Basic Spanish Phrases for Travel (With Usage Tips)

Tired of Spanish phrase lists that leave you more scared than confident? Me too. You don’t just want to memorize words, you want to know how to say them and when to use them.

“Am I even saying this right? Can I use this in any circumstance?” “I’m surely butchering this.” These inner monologues don’t have to be yours. As a frequent traveler who speaks advanced Spanish (and four other languages), I’ll share some basic Spanish phrases for travel to help you out!

This is your beginner-friendly Spanish phrase guide for travel, complete with pronunciation help and everyday situations like ordering food (with dietary restrictions) and asking for directions.

Let’s make sure you crush it on your next trip to Latin America. Get ready to hit save!

Note: I originally published this post in March of 2024. I’ve recently updated it to include better and more relevant information for you.

Learn Spanish That Actually Works for Travel

The hardest part about Spanish is the regional differences. My Spanish leans the closest to Mexican Spanish, but it is kind of all over the place because I pick things up wherever I travel.

However, you can be sure of one thing; I’ve shortened every phrase in this post as much as I can so it’s easier to digest and memorize. If something can be said politely in 2 words versus a full sentence, you’ll get the version with 2 words.

What can I say? With all the regional slangs, the shorter your phrases, the safer you are from saying the wrong expressions! 😂

How to Pronounce Spanish Correctly (Quick Guide)

Before we dive into the phrases, let’s first make sure we’re on the same page about how to read them. We can’t have you saying these phrases to the locals and them not understanding you!

Vowels

Just like in English, there are 5 vowels in Spanish; A, E, I, O, and U. The good news is unlike English, these 5 vowels each have one sound, which never changes.

• A – Ah
• E – Eh
• I – Ee
• O – Oh
• U – Ooh

Sometimes you’ll run into clustered vowels like bueno or quiero. When this happens, just read both vowels consecutively. No need to overthink!

Consonants That Might Surprise You

Below are some of the unusual consonants.

• C – Sounds like “Cat” most of the time, but sounds like “Civilize” in front of E or I.
• Ñ – Makes the sound “NY” like “Canyon”
• J – This depends on the region, but it could sound like “H” or a mix of “H” and “K” inside your throat.
• H – Is silent!
• LL – This always sounds like a “Y.” Exception: In Argentina, it’ll sound like “SH.”
• R – The R rolls.

Another master trick to remember if you’d like to sound more native: In Spanish, the “D” and “T” sounds are closer to the front of your mouth.

Accent Rules

I mean rule, singular. There is only one accent. Whichever syllable you see with the accent on top, that is where you emphasize. Unlike in English, there is no guesswork.

• Buenos días
• Dónde estás

Now, let’s look at the phrases!

Basic Spanish Phrases for Travel

Starting with the BASIC basics.

👋🏻 Greetings and Goodbyes

Hola: This means hello or hi!

Buenos Días: Good Morning! This is actually used more commonly when greeting strangers, if it’s not too late in the day.

Buenas Tardes / Buenas: Good Afternoon! If you’re greeting the cashier at the supermarket at 2-3 pm, this is the way to go. You can either day “Buenas Tardes” or just “Buenas!”

Buenas Noches: Goodnight! As I’m writing this, I just noticed I haven’t said this as a greeting to anyone, but more before leaving. Maybe I haven’t run into someone I wanted to say hi to at night?

Adiós: This means goodbye, but it is barely ever used anywhere. Instead, they prefer to say… 👇🏻

Hasta Luego: This means “Until later” or “See you later.” People would say it even if there’s no chance they’ll run into you again.

Ciao: Bye! This is the most casual way to say goodbye to someone. Yes, I know it is also Italian.

For Extra Politeness

Disculpe: Excuse me. You can use this when you need to get someone’s attention.

Con permiso / Permiso: Excuse me. Used when you need to squeeze past someone in the crowd, or when you need to excuse yourself from the table. That kind of “excuse me.” You get the idea!

Por favor: Please

Gracias: Thank you.

Muchas Gracias: Thank you very much

Small Talk That Works

I honestly have never had more fun making small talk than with Spanish speakers. Both in Costa Rica and Mexico, the locals are super friendly and open-minded.

Try these phrases to break the ice. Even if you have to say “I don’t speak Spanish” at some point, chances are they’d still be open to chatting.

¿Cómo estás?: How are you?

• ¿Cómo está usted? or just ¿Cómo está? can be used if you want to err on the safe side and be more polite. But how well this works out will depend largely on where you are.
• You’ll sound very normal using the polite version in Costa Rica, but off-puttingly polite in Spain or Mexico. So, pick your poison. Spanish is a Pandora’s box no matter where you are.

¿De dónde eres?: Where are you from? If the table next to you made eye contact and they’re clearly tourists, too, you could make a new friend!

• ¿De dónde es? is the polite version

Essential Spanish Travel Phrases (By Situation)

Here comes the specialized phrases, from one traveler to another. And of course, assuming you’ll use them mostly to communicate with the locals you need help from, I’ve made them super polite, too.

If you wish to know a phrase I didn’t list here, DM me, and I’ll add it!

Asking for Help and Emergencies

¡Ayuda!: Help! (Let’s hope you won’t ever get to use this one.)

¿Me puede ayudar, por favor?: Could you please help me?

¿Hay un baño por aquí?: Is there a bathroom around here?

¿Dónde está el baño?: Where is the bathroom?

¿Hay un cajero por aquí?: Is there an ATM around here?

Getting Around

¿Cómo llego a [place]?: How do I get to …?

¿Dónde está la parada de autobús?: Where is the bus stop? Because, believe it or not, sometimes it can be really unclear, even in Mexico City.

