How to Ask for and Buy a Round-Trip Ticket in Italian
Learn to ask for a round-trip ticket in Italian, add return date and time, and handle a simple ticket-buying exchange at the station.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
In this lesson you will learn how to ask for and buy a round-trip ticket in Italian. You will build on the single-ticket phrase 'Un biglietto per...' and add the return trip with 'andata e ritorno'. You will also learn how to give a return date and time, ask for the price, and understand a short ticket-office dialogue. The focus is on standard contemporary Italian used at train stations and ticket counters.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a round-trip ticket to a destination in Italian.
- add a return date and time to my request.
- ask how much a round-trip ticket costs.
- understand and respond to a simple ticket-office exchange.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Un biglietto andata e ritorno per l'aeroporto, per favore.
A round-trip ticket to the airport, please.
oon bee-LYET-toh an-DA-ta eh ree-TOR-no per leh-roh-POR-toh, per fah-VOH-reh
Standard polite request at a ticket counter. 'Andata e ritorno' means 'going and return', the normal Italian equivalent of a round-trip ticket.
Vorrei un biglietto di andata e ritorno per Roma.
I would like a round-trip ticket to Rome.
vor-RAY oon bee-LYET-toh dee an-DA-ta eh ree-TOR-no per ROH-mah
Use 'Vorrei' (I would like) for a slightly softer, more polite request. 'Di andata e ritorno' is a common variant of 'andata e ritorno'.
Quando vuole tornare?
When would you like to return?
KWAN-doh VWOH-leh tor-NAH-reh
A typical question from a ticket clerk. 'Vuole' is the polite 'you' form. You can answer with a date and time.
Vorrei tornare domenica alle sei di sera.
I would like to return on Sunday at six in the evening.
vor-RAY tor-NAH-reh doh-meh-NEE-kah AL-leh SAY dee SEH-rah
Use 'alle' before a clock time: 'alle sei' = at six. 'Di sera' means in the evening. For morning, use 'di mattina'.
Quanto costa un biglietto andata e ritorno?
How much does a round-trip ticket cost?
KWAN-toh KOS-tah oon bee-LYET-toh an-DA-ta eh ree-TOR-no
A direct way to ask the price. 'Quanto costa' works for one ticket; for plural tickets use 'Quanto costano'.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: 'Un biglietto andata e ritorno per + destination'. For example: 'Un biglietto andata e ritorno per l'aeroporto' (A round-trip ticket to the airport). To add a return date and time, say 'Vorrei tornare + day + alle + time'. Example: 'Vorrei tornare domenica alle sei di sera' (I would like to return Sunday at six in the evening). If you already have a single ticket and want to add the return, you can say 'Vorrei aggiungere il ritorno' (I would like to add the return).
When to use it
Use 'andata e ritorno' at train stations, bus terminals, and airport ticket counters. It is standard in both speech and writing. In some regions, especially in the south, you may hear 'andata e ritorno' pronounced quickly, but the phrase is the same. If you only need a single ticket, say 'solo andata' (one way). For a round-trip ticket with a fixed return, the clerk may ask 'Quando vuole tornare?' (When would you like to return?). Answer with a day and time, for example 'Domenica alle sei di sera'. If you are not sure, you can say 'Non lo so ancora' (I don't know yet).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, vorrei un biglietto andata e ritorno per l'aeroporto, per favore.
Good morning, I would like a round-trip ticket to the airport, please.bwon-JOR-no, vor-RAY oon bee-LYET-toh an-DA-ta eh ree-TOR-no per leh-roh-POR-toh, per fah-VOH-rehCerto. Quando vuole tornare?
Of course. When would you like to return?CHER-toh. KWAN-doh VWOH-leh tor-NAH-reh?Vorrei tornare domenica alle sei di sera.
I would like to return on Sunday at six in the evening.vor-RAY tor-NAH-reh doh-meh-NEE-kah AL-leh SAY dee SEH-rahVa bene. Sono venti euro. Ecco il biglietto.
All right. It is twenty euros. Here is the ticket.vah BEH-neh. SOH-no VEN-tee EH-oo-roh. EK-koh eel bee-LYET-tohA little context goes a long way
In Italy, ticket offices often use the polite 'lei' form with customers, so you will hear 'Vuole' and 'Vorrei' rather than informal 'vuoi' and 'vorrei'. At train stations, you can also buy tickets from machines, but the phrase 'andata e ritorno' is the same. If you are unsure about the return time, it is fine to say 'Non lo so ancora' and buy a flexible ticket when possible.
One thing to watch for
Using 'ritorno' alone to mean a round-trip ticket, as in 'Un biglietto ritorno per l'aeroporto'.
Try this instead: 'Ritorno' alone means 'return' as a noun, but the ticket type is 'andata e ritorno'. Say 'Un biglietto andata e ritorno per l'aeroporto' (A round-trip ticket to the airport). If you want only the return leg, say 'solo ritorno' (return only).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for a round-trip ticket to the station in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Un biglietto andata e ritorno per la stazione, per favore.
This uses the standard pattern 'Un biglietto andata e ritorno per + destination'. 'Per la stazione' means 'to the station'. You could also say 'Vorrei un biglietto andata e ritorno per la stazione' for a softer request.
2The clerk asks 'Quando vuole tornare?' You want to return on Monday at eight in the morning. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Vorrei tornare lunedì alle otto di mattina.
This answers with a day and time. 'Lunedì' means Monday, 'alle otto' means at eight, and 'di mattina' means in the morning. You could also say 'Lunedì mattina alle otto' with a slight change in word order.
3How do you ask 'How much does a round-trip ticket cost?' in Italian?
Show a sample answer
Quanto costa un biglietto andata e ritorno?
'Quanto costa' is the standard way to ask the price of one item. For more than one ticket, use 'Quanto costano'. You can add 'per l'aeroporto' to specify the destination.
Use 'andata e ritorno' for a round-trip ticket, add your return with 'Vorrei tornare...' plus day and time, and ask the price with 'Quanto costa?'. Keep the polite 'Vorrei' for ticket counters.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Italian into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr