Embarking on a journey to a Spanish-speaking destination? Knowing some Spanish travel phrases will make your travels much easier and enjoyable. We asked traveller Kayla Gollacher which are the most commonly used Spanish phrases for travel.
If you’re heading to Spain or a Spanish-speaking country, it’s important to make sure you know a few key Spanish travel phrases to help you get around. While there will be other English-speaking people, it never hurts to know a bit of the local language.
Speaking in a different language can be stressful which is why we recommend learning a few phrases. Don’t worry too much about your accent or grammar, but just focus on learning these key phrases.
9 Best Spanish travel phrases
- Hi! How are you?
- I’m fine, thanks
- I don’t speak Spanish
- My name Is
- Asking for directions
- Help, I need…
- Ordering food
- How much does this cost?
- Can you recommend…
1. Hi! How are you?
Step one of useful Spanish travel phrases is knowing how to greet people. Most people know that “Hola” is Spanish for hello, which is a good start.
If you want to ask how someone is, you need to know the difference between formal and informal. If you are speaking to a stranger and want to say “Hello! How are you?” you would say “¡Hola! ¿Cómo está usted?”, the formal phrase.
But if you were speaking to someone you know, you could instead say “¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?”. Always do your best to be polite, but people will be more understanding if you are a tourist.
2. I’m fine, thanks
When you ask someone how they are, you need to be prepared for them to ask you back. To say you are fine, you would say “Bien, gracias”. It’s important to remember to be polite and say “por favour” (please) and “gracias” (thank you).
On the other hand, if you are not doing well, you can let the other person know by saying “No tan bien”, meaning “Not so well”.
3. I don’t speak Spanish
When travelling, you need to be able to flag that you don’t speak the language, which is why “No hablo español” (I don’t speak Spanish) is one of the best Spanish travel phrases.
Another useful phrase is “¿Habla inglés?” for when you need to ask if someone speaks English to help you be understood.
A useful word to know is “entiendo”, which means “understand”. You can say “Yo entiendo”, meaning “I understand” or “No entiendo” meaning “I don’t understand”.
These few key phrases can get you very far when it comes to communicating on your trip. However, to truly level up your Spanish, check out this comprehensive list of useful Spanish travel phrases to get you through any situation.
4. My name is
You also want to be able to introduce yourself by saying, “Hello, my name is…”. The correct phrase is “¡Hola! Me llamo…”.
And to ask someone what their name is, you can say “Cómo te llamas?”. Being able to greet and start a conversation in Spanish is a very smart idea. Locals will appreciate that you are trying to speak the language.
During our home exchange in Spain, we discovered that having a grasp of basic phrases was extremely beneficial. However, learning Spanish in real time presented a significant challenge.
5. Asking for directions
Knowing how to ask for basic directions is essential for any tourist because getting a little bit lost while travelling is unavoidable.
You want to be able to politely ask for directions, so start with “Disculpe, ¿puede ayudarme a encontrar…?” which means “Excuse me, can you help me find…?.
Then you can learn a few nouns, like “esta dirección” (this address), “a la estación de tren” (the train station), and “un baño” (a bathroom).
If you want to soak up the gorgeous Spanish culture, you could ask about the “ el Museo” for museum, or “la Catedral” to see some breathtaking architecture.
6. Help, I need…
No one wants to have to deal with an emergency while travelling, but it’s always best to be prepared. You want to be able to ask for help and things like a doctor or the police.
To say “Help! I need a doctor.” you would say “¡Ayuda! Necesito un médico.”. And if you needed the police, you could replace “un medico” with “a la policia”.
7. Ordering food
When you go to a restaurant, you can ask, “Can I see the menu?” by saying “¿Puedo ver el menú?”.
When ordering, you can say “Me gustaría…” meaning “I would like”. If you don’t eat meat, an essential phrase is “¿Tienen opciones vegetarianas?”, meaning “Do you have any vegetarian options?”.
8. How much does this cost?
Shopping in a foreign country can be stressful, especially if you are at a market instead of a mall. To make your market experiences far smoother, learn the phrase “¿Cuánto cuesta esto?”.
This means “How much does this cost?” and asking in Spanish will set you apart from some other tourists and might even seal you a better deal at the market. In some areas, like Valencia, you might find that there are few English speakers, so knowing some Spanish phrases is essential.
9. Can you recommend…
Asking for recommendations from locals is a great way to experience real Spanish culture and see sights that tourists normally miss.
But you need to be able to ask in Spanish, so learn the phrase “¿Puede recomendarme alguna atracción turística?” meaning “Can you recommend any tourist attractions?”. By asking around, you can find some incredible free activities to do in Spain.
You can modify this to ask for specific things like “un buen restaurante” – a good restaurant. To really get off the beaten path, try asking “¿Dónde van los locales para divertirse?”, which translates to “Where do the locals go to have fun?”.
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Which of the Spanish phrases for travel do you think you will use?
About the author
Kayla is a Content Marketing and SEO Manager with a passion for helping clients achieve their marketing goals. She manages a team of marketers who are pros at both on-screen and off-screen SEO. As they’re a fully-remote team, they can work from anywhere in the world. Kayla recently visited Spain, where she used many of the Spanish travel phrases she shared on this page.
Alex+J.+Cavanaugh
Getting directions and knowing the cost are really important!