inDantesquare

  • Quantocostaunacorsafinoallastazione?

Howmuchisaridetothestation?

  • Puòaccendereiltassametro?

Couldyouturnthemeteron?

  • Quantocosta perandareall’aeroporto?

Howmuch(money)isittogototheairport?

  • Tengailresto

Pleasekeepthechange

 

Photo of author
Riccardo
Milanese, graduated in Italian literature a long time ago, I began teaching Italian online in Japan back in 2003. I usually spend winter in Tokyo and go back to Italy when the cherry blossoms shed their petals. I do not use social media.

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