How to Buy a Metro Ticket in Italian: 'Un biglietto della metro, per favore'
Learn to ask for a metro ticket in Italian, understand zone and fare options, and handle a ticket-machine or ticket-window exchange at beginner level.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Buying a metro ticket in Italy is a short, predictable exchange, and you can handle it with a few fixed phrases. The key request is 'Un biglietto della metro, per favore' (one metro ticket, please). You will also need to understand whether the price depends on zones, how long the ticket is valid, and what the clerk asks you. This lesson keeps you on that exact task: asking for a metro ticket, choosing a fare option, and paying. Regional differences in ticket names and zone systems are labelled where they matter.
By the end, you can…
- ask for one metro ticket politely in Italian.
- understand and answer simple questions about zones, fare type, and payment.
- ask how long a metro ticket is valid and where to validate it.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Un biglietto della metro, per favore.
One metro ticket, please.
oon beel-YET-toh DEL-lah MEH-troh, per fah-VOH-reh
The standard polite request at a ticket window or when a clerk asks what you need. 'Della metro' means 'of the metro' and identifies the ticket type.
Quanto costa?
How much does it cost?
KWAHN-toh KOH-stah
Use this after naming the ticket, or on its own while pointing at the ticket machine screen. It asks the price of one item or service.
È a zone?
Is it zone-based?
eh ah DZOH-neh
Useful in cities such as Milan where the fare can depend on how many zones you cross. The answer is usually 'Sì' or 'No'.
Vorrei un biglietto valido per tutta la giornata.
I would like a ticket valid for the whole day.
vor-RAY oon beel-YET-toh VAH-lee-doh per TOOT-tah lah jor-NAH-tah
'Vorrei' is a polite way to say 'I would like'. Use it when you want a day pass rather than a single ride.
Dove devo convalidare il biglietto?
Where do I have to validate the ticket?
DOH-veh DEH-voh kon-vah-lee-DAH-reh eel beel-YET-toh
Ask this before entering the platform. In many cities you must validate a paper ticket in a machine at the entrance.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 'Un biglietto ... , per favore'. You can change what comes after 'biglietto' to name the type: 'Un biglietto della metro' (a metro ticket), 'Un biglietto dell'autobus' (a bus ticket), 'Un biglietto giornaliero' (a day ticket). To ask about price, use 'Quanto costa?' or 'Quanto costa un biglietto della metro?'. If you need more than one, the noun changes: 'due biglietti' (two tickets), 'tre biglietti' (three tickets). The word 'biglietto' is masculine, so it uses 'un' and 'il': 'il biglietto', 'un biglietto'.
When to use it
Use 'Un biglietto della metro, per favore' at a staffed ticket window or when a clerk greets you with 'Dimmi' or 'Prego'. At a self-service machine, you usually do not speak; you select the language, tap the ticket type, and pay. If a clerk asks 'Quanti biglietti?' (how many tickets?), answer with a number: 'Uno, per favore' or 'Due, per favore'. If they ask 'Giornaliero o singolo?' (day pass or single?), answer 'Singolo' for a single ride or 'Giornaliero' for a day pass. In cities with zones, you may hear 'Quante zone?' (how many zones?); answer with a number, for example 'Due zone'.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buongiorno, un biglietto della metro, per favore.
Good morning, one metro ticket, please.bwon-JOR-noh, oon beel-YET-toh DEL-lah MEH-troh, per fah-VOH-rehSingolo o giornaliero?
Single or day pass?SEEN-goh-loh oh jor-nah-LYEH-rohSingolo. Quanto costa?
Single. How much does it cost?SEEN-goh-loh. KWAHN-toh KOH-stahUn euro e cinquanta. Ecco il biglietto. Convalidalo prima di entrare.
One euro fifty. Here is the ticket. Validate it before entering.oon EH-oo-roh eh cheen-KWAHN-tah. EK-koh eel beel-YET-toh. kon-VAH-lee-dah-loh PREE-mah dee en-TRAH-rehA little context goes a long way
In Italy, metro tickets are usually bought from machines or a staffed window, and many cities require you to validate a paper ticket in a small machine before entering the platform. Ticket names and zone rules vary by city: Milan uses a zone-based system, while Rome's metro fare is mostly flat within the city. Always keep your validated ticket until you exit, because inspectors can fine you if it is not validated.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Un biglietto per metro, per favore' by translating English word order directly.
Try this instead: Use 'Un biglietto della metro, per favore'. Italian normally links the ticket to the service with 'di' plus the article: 'della metro', 'dell'autobus'. For example, 'Vorrei un biglietto della metro' is natural, while 'un biglietto per metro' sounds incomplete.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for one metro ticket, please?
Show a sample answer
Un biglietto della metro, per favore.
This is the standard polite request. 'Un' means 'one', 'biglietto' is the ticket, and 'della metro' specifies the metro. You could also say 'Vorrei un biglietto della metro, per favore' for a softer tone.
2The clerk asks 'Singolo o giornaliero?' You want a single ride. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
Singolo, per favore.
'Singolo' means a single-ride ticket, and 'giornaliero' means a day pass. Adding 'per favore' keeps it polite. If you wanted the day pass, you would answer 'Giornaliero, per favore'.
3Ask where you must validate the ticket.
Show a sample answer
Dove devo convalidare il biglietto?
'Dove' means 'where', 'devo' means 'I must', and 'convalidare' means 'to validate'. This question works at a ticket window or with station staff. A valid alternative is 'Dove si convalida il biglietto?' (where does one validate the ticket?).
Memorize 'Un biglietto della metro, per favore' and 'Quanto costa?', then listen for 'singolo o giornaliero' and 'quante zone' so you can answer with one word or a number.
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