Learn Spanish for Travel

Build useful Spanish skills for your next trip with the IKARU app. The course combines practical vocabulary, travel phrases, and review.

Where Spanish is useful for travelers

Spanish is useful across Spain and much of Latin America. The course is a practical starting point for the selected travel markets below; vocabulary, accents, and everyday phrasing can change from one country to another.

Spain
Mexico
Argentina
Colombia
Peru
Chile

What you'll find in these travel phrases

Use these Spanish cards as a practical starting point: greet people politely, ask simple questions, and handle common travel moments without relying on a translation screen for every sentence.

Start with useful Spanish greetings and polite requests.
Handle airport, directions, hotel, and travel-disruption moments.
Use short questions to keep a conversation moving.
Continue with broader vocabulary and repetition in the IKARU app.

24 essential Spanish travel phrases

This source-checked set is grouped by the moments travelers are most likely to encounter. It is a practical starting point, not a fixed word-count quota or a replacement for the wider course in the app.

Greetings and politeness

Start with greetings, polite requests, thanks, and a simple goodbye.

Spanish hola

English hello

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish buenos días

English good morning

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish buenas tardes

English good afternoon

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish buenas noches

English good evening / good night

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish por favor

English please

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish gracias

English thank you

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish perdón

English excuse me

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish disculpe

English excuse me / pardon me

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish adiós

English goodbye

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Spanish de nada

English you're welcome

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Understanding and conversation

Keep the conversation moving when you need repetition or a language bridge.

Spanish entiendo

English I understand

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish No entiendo.

English I do not understand.

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish más despacio

English more slowly

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish otra vez

English again

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish Repita, por favor.

English Repeat, please.

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish ¿Habla inglés?

English Do you speak English?

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish ¿Qué significa?

English What does it mean?

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Spanish ¿Cómo se dice?

English How do you say it?

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these when you need the other person to repeat, slow down, or switch languages.

Questions for the journey

Use these building blocks to ask about places, timing, and price.

Spanish qué

English what

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these as simple building blocks for questions while you are travelling.

Spanish quién

English who

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these as simple building blocks for questions while you are travelling.

Spanish dónde

English where

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these as simple building blocks for questions while you are travelling.

Spanish cuándo

English when

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these as simple building blocks for questions while you are travelling.

Spanish cómo

English how

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these as simple building blocks for questions while you are travelling.

Spanish cuánto

English how much / how many

Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set

When to use it

Use these as simple building blocks for questions while you are travelling.

24 source-checked starting phrases · Pronunciation is an aid, not a replacement for listening practice.

A few Spanish notes for travelers

Small details can make a short phrase more useful. Keep these points in mind as you practice the cards below.

One language, many local choices

Words for transport, food, and everyday services can differ by country. Start with neutral wording, then listen for the local version.

Politeness travels well

A greeting, please, and thank you create a better first exchange even when the rest of the conversation switches to another language.

Use the cards as a bridge

These phrases help you begin a conversation or ask a simple question. They are not a complete regional phrasebook.

Language notes and sources

The phrase examples below come from the reviewed IKARU travel-language curriculum. Regional notes explain the scope of this page; wording and register can still vary by country and speaker.