91 Top Spanish Travel Phrases & Words for Tourists

Are you planning a well-deserved vacation? Is your destination a Spanish-speaking country? If so, you may want to take the time to learn some essential travel phrases in Spanish that can help you communicate. 

There’s no doubt that English is a widely spoken language. But when traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, your chances of randomly finding someone who speaks enough English to help you aren’t that high. Trust me, I have seen enough confused tourists to know. 

To avoid any communication issues, I’ve built a list of 91 crucial Spanish travel phrases that will help you get by on your vacation. Are you wondering how on earth you are supposed to pronounce these Spanish phrases for tourists? Fear not! I’ve also included the audio recordings to help you overcome this issue. 

Here is a quick overview of the situations we’ll cover in this article:

• Basic Phrases, Questions & Words for Tourists
  • Common Spanish verbs for travel
• Phrases & Vocabulary for the Airport
• Spanish Phrases to Use in a Restaurant
• Phrases & Words to Ask for Directions 
• Phrases in Spanish to Use at a Hotel
• Spanish Phrases for Shopping 
• Spanish Guides & Resources for Travel

Basic Spanish Phrases, Questions & Words for Tourists

When it comes to Spanish vocabulary for travelers, there are some basic words that you’ll use more frequently or that can help you sound more polite when addressing a native speaker. Let’s start with some greetings and expressions to catch a person’s attention. 

As you’ll see in the examples I’ve provided, these words are usually placed at the beginning of the sentence. 

1. Hola – Hi / Hello 
2. ¿Qué tal? – Hello / What’s up
3. Buenos días – Good morning
4. Buenas tardes – Good afternoon
5. Buenas noches – Good evening / Good night 
6. Disculpa / Disculpe – Excuse me / Sorry
7. Perdón – Sorry / Excuse me 
8. Señorita – Miss
9. Joven – Young man / Mr. 

Another common set of words that you’ll need when traveling to a Spanish-speaking country is questioning words and phrases: 

10. ¿Qué…? – What…?
11. ¿Cuál…? – Which…?
12. ¿Dónde…? – Where…?
13. ¿A qué hora…? – What time does…?
14. ¿Qué hora es? – What time is it?
15. ¿Cuándo…? – When…?
16. ¿Cómo…? – How….?
17. ¿Podría…? – Could you…?
18. ¿Cuánto cuesta…? – How much…? 

Hola, ¿cuánto cuesta el llavero?
Hi, how much is the keychain?

Disculpe, ¿dónde está la catedral?
Excuse me, where is the cathedral?

Señorita, ¿podría darme otro formulario?
Miss, could you give me another form?

Buenos días, ¿a qué hora abre el museo?
Good morning, what time does the museum open?

Basic verbs for tourists

Many simple Spanish phrases for travel are built with the verbs querer, gustar and poder, which we use to make requests. These are the most common forms that you’ll need: 

19. Quiero… – I want…
20. Quisiera… – I would like…
21. Me gustaría … I would like…
22. ¿Puede…? – Can you…?
23. ¿Podría…? – Could you…?
24. Tiene / Tengo… – Has / Have

As you can imagine, these expressions are very versatile because they can be combined with different vocabulary for tourists:

Quiero dos boletos. 
I want two tickets. 

No tengo cambio. 
I don’t have change. 

Me gustaría una habitación con vistas al mar. 
I would like a room with an ocean view. 

Quisiera visitar el museo de artes. 
I would like to visit the art museum. 

¿Puede decirme dónde está la parada?
Can you tell me where the bus stop is?

Disculpe, ¿podría ayudarme?
Excuse me, could you help me?

Phrases & Spanish Vocabulary for the Airport 

You’re likely to find more than one person who speaks English at the airport. However, this is an excellent opportunity to start practicing your Spanish. Here are some common phrases that you’re probably going to encounter or use while at the airport:

25. ¿Va a documentar su maleta? – Are you going to check your bag?
26. ¿Me permite su pasaporte? – Can I have your passport? 
27. Por favor, abroche su cinturón – Please, fasten your seatbelt
28. ¿Desea algo de beber? – Would you like something to drink?
29. Por favor, regrese a su asiento – Please, go back to your seat
30. Llene este formulario, por favor – Please, fill in this form
31. ¿Cuál es el motivo de su visita? – What’s the reason for your visit?
32. ¿Dónde puedo cambiar dinero? – Where can I exchange money?
33. ¿Dónde están los baños? – Where are the restrooms? 

