The bar is the heart of Italian daily life, fast, friendly, and built on ritual.
In this module you learn to order coffee, pastries, and drinks, pay at the till, and get the small things right that locals notice. No grammar. Just the Italian you’ll use on your first morning in Italy.
You will learn how Italian menus are structured, how to book a table by phone, how to order confidently, how to handle dietary needs, and how to read your bill without surprises. You will also pick up the cultural knowledge that separates a tourist from someone who actually knows how things work — the coperto, the contorno, the vino della casa, the apericena, and why the doggy bag does not exist.
Most travellers today don’t just book hotels. This module covers both: checking in at a hotel and dealing with a host when you’ve rented an apartment. The language overlaps more than you’d think — and the key phrases that get things sorted are the same either way.
You’ll learn how to check in, ask about WiFi and breakfast, report a problem, and leave on time. You’ll also pick up two essential grammar structures: c’è / ci sono for describing what’s there (or isn’t), and the past tense for when something has gone wrong.
Italy has one of the best rail networks in Europe. Trains are fast, frequent, and — once you know the system — surprisingly easy to navigate. Buses and metros vary by city. Taxis are straightforward if you know what to say.
This module gives you the language for all three. You’ll learn how to buy a ticket, ask about platforms and times, get on the right bus, and tell a taxi driver where you’re going. No guesswork, no pointing at screens.
By the end you’ll be able to move around an Italian city — and between cities — without needing anyone to rescue you.
At a bar counter, nobody brings you a bill. When you’re ready, you ask. The whole thing takes about ten seconds.
Phrases for paying
Quant’è?
How much is it? — after you’ve ordered and consumed.
Quanto viene?
How much does it come to? — when you’re still deciding.
Pago io.
I’ll get this. (I’ll pay for both of us.)
Paghiamo insieme.
We’ll pay together.
Posso pagare con il bancomat?
Can I pay by card?
Tenga il resto.
Keep the change.
Quant’è vs Quanto viene — what’s the difference?
Quant’è?
You’ve had your coffee. You’re ready to pay. The order is done.
Quanto viene?
You’re still at the counter, looking at the pastries, working out if you can afford two cornetti.
Price note
An espresso costs between €1 and €1.50 at the counter. Sit down at a table and the price can double — there’s a servizio al tavolo charge. It’s legal, it’s standard, and nobody warns you. Now you know.