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50 Essential Spanish Phrases for Travelers

By Frederic Bibard Published:

6 min read

Use these 50 practical Spanish travel phrases for greetings, directions, transport, hotels, restaurants, shopping and emergencies.

On this page50 travel phrasesPoliteness and regional useFood and allergy safetyEmergency languageHow to practise

A small set of well-practised phrases can make a trip easier, but you do not need to memorise everything before you leave. Save the phrases you expect to use and practise saying the whole sentence aloud.

The list uses broadly understood Spanish and polite usted forms for many requests. Local wording and levels of formality vary across Spain and Latin America.

50 Essential Spanish Travel Phrases

  • 1. Hola.Hello.
  • 2. Buenos días.Good morning.
  • 3. Buenas tardes.Good afternoon.
  • 4. Buenas noches.Good evening / Good night.
  • 5. Por favor.Please.
  • 6. Gracias.Thank you.
  • 7. De nada.You’re welcome.
  • 8. Disculpe. / Perdón.Excuse me. / Sorry.
  • 9. Mucho gusto.Nice to meet you.
  • 10. Me llamo…My name is…
  • 11. Soy de…I’m from…
  • 12. ¿Cómo se llama? / ¿Cómo te llamas?What is your name? (formal / informal)
  • 13. No hablo mucho español.I don’t speak much Spanish.
  • 14. No entiendo.I don’t understand.
  • 15. ¿Habla inglés?Do you speak English?
  • 16. ¿Podría hablar más despacio?Could you speak more slowly?
  • 17. ¿Podría repetirlo, por favor?Could you repeat that, please?
  • 18. ¿Podría escribirlo, por favor?Could you write it down, please?
  • 19. ¿Qué significa…?What does … mean?
  • 20. ¿Cómo se dice… en español?How do you say … in Spanish?
  • 21. ¿Puede ayudarme?Can you help me?
  • 22. ¿Dónde está el baño?Where is the bathroom?
  • 23. ¿Dónde está…?Where is …?
  • 24. ¿Cómo llego a…?How do I get to …?
  • 25. ¿Está lejos?Is it far?
  • 26. Siga todo recto. / Siga derecho.Go straight ahead. (regional alternatives)
  • 27. ¿Dónde está la estación?Where is the station?
  • 28. Un billete / boleto para…, por favor.One ticket to …, please.
  • 29. ¿A qué hora sale?What time does it leave?
  • 30. ¿A qué hora llega?What time does it arrive?
  • 31. Tengo una reserva.I have a reservation.
  • 32. Quisiera una habitación.I would like a room.
  • 33. ¿Hay wifi?Is there Wi-Fi?
  • 34. La cuenta, por favor.The bill, please.
  • 35. Quisiera…I would like …
  • 36. Para mí…For me …
  • 37. Sin…, por favor.Without …, please.
  • 38. Tengo alergia a…I am allergic to …
  • 39. ¿Qué me recomienda?What do you recommend?
  • 40. ¿Cuánto cuesta?How much does it cost?
  • 41. ¿Aceptan tarjetas?Do you accept cards?
  • 42. Es demasiado caro.It is too expensive.
  • 43. Solo estoy mirando.I’m just looking.
  • 44. ¿Qué hora es?What time is it?
  • 45. Hoy / mañana / esta noche.Today / tomorrow / tonight.
  • 46. Me he perdido.I’m lost.
  • 47. ¡Socorro! / ¡Ayuda!Help!
  • 48. Necesito un médico.I need a doctor.
  • 49. Llame a emergencias, por favor.Call emergency services, please.
  • 50. Déjeme en paz.Leave me alone.

Politeness and Regional Use

With a stranger, ¿Puede…? and ¿Podría…? are useful polite request forms. Informal tú, formal usted, and plural vosotros/ustedes vary by country and relationship, so listen to how local speakers address you.

Travel words also vary. Billete is common for a transport ticket in Spain, while boleto is common in many Latin American countries. For “go straight,” you may hear todo recto, derecho or other regional forms.

Food and Allergy Safety

Use Tengo alergia a… followed by the ingredient: Tengo alergia a los frutos secos (I am allergic to nuts). Sin…, por favor asks for an ingredient to be left out, but it does not confirm that cross-contact is impossible. For a serious allergy, explain the risk clearly and ask staff to check how the food is prepared.

Emergency Language

¡Socorro! and ¡Ayuda! call for immediate help. Déjeme en paz is a firm formal command meaning “Leave me alone.” Emergency numbers vary by destination; 112 works in Spain and throughout the European Union, but travellers elsewhere should confirm the local number before the trip.

How to Practise

Choose phrases by situation. Practise a transport set, a restaurant set and an emergency set. Replace the blank in each phrase with a real destination or item: Un billete para Sevilla, por favor; ¿Cómo llego al museo?; Tengo alergia al marisco.

Pronunciation takes practice, so aim to be clear rather than perfect. If a conversation moves too quickly, use ¿Podría hablar más despacio? and show the written phrase when needed.

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