Spanish for Travel: Complete Guide for Travelers (2026)

Key takeaways

• Learning basic Spanish phrases can transform your travel experience in Spanish-speaking countries
• Basic greetings, food ordering, and emergency phrases are your highest priority for communication
• Spain and Latin America have notable vocabulary and pronunciation differences that affect how locals understand you
• Practicing with native speakers before your trip builds confidence and improves your ability to handle real conversations
• You don’t need fluency to travel comfortably, just the right phrases and a willingness to try

Learning Spanish for travel is one of the most practical skills you can develop before visiting Spain, Mexico, or any of the 20+ Spanish-speaking countries worldwide. Whether you’re ordering tapas in Barcelona, exploring the streets of Mexico City, or booking a hotel in Buenos Aires, knowing basic Spanish words and phrases makes your journey smoother and more enjoyable.

While quick phrase lists are useful, this guide includes essential travel phrases, pronunciation tips, cultural advice, and examples of common situations you may encounter.

Even if you’re not fluent, knowing practical phrases and practicing with Spanish tutors will help you pronounce Spanish words correctly and gain confidence using Spanish phrases for travel.

Why learning Spanish for travel is helpful

Spanish is spoken across more than 20 countries in Europe and Latin America. Even a small set of basic Spanish words helps you:

• order food
• ask for directions
• check into hotels
• handle emergencies
• connect with locals

When you greet someone with buenos días (good morning), ask ¿Cómo estás? (How are you?), or say mucho gusto (nice to meet you), you show interest in their language. People respond warmly when travelers try to speak Spanish, even if it’s simple.

Must-know Spanish phrases for travel

These basic Spanish travel phrases form the core of what you’ll need in any Spanish-speaking country. Knowing these common Spanish phrases helps you handle daily situations with confidence.

Greetings and polite expressions

Learning to greet people properly is important when you speak Spanish in any country. These are the most common Spanish phrases you’ll use every day.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Hola	o la	Hello
Buenos días	bway nos dee as	Good morning
Buenas tardes	BWEH-nas TAR-des	Good afternoon
Buenas noches	BWEH-nas NOH-ches	Good evening/night
¿Cómo estás?	KOH-moh es-TAHS	How are you? (informal)
¿Cómo está usted?	KOH-moh es-TAH oos-TED	How are you? (formal)
Muy bien, gracias	mwee bee-EN, GRAH-see-ahs	Very well, thank you
Por favor	por fah-VOR	Please
Gracias	gra thee as (Spain) / GRAH-see-ahs	Thank you
De nada	deh NAH-dah	You’re welcome
Perdón	per-DOHN	Excuse me/Sorry
Disculpe	dees-KOOL-peh	Excuse me (formal)
Con permiso	kon per-MEE-so	Excuse me (to pass)
Lo siento	loh see-EN-toh	I’m sorry
Adiós	ah-dee-OHS	Goodbye
Mucho gusto	MOO-choh GOOS-toh	Nice to meet you
¿Cómo te llamas?	KOH-moh teh YAH-mahs	What’s your name? (informal)
¿Cómo se llama?	KOH-moh seh YAH-mah	What’s your name? (formal)
Me llamo…	meh YAH-moh	My name is…

When you don’t understand

These useful Spanish phrases help when you’re struggling to communicate with locals who don’t speak English.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
No entiendo	noh en tee en doh	I don’t understand
¿Habla inglés?	ab la in glays	Do you speak English?
¿Puede repetir?	PWEH-deh reh-peh-TEER	Can you repeat?
Más despacio, por favor	mahs des-PAH-see-oh, por fah-VOR	More slowly, please
¿Qué significa esto?	keh seeg-nee-FEE-kah ES-toh	What does this mean?
¿Cómo se dice…?	KOH-moh seh DEE-seh	How do you say…?
No hablo español bien	noh AH-bloh es-pah-NYOL bee-EN	I don’t speak Spanish well
Hablo español un poco	AH-bloh es-pah-NYOL oon POH-koh	I speak Spanish a little
Estoy aprendiendo	es-TOY ah-pren-dee-EN-doh	I’m learning

