Postcards from Italy | Learn Italian | Beginner and Intermediate

WARNING: this episode contains Italian insults and may not be suitable for sensitive ears! In the last episode of this season, we graduate from survival Italian into conversation starters so that we can make lasting friendships. Elisa also confesses the not-so-well-loved traits of her fellow Italians and gives us a healthy list of Italian insults and bad words, both polite and offensive, as a grad...

In today’s episode, we learn about WiFi, data plans, phones and staying connected while in Italy. We also practice asking for email addresses, passwords, phone numbers and internet access.  But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & clickable PDF of all our mini-glossaries ← the perfect travel bud...

In today’s episode, we discuss tips to keep ourselves and our valuables safe while visiting Italy, and how to avoid theft and pickpocketing, with a special section on women’s safety. Just in case, we also practice a dialogue to ask for help and Elisa tells us about Italy’s various law enforcement agencies. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our p...

In today’s episode, Elisa gives us vocabulary and cultural tips to help us prepare for any unexpected health hiccups while we’re traveling in Italy. We also learn how to ask for help with a long list of illnesses, body parts and medications, just in case. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly &...

In today’s episode, we talk about one of our favorite parts of Italian life – the outdoor market – as well as grocery stores. Elisa gives us extensive vocabulary and cultural tips about what to buy, how and when to bargain, and that it’s usually NOT acceptable to touch the produce. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You...

In today’s episode, we talk about the beautiful things money *can* buy in Italy’s department stores, artisanal shops and boutiques. Elisa also shares tips about typical store hours, VAT refunds and lots of vocabulary so you can literally shop til you drop all your Euros! But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A...

In today’s episode, we head outdoors to the beach, hiking trails, bike paths, spas and more, experiencing Italy beyond its food, art and churches. Elisa also teaches us how to relax like an Italian and enjoy Italy’s famous beach culture and hot springs. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & c...

In today’s episode, we learn about visiting cultural landmarks and etiquette for enjoying the art, history and natural beauty of Italy, from its museums to its churches. Elisa also teaches us how to talk about what we see, as well as tips about tickets, opening hours, tours and guides. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course....

In today’s episode, Elisa prepares us for ordering a wide variety of foods with mini-glossaries for Italian specialties we might find in different eateries. We also learn helpful Italian vocabulary to communicate any food allergies, sensitivities and preferences when ordering a meal. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. Y...

In today’s episode, Elisa explains how eating in Italy is less about the food and more about the art, traditions and social aspects of the Italian culture. We learn about the categories of meals and snacks, as well as how to order food and coffee like an Italian.  But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-f...

  Italian for Travelers, Episode 13 - the EATING IN ITALY episode.  In today’s episode, we finally sink our teeth into the first of three episodes devoted to our favorite sport: eating in Italy! Together, we explore the delicious world of Italian cuisine, from kinds of restaurants to the typical courses you’ll find on a menu. Elisa also gives us essential words and cultural tips to impress your wa...

In today’s episode, Kristi checks into a hotel, so we discuss a range of Italian accommodations, from farm stays to hotels and monasteries. We also learn vocabulary to ask about amenities and to resolve any issues that might come up during a stay, such as asking for more towels or fixing a broken faucet. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our pre...

In today’s episode, we take to the open road and learn how to fill up our tanks and find parking along our Italian adventure. We also talk about where and where NOT to park in and around historic city centers. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & clickable PDF of all our mini-glossaries ← th...

In today’s episode, we learn all about driving in Italy and follow Kristi as she rents a car and stops for directions. Elisa also helps us decode Italian road signs and driving rules in Italy. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & clickable PDF of all our mini-glossaries ← the perfect travel...

In today’s episode, we dive into public transportation in Italy and learn about train travel, buses and more. Elisa prepares us to buy tickets, read time schedules and handle the occasional worker’s strike, so that it won’t derail your trip, figuratively, of course. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone...

In today’s episode, Elisa offers some simple tips to avoid falling for common tourist traps. We also learn how to ask for -- and listen for -- directions in Italian, especially when all roads *don’t* lead to Rome! But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & clickable PDF of all our mini-glossaries...

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to fill up your calendar with dates… literally! First, we follow our character Kristi through an outdoor Italian market and learn all about the days of the week, months, years and seasons.  Then, Elisa teaches us how to make small talk about the weather.  But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online c...

In today’s episode, we learn how to tell time in Italian.  Elisa shares typical opening and closing times in Italy and why travelers should get familiar with the 24 hour clock before an Italian getaway. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & clickable PDF of all our mini-glossaries ← the perfe...

This one’s all about counting and money! Today, we learn to count from one to ten… and then all the way up to one billion. Then Elisa teaches us Italian vocabulary about money so we can spend those billions on fabulous Italian shoes and accessories. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendly & click...

Today, we begin to connect with Italians, both formally and informally, from exchanging names and phone numbers to basic questions.  Elisa also teaches us the difference between the two popular ways of saying “I’m sorry” in Italian, and when to use each one. But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our premium online course. You’ll get: A phone-friendl...

In today’s episode, we learn how to make friends and meet new people in Italy. Elisa gives us examples of informal and formal greetings, as well as the etiquette of hugs and kisses Italian-style. You’ll learn how to say hello and goodbye, introduce yourself, ask how someone is, and show off what a wonderful, curious traveler you are! Although these are basic niceties, they are the key to making a...

Today, we tackle some do’s and don’t’s for learning and speaking Italian as a traveler. Elisa congratulates you on the extensive Italian vocabulary that you probably didn’t realize that you already know. (Bravo!) And finally, we share 25 expressions and words that EVERY traveler to Italy needs to know.  But to get the most out of Italian for Travelers, head to our website and subscribe to our prem...

Our Italian adventure begins with the basics: the Italian alphabet and pronunciation. If you’re planning a trip to Italy or want to refresh the Italian you learned in college, today is step one!  In today’s episode, we learn the alphabet and Elisa gives us a basic pronunciation guide for Italian so that you can begin to practice sounding out all the beautiful words you’ll see on menus, maps and si...

Ready to live La Dolce Vita without getting lost in grammar rules? Your favorite Italy-loving friends Elisa and Erin are back with a fresh season of episodes about the language and culture of Italy, especially for travelers! Italian for Travelers (Season 2 of the Postcards from Italy Podcast) is your go-to Italian language guide, designed especially for travelers and beginners (and rusty returners...

Send us a text In the last episode of Season 1, Julie and Dani leave Rome on a train bound for new adventures in Orvieto. Small talk – and a little argument – with fellow passengers adds more local Italian flair to their Italian journey. In our roundtable, Elisa shares a pair of idioms, including the Italian equivalent of Julie’s favorite – “When in Rome…” – and another about the Mona Lisa. In our...