Common Spanish phrases for travel

If you are travelling to a Spanish-speaking country, you will need to learn some common Spanish phrases for travel before you leave in order to speak with the locals. Travelling to a foreign country can be an amazingly exciting experience and lots of fun! You will see interesting sights and you will also have the opportunity to meet new people.

Regardless of when you will be travelling, it is always useful to know at least a handful of useful and basic Spanish phrases for travel. It is true that English is spoken in most Spanish-speaking countries, but why speak English when you can learn a new language and practice with native speakers? After all, it is not always practical to constantly use Google Translate or to always refer to your Spanish phrase book.

Spanish phrases for tourists

For this reason we have compiled a list of some Spanish holiday phrases. We hope you find these helpful!

DIRECTIONS:

• Perdona (informal) / Perdone (formal) – Excuse me
• ¿Dónde está la catedral? – Where is the cathedral?
• ¿Cuánto se tarda para llegar a la catedral? – How long does it take to get to the cathedral?
• Muchas gracias – Thank you so much

Possible answers in Spanish are:

• Gira (informal) / Gire (formal) a la derecha– Turn right
• Gira (informal) / Gire (formal) a la izquierda – Turn left
• Sigue (informal) / Siga (formal) todo recto – Go straight ahead
• De nada – You are welcome

AT THE AIRPORT:

• ¿Cómo puedo llegar al centro? – How can I get to the city centre?
• ¿Dónde está la parada de autobuses? – Where is the bus stop?
• ¿Tenéis / Tienen (more formal) un mapa de la ciudad, por favor? – Do you have a map of the city, please?

IN A HOTEL:

• He reservado una habitación individual / una habitación doble – I have booked a single room / a double room
• ¿A qué hora es el desayuno? – At what time is breakfast?
• ¿Tenéis / Tienen (more formal) un servicio de depósito de equipaje? – Do you have luggage storage?
• ¿Me podría recomendar algún restaurante en esta zona? – Is there a restaurant in this area that you recommend?

IN A RESTAURANT:

• ¿Me puede traer la carta, por favor? – Can I have the menu, please?
• Para mí una copa de vino – I would like a glass of wine
• ¿Me puede traer un poco de pan, por favor? – Could you bring me some bread, please?
• La cuenta, por favor – The bill, please

IN A SHOP:

• ¿Cuánto vale?- How much is it?
• ¿Me lo puedo probar? – Can I try it on?
• ¿Dónde están los probadores? – Where are the changing rooms?
• Puedo pagar con tarjeta? – Can I pay with a credit card?

We recommend memorizing the above Spanish phrases as much as you can before leaving because this will go a long way in helping you to experience a more meaningful, interesting and less stressful stay.

The good news is that you will find that these Spanish words for travel are relatively easy to learn and you could also write down a few of these in a small notebook if you feel uncertain.

In addition to learning these Spanish phrases for travel, we also advise reading up on local Spanish culture so that you know what to expect and how to act.

Finally, if you wish to learn some more Spanish (over and above these phrases), you can visit our blog or schedule a free trial lesson with one of our native and qualified teachers. We offer convenient online Spanish courses to people around the world at reasonable rates.