A [insert place name], por favor: To [place name], please.

Aquí está bien: Here is fine. (It’s fine to drop me off here.)

Eating Out

Una mesa para [number], por favor: A table for […], please.

• Uno (1), dos (2), trés (3), cuatro (4), cinco (5), seis (6), siete (7), ocho (8), nueve (9), diez (10)

El menú, por favor: The menu, please.

Esto, por favor: “This one, please” The classic tourist move. Don’t forget to point!

But as a rule of thumb, if you’re comfortable enough to form sentences, saying “I would like…” gets you far. The two below are completely interchangeable. I’ve personally been using the first one way more often.

• Me gustaría [food item], por favor.
• Quisiera [food item], por favor.

La cuenta, por favor: The check, please.

Tarjeta (de crédito): Credit card. Assuming you’ll say this when asked what you’d like to pay with, it’s completely fine to just say “Tarjeta,” which means “card.”

Tarjeta, por favor: Card, please. (I’ll pay with a card, please) Keep it simple.

Efectivo: Cash

Ordering Food with Dietary Restrictions

¿Es picante?: Is it spicy?

¿Esto tiene [insert ingredient]?: Does this have [ingredient] in it?

No puedo comer [ingredient]: I can’t eat…

• No puede comer picante: I can’t eat spicy.

Soy alérgico a [ingredient] / Soy alérgica a [ingredient]: I’m allergic to…

• Mariscos: Seafood, shellfish
• La nuez de árbol: Tree nuts
  • La nuez: Nuts
• La cebolla: Onion
• El ajo: Garlic

Hotels and Check-in Language

Of course, chances are most hotels will speak English. But just in case you’re going to a super local one in the middle of nowhere, knowing some of these phrases will help.

Tengo una reserva: I have a reservation.

• Or say, Tengo una reserva a nombre de [your name].

¿Tiene una habitación para [number of people]?: Do you have a room for [number] people?

¿A qué hora es el checkout?: What time is the checkout?

¿A qué hora es el desayuno?: What time is the breakfast?

¿Hay un buen restaurante por aquí?: Is there a good restaurant around here?

Tours and Tickets

Un boleto, por favor: One ticket, please

• [Number] boletos, por favor. The plural version, just in case.

¿Cuál es el horario del tour?: What’s the tour schedule?

¿Cuánto cuesta por persona?: How much is it per person?

Shopping

¿Cuánto cuesta?: How much is it?

¿Tiene una talla más grande?: Do you have a bigger size?

¿Tiene una talla más pequeña?: Do you have a smaller size?

¿Me puede dar un descuento?: Can you give me a discount?

¿Tiene cambio por esto?: “Do you have change for this?” as you show them the massive banknote.

Say It Like a Local

Every language comes with its own culture, which is the most fun thing about them.

Spanish, above all, has so many nuances and differences from all the countries that speak it. It is both a risk and a thrill for travelers to navigate these differences. Embrace them and have fun!

On the Table?

Sobremesa is a word unique to Spanish. It translates directly to “onthetable” and refers to the time spent at the table chatting and having a good time after the meal.

How Cool!

There are multiple ways to say “How cool!” depending on where you are. I will list out the ones I know. If you have more, DM me and I’ll add it!

• Spain: ¡Qué chulo!
• Mexico: ¡Qué chido! or ¡Qué padre!
• Costa Rica: ¡Qué chiva!
• Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador: ¡Qué chevere!

How do I say…

Assuming you’ve struck up a conversation with a local who knows English, but you’re having too much fun learning Spanish…

Cómo se dice [English word/phrase] en español?: How do you say … in Spanish?

If You Get Stuck (Overcoming the Language Barrier)

It would be nice if using these phrases is all a field of flowers, but language is a two-way street. You might hear a response coming back at top speed, or a local speaks to you, and you have no idea how to respond.

Below are some phrases to help you combat these situations.

For when you’re trying your best, but it really just isn’t working out. It happens. 😂

Más despacio, por favor: Slower, please.

• If you’re comfortable enough for a full sentence, say ¿Puede hablar más despacio, por favor? Could you speak more slowly, please?

No entiendo: I don’t understand.

¿Hablas inglés?: Do you speak English?

• ¿Habla inglés? is the polite version

What You Might Hear Back

¿En qué le puede ayudar?: How can I help you?

Sí: Yes.

No: No

Whenever you ask someone where something is, listen for:

• La izquierda: The left
• La derecha: The right
• Sigue derecho: Go straight, keep straight

Language Tools I Recommend

I use SpanishDict. This app is like a one-stop shop for anything you need at any level of Spanish. It’s primarily a dictionary that not only gives you translations, but contextual examples as well.

For Spanish learners, there are also conjugation tables you can look up and quizzes you can take to improve your skills.

Have this app on your phone on your trip, and you’ll be more than fine!

If you’re looking to start learning Spanish (or any language, for that matter), check out these techniques I use to learn a new language quickly and effectively!

Final Thoughts

And there you have them, essential Spanish phrases for travel!

When a language can take you to nearly half the planet, I say it’s worth learning.

Start by memorizing these phrases. Embrace the adventure when a response comes back, and you have no idea what it means. Who knows? Spanish may have grown on you by the time you get home. It is a beautiful language, after all!

I hope this post helps you on your trip to Spain and Latin America. If you have any feedback, I’d love to hear it, so leave a comment or send me a DM!

Language Enthusiast?

You might enjoy browsing through other phrase lists I have, like Thai or Korean. I honestly love spending my free time decoding random things in languages I haven’t learned. There are always patterns!

Common Spanish Travel Questions

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