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Spanish · Vocabulary · A1–A2

Spanish for travel: directions, transport and hotels

Travel Spanish rests on a few patterns you can reuse everywhere: ¿Dónde está…? (where is…?), ¿Hay…? (is there…?), Quería… (I’d like…) and ¿A qué hora…? (at what time…?). With those four and the words on this page, you can find your way, buy a ticket and check in.

el parque el museo 1 · todo recto primera calle 2 · la segunda a la derecha 3 · a la izquierda Usted está aquí: you are here
“Siga todo recto, tome la segunda a la derecha y el museo está a la izquierda.” The three moves most directions are built from.

Asking for and following directions

Directions are given as commands (the verb form for telling someone to do something). Strangers use the polite usted form: siga (carry on), tome (take), gire (turn), cruce (cross). You only need to recognise them; to ask, start with Perdone.

1 · Siga recto.SEE-gah REK-toh · Go straight on. 2 · Gire a la izquierda.HEE-reh ah lah eeth-KYAIR-dah · Turn left. 3 · Tome la segunda a la derecha.TOH-meh lah seh-GOON-dah ah lah deh-REH-chah · Take the second on the right. 4 · Está al final.es-TAH ahl fee-NAHL · It’s at the end.
The formal commands siga, gire and tome are what you will hear from strangers. With a friend: sigue, gira, toma.
Perdone,excuse-me¿dóndewhereestáiselthemuseo?museum
“Excuse me, where’s the museum?” Estar for location, always. See ser and estar.
¿Hayis-thereunaafarmaciapharmacyporaroundaquí?here
“Is there a chemist near here?” Hay (there is) for things that may or may not exist; está for a specific, known place.
¿Estáislejos?far
“Is it far?” Lejos (far) and cerca (near) are adverbs: they never change ending.

Transport and tickets

To say how you travel, use en + the vehicle: en tren, en autobús, en avión. The exception is on foot: a pie or andando.

Getting around
Places
Tickets

At the station: buying a ticket

A traveller buys a train ticket from Madrid to Toledo. Spanish timetables use the 24-hour clock; the times follow the patterns in Spanish numbers.

You
UnabilleteticketparaforToledo,Toledoporforfavor.favour
“A ticket to Toledo, please.”
Para for the destination.
Clerk
¿Deofidagoingoordeofidagoingyandvuelta?return
“Single or return?”
Ida (going) and vuelta (return) are nouns from ir and volver.
You
Deofidagoingyandvuelta.return¿Aatquéwhathorahoursaleleaveselthepróximo?next
“Return. What time does the next one leave?”
Salir (to leave) for departures. El próximo = el próximo tren.
Clerk
Aatlasthedieztenyandveinte,twentydelfrom-theandénplatformtres.three
“At ten twenty, from platform three.”
A las + time = “at”. Del = de + el.
You
¿Cuántohow-muches?is
“How much is it?”
Es, not cuesta, when asking for a total.
Clerk
Son(they) areveintidóstwenty-twoeuros.euros
“That’s twenty-two euros.”
Son because euros is plural.
You
¿Seoneselfpuedecanpagarpayconwithtarjeta?card
“Can I pay by card?”
Se puede: “can one…?”, the impersonal way to ask what is allowed.

At the hotel

Check-in follows a predictable script. These are the lines you will say and the questions you will hear, in the order they usually come.

  1. 1 YouI have a booking under the name Smith.
  2. 2 ReceptionistMay I have your passport, please?
  3. 3 ReceptionistFor how many nights?
  4. 4 YouFor three nights.
  5. 5 YouIs breakfast included?
  6. 6 ReceptionistYour room is 204, on the second floor.
  7. 7 YouWhat’s the wifi password?
  8. 8 YouWhat time do I have to check out?

Getting help

The emergency number across the European Union, including Spain, is 112. In most Latin American countries it is 911. These phrases cover the situations travellers meet most.

¡Ayuda!help
ah-YOO-dah “Help!”
Necesito(I) needunamédico.doctor
neh-theh-SEE-toh oon MEH-dee-koh “I need a doctor.”
Meto-meduelehurtsaquí.here
meh DWEH-leh ah-KEE “It hurts here.”
He(I) haveperdidolostmimypasaporte.passport
eh pehr-DEE-doh mee pah-sah-POR-teh “I’ve lost my passport.”
Mefrom-mehan(they) haverobadostolenlathecartera.wallet
meh ahn rroh-BAH-doh lah kar-TEH-rah “My wallet has been stolen.”
¿Habla(you) speakinglés?English
AH-blah een-GLES “Do you speak English?”

Pain is said with doler (to hurt), which works like gustar: me duele la cabeza, “the head hurts me”. The present tense lesson shows its o→ue stem change.

Tengo una reserva: at the hotel

Arriving
TengoI-haveuna reservaa bookinga nombre de Smith.in name of Smith
TEN-goh OO-nah rreh-SEHR-bah ah NOM-breh deh SMEETH · “I have a booking under Smith.”Why: a nombre de = in the name of.
Room
¿Tienenhave-youuna habitacióna roomdoble?double
TYEH-nen OO-nah ah-bee-tah-THYON DOH-bleh · “Do you have a double room?”Why: individual = single.
Problem
El aire acondicionadothe air conditioningno funciona.not works
el AI-reh ah-kon-dee-thyoh-NAH-doh noh foon-THYOH-nah · “The air conditioning isn’t working.”Why: funcionar = to work, for machines.
Leaving
¿A qué horaat what hourhay queone-mustdejar la habitación?leave the room
ah KEH OH-rah AY keh deh-HAR lah ah-bee-tah-THYON · “What time is check-out?”Why: dejar = to leave something behind.

Me he perdido: asking the way

Where to go next

Next guideFood and drinkOrdering in bars and restaurants. Next guideNumbersTimes, prices and platforms. Next guideSer and estarWhy it is ¿dónde está…? Course mapSpanish hubThe full course map.