40 Useful Spanish Phrases for Travel

It’s travel time! There’s no better way to get away from the stress of day to day living than to travel to a new and exciting destination.

Traveling to a Spanish speaking destination can be an eye-opening and fun experience. The best way to make sure you get the most out of a cultural it’s important to have some basic language skills so you’re able to communicate with the locals and find all the secrets spots to visit and see.

Even if you only know how to say “Hola amigos” or “Por favor” we’ve put together some basic Spanish words & phrases so you don’t get stuck with nothing to say in your travels!

From greetings to asking for directions, you can communicate, develop your social skills and enjoy the whole experience without having any misunderstandings or going through hard times while taking into consideration that manners are always important in any situation.

LIST OF USEFUL SPANISH WORDS & PHRASES FOR TRAVEL

First of all, manners are VERY important no matter where you go in the world. You’ll soon realize that everyone shares the same basic needs and cares. Being polite is the best way to ensure you have the best trip ever!

With that said, the first two phrases you must remember are “por favor” (“please”) and “gracias” (“thank you”); while they may look simple, they are very important and will open many doors for you so don’t forget to say them!

Introducing yourself

• Hello, I’m (your name), nice to meet you. – Hola, yo soy (tu nombre), encantado de conocerte.*
• What’s your name? – ¿Cómo te llamas?
• Do you speak English? – ¿Tú hablas inglés?
• Can you say that again? – ¿Puedes decir eso de nuevo?
• I don’t want any problems. – No quiero problemas.
• I need to improve my Spanish skills. – Necesito mejorar mi español.
• I don’t want any problems. – No quiero problemas.

Key Spanish Phrases

Here are some key Spanish question words you need to know:

• Who? – ¿Quién?
• What? – ¿Qué?
• Where? – ¿Dónde?
• When? – ¿Cuándo?
• When/what time? – ¿A qué hora?
• Why? – ¿Por qué?
• How? – ¿Cómo?
• How much? – ¿Cuánto?
• How many? – ¿Cuántos?
• How often? – ¿Cada cuánto?
• How long? – ¿Por cuánto tiempo?

At the Restaurant

At a restaurant — What do you want to eat or drink?

Probably the most useful phrases you will need are in a restaurant. Ask for anything by using “quiero” (kee ayr oh) or “quisiera” (kee see ayr oh) – “I want” or “I would like.” And remember to say “por favor” and “gracias”!

• A table – Una mesa
• A table for two, three, four – Una mesa para dos tres, cuatro
• A menu – Un menú
• Soup – Sopa
• Salad – Ensalada
• Hamburger (Another necessity!) – Hamburguesa
• With ketchup, mustard, tomato, lettuce – Con salsa de tomate, mostaza, tomate, lechuga
• An appetizer – Una entrada
• Dessert – Un postre
• A drink – Una bebida
• Water – Agua
• Red wine – Vino tinto
• White wine – Vino blanco
• Beer – Cerveza
• Coffee – Un café
• Calling a waiter or waitress  –¡Señor! or ¡Señorita!
• The check – La cuenta

The previous phrases are used to introduce yourself and communicate clearly to avoid any misunderstanding when you meet new people.

Asking for directions

• Where is the bathroom? – ¿Dónde está el baño?
• Where is the nearest hospital? – ¿Dónde está el hospital más cercano?
• Where is the nearest drugstore? – ¿Dónde está la farmacia más cercana?
• Where is the (name) hotel/inn? – ¿Dónde está el hotel/la posada (nombre)?
• Where is the bus stop? – ¿Dónde está la parada de autobuses?
• What time does the flight leave/arrive? – ¿A qué hora sale/llega el vuelo?
• It is getting late for me/us. – Se está haciendo tarde para mí/nosotros.
• How can I get to (name) – ¿Cómo puedo llegar a (nombre)?
• How can I call for/get a cab? – ¿Cómo puedo llamar/conseguir un taxi?

If you need help to get to a place, these phrases are very useful because being able to figure out where you’re going is pretty important I’d say! So having the answers to these questions can really help you get out of trouble.

Buying items

• Where can I buy a souvenir? – ¿Dónde puedo comprar un recuerdo?
• How much does this cost? – ¿Cuánto cuesta esto?
• What is this/that? – ¿Qué es esto/eso?
• What is this for? – ¿Para qué es esto?
• Do you have it in a smaller/bigger size? – ¿Lo tiene más pequeño/más grande?
• Do you have it in another color? – ¿Lo tiene en otro color?

These phrases are used when you want to buy an item or a souvenir in a store any for that matter, anything!

Other useful phrases

• Could you recommend any (place) for me? – ¿Podrías recomendarme un (lugar)?
• Can you bring more (food or drink) for me? – ¿Puedes traerme más (comida o bebida)?
• Can you bring me the check? – ¿Puedes traerme la cuenta?
• Can you help me with this? – ¿Puedes ayudarme con esto?
• Can you take a picture of us? – Puedes tomarnos una foto?
• Can I use your phone charger? – ¿Puedo usar el cargador de tu celular?
• This is great/awesome! – ¡Esto está genial/increíble!
• Excuse me, but I’m not interested. – Disculpe, pero no estoy interesado.

These last phrases are used for more specific situations as if you are in a restaurant or a or bar.

*If you are a woman, you must say “encantada” instead of “encantado”, like the other words where you see an “o” you must change it for an “a”.

In addition, if you are talking with a senior person or someone you must show respect to, you only have to change the word “tú” for “usted”, independently of the gender.

Similarly, Spanish-speakers are very open with foreigners and make them feel welcome. This why you always be open to trying new food, drinks or experiences that you might find strange or unpleasant; even in those moments when you are not used to those kinds of signs of appreciation.

Of course, while traveling you will meet people from all around the world who will want to share their culture and their personal experiences with you, because those an important part of their national character.

Did you like this article of useful Spanish phrases for travel? Don’t stop there, check out our article about The Complete List of Spanish Colors as well, because that will surely come in handy on your travels!