Languages

Raymond - I have found that the people in Italy are very nice and most of them speak
some English. I speak Spanish and it sounds very very much like Italian.
I found myself slipping into Spanish and that worked too.
But, all in all - I would say that I always found someone who could speak English.

I don't know French except for the very basics and I didn't hear anyone speaking French,
but I'm sure they do.
Even in the small towns in the countryside - people speak some English.
Hope you have a wonderful trip. You are very brave driving a car there. In the Cities
and some town - look out for the ZTL (the limited traffic zones) there are several
threads here where folks have been photographed and sent tickets once they home.

Happy Travels

Raymond,

You'll probably find that the majority of the people you're dealing with in Italy will be able to speak some English so you shouldn't have any trouble. This is especially true with people that deal with tourists. I've found that English now seems to be the "common denominator" and people from countries in the middle east, the orient or other parts of the world use English when travelling in Europe. This is a pragmatic approach, as it's highly unlikely that most Italians will be able to function in Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin or Japanese.

It's a good idea to know (and use) a few of the common Italian words for "Hello, Please, Thank you, Good Morning, Good Evening" etc. Italians seem to appreciate visitors at least making an effort with the local language. You might find it helpful to pack along a small Phrasebook (such as the one offered on this website), as that should also provide information on food items that you may encounter. On that topic, it would also be a really good idea to pack along a copy of the Italy 2014 Guidebook, as it provides a wealth of information on sightseeing, transportation, hotels, restaurants, etc.

Generally speaking, Europeans are very clever with languages, and many people speak two, three or four languages. However, I've found that it's VERY RARE to hear French spoken in Italy and Quebecois especially will likely be of limited use.

You may find it helpful to watch a short VIDEO with Rick's advice on the topic (which coincidentally is set in Italy).

In addition to the ZTL areas mentioned in the previous reply, also note that EACH driver will require the compulsory International Driver's Permit, which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. You can obtain IDP's easily and quickly at any AAA office. On that topic, you may find it helpful to review the information on the excellent Ron In Rome website.

Buon Viaggio!

You should have no problem finding English-speaking Italians, and I agree it's good to know a few phrases. Note that hand-written numbers are written differently (1, 4 and 7).

Hi Raymond,

I found my knowledge of French helpful in reading signs and menus, especially gelato flavors. As others have said, many of the Italians know some English. I suggest you learn the road sign "language" well before you go, though, as most will probably be only in Italian.

Do learn some basic words and phrases in Italian before you go, as a show of respect. It's quite insulting to an Italian to act as if their language is the same as Spanish. Not that you were going to do that but I've seen some people (Americans) who insist on saying "Gracias" instead of "Grazie" while in Italy. I mean, how hard is it to learn the right word?

The RS guides always have a list of "survival phrases" at the end that are very helpful to learn.

And do remember to always greet the shopowner or clerk when you enter a store. It's considered rude not to.

In addition to what has been said above, I'll add a few suggestions.
Older generations are less likely to have a higher education, and even if they have, they are less likely to remember the English they learned in school. On the contrary younger generations are more educated and almost certainly are studying English in school. Also they are more likely to travel abroad extensively. A foreign language (generally English) is now required since elementary school, starting from 2nd grade. My friends' smallest kids in Italy pronounce English with virtually no foreign accent. Also with the advent of the internet, young generations are learning through that tool too. Therefore you have a better chance conversing in English with a high school kid than with a 70 year old grandpa.

When speaking English to Italian, you don't need to shout, but you need to speak clearly and slowly.

Also you are more likely to be understood using fancy sophisticated English, than with slang or common English words. Most sophisticated words in English have a Latin root, therefore they are more easily understood to Italians, because they are likely to be similar to Italian. Many common English words have a Germanic root.

Therefore use "scapula", not "shoulder blade". Use "to photograph" not "to take a picture". Use "obtain" not "get". Use "I'm enamored" not "I'm in love". Use "Cerumen" not "ear wax". Use "credible" not "believable". And so on.

Also learn the International Road sign system for driving in Europe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_signs_in_Italy

And remember:
No cruising on the left lane on European freeways. The left lane is passing only.
No right turn on a red light is ever permitted (unless there is a right green signal)
And get used to roundabouts, you will see plenty of those.

Oh, I have often wondered how to say "ear wax" in Italian. Thanks.

Since you speak French, you will find once you start looking at Italian that even though French and Italian are pronounced very differently and thus are not mutually intelligible, they are similar "under the hood" (grammar, word origins, etc) - more so than Spanish and Italian, which do sound more similar to each other. For instance, to say "need" in French you use besoin and the verb "to have"; to say "need" in Italian you use bisogno and the verb "to have"; but to say "need" in Spanish, you use the verb "to need." And present perfect tense in French and Italian are different, but more similar to each other than either one is to Spanish (which never uses "to be" for this tense, but only "to have").

This is a long way of saying that it will be worth your while to start learning basic Italian (use CD's like Berlitz, Pimsleur, etc); you'll find it easy to pick up basics, which will be useful.

YouTube has a wealth of Italian phrases that you could easily learn or download to have on hand. So does BBC.com, just to mention two good websites. It always pays to start off conversations or questions by using polite greetings in the native language. You might also search tripadvisor.com for tips on driving in Italy. Even though most Italians in tourist areas speak English, your efforts to use Italian will be much appreciated.

As others have said, in areas where there are tourists you are very likely to find English speakers. Your French and Spanish may be helpful in deciphering signs as many words are similar. (libary for example) I agree that your best bet may be to find a young person to help you.

Just a couple of comments on other folks' responses:

There is now a very large population of Chinese people in Tuscany particularly in Prato - they are sewing up a lot of clothes for manufacturers. I ran into several second generation young Chinese/Italians who spoke Mandarin and Italian (no English).

Also, I am an Asian Canadian. I have been stopped on the streets of Florence by a French tourist who wanted directions to the nearest parking lot and he was asking me in French - and I answered him in French. (For those who know, he figured out I was Canadian as soon as I answered using the word "stationnement") So who knows?

Just be polite, smile and be patient, and you should have no trouble.

If you are in the Piedmonte, you would have no problem finding a 70-year who spoke French... ;-)

Ken, what's that sillyness re: Québecois French? To European ears, we're most often confused for being French-speaking Belgians or ch'tis.

Certainly Italian and Spanish share a lot of similar words due to the Latin origins, but the exceptions can be pretty funny. If a Spanish speaker talks about the donkey in the street, the Italian will think there's butter in the chimney. (burro & camino) :-)

@Diane,

I've been told by a number of people in France that although they can understand Quebecois, they do have some difficulty with it. They usually refer to it as "the old French". I suppose the point I was trying to make, was that those that speak French in Italy will likely have learned the Parisian version, so also may have some trouble with Quebecois.

I observed that exact situation while having dinner one night on Lago di Como, with a group from Quebec sitting at the next table. One of the restaurant staff could speak French, but was having some difficulty communicating with the Quebec folks. Of course, YMMV.

Cheers!

There are a LOT of similarities between French and Italian. Here's a great website that teaches Italian from French. Very easy to use.

http://www.ielanguages.com/frenchitalian.html

I once had a fairly extensive conversation with an Italian guy in which I spoke a sort of hybrid Spanish with what little Italian I knew thrown in (he responded in Italian). Funnily enough however a Spaniard then came into the room, and the Italian guy told him, "you can just speak Spanish to me." The Spaniard launched into rapid, idiomatic, Castilian accented Spanish, and the Italian guy understood very little. Whereas he understood most of my deliberate, simplified Spanish.

I agree though that going around saying "gracias" etc is dumb.