Living

Last update : May 2018

italy living

You will find here maps and informations on:

Travelling around Italy and to another European country
Glossary
Dictionary and phrasebook

Click here visual-dictionary.pdf to download the visual dictionary

For the contacts of groups, associations and organizations all over Italy please go to “contact” section (link to be added)

For more information you can read and download the “Welcome to Italy” guide available in two formats and six languages (to add here the links to “printings” section or directly to the w2italy guide pdf files)

TRAVELLING AROUND ITALY AND TO ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY

WARNING! Consider that currently, due to increased checks and push-backs on all borders, it is very difficult and dangerous to go from Italy to another European country.

TRAVELLING IN ITALY – BY TRAIN

In Italy, there are the following types of trains: R: Regional (stops in many stations on the route, cheapest option); IC: Intercity (only a few stops on the route); EC: Eurocity (international trains, police checks on board when crossing the border and at the first station across borders).

For schedules and exact prices, go to the website https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html or call the number 892021.

Here you can find some information about the connections among the main Italian cities:

TRAVELLING IN ITALY – BY BUS

For schedules and exact prices, contact the following companies:

FLIXBUS/BALTOUR: https://www.flixbus.it/baltour
EUROLINES: https://it.eurolines.eu/
SALEMI (Sicily): https://www.autoservizisalemi.it/ - phone 0039 (0)923-9811020
SAIS AUTOLINEE (Sicily): https://www.saisautolinee.it/it/default.html toll-free number 800211020 -
from mobile phone 199244141
IMPORTANT: if you travel from the South to the North of Italy, you should know that there are 3 buses a day to go from Catania to Roma (40-43 euros), 3 buses a day from Catania to Milano (69-78 euros) and 4 buses a day from Roma to Milano (19-48 euros).

MOVING TO ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY – BY TRAIN

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR TRAIN JOURNEYS TO THE BORDERS

In the main railway stations of the major cities there is always a Railway Police Station; in these stations travellers are usually subject to daily checks, either in the station areas or before getting to the platform;
Always have the ticket with you when travelling: ticket inspectors of the State Railways are public officers, they can call the police if there is any irregularity and can ask to check your documents;
Trains departing from border towns are subject to frequent controls from the departure station along the way up to destination;
In every border railway station there is a border police station, which checks the documents and monitors the route.

SWITZERLAND

Trains to Switzerland (the first city in Switzerland is Chiasso) leave from Milan Central Station. From Milan Central to Lugano and Zurich (Switzerland) there are 8 trains a day from 8:25 until 20:25 (from 19 euro). From Milan Central to Bern and Basel there are 3 trains a day (from 29 euro)
For schedules and exact prices contact:

Trenitalia: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html - phone 892021
Trenord: https://www.trenord.it/EN/ – phone 0039 (0)2-72494949
FFS (Swiss railways): https://www.sbb.ch/en/home.html - phone 0900300300

AUSTRIA AND GERMANY

Main trains to Austria and Germany: from Verona (Porta Nuova) there are 6 trains to Austria (Innsbruck) and Germany daily (price from 39 euros).
Night trains: from Milan Central - Verona - Trento - Bolzano - Innsbruck (Austria) – Vienna - Munich (Germany) (prices from 59 euros); from Roma (station Termini) - Florence - Bologna - Verona - Trento - Bolzano - Innsbruck (Austria) - Munich (Germany) (prices from 59 euros); from Roma Termini - Florence - Bologna - Venezia - Tarvisio - Klagenfurt (Austria) - Villach (Austria) - Vienna (Austria) (prices from 59 euros); from Venezia-Mestre there are trains to Vienna (Austria) and to Innsbruck (Austria) - Munich (Germany) (prices from 95 euro).
For schedules and exact prices contact:

Trenitalia: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html - phone 892021
OBB (Austria railways): https://www.obb-italia.com/it/ - phone +43 (0)5 1717 (English/German), +39 02 3041
5023 (Italian).

FRANCE

Main trains to France:

from Turin (Lingotto station): train to Torino-Cuneo and then Cuneo-Ventimiglia to the French stations of Vievola-Tende- La Brigue- ST Damals de Tende - Fontan Saorge-Bresil sur Roja;
from Genoa (Piazza Principe station): trains R, IC, EC to Ventimiglia; trains EC “Thello” to Nice and Marseille (France); (Brignole station): trains R and IC to Ventimiglia
from Savona: trains R, IC, EC to Ventimiglia arriving from Genoa and Turin; trains EC “Thello” to Niece Ville and Marseille (France);
from Ventimiglia to Nice: regional trains (R) run by French railways SNCF, departing from Ventimiglia to Cannes, Nice ville and Grasse;
“Thello” trains from Milan Central to Nice and Marseille via Turin, Genoa and Ventimiglia (prices from 30 euros). From Milano-centrale to Nice and Marseille (France) via Torinono, Genova and Ventimiglia (prices from 30 euros). From Venezia-Mestre to Dijon and Paris (France) via Padova, Vicenza, Verona, Brescia and Milan (prices from 67 euros)
For schedules and exact prices contact:
Trenitalia: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html - phone 892021
SNCF (French railways): https://www.sncf.com/en - phone 0039 (0)2 40326435

