A2.1: Holiday plans

Piani per le vacanze

Explore practical Italian phrases for discussing holiday plans, including key verbs like andare (to go), visitare (to visit), comprare (to buy), and fare (to do). This lesson covers travel preferences, destinations, and useful vocabulary for planning your vacation.

Vocabulary (17)

 Visitare (to visit) - Verb conjugation and exercises

Visitare

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To visit Show

 La spiaggia: The beach (Italian)

La spiaggia

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The beach Show

 Il mare: The sea (Italian)

Il mare

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The sea Show

 La montagna: The mountain (Italian)

La montagna

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The mountain Show

 La guida turistica: The tour guide (Italian)

La guida turistica

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The tour guide Show

 Il volo: The flight (Italian)

Il volo

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The flight Show

 Rilassato: relaxed (Italian)

Rilassato

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Relaxed Show

 L'agenzia di viaggi: The travel agency (Italian)

L'agenzia di viaggi

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The travel agency Show

 Comprare un biglietto: To buy a ticket (Italian)

Comprare un biglietto

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To buy a ticket Show

 Il turista: The tourist (Italian)

Il turista

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The tourist Show

 L'isola: The island (Italian)

L'isola

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The island Show

 La crociera: The cruise (Italian)

La crociera

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The cruise Show

 L'itinerario: the itinerary (Italian)

L'itinerario

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The itinerary Show

 Andare in vacanza: To go on holiday (Italian)

Andare in vacanza

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To go on holiday Show

 Fare la valigia: To pack the suitcase (Italian)

Fare la valigia

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To pack the suitcase Show

 Il turismo: Tourism (Italian)

Il turismo

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Tourism Show

 La destinazione: The destination (Italian)

La destinazione

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The destination Show

Exercises

These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.

Esercizio 1: Conversation exercise

Istruzione:

  1. What holiday type do you see in each picture? (What holiday type do you see in each picture?)
  2. What transportation are you going to use to travel and why? (What transportation are you going to use to travel and why? )
  3. How long will your next holiday be? (How long will your next holiday be?)

Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes

Example phrases:

Sto andando in Italia per un viaggio in città.

I am going to Italy for a city trip.

Sto andando in campeggio con la mia famiglia in montagna.

I am going camping with my family in the mountains.

Viaggerò in treno invece di prendere l'aereo.

I will travel by train instead of taking the plane.

Vado a Maiorca per visitare i musei.

I am going to Mallorca to visit museums.

Stiamo portando il camper in un viaggio di famiglia.

We’re taking the motorhome on a family journey.

Sto viaggiando in giro per il mondo per sei mesi.

I’m travelling around the world for six months.

Andiamo in un villaggio turistico sulla spiaggia in Tunisia.

We are going to a beach resort in Tunisia.

Andrò in crociera a maggio.

I am going on a cruise in May.

...

Exercise 2: Dialogue Cards

Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.

Exercise 3: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Quest'anno ____ in vacanza in Toscana perché vogliamo visitare le colline e il mare.

(This year ____ on vacation to Tuscany because we want to visit the hills and the sea.)

2. Prima di partire, ____ sempre un biglietto aereo online per risparmiare tempo.

(Before leaving, ____ always buy an airplane ticket online to save time.)

3. Durante la preparazione, ____ la valigia con abiti comodi e alcuni libri.

(During the preparation, ____ the suitcase with comfortable clothes and some books.)

4. Quando arriviamo alla destinazione, ____ i monumenti più famosi della città.

(When we arrive at the destination, ____ the most famous monuments of the city.)

Exercise 4: Holiday plans

Instruction:

Ogni anno, io e la mia famiglia (Andare - Presente) in vacanza in Italia. Quest'anno abbiamo deciso che (Visitare - Presente) la montagna e il mare. Prima di partire, io (Comprare - Presente) i biglietti e mia moglie (Fare - Presente) la valigia con cura. Noi spesso (Usare - Presente) l'auto per raggiungere la destinazione, ma a volte preferiamo il treno. Durante il viaggio, i bambini (Guardare - Presente) la guida turistica per scoprire le attività da fare. È sempre un momento rilassante e piacevole per tutti.


