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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases
Getting ready for my trip in a few months to Italy. Noticed at the
RailEurope site that there is a separate charge for reserving seats. Is it necessary to reserve a seat for a regional or intercity train? (The only European train I've taken is a British one and seat reservations are unnecessary.) On another topic...Is it advisable to learn some Italian phrases just so I can manage to get about? If so, what are the best phrase books? By best, I mean ones that are the most colloquial? Also, how essential is it to learn Italian grammar, i.e. rules for using the right adjective forms, etc.? Thanks in advance. Lil |
#2
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases
Unless you plan to travel during Holiday time (read "very crowded trains
with the risk to travel all the way on your feet") you don't have to reserve your seat... Still if you can manage to do it it's always better. On Eurostar and most "rapid" trains, you reserve your seat as you buy your ticket. You're "obliged" to do so because no one can travel on these trains unlsess they are seated (for security questions). It's not bad at all to learn some basic italian, at least for every day questions. Not everybody speaks (or understand) "correct english" here, even if they'll most certainly help you anyway if you're lost or just wanting an info... Still if you know some words, you'll be able to get more in touch with the people. You don't need to know the grammar in all its details, but pay attention to pronunciation... some word can be tricky and "false friend". It really depends on how much you're staying and how much you want to get involved with your trip... If you come for just one week or two, you don't need to bother a lot... some words will be enough. If you have planned to stay longer, I would sugget you to learn some more, just not to feel too isolated from the real life. This summer I've been in Italian Tirol but everybody was talking german, which I unfortunaltely don't know... I can tell you that a week was enough... even if the place was wonderfull, I began to feel "strangely invisible". Next time I go I want to be albe to talk a little... to share experiences and fun too! Bon voyage! Braque "Lil" ha scritto nel messaggio om... Getting ready for my trip in a few months to Italy. Noticed at the RailEurope site that there is a separate charge for reserving seats. Is it necessary to reserve a seat for a regional or intercity train? (The only European train I've taken is a British one and seat reservations are unnecessary.) On another topic...Is it advisable to learn some Italian phrases just so I can manage to get about? If so, what are the best phrase books? By best, I mean ones that are the most colloquial? Also, how essential is it to learn Italian grammar, i.e. rules for using the right adjective forms, etc.? Thanks in advance. Lil |
#3
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases
Getting ready for my trip in a few months to Italy. Noticed at the
RailEurope site that there is a separate charge for reserving seats. Is it necessary to reserve a seat for a regional or intercity train? (The only European train I've taken is a British one and seat reservations are unnecessary.) Reservations are needed at peak times. Being stuck in an unairconditioned train with not even enough standing room in 30 degree heat for 3 hours is not an experience I would like to repeat. On another topic...Is it advisable to learn some Italian phrases just so I can manage to get about? If so, what are the best phrase books? By best, I mean ones that are the most colloquial? Also, how essential is it to learn Italian grammar, i.e. rules for using the right adjective forms, etc.? I managed to get by with just a simple phrase book. In the large cities you will find most people speak at least a little English, however in more rural areas a phrase book is very helpful, you can always point at phrases if you don't understand them. |
#4
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learningItalian phrases
Lil wrote:
Getting ready for my trip in a few months to Italy. Noticed at the RailEurope site that there is a separate charge for reserving seats. Is it necessary to reserve a seat for a regional or intercity train? (The only European train I've taken is a British one and seat reservations are unnecessary.) If it's not too late, I advise you not to buy anything from the Raileurope site. They are grossly overpriced. If you want information on schedules, etc., I suggest you consult www.trenitalia.it, which has a much more complete timetable. They have an English language option. As for tickets and reservations, I suggest you wait until you get to Italy to buy them. Then you can get them at the station (either at the ticket counter or at an automatic ticket machine, which also has an English language option.) Or you can get your tickets at most travel agents. As to your question, some trains, such as the Eurostar trains have mandatory reservations, which are included in the price of the ticket. Depending on the route and the time of travel, you may or may not be able to get a reservation right up to the last minute. Second class sells out first, so if it's full, you can usually get a reservation in first class for a little more money. If that's also full, you can catch a later train (maybe one that doesn't require reservations. I live in Italy and I only make reservations on trains that I absolutely must catch, for instance if I'm going to Rome to catch a flight. In that case, I make the reservations at least a few days in advance. For all other travel I wait until I get to the station and take my chances. I have never had to catch a later train. On trains that do not require a reservation, you may want to make one if the trip is very long and if the