MOVING TO ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY - BY BUS

There are many buses connecting the main Italian cities with Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland.
Some of the most frequent routes are: Rome-Paris, Rome-Munich, Milan-Paris, Milan-Vienna, Milan-
Zurich, Venice-Paris, Milan-Basel, Venice-Vienna, Milan-Munich, Venice-Munich, Genoa-Marseilles.
For schedules and exact prices contact the following transport companies:

EUROLINES: https://www.eurolines.eu/
FLIXBUS/BALTOUR: https://www.flixbus.it/

GLOSSARY

ASYLUM SEEKER: (RICHIEDENTE ASILO) : a person who presents an asylum application for the recognition of refugee status, according to the Geneva Convention of 1951. The asylum request can be made by any person and at any time.

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR (MINISTERO DELL’INTERNO) : is the central administration of the state which has primary authority on issues of immigration and asylum.

PREFECTURE (PREFETTURA) : is the administrative body of the Ministry of Interiorr, the decentralised Office of Internal Affairs of the province and the Government’s territorial Office.

POLICE HEADQUARTER (QUESTURA) : is the administrative body that manages and organises the activities of the police in each province. Within each police station, there is a foreign office that deals with the paperwork of immigrants and asylum seekers.

TERRITORIAL COMMISSIONS (COMMISSIONE TERRITORIALE) FOR THE RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONAL PROTECTION : has the task of evaluating the applications for recognition of international protection status.

RESIDENCE PERMIT (PERMESSO DI SOGGIORNO): is the document that authorises you to stay legally on Italian territory.

UNACCOMPANIED MINOR (MINORE NON ACCOMPAGNATO) : A person who is under eighteen years of age, who is not married and is located in a European country, unaccompanied by a responsible adult who is older than eighteen years..

RELATIVE (FAMILIARE) : your husband/wife or your partner (partner is not recognised in every country); your children who are not married and are dependent on you. If you are a minor and you are not married, your father, your mother and the legal “guardian” are also considered members of the family.

“CEDOLINO” : a document in the form of a strip of card with a photo that is given to the applicant who has attended the police station to apply for asylum and to have fingerprints taken. This document details successive appointments with the police.

EURODAC : Database that can be accessed by all European States in which the fingerprints of applicants for asylum and certain categories of irregular migrants are stored.

DUBLIN REGULATION (REGOLAMENTO DUBLINO) : European regulation that establishes the state responsible for examining an asylum application.

VERBALIZATION (VERBALIZZAZIONE) : phase of the asylum procedure where at the police headquarters the form 3 is filled out (written questions asking for information about the applicant, his/her family and the way you had taken to arrive in Italy.

SCHENGEN AREA (SPAZIO SCHENGEN): free circulation area that includes a group of 26 European countries, including 22 EU Member States. 22 European states of the 28 take part with the exception of Britain and Ireland (opt-out), Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania. In addition: Iceland, Liechtenstein Norway and Switzerland.

ITALIAN-ENGLISH DICTIONARY AND PHRASEBOOK

Introduce yourself

Family

Asking for and giving information

Dove mi trovo? | Where am I?
C’è un traduttore? | Is there a translator?
C’è un avvocato? | Is there a lawyer?
Non capisco | I don’t understand
Puoi scrivermelo? | Can you write it down for me?
Parli …. ? | Do you speak … ?
Non parlo italiano | I don’t speak Italian
Ho bisogno di … | I need to …
Quanto tempo starò in questo posto? | For how long I will stay in this place?
Voglio la traduzione di questo documento | I would like to see the translation of this document
Non lo so | I don’t know
Non ho soldi | I have no money
Dove posso mangiare? | Where can I eat?
Dove posso dormire? | Where may I sleep?
Avete acqua? | Do you have water?
Dov’è il bagno? | Where’s the bathroom?
Dov’è la stazione dei treni? | Where is the train station?
Dov’è la stazione degli autobus? | Where is the bus station?
Dove posso comprare il biglietto? | Where can I buy the ticket?
Quanto costa il biglietto? | How much is the ticket?
Dove posso fare una doccia? | Where can I take a shower?
Dove posso chiedere aiuto e informazioni? | Where can I get help and information?
Posso fare una telefonata? | Can I make a phone-call?
Dove posso comprare una scheda telefonica? | Where can I buy a phone card?

Health

Clothes and other things

Directions, places and transportation

Documents and political asylum