Hello - we are traveling from the US to Italy, Switzerland and Austria. Do we need to learn a local language or is it ok to use an electronic translator on our phone to help with communication? I don’t want to be rude. We only speak English. We have a couple months before our trip so we could learn some basics for each country. Do you have any recommendations? In Switzerland we will be in Zermatt, around either Lucern or Thun. We are traveling by train. In Italy we will be in Rome, Florence and Milan. In Austria we are going to Salzburg. Thank you for your help..
Posted by
Sydney, Australia
45 posts
Even if many people speak English in Europe (and especially in the tourism industry), it's polite to meet people half-way and at least have some basics. Duolingo and a phrasebook would be a good start. You will need some German and some Italian for your destinations. People don't necessarily expect you to be fluent, but just please, thank you, where is ...? and how much...? would be a good start. Restaurant phrases might also help. You might like the lens feature on the Google Translate app, which allows you to hover your phone over a sign (or a menu) and instantly translate it.
Above all, have fun - language learning is fun and worth your time!
Lavandula
Posted by
Nashville, TN
650 posts
I recommend learning hello, please & thank you in each language as a form of respect, but from there everything you need can be done via the Google Translate app on your phone. I recommend watching a video on YouTube to see how to fully use it. But also, 95% of people you encounter will speak near perfect English. Even if they say “only a little bit” to them that basically means fluent.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32392 posts
I agree with the others that it's a good idea to learn a few of the basic words and phrases for each language in the countries you'll be visiting. It's not necessary or even realistic to learn the language for each destination, especially as you only have a couple of months to prepare. Anyone working in the tourist industry in Europe usually has some ability to speak English. Switzerland has four official languages, and it sounds like you'll only be in the German speaking part.
Google Translate is a reasonably effective translator although I've found that it's not always completely accurate, depending on the translation. It seems to be upgraded on a regular basis and has improved since I first started using it. As I recall, it requires an internet connection so it's helpful to have a roaming plan for your phone(s). Some languages can be downloaded so that they reside in the phone, but I can't remember the details of that.
In order to learn some basic phrases, you might find it helpful to pack along a copy of the Rick Steves French, Italian, German Phrase Book. It also includes a menu decoder and some other features.
Buon viaggio / Gute Reise!
Posted by
Alsenborn, Germany
1629 posts
The major issue with google translate, when just using the lens on the camera, is that it's default font is fairly small. A good trick is to just take a photo and then if you tap on the picture you should get a popup with options. If you hit the "..." the translate option will appear and you can then use that. This will allow you to zoom in if needed. I find this handy for things like menus where you may need some time to read the entire document. Also parking tickets.
Posted by
Freedonia
16536 posts
Above pist by Robinerluke reported.
Posted by
Singapore
625 posts
For Austria in particular, I've found it useful to speak a little bit of German. I can get by with the basic for restaurants, shops etc, but I find Google Translate useful when I'm unsure of the right word (albeit grammar is a bit dodgy). So you're right to at least have a shot :)