If you’re looking forward to a little summer travel, you’ll want to make sure you have a few key travel phrases in the local language in your pocket.
While the list of the best places to travel this summer is long, you’ll find plenty of great destinations on this list paired with travel phrases in the languages spoken there.
Whether you’re globetrotting to several of this summer’s hottest destinations or just looking to brush up on your way to somewhere familiar, this guide will teach you a few handy words and phrases in 9 different languages.
Build your travel vocabulary with essential travel phrases
In this guide, you’ll find 6 essential travel phrases in each language, from Dutch to Spanish, to help you start your summer holiday travels off on the right foot.
French travel phrases
If you’re heading to US News’ top travel destination for summer 2023, you’ll need these French phrases for travel, because Paris took #1 for summer travel this year. Of course, you can always put these to use in other popular vacation spots, from Lyon to Montreal to the cheese mecca of Gruyères, Switzerland.
- Hello – Bonjour
- Yes, no – Oui, non
- Excuse me – Excusez-moi
- Please – S’il vous plaît
- Do you speak English? – Vous parlez anglais ?
- Thank you – Merci
- Right, left – Droite, gauche
- This is delicious – C’est délicieux !
Pro tip: No need to stop with these French travel phrases – master more with our guides to French greetings and learn tons of ways to say yes and no in French.
Want to learn more French phrases?
Enrich your French vocabulary and unlock a world of phrases beyond “Bonjour!” with Busuu’s free expert-designed online courses. Join our 120 million+ native speaker community, and access a treasure trove of language learning resources.
Italian travel phrases
Speaking of the US News top travel destinations for this summer, two Italian cities landed in their top ten for 2023. Use these Italian phrases for travel to Florence and Rome or head further afield to the resort town of Stresa.
- Hello – Buongiorno, ciao
- Yes, no – Sì, no
- Excuse me – Mi scusi
- Please – Per favore
- Do you speak English? – Lei parla inglese? (Parla inglese?)
- Thank you – Grazie
- Right, left – Destra, sinistra
- This is delicious – È delizioso!
Pro tip: Don’t just learn the right words to get around in Italy, learn how to speak Italian with your body! Take time to master the most common Italian hand gestures and you’ll fit right in.
Spanish travel phrases
These Spanish travel phrases will come in handy in many of the hottest summer travel destinations this year. Depending on who you ask, 2023 might be the year to head to Rincón in Puerto Rico; Havana, Cuba; Sevilla or Barcelona in Spain; Lima, Peru; Medellín or Bogotá in Colombia; or Oaxaca, México. We don’t think you can make a wrong choice for your vacation if you decide to kick back en español!
- Hello – Hola
- Yes, no – Si, no
- Excuse me – Disculpe
- Please – Por favor
- Do you speak English? – ¿Hablas inglés?
- Thank you – Gracias
- Right, left – Derecha, izquierda
- This is delicious – Esto es delicioso!
Pro tip: When you travel to a new place, learning to speak the local language can make a big difference when you’re trying to get around. When you learn Spanish for travel, you can connect with locals by introducing yourself and asking about them, order food and drink naturally and politely, and even unlock new travel experiences with your growing Spanish skills!
German travel phrases
From Berlin to Munich or the Black Forest, you can put these German travel phrases to use this summer if you head to Deutschland.
- Hello – Hallo
- Yes, no – Ja, nein
- Excuse me – Entschuldigung
- Please – Bitte
- Do you speak English? – Sprechen Sie Englisch?
- Thank you – Danke
- Right, left – Rechts, links
- This is delicious – Es ist lecker!
Pro tip: German actually has a lot in common with English! Discover German words you probably already know and you’ll have a leg up if you decide to learn more German before you hit the road.
Learn while traveling with Busuu
If you’re ready to tackle more travel vocabulary and basic phrases in any of these languages, you can start learning right now with Busuu’s travel-specific language lessons, plus more general courses for both beginners and advanced learners.
Whether you’re jetsetting to big cities like Rio de Janeiro and Manaus in Brazil or Lisbon, Portugal, or getting away to the scenic and serene Azores, say sim, por favor to these Portuguese travel phrases.
- Hello – Olá
- Yes, no – Sim, não
- Excuse me – Desculpe (or com licença)
- Please – Por favor
- Do you speak English? – Você fala inglês?
- Thank you – Obrigado
- Right, left – Direita, esquerda
- This is delicious – Isso é delicioso!
Pro tip: Brazilian Portuguese is a little different from the Portuguese spoken in Portugal, so if you’re off to Rio, take a peek at these fun Brazilian phrases if you want to speak more like the locals.
Dutch travel phrases
Amsterdam, of course, is always a great summer travel destination, but there are many other beautiful places in the Netherlands where Dutch is spoken, from Giethoorn, to Utrecht, Kinderdijk, and Texel Island. And if you decide to visit all of them, you’ll certainly put these Dutch phrases for travel to use.
- Hello – Hallo
- Yes, no – Ja, nee
- Excuse me – Pardon
- Please – Alstublieft
- Do you speak English? – Spreekt u Engels?
- Thank you – Dank je
- Right, left – Rechts, links
- This is delicious – Dit is heerlijk!
Pro tip: Not sure where to start with pronouncing these Dutch words? Learn the Dutch alphabet to help you pronounce words – from signage to menu items – on your trip to the Netherlands.
If you haven’t been to
Tokyo, it’s a fantastic destination – but Japanese travel destinations don’t end there! Nagano and Naoshima are both on top travel destination lists for summer 2023. And on your way, you should take a few minutes to learn these Japanese phrases for travelers.
- Hello – Konnichiwa (こんにちは)
- Yes, no – Hai (はい), iie (いいえ) or chotto (ちょっと)
- Excuse me – Sumimasen (すみません)
- Please – Onegaishimasu (お願いします)
- Do you speak English? – Eigo o hanasemasu ka? (英語を話せますか)
- Thank you – Arigatou (ありがとう)
- Right, left – Migi (右), hidari (左)
- This is delicious – Oishii desu! (おいしいです!)
Pro tip: If you’re traveling to Japan, you’ll have a much easier time getting around if you learn to read hiragana and katakana, two of the Japanese writing systems. And if you want to show good table manners, don’t forget to say itadakimasu (頂きます)!
Korean travel phrases
Put these Korean phrases for travel to use on your vacation! Korea is a great place to visit, whether you’re heading to bustling Seoul, historic Gyeongju, or the beaches and hot springs of Busan.
- Hello – Annyeong-haseyo (안녕하세요)
- Yes, no – Ne (네), a-ni-yo (아니요)
- Excuse me – Jam-shi-man-yo (잠시만요) or jeo-gi-yo (저기요)
- Please – Mal-hae-jus-eyo (말해주세요) or jebal (제발)
- Do you speak English? – Yeong-eo ha-se-yo? (영어 하세요?)
- Thank you – Gam-sa-ham-ni-da (감사합니다)
- Right, left – Oleunjjog (오른쪽), oenjjog (왼쪽)
- This is delicious – Ma-shi-sseo-yo (맛있어요)
Pro tip: You can make your visit to Korea much easier if you take the time to learn Hangeul, the Korean alphabet. But if you don’t have time to do that, you can improve your experience by learning the many different ways to say thank you in Korean.
Put these top summer travel phrases to use this year
Travel is a great way to get to know yourself and your world, and connecting with local people in their own language can help make it even more rewarding.
Have a wonderful summer vacation, and if you want to tackle more basic phrases for wherever you’re heading, you can get started learning for free with Busuu’s award-winning course content today.
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