If I don't speak Italian...

[initaly]

What problems will I encounter if I go to Italy without being able to speak Italian?

Do you speak Italian? Have you gone to Italy?

[Sallysoapdish]

I have just moved to Italy with my Hubby and child. My Italian is not brilliant but we can get by. My husband has a brother in Milan though and friends here so we have support. I think it would completely depend on what your situation is. If you are going alone, if you need to find work etc. I find that the Italians are really friendly and quite a few speak English. I think your biggest hurdle will be finding work if you can't speak the lingo.

[mazco]

If you can't speak Italian to a good standard then you will not find work - period.

suggest you enrol at a local language school if you have aspirations of finding work and widening your social circle beyond those people who have patience to speak English solely for your current benefit.

[Polyglot]

If you are going to Italy on holiday then you can get by with some limited words and phrases, I would read up a bit before you head to Italy to get to know some of the cultural habits and customs and become familiar with some important ways of expressing yourself. If you have time, even a quick crash course in the language would help, should you decide to stay in the country for several weeks. Italians don't just speak Italian- the language is heavily influenced by regional dialects and accents.
If you are planning on moving here then, do loads of research before-hand. Get as much up to date information about permits of stay, visas (if necc.), preferred locations of residency (Rome is beautiful but you might find living there an chaotic nightmare) etc. While the life-style may be grand here and unless you have loads of money to spend and are planning to buy a villa in Umbria and Tuscany and go into the wine or agritoursimo industry, the job market here is not terribly good. Actually, it's a right mess. Besides, that, yes, defintely get some language classes under your belt as Italy is not Holland and most Italians' English is rather limited. Good luck in your endeavours!