Food and restaurants

These Spanish phrases for travel situations in restaurants are necessary. From ordering to paying la cuenta, you’ll use these constantly.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Una mesa para dos	OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah dohs	A table for two
Una mesa para tres	OO-nah MEH-sah PAH-rah tres	A table for three
El menú, por favor	el meh-NOO, por fah-VOR	The menu, please
¿Qué recomienda?	keh reh-koh-mee-EN-dah	What do you recommend?
Soy vegetariano/a	soy veh-heh-tah-ree-AH-noh/nah	I’m vegetarian
Soy alérgico/a a…	soy ah-LER-hee-koh/kah ah	I’m allergic to…
Soy alérgico/a a las nueces	soy ah-LER-hee-koh/kah ah las noo eh ses	I’m allergic to nuts
Sin gluten	seen GLOO-ten	Gluten-free
Quisiera…	kee-see-EH-rah	I would like…
Yo quiero…	yoh kee-EH-roh	I want…
Para llevar	PAH-rah yeh-VAR	To go
La cuenta, por favor	lah KWEN-tah, por fah-VOR	The check, please
¿Está incluida la propina?	es-TAH een-kloo-EE-dah lah proh-PEE-nah	Is the tip included?
Agua	AH-gwah	Water
Café	kah-FEH	Coffee
El desayuno	el deh-sah-YOO-noh	Breakfast
El almuerzo	el ahl-MWER-soh	Lunch
La comida	lah kom ee dah	The meal/food
La cena	lah SEH-nah	Dinner
Delicioso	deh-lee-see-OH-soh	Delicious
Tengo hambre	TEN-goh AHM-breh	I’m hungry
Tengo sed	TEN-goh sed	I’m thirsty
¿Tienen opciones veganas?	tee-EH-nen ohp-see-OH-nes veh-GAH-nahs	Do you have vegan options?
Más, por favor	mahs, por fah-VOR	More, please
Está muy bueno	es-TAH mwee BWEH-noh	It’s very good
No quiero picante	noh kee-EH-roh pee-KAHN-teh	I don’t want spicy
El plato del día	el PLAH-toh del DEE-ah	Dish of the day
¿Cuál es el especial?	kwahl es el es-peh-see-AHL	What’s the special?
Pan	pahn	Bread
Postre	POHS-treh	Dessert

Shopping and money

Understanding how to discuss prices and payment methods is important. These common Spanish travel phrases help you shop confidently.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
¿Cuánto cuesta?	KWAHN-toh KWES-tah	How much does it cost?
Es muy caro	es mwee KAH-roh	It’s very expensive
¿Tiene algo más barato?	tee-EH-neh AHL-goh mahs bah-RAH-toh	Do you have anything cheaper?
Voy a pagar con tarjeta	voy ah pah-GAR kon tar-HEH-tah	I’ll pay with card
¿Aceptan las tarjetas de crédito?	ah-SEP-tahn las tar-HEH-tahs deh KREH-dee-toh	Do you accept credit cards?
Efectivo	eh-fek-TEE-voh	Cash
Recibo	reh-SEE-boh	Receipt
Solo estoy mirando	SOH-loh es-TOY mee-RAHN-doh	I’m just looking
¿Puedo probármelo?	PWEH-doh proh-BAR-meh-loh	Can I try it on?
Me lo llevo	meh loh YEH-voh	I’ll take it

