Spanish phrases for travel you’ll actually use
You don’t need fluent Spanish to travel well — you need about fifty phrases, said clearly and politely. Here are the ones that matter, grouped by the moments you’ll need them.
Fifty well-chosen phrases will carry you across an entire trip.
The secret to travelling in a Spanish-speaking country isn’t fluency — it’s a small, well-chosen set of phrases delivered with a smile. Start every interaction in Spanish, even just a greeting, and you’ll get warmer service and more patience. Here are the essentials, grouped by situation.
Greetings & politeness
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Hola / Buenos días | Hello / Good morning |
| Por favor / Gracias | Please / Thank you |
| Disculpe… | Excuse me… (to get attention) |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? |
| No hablo mucho español. | I don’t speak much Spanish. |
Directions & getting around
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está…? | Where is…? |
| ¿Está cerca / lejos? | Is it near / far? |
| A la derecha / izquierda | To the right / left |
| Todo recto | Straight ahead |
| Lleve me a esta dirección, por favor. | Take me to this address, please. |
Key takeaways
- Politeness opens doors: por favor, gracias and disculpe are your most-used words.
- Learn phrases as whole units with audio — don’t build them word by word on the spot.
- “¿Habla inglés?” is a perfectly good fallback; locals appreciate that you tried first.
- Numbers and “¿Cuánto cuesta?” cover most shopping and taxis.
Restaurants & cafés
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Una mesa para dos, por favor. | A table for two, please. |
| ¿Qué recomienda? | What do you recommend? |
| La cuenta, por favor. | The check, please. |
| ¿Tiene opciones vegetarianas? | Do you have vegetarian options? |
| Estaba delicioso. | It was delicious. |
Want the full restaurant playbook — ordering, allergies, paying and tipping? See restaurant Spanish phrases.
Shopping, money & numbers
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much is it? |
| ¿Acepta tarjeta? | Do you accept card? |
| Solo estoy mirando, gracias. | I’m just looking, thanks. |
| ¿Tiene una talla más grande? | Do you have a bigger size? |
Emergencies & health
Hopefully unused, but worth memorising: “Necesito ayuda” (I need help), “Llame a una ambulancia” (Call an ambulance), “¿Dónde está la farmacia?” (Where is the pharmacy?). For more, see Spanish phrases for the doctor and pharmacy.
How to actually memorise these before you fly
Reading a list once does nothing. Load the phrases into a flashcard deck with audio, run through them out loud for ten minutes a day in the two weeks before your trip, and focus your “difficult” pile on the ones that won’t stick. By departure they’ll be automatic — see how to learn Spanish fast for the full routine.
FAQ
How many Spanish phrases do I need to travel?+
Around 50 well-chosen phrases cover the vast majority of travel situations — greetings, directions, restaurants, shopping, and a handful of emergencies. Learn those as whole sentences with audio and you’ll handle most of a trip comfortably.
What’s the most important Spanish phrase for tourists?+
Politeness words — por favor, gracias, disculpe — plus “¿Habla inglés?” as a fallback. Starting in Spanish, even badly, almost always earns warmer help.
How do I pronounce Spanish if I’ve never studied it?+
Spanish is largely phonetic and far more consistent than English. The fastest fix is to learn each phrase from native audio rather than from spelling, so you copy the real sounds and stress from the start.