Learn the Top 20 Travel Phrases You Should Know in English

Want to speak real English from your first
lesson?

Yeah!

Vamos a la playa!

Now we’re going to the beach!

Hi, everybody, welcome back to Top Words.

My name is Alisha, and today we’re going to
be talking about 20 travel phrases that you

should know.

So let’s go!

Do you have any recommendations?

The first phrase is “do you have any recommendations?”

This is great to use when you get to a restaurant
where you don’t know what the food is, you

don’t know anything about the local cuisine,
or you’re just feeling a little bit adventurous;

you can ask the waitstaff “do you have any
recommendations?”

How much is this?

This is useful when you’re out shopping or
when you’re in a restaurant, and the price

is not clearly marked or something is not
clear to you, so you can ask “how much is

this?”

Usually, when you point to something, I would
recommend, like, pointing to the menu, pointing

to an item, “how much is this?”

I’d like this.

You can point to something and say, I’d like
this.

If you want to say, I’d like one, for example,
I don’t know, you’re getting beer, I’d like

one of these.

If, however, you’re in a situation where you
can’t point, you can say, “I’d like ten

of the blah blah blah.”

I’d like ten of blue t-shirts, please.

Can I try this on?

It’s useful when you’re shopping for clothes.

So you found something that you’d like to
try, just ask the staff “can I try this on?”

You can just say “I want to try this on” if
you like.

Do you speak Englis?

You might get asked this phrase, so you should
say, if you’re watching this videos you’d

probably say “yes,” or you can say “yes, a
little.”

If you’re not feeling very confident, if you’re
watching this video and you’re understanding

this part and you say “no” then that’s a little
strange.

I have a reservation.

Usually, the staff will greet you and you
can say I have a reservation.

Hello, I have a reservation, it’s at 7 o’clock,
the name is Alisha.

Usually, we say “the name is” or “it’s under,”
meaning the reservation is under my name or

it’s for (name), or it’s in (name).

Water, please.

Depending on which country you’re from, water
may or may not automatically be brought to

your table when you’re in a restaurant.

If you would like more water, however, you
can say “water, please” to make it a little

more polite.

I would like, wave at the waitstaff and say
“could I please have some more water?”

Do you take credit cards?

In case you’re not sure if the shop that you’re
in will accept credit cards or debit cards,

you can ask them “do you take credit cards?”

And so it doesn’t mean “do you take” meaning
are you going to take my card, but this “take”

means do you accept credit cards.

This isn’t what I ordered.

So if you’re at a restaurant, you order steak
and you get lobster instead; you can look

at it and go “ah! this isn’t what I ordered.”

Be careful though, saying this politely if
you look at the waitstaff and you say this

isn’t what I ordered, they’re going to be
like, I don’t know, just be a nice customer.

“Excuse me, but I don’t think this is what
I ordered” or “this isn’t what I ordered,

can you please check?”

Could we have the menu, please?

If for some reason you don’t receive a menu
when you come to the table, you can again

just wave to a member of the staff and say
“could we have the menu, please?”

Could you give me a discount?

Could you give me a discount means “I would
like a cheaper price.”

Essentially, it depends on which country you’re
in, if haggling or bargaining, meaning talking

to the seller to try to reduce the price,
my family didn’t bargain we didn’t haggle,

so I don’t haggle depends on you and your
culture.

But just, yeah, just be aware of the culture
that you’re in, and the place that you’re

in before you ask this question.

Do you have any vegetarian dishes?

Ah!

This is useful!

Some people have specific eating requirements
or eating needs, maybe food allergies, for

example.

You can replace vegetarian with the specific
dietary requirement that you have, “do you

have any vegan dishes?”

“Do you have any gluten-free dishes?”

“Do you have any low-fat dishes?”

“Do you have any low-carb dishes?”

“Do you have any fish-free dishes?”

Do you have any…

Could you take a picture of me, please?

If you are in a location where you would like
to take a picture but you don’t want to do

a selfie, or you don’t have a selfie stick
or whatever, you want someone else to take

a picture of you, a stranger that you don’t
know, you can ask them “could you take a picture

of me, please?”

Or “Excuse me, would you mind taking a picture
of me, please?”

I’m allergic to…

If you have a food allergy or even an allergy
to a medicine, this is the phrase you can

use to explain that.

I’m allergic to wheat, or I can’t eat wheat,
for example.

Is the Wi-Fi free?

Meaning “can I use the Wi-Fi free of charge?”

Keep in mind some places have a password that
you have to ask the staff for, so you can

say “is the Wi-Fi free?”

If they say yes, you can then follow that
up with “can I have the password?”

I’d like to have a non-smoking seat, please.

So when you go to a restaurant you have an
option between smoking and non-smoking sections;

the staff will say smoking or non-smoking.

You can say I’d like to have a non-smoking
seat, please.

Quite honestly though, the most natural response
is just to say “non-smoking.”

Could I get a map?

Maybe it’s a map of the subway system for
the city that you’re in or maybe it’s a map

of the area around your hotel, you could say
“could I have a map” as well.

Could I have the check?

You’re finished at the cafe, you’re finished
at the restaurant, and it’s time to leave,

it’s time to pay; so you say to the waitstaff
“excuse me, could I have the check?”

Another more common expression, perhaps, is
“excuse me, check please.”

You might also hear “bill.”

Excuse me, can I have the bill?

Where is the bathroom?

Very important question, if you’re traveling
in America we don’t really use the word toilet

or washroom very much, we use bathroom or
restroom to talk about toilet facilities.

“Excuse me, can you tell me where the bathroom
is?” or “excuse me, I’m looking for the bathroom,”

or “I’m looking for the restroom.”

Is this the train for…?

Or is this the train that goes to…? to confirm
with someone that I’m indeed on the correct

train line.

If I say, is this the train bound for San
Francisco?

You can use that to check if you’re correct.

So that’s the end those are 20 travel phrases
that you can use when you’re traveling in

an English speaking country.

Give them a try, I hope that they go well
for you, of course, there are many different

variations on these themes so be sure to experiment
a little bit.

Thanks very much for watching this episode
of Top Words, and we will see you again soon.

Bye!

The things that I do before I travel to a
country where I cannot speak the language,

I actually learned numbers.

Ok!

Fin!