How to Ask for and Buy a One-Way Ticket in Italian
Learn to ask for and buy a single (one-way) local transport ticket in Italian, with polite phrases, prices, and a realistic ticket-office dialogue.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Buying a ticket is one of the first real conversations you will have in Italian, and it follows a predictable pattern. In this lesson you will learn to ask for a one-way ticket for local transport — buses, trams, metro and regional trains — using the key word "solo andata" (one way, literally "only going"). You will also learn how to say where you are going, ask the price, and pay. We focus only on one-way tickets here; return tickets ("andata e ritorno") are the topic of the next lesson, so you will not confuse the two.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a one-way ticket to a specific place in Italian.
- say how many tickets I want and ask the price.
- understand and answer simple questions at a ticket office or machine.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Un biglietto per il centro, per favore.
One ticket to the city centre, please.
oon bee-LYET-toh pehr eel CHEN-troh, pehr fah-VOH-reh
The most useful all-purpose request. "Un biglietto" is one ticket; "per" means "to/for" a destination. Use it at a ticket window or with a driver where tickets are sold on board.
Solo andata, per favore.
One way, please.
SOH-loh ahn-DAH-tah, pehr fah-VOH-reh
Say this when the seller asks "Andata o andata e ritorno?" (One way or return?). "Solo andata" makes clear you do not want a return ticket.
Vorrei un biglietto per la stazione.
I would like a ticket to the station.
vor-RAY oon bee-LYET-toh pehr lah stah-TSYOH-neh
"Vorrei" is a polite way to say "I would like". Use it in shops and ticket offices; it sounds more courteous than "voglio" (I want).
Quanto costa?
How much does it cost?
KWAHN-toh KOH-stah
A short, essential question. For more than one ticket you can ask "Quanto costano?" (How much do they cost?).
Due biglietti, per favore.
Two tickets, please.
DOO-eh bee-LYET-tee, pehr fah-VOH-reh
Note the plural: "biglietto" becomes "biglietti". Numbers are useful: uno, due, tre, quattro (1–4).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: number + "biglietto/biglietti" + "per" + destination + "per favore". Examples: "Un biglietto per il centro, per favore." (One ticket to the centre, please.) "Due biglietti per l'aeroporto, per favore." (Two tickets to the airport, please.) "Un biglietto per Roma, per favore." (One ticket to Rome, please.) The word "per" introduces the destination, and "per favore" keeps the request polite. Remember that "biglietto" is masculine: "un biglietto", "due biglietti".
When to use it
Use these phrases at a ticket office ("biglietteria"), at a tobacco shop ("tabaccheria") that sells local tickets, or at a machine. If you buy from the driver, keep it short: "Un biglietto per il centro, per favore." If the seller asks "Solo andata?", answer "Sì, solo andata." To confirm the price, ask "Quanto costa?" and listen for a number such as "due euro" or "un euro e cinquanta". You may also hear "Prego?" meaning "Yes? How can I help?".
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, vorrei un biglietto per il centro, per favore.
Good morning, I would like one ticket to the city centre, please.bwon-JOR-noh, vor-RAY oon bee-LYET-toh pehr eel CHEN-troh, pehr fah-VOH-rehSolo andata o andata e ritorno?
One way or return?SOH-loh ahn-DAH-tah oh ahn-DAH-tah eh ree-TOR-nohSolo andata. Quanto costa?
One way. How much does it cost?SOH-loh ahn-DAH-tah. KWAHN-toh KOH-stahUn euro e cinquanta. Ecco il biglietto.
One euro fifty. Here is the ticket.oon EH-oo-roh eh cheen-KWAHN-tah. EK-koh eel bee-LYET-tohA little context goes a long way
In Italy, local tickets are often bought before boarding, at a tabaccheria, a newsstand, a machine or a ticket office; on some buses you can pay the driver, but not everywhere. In many cities you must validate ("convalidare") the ticket in a small machine on board, or it may be considered invalid. Regional differences exist: "centro" works everywhere for the city centre, while local names like "il centro storico" refer specifically to the historic centre.
One thing to watch for
Saying "un biglietto a il centro" or "un biglietto per centro".
Try this instead: Use "per" plus the correct article: "per il centro". "A" is not used for a ticket destination here, and the article is required: "per il centro", "per la stazione", "per l'aeroporto".
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for one ticket to the city centre, politely?
Show a sample answer
Un biglietto per il centro, per favore.
This uses the number, the noun, "per" plus destination, and "per favore". You could also say "Vorrei un biglietto per il centro, per favore", which is equally correct and slightly more formal.
2The seller asks "Solo andata o andata e ritorno?" You want a one-way ticket. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Solo andata, per favore.
"Solo andata" means one way. Adding "per favore" keeps it polite. "Solo andata" is the standard phrase; "di sola andata" is also possible but less common in speech.
3How do you ask the price of two tickets?
Show a sample answer
Quanto costano due biglietti?
"Costano" is the plural form of "costa", used with plural "biglietti". You could also simply ask "Quanto costa?" while pointing, and the seller will understand.
Remember the frame "Un biglietto per ..., per favore" and the key phrase "solo andata" for a one-way ticket; next lesson you will contrast it with "andata e ritorno".
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