5.0 out of 5 based on 1 reviews. – Customer review on 01/01/2007

I thought I spoke Italian but the only thing I could think of to describe the Sistine Chapel was 'Mama mia!' Then I opened my phrasebook and entered a world beyond the Italy I thought I knew.

* extensive two-way dictionary & easy-to-use sentence builder
* pronunciation for every word
* real language for a truly authentic Italian travel experience - art, soccer, food & wine plus classic pick-ups & put-downs
* special travellers' Latin for decoding historical sights



8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
If you're going to buy a phrase book, this is the best one on the market., May 5, 2006
Reviewer: Nada Vergili "Italy Tour Guide & Italian Language Teacher www.nadasitaly.com" (Charlotte, North Carolina) - See all my reviews
Ok, here is my thing about phrasebooks: they don't teach you the language!! I understand that people just need some basic sentences before a trip, but believe me, I would definitely try to learn some Italian before going through an actual course.
In my opinion Lonely Planet has the best phrasebook out there, it's small, concise, and easy to look through sections divided by colors. As I already said, phrasebooks don't teach you the language, they just give you fixed sentences, so if let's say, you actually ask the correct question but don't understand what they're saying back to you, there is no point in using it!! At that point, you're better off learning this one essential phrase: "Parla Inglese?" (do you speak English?).
If you don't have time for a course, you can go to my website for my personal suggestions on books and learning aids if you want to learn on your own, I do love the "Pimsleur" series like "Italian Quick and Simple" or their "Basic Italian" it's a small investment that will be well worth it.