The key Italian words you won't want to mix up when travelling

Local Italy

26-06-2025

italian language For Members
Travelling in Italy this summer? Knowing how to use some commonly misunderstood transport-related vocabulary will help you on your way.
If you're planning a trip to Italy and have already mastered the basics of the language - from the difference between buongiorno and ciao to the proper use of prego - there's another thing you might want to consider.
Anyone travelling in Italy will benefit from learning some basic transport-related vocabulary, whether they arrive in aereo, treno, o macchina (by plane, train, or car). But there are also some less obvious travel-related words and phrases that are likely to trip visitors up.
At the very least, you'll feel more confident while travelling in Italy when you know exactly what the difference is between a few of these commonly confused or overlooked words.
Stazione o fermata
This one is simple enough: these two words translate as "station" and "stop", and are used in exactly the same way as in English.
You'll likely board a bus or train at a station, like Roma Termini or Milano Centrale, then get off at a smaller stop along the route - unless you stay on until the capolinea, or end of the line.
How far is the station from here?
When asking for information about your stop, or the route, you'd probably use fermata instead.
Questa fermata è a richiesta?
Is this a request stop?
Quante fermate ci sono?
How many stops are there?
Binario o piattaforma
When asking for information about which train platform you'll need, Italian learners often assume that the translation would be piattaforma. But it's not often used in this way - plus it can refer to part of the railway track itself, which makes things a bit confusing.
The commonly used word here instead is binario.
Da quale binario parte il treno per Roma?
Which platform does the train for Rome depart from?
Convalidare o obliterare
First time visitors to Italy often find out the hard way that you need to convalidare (validate) some types of Italian train tickets before boarding.
This usually applies to tickets for local trains and public transport services, but not those for long distance rail services, like the Frecciarossa. If you're not sure, it's always best to ask.
Devo convalidare questo biglietto?
Do I need to validate this ticket?
You might also come across the term obliterare, which is essentially a more technical and old-fashioned word for the same thing. It dates from the time when all tickets had to be physically inserted into machines which punched a hole in them. (Some tickets can now be validated online.)
Imbarco o partenze
You'll need to check the number of your gate (porta d'imbarco) on the departures board (tabellone delle partenze).
A che ora è previsto l'imbarco del volo?
What time is the flight boarding?
Salire o scendere
These are two words which Italian learners sometimes confuse. Salire means to get on, while scendere means to get off, and these are the terms you'd normally use in the context of using public transport - rather than, say, enter and exit (entrare e uscire).
It might help to remember that scendere more literally means "to come down" and has the same Latin root as the English verb 'to descend'.
Scendo alla prossima fermata
I'm getting off at the next stop
Passaggio o corsa
When it comes to taxis and private cars, you'll need to know the difference between these two words, which are both used to talk about a car journey (percorso in auto) and could both translate as 'ride' in English.
Offrire o dare un passaggio (to offer or give someone a ride), would normally mean you're taking them somewhere as a favour, without expecting any form of payment.
Ha preso un passaggio per l'ospedale con la sua vicina
She got a lift to the hospital with her neighbour
When you get a taxi however, you'll be talking about a corsa, which implies that the ride is paid for and has a fixed start and end point.
Quanto costa la corsa?
How much is the fare?
Corsa has a few meanings, including a journey or trip, as well as a race. You might see it in other travel contexts, such as when taking the metro or train.
Il biglietto singolo permette di effettuare una sola corsa
You can only take one trip with the single ticket
La corsa è diretta o con cambio?
Is the journey direct or with a transfer?
And you may see the similar word corsia (lane) when on the road. For example, c orsia preferenziale indicates a lane reserved for buses and taxis (which anyone else can be fined for using.)
Giorni feriali o giorni festivi
These two phrases might look similar to non-Italian speakers, but you'll need to be sure of the difference, particularly when deciphering public transport timetables.
Giorni feriali are weekdays, and this may or may not include Saturdays, depending on which timetable you're looking at.
Giorni festivi are holidays, including Sundays and official national and religious holidays including Ferragosto, May 1st (Labour Day), and June 2nd (Republic Day).
The term feriali often confuses people, especially if they've seen the many signs stating ' chiuso per ferie ' (closed for holidays) in shop windows throughout August. Both words come from the Latin 'feria,' which simply means 'day'.
On giorni festivi, most public transport services run on reduced or modified schedules, so it's always a good idea to check.
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