Spanish or English in Italy?

I’d say English

Don't worry about impression, worry about comprehension. Most people connected to tourism are going to speak English. They might get the gist of where you're going in Spanish or French, but if they haven't studied them, it could be rough going.

English is the universal language. Unless you are in Spain, brush up on Italian.

When attempting to converse with an elderly woman at an outdoor market in a small town in Italy a good many years ago, my husband asked (in Spanish, a second language for him that he speaks fairly fluently) if he could converse with her in English or Spanish. She rather disgustedly replied, in what undoubtedly was Italian: Sir, this is Italy, not Spain!

She did not speak English and we did not speak Italian. We politely moved along...

Of course always try Italian first but if you have to fall back you can give Spanish a try. I used Spanish in Italy and I felt we were able to communicate fairly well, the two languages are mutually intelligible to a certain extent (82% similar).

Spain and Italy are Latin brothers after all, we both have great respect for each other :)

Words in Italian are understood to me because of my familiarity with Spanish, I can kinda make out what is being said if I know the context (we are in a restaurant, a shoe store, at the train station) and who is speaking. But I speak in English when conversing with anyone while traveling, unless it is small polite phrases (Thank you, please, where is..) those I try to learn in the language of the country.

Definitely English rather than Spanish.

A good friend of ours has a great story on this. He and his wife speak fluent Spanish, having lived and worked in Panama when he was a doctor in the army. When they were in Italy a couple of years ago, he used his Spanish the first time they went out to dinner to ask questions about the menu. He said the waiter just looked at him in disgust and said (in perfect English), “You’re American, aren’t you. Well, this is Italy and we speak Italian here, not Spanish.”

Spanish will be helpful for your reading - you will be able to read a good portion of signs, menus, and sight info labels in Italian if your Spanish is ok. Might also help with understanding Italian spoken, but it’s different enough that it will just depend.

But for conversation with people, English will be better than Spanish. First off, English is more widely spoken in Italy than Spanish. Secondly, some Italians may get grumpy if they think you assume Italian is Spanish. If it’s necessary and you’ve exhausted your Italian and they don’t speak English, you could try Spanish, but it might not work. Go in that order - Italian to the extent you can, ask if they speak English, then Spanish if needed.

Another aspect is that many Italians will want to speak English to practice. English has been required in Italian schools for several decades, but, like speaking Italian in the US, many folks don't have occasion to encounter foreigners.

Both. If you can read and understand some Spanish you’ll be able to read and understand some Italian. My guess is between the little Italian you know and the English whoever knows, you’ll do just fine. Words similar to Spanish words would be a bonus. As far as making an impression, use the little Italian you know, then whichever way you can make yourself understood. Just be yourself and try your best. That will speak volumes.

I wouldn't try either without asking if they understand it first. Otherwise they don't know what you're trying to do, or if there's something wrong with you.

Craig, I would say:
1. Try “scusi, inglese?” If yes, there you go!
2. If no, “grazie” and a smile will get you far.
3. Spanish, save it and practice it, for a wonderful future trip to Spain or most of Latin America, where it will be most appreciated.

After you have greeted them in Italian and used up your polite tourist Italian vocabulary, I would just ask in Italian, do you speak English or Spanish? That lets them choose which option, if any, they might know.

Whenever I have encountered an Italian person who is not fluent in English, and I am not fluent in Italian, and we are struggling to communicate something complicated, they always ask if I speak French. Nobody has ever asked if I speak Spanish.

Our friend, a native of Colombia, went to Italy. He said they could understand most of the Spanish he spoke to them but he couldn't understand a word they said.

Also, in Rome, you might try learning a little Wolof, which is the primary tribal language of Senegal. On the other hand, most of the Senegalese street vendors speak plenty of English, Italian, French and various other languages well enough to close a deal.

Your Spanish might come in handy so it doesn’t hurt to ask. On my first trip to Italy I had only learned a few basic phrases, please, thank you and so forth. One morning I was trying to phone ahead for the next day’s B&B reservation from a phone booth (remember those?) My first question was “Parla Inglese?” She replied,”No”. Uh oh, I was like a deer in the headlights trying to think of something to say and kicking myself for not having anticipated that answer. There was an awkward pause, then she asked, “Sprechen Sie Deutsch?” You can imagine my relief because yes, indeed, I do speak German. :-)
The reservation was secured and we had a good laugh together when we met the next day.

The one time I was stuck in a place where no one spoke English (I only know a few polite phrases in Italian) was in Sicily and I was desperately lost with no idea of how to find my B&B, French came to my rescue. In parts of the Dolomites, German is the native language.

English .... any time my traveling companions have used Spanish you can tell it is not appreciated. One of our friend just can't seem to get grazie right he always says gracias and was correct at least twice I can remember from our trip this past May....

He said the waiter just looked at him in disgust and said (in perfect English), “You’re American, aren’t you. Well, this is Italy and we speak Italian here, not Spanish.”

What an axxxxle. If someone smiles and asks in Italian or in plain English "Do you speak Spanish?" there is no reason to be offended or to act this way. Conversely, Waiters not used to tourists, those that speak almost no English, would appreciate the effort to make their life a little easier. When you have many tables to follow and you've been working for hours, any workaround to get the order done right is welcome.

Be aware that some words sound almost the same in Italian and Spanish, but have different meanings; for instance you must ask for a Donkey in Spanish to get some butter in Italy.

You never know when a random third language is going to come in handy! We keep a joking list of the times Japanese has been helpful in Europe and Central America. It's short but fun.

Try https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/travel-talks/italian-language for 60 minutes you tube Italian lesson.

Craig, How great you already speak Spanish well, it absolutely does help. I can only speak from my own experience arriving in Italy speaking a dozen words of Italian and fluent Spanish, but not a single Italian has ever asked me to speak English. My first trip was to Rome for a month with side trips to Tuscany & I recall even shopkeepers near the Spanish Steps patiently explaining things to me in Italian. I've travelled in Italy over 24 times, trips a few weeks to a month or more. Occasionally in prime tourist areas like Piazza Navona, they've simply answered me in English, so I've switched languages. I once had a long, quite laborious conversation in Italian with a young woman about why she was going back to the Catholic church in search of more meaning to her life, only to find out later she was an English teacher! It still makes me laugh. In general I have found Italians to be patient, gracious & delighted you're trying to speak their language. A smile goes a long way and politeness, as well as the appropriate waving of hands, adds to that communication. I say go for it, practice as much Italian as you can, relax, & enjoy yourself!