Hotels and accommodations

These Spanish travel phrases help you check in, ask questions, and resolve issues at your hotel.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
Tengo una reserva a nombre de…	TEN-goh OO-nah reh-SER-vah ah NOM-breh deh	I have a reservation under the name of…
¿Tiene habitaciones disponibles?	tee-EH-neh ah-bee-tah-see-OH-nes dees-poh-NEE-bles	Do you have available rooms?
Una habitación individual/doble	OO-nah ah-bee-tah-see-OHN een-dee-vee-DWAHL/DOH-bleh	A single/double room
¿Cuánto cuesta por noche?	KWAHN-toh KWES-tah por NOH-cheh	How much per night?
¿Por cuánto tiempo?	por KWAHN-toh tee-em-poh	For how long?
¿Está incluido el desayuno?	es-TAH een-kloo-EE-doh el deh-sah-YOO-noh	Is breakfast included?
La llave	lah YAH-veh	The key
¿A qué hora es el check-out?	ah keh OH-rah es el check-out	What time is check-out?
No funciona el aire acondicionado	noh foon-see-OH-nah el AH-ee-reh ah-kon-dee-see-oh-NAH-doh	The air conditioning doesn’t work
¿Hay wifi?	eye wee-fee	Is there wifi?
¿Cuál es la contraseña?	kwahl es lah kon-trah-SEH-nyah	What’s the password?
Toallas	toh-AH-yahs	Towels
Agua caliente	AH-gwah kah-lee-EN-teh	Hot water
¿Pueden limpiar mi habitación?	PWEH-den leem-pee-AR mee ah-bee-tah-see-OHN	Can you clean my room?
Necesito más almohadas	neh-seh-SEE-toh mahs ahl-moh-AH-dahs	I need more pillows

Transportation and directions

Getting around requires knowing key Spanish question words like ‘¿dónde?’ (where), ‘¿cómo?’ (how), ‘¿cuánto?’ (how much), and ‘¿qué?’ (what). These key phrases help you get around any city. 

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
¿Dónde está…?	DOHN-deh es-TAH	Where is…?
¿Dónde está el baño?	DOHN-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh	Where is the bathroom?
¿Dónde puedo encontrar…?	DOHN-deh PWEH-doh en-kon-TRAR	Where can I find…?
¿Dónde está la playa?	DOHN-deh es-TAH lah PLAH-yah	Where is the beach?
¿Cómo llego a…?	KOH-moh YEH-goh ah	How do I get to…?
A la izquierda	ah lah ees-kee-ER-dah	To the left
A la derecha	ah lah deh-REH-chah	To the right
En la esquina	en lah es-KEE-nah	At the corner
Todo recto	TOH-doh REK-toh	Straight ahead
El aeropuerto	el ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh	The airport
La estación de tren	lah es-tah-see-OHN deh tren	The train station
La parada de autobús	lah pah-RAH-dah deh ow-toh-BOOS	The bus stop
El metro	el MEH-troh	The subway
Un taxi	oon TAHK-see	A taxi
¿Cuánto cuesta el billete?	KWAHN-toh KWES-tah el bee-YEH-teh	How much is the ticket?
Ida y vuelta	EE-dah ee VWEL-tah	Round trip
Solo ida	SOH-loh EE-dah	One way
¿A qué hora sale?	ah keh OH-rah SAH-leh	What time does it leave?
¿A qué hora llega?	ah keh OH-rah YEH-gah	What time does it arrive?
Perdido/a	per-DEE-doh/dah	Lost
¿Puede llevarme a esta dirección?	PWEH-deh yeh-VAR-meh ah ES-tah dee-rek-see-OHN	Can you take me to this address?
¿Cuánto tarda?	KWAHN-toh TAR-dah	How long does it take?
El andén	el ahn-DEN	The platform
La salida	lah sah-LEE-dah	The exit
La entrada	lah en-TRAH-dah	The entrance

Emergency phrases

These important Spanish phrases could save your trip or even your life. Memorize them before you travel.