Every year, my family and I go on vacation to Italy. This year we decided that we visit the mountains and the sea. Before leaving, I buy the tickets and my wife packs the suitcase carefully. We often use the car to reach the destination, but sometimes we prefer the train. During the trip, the children look at the tourist guide to discover activities to do. It is always a relaxing and pleasant moment for everyone.

Verb Tables

Andare - To go

Presente

  • io vado
  • tu vai
  • lui/lei va
  • noi andiamo
  • voi andate
  • loro vanno

Visitare - To visit

Presente

  • io visito
  • tu visiti
  • lui/lei visita
  • noi visitiamo
  • voi visitate
  • loro visitano

Comprare - To buy

Presente

  • io compro
  • tu compri
  • lui/lei compra
  • noi compriamo
  • voi comprate
  • loro comprano

Fare - To do/make

Presente

  • io faccio
  • tu fai
  • lui/lei fa
  • noi facciamo
  • voi fate
  • loro fanno

Usare - To use

Presente

  • io uso
  • tu usi
  • lui/lei usa
  • noi usiamo
  • voi usate
  • loro usano

Guardare - To look at

Presente

  • io guardo
  • tu guardi
  • lui/lei guarda
  • noi guardiamo
  • voi guardate
  • loro guardano

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Lesson Overview: Planning Your Holiday in Italian

This lesson focuses on expressing holiday plans using Italian, ideal for A2 learners who want to communicate about vacations, transportation, and destinations confidently.

Key Learning Points

  • Expressions of cause and purpose: Learn how to explain reasons for your holiday choices, e.g., "Quest'anno andiamo in vacanza in Toscana perché vogliamo visitare le colline e il mare."
  • Talking about summer vacation plans: Practice dialogues about types of holidays, activities like snorkeling or hiking, and deciding destinations.
  • Discussing transportation options: Compare different means such as airplane, train, and car, and express preferences.
  • Suggester popular Italian holiday destinations: Become familiar with famous places like the Amalfi Coast and Venice, and typical activities there.
  • Verb conjugations in the present tense: Key verbs like andare (to go), comprare (to buy), fare (to do/make), visitare (to visit), usare (to use), and guardare (to look/watch) are covered to help form complete sentences about travel plans.

Example Vocabulary and Expressions

  • Vacanza al mare: seaside vacation
  • Snorkeling: snorkeling activities
  • Camminare: to walk/hike
  • Prendere il treno/l'autobus: to take the train/bus
  • Biglietto aereo: plane ticket
  • Fare la valigia: to pack the suitcase
  • Risparmiare: to save (time, money)
  • Godersi il paesaggio: to enjoy the scenery

Important Notes on Language Use

In Italian, expressing cause or reason often uses perché, similar to "because" in English, but it is placed differently in sentence structures. For example, "...in vacanza in Toscana perché vogliamo visitare..." follows the main clause, whereas in English the clause order can be more flexible.

The verb forms are essential here: note the present tense conjugations matching the subject, such as andiamo (we go), compro (I buy), and fa (he/she does/makes). This helps build accurate and natural sentences about plans and activities.

Useful phrases include:

  • Sto pensando a... - I'm thinking about...
  • Mi piacerebbe fare... - I would like to do...
  • Preferisco il treno perché... - I prefer the train because...
  • Hai già deciso...? - Have you already decided...?

Summary

This lesson equips learners to discuss holiday plans in various contexts, understand and use expressions of purpose and cause, and use present tense verbs essential for daily travel conversations. It combines vocabulary, typical dialogue scenarios, and verb practice to build confidence in planning and talking about vacations in Italian.

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