In addition to these phrases, here are some Spanish words that may be useful in this situation. Remember that you can combine the words below with the expressions and questions you learned in the previous section. 

[Basic Spanish expression] + [airport vocabulary]

Quisiera un asiento en el pasillo. 
I would like an aisle seat. 

Disculpe, ¿a qué hora aterrizamos?
Excuse me, what time do we land?

¿Podría ayudarme? Mi equipaje está perdido. 
Could you help me? My luggage is missing. 

¿Cuántas maletas va a documentar?
How many bags are you going to check?

Buenos días, ¿tiene café?
Good morning, do you have coffee?

Spanish Phrases for Tourists in a Restaurant

As a tourist, you’re probably going to spend some time trying different foods at restaurants. Since you’re likely to need some Spanish to communicate in these places, here are some common phrases you can use and are likely to hear at a restaurant. 

34. ¿Qué desea ordenar? – What would you like to order?
35. ¿Me puede dar unos minutos? – Could you give me a few more minutes?
36. ¿Desea ordenar algún postre? – Would you like to order a dessert?
37. ¿Qué lleva…? – What’s in the…? 
38. ¿Qué platillo me recomienda? – What dish do you recommend? 
39. ¿Todo bien? – Is everything okay?
40. ¿Le hace falta algo? – Is there something you need?
41. ¿Me puede traer la cuenta? – Could you bring me the bill?
42. Soy alérgico a… – I’m allergic to…

Here are other terms that can be useful in this type of situations:

[Basic Spanish expression] + [restaurant vocabulary]

Joven, ¿cuál es la especialidad de la casa?
Young man, what’s the specialty of the house?

Quisiera ordenar dos postres, por favor. 
I would like to order two desserts, please. 

Disculpe, ¿qué platillo me recomienda?
Excuse me, what dish would you recommend to me? 

¿Me podría traer un cuchillo y un vaso de agua?
Could you bring me a knife and a glass of water?

Take Note: If you want to learn more about this topic, I recommend you check this guide on ordering food in Spanish. 

Spanish for Visiting the City & Asking for Directions

One of the biggest challenges you may face is communicating with native speakers when visiting the city or a tourist attraction. Here are some of the most common travel phrases in Spanish that you may need in this situation:

43. Con permiso / Permiso – Excuse me
44. ¿Dónde está el/la…? – Where is the…?
45. ¿Cómo llego a…? – How do I get to…?
46. Estoy buscando… – I’m looking for
47. No hablo mucho español – I don’t speak Spanish very well
48. ¿Hay algún/alguna… por aquí? – Is there…around here?
49. ¿Hablas inglés? – Do you speak English?
50. ¿Puedes repetirlo? – Can you repeat that again?
51. ¿Me podría ayudar? – Could you help me?
52. ¿Nos puedes tomar una foto? – Can you take a picture of us?
53. ¿Nos puedes tomar otra? – Can you take another one of us?
54. ¿Dónde puedo tomar…? – Where can I take…?
55. ¿Por aquí pasa el camión…? – Is this place on the bus route? / Does the bus come by here?  
56. ¿Cómo se llama este lugar? – What’s the name of this place?

Take Note: In Spanish, con permiso is a polite way to ask people to let you through. So, we use this phrase in crowded places or when walking on the street.

On the other hand, people are likely to give you the following answers: 

57. Está… – It’s…
58. Siga caminando…- Keep walking…
59. De vuelta a/en – Turn…
60. Siga derecho –  Go straight…
61. Camine – Walk…

Additionally, here are some basic words that you can use or might hear when visiting the city:

Here are some examples of how to use this vocabulary:

Disculpe, ¿dónde está la estación de tren?
Excuse me, where is the train station?

Buenas tardes, estoy buscando el museo. 
Good afternoon, I’m looking for the museum. 

Camine dos cuadras y dé vuelta a la izquierda. 
Walk two blocks and turn left. 

Perdón, ¿hay algún restaurante por aquí?
Excuse me, is there a restaurant around here?

Hola, ¿me podría ayudar? Quiero ir al museo. 
Hi, could you help me? I want to go to the museum.