train is arriving from another station (in other words, possible already full). If it's a short trip, I just try to get to the track early enough to get a seat and if I don't get one, I either stand in the aisle for a while or upgrade my ticket to first class on the train. (You pay a penalty for this.) I have actually never reserved a seat in a train that didn't require reservations. Once I upgraded to first class. The other times I've always found a seat. Some trains, mostly regional trains, don't have reservations at all. Since these are usually fairly short trips, you shouldn't have to stand for long in any case. I have two daughters who live in the US and visit me in Italy frequently. They never reserve seats on the train they take from the airport to my house. One reason is that it's hard to be sure exactly which train you'll be able to catch. It's a pain to miss a train because your flight was late, but it's also a pain when the flight is earlier and everything goes smoothly, and you realize that you could have caught an earlier train. On another topic...Is it advisable to learn some Italian phrases just so I can manage to get about? If so, what are the best phrase books? By best, I mean ones that are the most colloquial? Also, how essential is it to learn Italian grammar, i.e. rules for using the right adjective forms, etc.? If you're leaving in a few months, you don't have much time for grammar. However, you certainly should learn the usual polite phrases that any traveller should master before going to another country. These are "Good morning" (or other appropriate greeting for the time of day), "Please", and "Thank you". You probably should also learn, "I'm sorry, I don't speak Italian well.", and "Please, do you speak English?" Also, if you be shopping, "How much does that (pointing) cost?" Almost any phrase book will cover these phrases and more. Get one with a tape or CD so that you can get the pronunciation right or nearly right. As for being colloquial, it's usually best not to get very colloquial with strangers in a foreign country until you learn the social ropes. For instance, "Ciao" is a very colloquial way to greet someone in Italy, but it's considered bad manners to greet people that way unless they're very young or you know them very well. Barbara |
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases (OT)
"Barbara Vaughan" wrote in message ... If you're leaving in a few months, you don't have much time for grammar. However, you certainly should learn the usual polite phrases that any traveller should master before going to another country. These are "Good morning" (or other appropriate greeting for the time of day), "Please", and "Thank you".... Barbara--and maybe Luca and Giovanni--, when's the cutoff time between Buon giorno and Buona sera? In the morning one says Buon giorno; in the evening one says Buona sera. Sometime in the afternoon it switches. When is it? Marianne |
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases (OT)
mimi wrote:
Barbara--and maybe Luca and Giovanni--, when's the cutoff time between Buon giorno and Buona sera? In the morning one says Buon giorno; in the evening one says Buona sera. Sometime in the afternoon it switches. When is it? I don't know. I would say the switch is around the time it gets dark, but my friend always laugh when I go on saying "Buongiorno" even at 9pm :-) -- Luca Logi - Firenze - Italy e-mail: |
#7
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learningItalian phrases (OT)
mimi wrote:
"Barbara Vaughan" wrote in message ... If you're leaving in a few months, you don't have much time for grammar. However, you certainly should learn the usual polite phrases that any traveller should master before going to another country. These are "Good morning" (or other appropriate greeting for the time of day), "Please", and "Thank you".... Barbara--and maybe Luca and Giovanni--, when's the cutoff time between Buon giorno and Buona sera? In the morning one says Buon giorno; in the evening one says Buona sera. Sometime in the afternoon it switches. When is it? I have a feeling it's not fixed. Around here people switch to buona sera sometime around 4 PM Barbara |
#8
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learningItalian phrases (OT)
On Tue, 4 Nov 2003, mimi wrote:
Barbara--and maybe Luca and Giovanni--, when's the cutoff time between Buon giorno and Buona sera? In the morning one says Buon giorno; in the evening one says Buona sera. Sometime in the afternoon it switches. When is it? Hah ! It depends on local and personal usages. I tend to say "buon giorno" at any time from the morning to dusk, and "buona sera" only when it's really dark or late, but there are other people who say "buona sera" earlier. And of course "buona sera" (good evening) is a greeting to be used when you get in, and "buona notte" (good night) EXCLUSIVELY when you go away and you wish to wish (!) a good sleep ! -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- is a newsreading account used by more persons to avoid unwanted spam. Any mail returning to this address will be rejected. Users can disclose their e-mail address in the article if they wish so. |
#9
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases
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#10
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advisability of reserving seats on Italian trains and learning Italian phrases (OT)
"Barbara Vaughan" wrote in message ... mimi wrote: when's the cutoff time between Buon giorno and Buona sera? In the morning one says Buon giorno; in the evening one says Buona sera. Sometime in the afternoon it switches. When is it? I have a feeling it's not fixed. Around here people switch to buona sera sometime around 4 PM Barbara And here it seems to start at lunch time, or at latest, after the pausa. |
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