Viaggio means “travel” in Italian, but if you want to use it in real-life situations, this useful word needs a bit of tweaking. Depending on what you’re trying to say, you can use it as a noun, as a verb, or in ready-made phrases. So how do you say “safe travels” in Italian or “I am traveling”?
Don’t worry: Italian has a lot of variety, but once you see these expressions in context, they become easy to use.
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Viaggio (travel/trip)
Heading on a trip or discussing travel plans? The simplest way to talk about travel in Italian is with the word:
- viaggio = travel/trip
- viaggi = travels/trips
Viaggio is a noun, so you’ll use it to talk about a trip or the concept of traveling, like in the following sentences:
- Ho fatto un viaggio in Egitto. = I took a trip to Egypt.
- È stato il viaggio più bello della mia vita. = It was the best trip of my life.
- Hai fatto buon viaggio? = Did you have a good trip?
Buon viaggio (safe travels)
If you want to wish someone “safe travels” in Italian, buon viaggio is the phrase you need. It literally means “good travels” in Italian, and it’s used as a friendly farewell, similar to other common Italian greetings.
You’ll hear this at the airport, from hotel staff when you check out, or whenever a native speaker learns you’re about to travel.
- Buon viaggio. = Safe travels. (neutral)
- Fai buon viaggio./Faccia buon viaggio. = Have a good trip. (informal/formal)
- Ti auguro buon viaggio./Le auguro buon viaggio. = I wish you a good trip. (informal/formal)
If you’re planning a trip to Italy, buon viaggio is definitely a key phrase you’ll want to know, along with essentials like how to order food in Italian (a must!). You might also come across felice viaggio as a literal translation of “happy travels” in Italian, but native speakers almost always use buon viaggio instead.
How to respond to buon viaggio
When someone says buon viaggio to you, you can simply reply with grazie or another short way to say “thank you” in Italian. A simple answer is enough to sound polite.
Travel tip: If you want a feel-good Italian song to add to your travel playlist and practice, Buon viaggio by Cesare Cremonini is a great pick.
Viaggiare (to travel)
When talking about the action of traveling, the main verb used to say “to travel” in Italian is viaggiare.
This is the infinitive form of the verb, which means you can use it with expressions like “I like to,” “I love to,” or “I would like to.”
- Viaggiare = To travel
- Mi piace viaggiare. = I like to travel.
- Ti piace viaggiare? = Do you like to travel?
- Amo viaggiare. = I love to travel.
- Vorrei tanto viaggiare quest’estate! = I’d really like to travel this summer!
- Dovremmo viaggiare di più. = We should travel more.
In all other cases, you’ll need to conjugate the verb depending on the subject and when the action takes place or which Italian tense you use.
- Ongoing action:
- Ora sto viaggiando in treno. = I am traveling by train.
- Present or recurring action:
- Io viaggio da sola. = I travel alone.
- Past action:
- L’anno scorso ho viaggiato per tutta Italia. = Last year I traveled all over Italy.
- Future action:
- Viaggerò con gli scienziati. = I will travel with the scientists.
- Viaggerò in Europa il prossimo anno. = Next year I will travel to Europe.
The good news is that viaggiare follows regular -ARE verb patterns, so it’s quite easy to learn and get it right.
Viaggiare in (to travel by)
As a traveler, you’ll often need to say how you’re moving around. In English, you use “by,” whereas in Italian, you typically use the preposition in.
This is especially useful if you need to ask for directions, buy tickets, or explain your travel plans, as it works for most vehicles: in aereo (by plane), in auto/in macchina (by car), in treno (by train), in nave/in barca (by boat), in moto (by motorcycle), and in bicicletta (by bicycle).
- Viaggerò in aereo fino a Roma. = I will travel by plane to Rome.
- Come faccio a viaggiare in treno da Firenze a Pisa? = How can I travel by train from Florence to Pisa?
The exceptions are limited, so when in doubt, use “in.” There are only a few cases where you’ll need the preposition a:
- In passato si viaggiava a cavallo. = In the past, people traveled by horse.
- Sta facendo un viaggio a piedi lungo la Via Francigena. = He is traveling on foot along the Via Francigena.
Viaggia con prudenza (travel safely)
Often, on informational signs or electronic highway signs, you might see the phrase viaggia con prudenza, which translates to “travel safely” in Italian.
This expression is rarely used in everyday speech, and when it is, it sounds like a fairly formal recommendation. More commonly, you might hear someone say sii prudente (be careful), which can also be used to express the idea of “travel safe” in Italian.
- Partirò tra poche ore. = I’m leaving in a few hours.
- Buon viaggio e sii prudente. = Have a safe trip and be careful.
These are helpful phrases to recognize, especially if you plan to drive around Italy.
Common expressions related to travel in Italian
There are a few other common expressions to consider while you build your Italian travel vocabulary that will help you in Italian conversations.
| Italian expression | Meaning | Italian Sentence | Translation |
| andata e ritorno | round-trip | Ho comprato un biglietto andata e ritorno. | I bought a round-trip ticket. |
| sola andata | one-way trip | Ho comprato un biglietto sola andata. | I bought a one-way ticket. |
| fare un’escursione | to go on a hike/excursion | Loro stanno per fare un’escursione in montagna. | They are about to go on a hike in the mountains. |
| fare una gita | to go on a short trip/day trip | Si possono fare molte gite da Roma. | You can take many day trips from Rome. |
| guidare | to drive | Mi è piaciuto tantissimo guidare lungo la costa di Amalfi. | I loved to drive along the Amalfi coast. |
| partire | to leave/to depart | Domani parto per Venezia. | Tomorrow I’m leaving for Venice. |
| visitare | to visit | Vado in Italia per visitare le rovine antiche. | I am traveling to Italy to visit ancient ruins. |
| volare | to fly | Mi piace volare in prima classe perché c’è più spazio. | I like flying first class because I have more space. |
Build your Italian travel phrasebook for an authentic experience
Planning a trip to the best cities to visit in Italy? Learning a few essential expressions, such as greetings, food-related phrases, and key ways to talk about “travel” in Italian, can make your trip feel more authentic and help you connect with locals and Italian culture.
Think of this guide as just the beginning—an appetizer that leaves you wanting more. And that’s exactly how you learn Italian: one useful phrase at a time.
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