— Spanish · Travel Spanish
24 Spanish travel phrases for your first trip
For a first trip, start with phrases that let you greet someone, ask for what you need, and handle an answer you do not understand. These 24 expressions give you a small, practical set to rehearse before you leave.
Start and end an interaction politely
A greeting before a request helps you open the conversation. Add por favor to the request and gracias after the answer. You can use these expressions across Spanish-speaking destinations, although local preferences and vocabulary vary.
| Spanish | English | Use it |
|---|---|---|
| Hola | Hello | An everyday greeting. |
| Buenos días | Good morning | Useful when entering a café or greeting hotel staff. |
| Buenas tardes | Good afternoon / good evening | Used after the morning; the transition to buenas noches varies. |
| Por favor | Please | Add it to a request. |
| Gracias | Thank you | Muchas gracias means “thank you very much.” |
| Disculpe | Excuse me | A polite way to get one person’s attention. |
Order something and pay
Quisiera is a polite way to say “I would like.” Treat quisiera un café as a reusable pattern: replace un café with the thing you want. When you ask the price, be ready to hear a number; practicing number recognition is a useful next step before your trip.
| Spanish | English | Use it |
|---|---|---|
| Quisiera un café, por favor | I would like a coffee, please | Swap un café for another item. |
| Agua sin gas, por favor | Still water, please | Agua con gas is sparkling water. |
| La cuenta, por favor | The bill, please | Use it when you are ready to pay. |
| ¿Cuánto cuesta? | How much does it cost? | Ask about one item. |
| ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? | Can I pay by card? | Con efectivo means “with cash.” |
| Sin leche, por favor | Without milk, please | A simple preference or modification to an order. |
Find a place and check in
¿Dónde está…? asks where a particular place is. ¿Hay…? asks whether something exists or is available. Compare ¿Dónde está la estación? with ¿Hay una estación cerca?: “Where is the station?” and “Is there a station nearby?”
For accommodation, save the address and the name on your reservation somewhere you can show them. Having the words written down gives you another way to make yourself understood.
| Spanish | English | Use it |
|---|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está el baño? | Where is the bathroom? | You may also see aseos or servicios on signs in Spain. |
| ¿Dónde está la estación? | Where is the station? | Add de tren or de autobuses if you need to specify. |
| ¿Está lejos? | Is it far away? | Cerca means “nearby”; lejos means “far away.” |
| ¿Hay una farmacia cerca? | Is there a pharmacy nearby? | Replace una farmacia with another place. |
| Tengo una reserva | I have a reservation | Follow with your name if asked. |
| ¿A qué hora es la salida? | What time is check-out? | At a hotel, this asks about departure time. |
Keep going when you do not understand
Learning a question does not mean you will understand every possible answer. Practice these repair phrases early. Asking someone to repeat or write something down is a normal part of communicating in a new language.
Puede is the polite form when addressing one person. With a friend, you might hear puedes instead. The phrases below keep the polite form consistent for conversations with people you have just met.
| Spanish | English | Use it |
|---|---|---|
| No entiendo | I do not understand | You can add lo siento: “I am sorry.” |
| ¿Puede repetir, por favor? | Could you repeat, please? | Ask to hear the same thing again. |
| Más despacio, por favor | More slowly, please | Use it when the pace is too fast. |
| ¿Puede escribirlo? | Could you write it down? | Helpful with an address or a number. |
| Estoy aprendiendo español | I am learning Spanish | Explain that you are still practicing. |
| ¿Habla inglés? | Do you speak English? | A fallback when you need to switch languages. |
Rehearse a short café exchange
Read both sides aloud, then hide the Spanish and try your side from memory. The answer here is one example, not a prediction of what someone will say. Change the drink and the amount to give yourself a slightly different conversation.
— Try saying it
— Buenos días. Quisiera un café, por favor. — Claro. Son dos euros. — ¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta? — Sí. — Gracias.
— Good morning. I would like a coffee, please. — Of course. That is two euros. — Can I pay by card? — Yes. — Thank you.
- Choose one situation you expect on your trip: ordering, finding a station, or checking in.
- Learn four phrases for that situation and two phrases for asking someone to repeat or slow down.
- Practice both directions: recognize the Spanish, then try producing it from the English.
- Listen to spoken examples as well. A written vocabulary deck is one part of preparation; conversation also needs listening and speaking practice.
— Keep practicing
Take the vocabulary with you
Get the Spanish expressions and English meanings from this guide as a free CSV. No email or account needed for the download. Import it into a Spanish custom list in LingoAlarm, or use it with your own study tools.
On the web dashboard, open a Spanish list and use its file import. In the mobile app, open your list’s import screen and paste the CSV text. Keep English as your base language for these English translations.
Download the 24-phrase travel deck
