How is your Spanish these days?  Maybe you have spent hours in Spanish classes and utilized some computer based learning.  Maybe you have developed a relationship with a native Spanish speaker in your city and have spent numerous evenings chatting in a coffee shop to work on your pronunciation.  Maybe you have listened to Spanish music participated in Spanish forums, and watched Spanish films and you feel completely prepared to travel to a Spanish speaking country and communicate competently with the locals.  Or maybe your last Spanish course was sometime in high school and your Spanish skills are so rusty that you are not sure if you will be able to resurrect any remnant of vocabulary, grammar or syntax from your stubborn brain.  However, you are still planning that vacation to a Spanish speaking country and are preparing to wing it.  Make sure you at least have these phrases under control before you embark on your adventure.

l        ¿Cuánto cuesta? – How much does it cost?  If you are anywhere near a market on your trip you will undoubtedly encounter an aggressive vendor who wants to convince you that you can’t live without some sort of trinket.  The culture of these kinds of markets is to barter with the vendor.  They will walk away snickering to themselves if you agree to purchase their merchandise at the first price that they offer you.  When you ask how much something costs in a market, don’t take the first offer unless you are in a hurry or feel like supporting a pushy sales person.  The key is to pretend like you don’t need what they have and be willing to walk away at any moment.  This will help you get a great deal on a fun souvenir.

l        Me gustaria… – I would like…  As you learned in your Rocket Spanish lessons, this is the polite way to order something when you are eating out at a restaurant.  There are a couple of other phrases that you can use, but stick with this one to sound very nice.  You can’t go wrong with me gustaria.  Now you just have to figure out how to say whatever you want to eat in Spanish, and that part could be a little more challenging.

l        Necesito ayuda. - I need help.  Hopefully, you will have a great, fun trip and you will never need to use this phrase.  But in case of emergency you want to able to communicate that you are in trouble.  It may be obvious to those around you if you are hurt or having some sort of crisis.  However, it is always important to know how to tell this to others so that you can get the help you need if something unfortunate happens during your trip.

l        Muchas gracias ? Thank you very much.  You will find unlimited opportunities to use this phrase in your travels.  Taxi drivers, hotel clerks, servers and anyone else who you interact with on your journey will certainly appreciate a sincere thank you in their native language, even if you can’t say anything else to them.

l        ¿Cómo voy a…? – How to I get to…?  Navigating through a foreign country is usually a challenge.  It would not be surprising if you find yourself lost at some point.  In this case, it will be important for you to know how to ask for directions.  It may be challenging to understand if the person you ask for help does not speak English at all.  You may be able to piece together some directions by using hand gestures and motions.  If all else fails, flag down a taxi and ask them to take you where you want to go.

l        ¿Dónde está el baño? – Where is the bathroom?  This is probably one of the most well known questions that English speakers know how to ask in Spanish.  When you have to go, you have to go.  So be sure that you know how to ask where you can relieve yourself so that you can continue enjoying your vacation without an unfortunate incident.

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