Spanish Phrases for Hotels & Accommodations

Although nowadays it’s easier to make reservations before your trip, there may be some situations where you need to use your Spanish to communicate with staff and others in your hotel. Here are some essential phrases applicable to this context: 

62. Tengo una reservación a nombre de… – I have a reservation for…
63. Quisiera hacer una reservación – I would like to make a reservation. 
64. No funciona… – It doesn’t work…
65. ¿Me puede mandar más toallas? – Could you send me more towels? 
66. ¿Incluye desayuno? – Is breakfast included? 
67. ¿Cuenta con acceso a internet? – Is the internet included?
68. ¿Cuál es la contraseña? – What’s the password?  
69. ¿En qué piso está la habitación? – On what floor is the room? 
70. ¿Me permite su tarjeta? – Can I have your card? 
71. El cuarto se entrega a la… – The checkout time is…

As for vocabulary, these are some of the words that you may want to keep in mind:

Señorita, ¿dónde está el elevador?
Miss, where is the elevator?

Buenos días, la regadera no funciona. 
Good morning, the shower doesn’t work. 

¿A qué hora termina el servicio a la habitación?
What time does room service end? 

Souvenir Shopping for Your Family & Friends 

Even if you’re not a big spender, it’s likely that at some point you may want to do some shopping. So, here are some Spanish phrases that you need to know when shopping during your trip. 

These are the key expressions that you need in this situation:

72. ¿Cuánto cuesta…? – How much is..?
73. ¿Tiene otra talla? – Do you have another size?
74. ¿Qué otros colores tiene? – Do you have other colors?
75. Me queda grande – It’s too big for me.
76. Me queda apretado – It doesn’t fit.
77. No me queda – It doesn’t fit.
78. ¿Cuánto va a ser? – How much will it be?
79. No tengo cambio – I don’t have change. 
80. ¿Acepta tarjeta? – Do you take cards? 

On the other hand, these are some of the expressions that the clerk may use with you:

81. ¿En qué le puedo ayudar? – How can I help you?
82. Pregunte/Vea sin compromiso – You can ask/see, without any obligation.
83. ¿Buscaba algo en especial? – Are you looking for anything in particular?
84. ¿En qué talla? – What size?
85. ¿Cómo le quedó? – How does it fit? 
86. ¿Buscaba algún color en especial? – Were you looking for a particular color?
87. ¿Quiere que le muestre algo? – Would you like me to show you something? 
88. Es el último que me queda – It’s the last one. 
89. ¿Tiene un billete más pequeño? – Do you have a smaller bill? 
90. ¿Qué tamaño buscaba? – What size were you looking for?
91. Aquí tiene – Here you go. 

As for vocabulary, here are some common objects that you may find during your trip:

Check the examples below. Notice that you can combine this specific vocabulary with the basic words and questions you learned at the beginning of this article. 

¿Tiene dulces típicos? 
Do you have traditional candies? 

¿Podría darme tres llaveros?
Can you give me three keychains? 

Wrapping Up

Many tourists visiting Spanish-speaking countries face communication difficulties. Let’s face it, there might be some people that speak English and will be able to help you. But chances are that, at some point, you’ll need to use some Spanish. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right?

To help you with this, I’ve prepared this Spanish guide for tourists with basic phrases, questions and words that you’ll use in most traveling situations. Just remember that: 

• Many of the travel phrases in Spanish are built with ‘querer’, ‘gustar’, ‘poder’ and ‘tener’. 
• Spanish questioning words can take you pretty far if you combine them with the appropriate vocabulary. 
• You use greetings and words to address people to sound more polite. 

Hopefully, this guide will help you keep basic conversations. ¡Buena suerte and (disfruta) enjoy your vacation! 

Spanish Guides & Related Resources for Tourists & Travelers

If for some reason you want to expand your Spanish for certain situations, here are some resources that can help you while traveling:

The Guide to Ordering Food in Mexican Spanish: If you’re traveling to Mexico or another Latin American, Spanish-speaking country then this guide will show you all the vocabulary and phrases you need to interact and order your meals at a restaurant.

5 Common Ways to Say Good Morning in Spanish: If you want to expand your vocabulary, here are different expressions that native speakers use to say ‘good morning’ in Spanish.

6 Ways to Ask to Use the Bathroom in Spanish: Depending on the situation, there are different questions and phrases that you can use to ask to use the bathroom. 

Guide To Shopping Phrases and Vocab in Spanish: I don’t know about you, but when traveling I always like to buy souvenirs and other things. If this is your case, in this guide, you’ll find different expressions and vocabulary that will help you shop in different contexts and places. 

How to Ask for & Reserve a Hotel Room in Spanish: In this article you’ll find different questions and phrases that you and the hotel staff are likely to use when booking a hotel room. 

A Guide to Spanish Colors: If you want to be more specific about the colors of the things you want to buy, this guide will help you learn basic colors in Spanish.