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PhrasesAt the AirportQuanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare in città dall'aeroporto?
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Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare in città dall'aeroporto?

How long does it take to get to the city from the airport?

Pronunciation

ci VUO-le — the 'ci vuole' construction means 'it takes'. 'Città' is cit-TÀ.

When to use it

When planning your journey from the airport and needing to estimate travel time.

What it means

'Ci vuole' (it takes) + time expression is the standard Italian way to talk about journey duration. For plural time amounts, it becomes 'ci vogliono' (e.g., 'ci vogliono due ore' = it takes two hours). This construction is also used for how long any activity takes.

Variations

Ci vogliono molti soldi per il taxi?

Does the taxi cost a lot?

Using 'ci vogliono' with money as well as time

Qual è il modo più veloce per raggiungere il centro?

What is the fastest way to reach the city centre?

Useful for comparing transport options

C'è traffico a quest'ora?

Is there traffic at this time?

Rush hour in Italian cities can double journey times

Mini Dialogue

— Quanto tempo ci vuole per arrivare in città dall'aeroporto? — Con il treno ci vogliono trentadue minuti. — E con il taxi? — Dipende dal traffico. In genere quarantacinque minuti, ma all'ora di punta anche un'ora e mezza. — Prendo il treno allora.

— How long does it take to get to the city from the airport? — By train it takes thirty-two minutes. — And by taxi? — It depends on the traffic. Generally forty-five minutes, but during rush hour up to an hour and a half. — I'll take the train then.

Cultural Note

Italian airport-to-city connections vary significantly. Rome's Fiumicino is 30km from the centre; Milan's Malpensa is 50km. Traffic on the A1 motorway and Rome's ring road (GRA) can be severe during rush hours. The train is almost always faster and more predictable.