50 common phrases for travel, in 4 languages

Why do we need 50 common phrases for travel? Well, as a graduation gift, we booked a western Mediterranean cruise for me, my husband, and two daughters who recently graduated from high school. While planning the trip, I realized that none of us spoke the languages of the countries we would visit. I did remember a handful of phrases from high school French 20 years ago. One daughter took a couple of years of high school Spanish, and the other some high school Latin. How would we communicate with the people we encountered in these foreign countries?

Sure, a lot of Europeans speak English, too. But it didn’t feel right to rely on other people to speak my language, in their country. I figured we should at least make an effort to speak their language when in their country. So I put together a list of common words and phrases we might need on the trip. Since we were visiting multiple countries, we needed translations in French, Spanish, and Italian.

Lessons Learned:

It was well worth the effort it took to gather the list. While in Cannes, France, waiting for a train at the station, with the train operators on strike and therefore running limited service, my husband went to buy me a cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant while I located the restrooms. He met me halfway across the train station with the bad news that he didn’t get my breakfast, because the café workers did not speak English. My husband had not even tried to use the 50 common phrases for travel that I gave him in four different languages.

So, I walked into the café and immediately greeted the worker with “Bonjour!” and a smile, and tried to order a “café au lait” and a “croissant au chocolat”. The worker nodded, and began speaking English to me! She was fluent in English, and appreciated that I at least tried to speak her language. Apparently, my husband’s lack of effort offended her, and she pretended to not understand him.

I suspect my attempt to speak the native language also helped when we were in Rome, and I found myself in desperate need of a restroom. Running into a small restaurant, inquiring “il bagno”, an employee took pity on me and nodded to the restroom, even though I wasn’t a customer. I made sure I bought a small pastry on my way out.

50 words/phrases, 4 languages:

Here is the list of 50 common phrases (or words) for travel, especially with a family. Print a copy of this list out and carry it with you on your adventures for quick reference!