Were you aware of the fact that Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world right after Chinese? Not only that, but it is also the official language in 21 countries, amongst which are Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, and many others. More than 120 million people in Mexico speak Spanish, which is a big number compared to Spain’s 47 million speakers.

But let’s stop with the numbers. You already know how amazing this language is. You have already chosen your Spanish speaking country. Now’s the time to:

• pack your bags
• learn some Spanish travel phrases
• prepare your Spanish phrasebook

You want to fit in and feel the local energy by exchanging a few words with the natives. Well, stick around, and you’ll be one step closer to your goal.

But first, what’s so special about Spanish?

The Spanish language is one of the most lyrical and easiest languages in the world, so you are in luck. The amazing flow of this language has occupied the media. It seems as if every Spanish song that comes out becomes a huge hit, so you can start learning the language simply by listening to their music. It will also put you in a good mood for your trip!

Fun fact: Did you know that the most watched video on Youtube is Despacito, by Luis Fonsi? It has accumulated over 6.4 billion views so far! Talk about Spanish lyrism, am I right?

Another fun fact: This song has increased tourism in Puerto Rico by around 50%. I guess everyone just wants to take it slow.

*despacito = slowly

Practice Spanish with your native tutor and get ready for your amazing trip.

Here are some song recommendations to start your journey with

• Ricky Martin, Livin’ la vida loca
• Los del Rio, Macarena
• Juanes, La Camisa Negra
• Jennifer Lopez, Que Hiciste
• Enrique Iglesias, Bailamos
• Juan Gabriel, Querida
• Gloria Estefan, Hoy
• Kaoma, Lambada
• J Balvin, Ginza
• Aventura, Obsesion
• Bebe, Siempre Me Quedara

However, if you don’t have enough time, because your trip to a Spanish speaking country is getting near, don’t worry. Just add these songs to your playlist and leave them for a good night out.

Hola, could you help me with algo? Gracias!

If you are short with time, for now, focus only on the most basic Spanish phrases for travelers. They can be enough to help you survive, figuratively speaking.

Luckily, words like “Hola”, “Amigo” and “adiós” are easy to remember and use later. Learning the most useful Spanish phrases for conversation will save your from having to use your hands to make people understand you. That’s the beauty of foreign languages!

And here are 20 Spanish key phrases for travel. Remember, this trip can be a great start of something new – your Spanish learning journey!

1. ¡Hola! / ¡Buenos días! , me llamo … — Hello/Good morning, my name is…. To approach a person.
2. Disculpe/Disculpeme — Excuse me. (Disculpe ¿qué hora es?)
3. Gracias — Thank you.
4. ¿Habla inglés? — Do you speak English? To save the situation
5. ¿Lo puede(s) repetir? — Can you repeat that? “Puede” is a formal and “Puedes” is an informal variant.
6. Me gustaría este — I’d like this. Point on whatever you want and add the phrase.
7. Yo quiero un taxi — I want a taxi. “Yo quiero” means I want, so you can ask for anything. Yo quiero agua(water)/una boleto(a ticket) etc. By the way, “I need” stands for “Yo necesito”, so you can replace “yo quiero” with “yo necesito”.
8. ¿Dónde está la calle .../el banco? — Where is the … street/the bank. It’s easy to understand that “¿Dónde está?” means “Where is?”, so you can ask for any location
9. ¿Cuánto cuesta una boleto/el pan? — How much does a ticket/the bread cost? And simply “¿Cuánto cuesta?” for “How much is it?”.
10. ¿Tiene(s) cuartos disponibles? — Do you have any rooms available?
11. ¿Tiene(s) alguna recomendación? —  Do you have any recommendations?
12. Tengo una reserva — I have a reservation.
13. ¿Es este el autobús correcto para el aeropuerto? — Is this the right bus for the airport? If you don’t want to spend much money on taxi.
14. ¿Es gratis el wifi? — Is the Wi-Fi free?
15. ¿Tiene(s) opciones vegetarianas? — Do you have any vegetarian options? Not omitting vegetarians’ preferences.
16. ¿Aceptan tarjetas? — Do you take cards?
17. La cuenta, por favor — The check, please. Using the word “Por favor” which means “please”, you can imply politeness.
18. ¿Me puede(s) tomar una foto? — Can you take a picture of me?
19. ¿Como puedo encontrar eun baño? — Where can I find a bathroom? Indeed, useful.
20. ¿Me podría ayudar? — Can you help me? Never be ashamed of asking questions in a foreign country!

Today’s list is enough to get you started, but it can also help you get to more advanced Spanish phrases for travel. Your native Spanish tutor can share an even bigger ‘Spanish travel phrases’ cheat sheet that you bring on your vacation.

Have you ever used any of these phrases in a Spanish speaking country? Which phrase was it? Which country did you visit?

Let us know in the comments section below and inspire other readers to do the same.