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15 essential Spanish travel phrases

9 December 2024
Sacred Valley

We can’t emphasise enough how much it can enhance your experience in Latin America if you spend a short while before your trip learning a few Spanish phrases. The locals you will encounter are some of the warmest and most hospitable people you could wish to meet, so why not return the favour with a small token of respect by impressing them with a Spanish phrase or two?

We’ve been specialising in travel to Central and South America for over 30 years and can tell you that knowing just a little can go a long way!

Here are 15 very simple yet essential phrases you can learn to use on your trip:

1) Hola - Hi

2) Por favor / Gracias - Please / Thankyou

3) Buenos días / Buenas tardes / Buenas noches - Good morning / Good afternoon / Good evening

4) ¿Cómo estás? - How are you?

5) Mucho gusto - Nice to meet you

6) Me gustaría - I would like

7) Yo necesito - I need

8) ¿Tiene? - Do you have?

9) ¿Dónde está? - Where is?

10) ¿Cuánto cuesta? - How much does it cost?

11) ¿Qué hora es? - What time is it?

12) A la derecha / A la izquierda  / Siga derecho - On the right / On the left / Straight ahead

13) A una cuadra / A dos, tres, cuatro cuadras- In one block / In two, three, four blocks

14) El baño - The bathroom

15) Banco / Dinero / Cambio / La cuenta - Bank / Money / Change / The bill

And finally, if all else fails:

Yo (no) entiendo - I (don’t) understand

¿Habla inglés? - Do you speak English?

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  • Charlotte
    Charlotte Daubeney - Travel Expert

    Charlotte's fascination with Latin America began with a family holiday to Belize. She went on to study Spanish in school and at university before spending a year living in Santiago, Chile.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Sophie
    Sophie Barber - Travel Expert

    Sophie lived in Chile before joining us and has travelled extensively across Latin America, from Mexico to the furthest tip of Patagonia and beyond to Antarctica.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

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