Spanish	Pronunciation	English
¡Ayuda!	ah-YOO-dah	Help!
¡Socorro!	soh-KOH-rroh	Help! (urgent)
Necesito un médico	neh-seh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh	I need a doctor
Llame a la policía	YAH-meh ah lah poh-lee-SEE-ah	Call the police
Llame una ambulancia	YAH-meh OO-nah ahm-boo-LAHN-see-ah	Call an ambulance
Me siento mal	meh see-EN-toh mahl	I feel sick
Me siento bien	meh see-EN-toh bee-EN	I feel well
Estoy enfermo/a	es-TOY en-FER-moh/mah	I’m sick
Me duele…	meh DWEH-leh	It hurts… (my…)
El hospital	el ohs-pee-TAHL	The hospital
La farmacia	lah far-MAH-see-ah	The pharmacy
¿Dónde está el baño?	DOHN-deh es-TAH el BAH-nyoh	Where is the bathroom?
He perdido mi pasaporte	eh per-DEE-doh mee pah-sah-POR-teh	I’ve lost my passport
Me han robado	meh ahn roh-BAH-doh	I’ve been robbed
La embajada	lah em-bah-HAH-dah	The embassy
Tengo dolor de cabeza	TEN-goh doh-LOR deh kah-BEH-sah	I have a headache
Tengo fiebre	TEN-goh fee-EH-breh	I have a fever
Alérgico/a	ah-LER-hee-koh/kah	Allergic
Medicina	meh-dee-SEE-nah	Medicine
Seguro médico	seh-GOO-roh MEH-dee-koh	Health insurance

Spain vs Latin America: What travelers must know

Understanding regional variations helps you communicate more naturally and avoid confusion. While Spanish speakers across different countries can understand each other, vocabulary and pronunciation differ significantly between Spain and Latin America. Learning about Spanish dialects can help you understand these differences with confidence.

Vocabulary variations

The same object or action often has completely different names depending on the region. Here are five common examples:

• Car: In Spain, you’ll say “coche,” but in most of Latin America, it’s “carro” or “auto.”
• Computer: Spaniards use “ordenador,” while Latin Americans say “computadora.”
• Juice: Ask for “zumo” in Spain and “jugo” in Latin America.
• To catch/take: Spain uses “coger” for catching a bus or train, but this word has vulgar meanings in many Latin American countries. Use “tomar” instead.
• Potato: Spain says “patata” while Latin America uses “papa.”

Pronunciation differences

The most noticeable difference is how Spain and Latin America handle the letters “c” (before e or i) and “z.” In most of Spain, these sound like the “th” in “think.” So “gracias” sounds like “gra thee as.” In Latin America and South America, these letters sound like an “s.”

Spain also has a distinct “ll” and “y” pronunciation that sounds softer and closer to “ly” in some regions, while Latin America often pronounces these letters like the English “y” or even like a soft “j.”

The letter “s” at the end of syllables often disappears in Caribbean Spanish and parts of southern Spain. You might hear “¿Cómo etá?” instead of “¿Cómo estás?”

Learning to pronounce Spanish words correctly takes practice, but native speakers appreciate the effort even if you make mistakes. While Google Translate can help with individual Spanish words, nothing replaces practicing with Spanish teachers to improve your Spanish skills.

Cultural tips for Spanish travelers

Understanding local customs makes your interactions smoother and shows respect for the Spanish culture. The Spanish language and culture are deeply intertwined, and showing cultural awareness enriches your travel experience in any Spanish-speaking country.

Do’s:

• Greet people when entering shops, restaurants, or small spaces (say “buenos días” (good morning) or “buenas tardes” (good afternoon))
• Use “usted” (formal you) with strangers, elderly people, and service workers until invited to use “tú”
• Learn the local meal times, which differ significantly from many English-speaking countries (lunch often happens between 2-4 PM, dinner after 9 PM in Spain)
• Practice your pronunciation before your trip, even if you only know a few basic Spanish phrases
• Try to speak Spanish first before asking “¿Habla inglés?” or switching to speak English
• Be patient with yourself when making mistakes and learning Spanish
• Use “por favor” and “gracias” frequently to show respect
• Ask “¿Por qué?” (why) if you don’t understand local customs

Don’ts:

• Don’t assume all Spanish speakers understand the same slang or regional expressions
• Don’t expect service to be as fast-paced as in North America or Northern Europe
• Don’t leave tiny tips in Spain, where service charges are typically included
• Don’t be offended by directness, which is common in Spanish communication styles
• Don’t rely solely on English in smaller towns or rural areas
• Don’t forget that personal space norms differ, conversations often happen at closer distances

How to learn Spanish for travel

The fastest way to prepare for your trip combines memorizing key phrases with conversation practice. You need both. Phrase lists give you the vocabulary, but speaking with real people builds your confidence and ability to understand responses.

