Postcards from Italy | Learn Italian | Beginner and Intermediate – Details, episodes & analysis

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 signs. 

We also get familiar with the Italian place names of famous cities and landmarks. 

Lastly, we meet our Season 2 traveler, Kristi, as she begins her Italian journey on a city tour in Rome. Andiamo!

To get the most out of Italian for Travelers, subscribe to our premium online course for bonus audio, dialogue transcripts, listen-and-repeat audio glossaries, practice lessons and so much more!

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

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Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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!). Whether you're going to Italy for the first time or refreshing your Italian before your next trip, this season will be your perfect travel companion!

Hosted by Elisa, a native Italian teacher from Emilia-Romagna, and Erin, a curious American traveler who’s been in your shoes, Italian for Travelers is the "field guide to Italy" that only your best girlfriends will give you: the perfect blend of essential Italian vocabulary, pronunciation, cultural do's and don't's, travel tips, practice exercises and more... with a healthy dose of fun and laughter.

Boost your confidence and lose your fear of speaking Italian! Each episode features:

- Easy Italian pronunciation, key phrases, and travel-friendly vocab

- Real-life situations like renting a car, shopping at a market, visiting the pharmacy, or even how to beach like an Italian

- Cultural tips, mini-dialogues, and idiomatic expressions that’ll have you feeling like a local — even if it’s your first time!

✨ And for those who want to go deeper, our Season 2: Italian for Travelers Bonus Materials are a game-changer! Check out our website www.postcardsfromitalypodcast.com for these exclusive resources to level up your Italian:

✅ Episode transcripts

✅ Vocabulary lists

✅ Printable practice worksheets

✅ Exclusive audio glossaries — hear the English word followed by the Italian, perfect for repeat-and-learn on the go!

Whether you're driving, doing dishes, or daydreaming about pasta in Positano, Italian for Travelers will make your next trip the most memorable one yet!

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com 

Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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The date with Luca continues in the Borghese Gardens of Rome, where Dani meets two of Luca’s friends at a scenic spot.

Elisa shares an idiom that says, if you can’t hear very well, you can probably blame it on deli meat. We also daydream about the quintessential Italian tradition of la passeggiata.

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

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Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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Ro-ma... Ro-ma-mah! Roman romance is in the air as Dani goes out for an afternoon with Luca. He charms her with his romantic words and the most delicious gelato in Rome. 

Elisa and Erin enter the arena for the Battle of Gelato versus Ice Cream. We also learn why gelato is so good, you might need to lick your mustache!

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

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Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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Julie and Dani visit the Vatican, but first they have to get through security and learn the rules to follow in the Basilica. We also learn that being educated in Italy is not the same as being polite!

Elisa shares an idiom to express surprise, which is helpful when Erin describes how she almost got kicked out of the Sistine Chapel!

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

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Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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Julie and Dani visit a tabaccheria, and learn all about this magical mystery store that sells much more than just tobacco. After they buy bus tickets, postcards and stamps, they run to catch a city bus. We also learn an Italian proverb that explains why good friends are like white flies.

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

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Julie and Dani eat breakfast at the hotel, where Dani meets a new friend and Julie samples the international buffet. We also learn the *single word* that makes an Italian language learner immediately sound like a native speaker.

Elisa also tells us how Italians use the word "fritatta" as more than a tasty breakfast food! Erin asks about Italian vs. American breakfasts and we drool over all the sweet treats that start a beautiful day in Italy.  

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com 

Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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Julie and Dani get their first taste of pizza in Italy… and Dani learns that Italians have very strict rules about pizza. 

In our roundtable, we discuss an expression of surprise or frustration that translates as “sheer madness”! We also begin a deep-dive discussion about the classic pizzas you’ll find in Italy… and in our bonus materials we dive even deeper into the ones you won’t. 

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com 

Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

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Julie and Dani enjoy an aperitivo on the terrace after getting a recommendation for a pizzeria. While enjoying the views of Rome, they are treated to cocktails and snacks at the hotel's rooftop bar. 

In our roundtable, Elisa tells us why Italian mothers hate to hear that someone is starving, and we learn a phrase that means “to be hungry as a wolf.” While discussing another animal-related expression, Elisa explains why she is “Team Chickens.” Erin also asks Elisa to tell us about all the yummy food her Italian mamma might make if she were hungry.

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com 

Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-) 

Send us a text

Julie and Dani go up to their hotel room and learn about its many interesting amenities, including an “emotional shower.”

In our roundtable, we learn how to live like the Pope, and also how Elisa’s own father can be mistaken for the Pope. We discuss the 2nd part of our list of useful hotel phrases and the many kinds of accommodations you can find in Italy.

To get the most out of Postcards from Italy, subscribe to our premium online course for full episodes, transcripts, roundtable notes and Italian-only audio to test your listening and comprehension skills.

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com

** Mille grazie a Laura Teso. Laura is the creator of My Corner of Italy and generously allowed us permission to adapt her useful hotel phrases for this episode. You can find her on Instagram @mycornerofitaly and more of her resources here: 

https://www.italiarail.com/accommodation/albergo-or-pensione-quick-guide-types-hotels-available-italy

https://mycornerofitaly.com/book-an-hotel-room-in-italian/

And: https://mycornerofitaly.com/italian-hotel-phrases/

www.PostcardsFromItalyPodcast.com 

Live La Dolce Vita glamor... without all the grammar :-)