Start by focusing on high-frequency basic Spanish phrases you’ll use daily: greetings, ordering food, asking directions, and emergency expressions. Write these down, practice pronunciation using audio resources, and test yourself regularly. Understanding common Spanish phrases is your foundation for travel communication.

Next, practice actual conversations. This step separates travelers who can recite phrases from those who can handle real interactions. When you learn Spanish online with a tutor, you simulate real travel scenarios. Your teacher corrects your pronunciation, helps you understand regional accents, teaches you useful Spanish verbs, and gives you immediate feedback.

Role-playing common situations (checking into a hotel, ordering at a restaurant, asking for directions) with a native speaker reveals gaps in your knowledge and builds muscle memory for natural responses. This preparation means you won’t freeze when a waiter asks a follow-up question or a taxi driver speaks quickly.

Consider scheduling lessons twice a week in the month before your trip. Even 30-minute sessions dramatically improve your ability to communicate and understand responses. Italki connects you with native speakers from specific regions, so you can learn the exact Spanish variant you’ll encounter on your trip.

For comprehensive guidance, check out the best ways to learn Spanish to find the method that works for your schedule and learning style.

One‑month study plan for Spanish travelers

Week	Focus	What to Learn / Practice
Week 1	Greetings and Basics	– Common greetings – Polite expressions (please, thank you, sorry) – Basic Spanish words for travel – Key question words (dónde, qué, cómo, etc.)
Week 2	Food and Hotels	– Ordering food and drinks – Asking common questions – Essential travel verbs – Hotel interactions and booking phrases
Week 3	Pronunciation and Listening	– Spanish vowels and consistent sounds – Regional accents (Spain vs. Latin America) – Common stress patterns – Key phrases like buenos días (bway nos dee as) and gracias (gra thee as / GRAH-see-ahs)
Week 4	Real Conversations	– Role-playing everyday situations – Responding to follow-up questions – Speaking with native speakers

Ready to put these phrases into real conversations?

Learn Spanish faster with personal guidance from expert Spanish teachers online trusted by over 5 million learners worldwide. Book a trial lesson today and start preparing for your trip with confidence.

FAQs

What is the best way to learn Spanish for travel?

Focus on practical phrases first, then practice them in real conversations with native speakers. Combine self-study of basic vocabulary with regular speaking sessions through online Spanish tutoring. This dual approach gives you both the Spanish words you need and the confidence to use them.

What is Spanish for travel?

The Spanish word for “travel” depends on how you’re using it. As a noun, “travel” is “viaje” (vee-AH-heh), which refers to a trip or journey. As a verb, “to travel” is “viajar” (vee-ah-HAR). For example, “I love travel” would be “Me encanta viajar” and “the travel was long” would be “el viaje fue largo.” 

What is Spanish for safe travels?

The most common way to wish someone safe travels in Spanish is “buen viaje” (have a good trip). You can also say “que tengas un buen viaje” (may you have a good trip) or “viaja seguro/a” (travel safely). These phrases work for both formal and informal situations. 

What is Spanish for travelers?

The Spanish word for “travelers” is “viajeros” (vee-ah-HEH-rohs), which comes from the verb “viajar” (to travel). A single traveler is “viajero” (masculine) or “viajera” (feminine). Alternatively, you might hear “turistas” (tourists) used in similar contexts.

What is the Spanish verb for to travel?

The Spanish verb for “to travel” is “viajar.” It’s a regular verb that follows standard conjugation patterns. For example, “I travel” is “viajo,” “you travel” is “viajas,” and “we travel” is “viajamos.” Understanding basic Spanish verbs helps you construct sentences beyond memorized phrases.

How do you wish someone a great trip in Spanish?

You can say “que tengas un gran viaje” (may you have a great trip) or simply “buen viaje” (good trip). For a more enthusiastic version, try “que disfrutes mucho tu viaje” (may you really enjoy your trip). All of these expressions work well in both casual and slightly formal contexts.