Traveling where you don't speak the language

[lucybelle]

People do it all the time, and I always tell friends it's no big deal.. but *eek*. I'm fairly well traveled but this is the first time I'm traveling solo to somewhere where I don't speak the language, and I'm nervous! I'm going to Germany for a few weeks, and so it's the same alphabet thank goodness. I also took German way back when and can remember a few words, plus I'm trying to brush up on what I did learn using a website. This weekend I want to try to find a German phrase book and a travel guide, though I'm sort of skeptical that I'll be able to find one. Might just have to wing it. Which is cool. It'll be fun, and I'll be fine.

So have any of you traveled by yourself to places where you didn't speak the language? How was it? Any advice? Thanks!

[CynicalQuixotic]

Germans speak very good English for the most part, so you will definitely be understood, but I've found that in any country it's useful to learn at least a few phrases. I got by in Berlin on just reading what I wanted from the menu/sign and adding "bitte" (please) on the end. "Danke" means thank you. When I bought museum tickets or asked for directions, I greeted them with "hallo," asked in english, and said "danke" when they gave me my ticket/told me where to go.

I really think trying your best goes a long way. No one was ever rude to me or seemed to be annoyed to speak English in Berlin.

[snow_girl]

The nice thing about knowing english is that everyone speaks it. A lot of german words are the same if not very similar so it won't be too hard. Some things to know:

Where is the restroom - Wo ist die toilette?
Do you speak english - Sprecken sie englisch?
Excuse me - Entschuldigung (its fun to say!)
One beer please (this one is important!) - Ein bier bitte (helles is light beer, dunkel is dark, weiss is wheat beer)

If I can think of some more I'll let you know. My german is a little rusty so if if any of you native Germans out there see something wrong please correct me!

But really as long as you attempt anything, even 'do you speak english?' people are helpful and anyone under 30 is usually fluent.

[Moon]

Since my Finnish is mostly limited to cursing, yeah, when he's got to work and I'm wandering Helsinki. If you have an Android or Apple OS phone, go for a language app instead of the phrase book, it's way easier to carry around, and better for finding what you either want to say or need translated. It's especially helpful in restaurants and grocery stores! Also, a quick couple of lessons from www.livemocha.com might get you a few traveler basics.

Have fun, I'm jealous, I really want to get to Germany one of these days!

[lucybelle]

All Germans I've ever met have spoken English really really well with barely an accent at all. I told my sister that but when she went to Germany a few months ago she said "lies!" Told me hardly anyone spoke English at all.

I'm definitely picking more up here at school since just about every free period I have the math teacher is in my room teaching math in German. Obviously that won't help me buy a bus ticket, but just hearing it is good

[CynicalQuixotic]

All Germans I've ever met have spoken English really really well with barely an accent at all. I told my sister that but when she went to Germany a few months ago she said "lies!" Told me hardly anyone spoke English at all.

I'm definitely picking more up here at school since just about every free period I have the math teacher is in my room teaching math in German. Obviously that won't help me buy a bus ticket, but just hearing it is good

I would think it depends on where you are. Most people probably speak English in the big cities in Germany, but if you are in a more rural area, I would assume that most people were monolingual.

[Romeo s Juliet]

when i went to germany for the first time, i was very astonished as to how well germans speak english. you ll be fine

[kittyo9]

I don't think a German phrase book should be too hard to find. I definitely remember some friends of mine bringing one with them when we went to Luxembourg. I think it was a Lonely Planet one.

When I was in Luxembourg, I was fortunate to have friends who spoke French, because I don't speak it at all. I had to go out on my own on a few occasions, though, and there were a few times I had to tell people I'm sorry, I don't speak French! I think that's a very useful phrase to know in whatever language you will be subject to-- "I'm sorry, I don't speak ___. Do you speak ___?" or in this case, "Es tut mir leid, ich spreche kein Deutsch. Sprechen Sie Englisch oder Spanisch?"-- for when you really don't have the vocabulary to say what you want to say. I did encounter a few people who did not speak English while I was in Germany, and many more who spoke it sparingly. It does depend on where you are and who you speak to.

People who run businesses or sell things (like train tickets) tend to speak English. If they don't, there is usually someone there who does.

[lucybelle]

When I was in France I was mostly with a girl who spoke a little French. But I managed to get though when I was by myself knowing "I don't speak French" and "A[nother] glass of white wine please"

I'll look for a phrase book today. The thing is the general population here is not big on traveling and it's difficult to find things like travel books and other-language phrase books. Although I did find a (very expensive) English-Italian dictionary which surprised me!!

You guys's responses is making me feel better

[kittyo9]

You might just wait until you get to Germany if you have a lot of trouble finding one there. I remember getting off at the Luxembourg train station and there was cute convenience store with a whole section of dictionaries and phrase books for travelers.

[mllebamako]

You'll be fine!! My latest trip was to Portugal with my brother and I think I'd only heard Portuguese spoken like once in my life! A couple of days before...yeah we procrastinated...we just google translated the crap out of that language and wrote our own little phrases down in my notebook and started practicing on each other.
It went so well and people were VERY appreciative of the little bit that we had learned. Our basics were: greetings, "where is" questions, ordering food and wine "I'd like..." and lastly, we just learned how to ask "Do you speak English/French?" and "I don't speak Portuguese".

Practice the basics on the plane ride and you'll be fine! Also, like everyone has said, almost ever German I've met (especially younger ones) speak impeccable English with almost no accent.

[kirbycat]

I went to Germany after four years of studying German in school, so the language really wasn't a problem, at least once I got over my nervousness about talking to native speakers. But, like other people have said, most Germans speak at least enough English to help out a tourist. And in my experience, even the people who don't know English are still generous enough to give it their best shot or to use other means of communication to help you. All the phrases mentioned by other posters are good basic things to know, especially the "Ich spreche kein Deutsch, sprechen Sie ___?"

I've been to both France and Italy without more than a few polite phrases under my belt, and never had any big problems. I also traveled to Japan last August, and had about four days in Tokyo all by myself. I'd gone to visit a friend, but she had to work the first few days I was there, and couldn't meet up with me right away. I don't speak a lick of Japanese, and obviously can't read it, but I managed to get around just fine. There was only one train station I went through that didn't have all the signs in both English and Japanese. The only problem was in a couple stores and restaurants, when someone would ask me a question, and even after I made it clear that I couldn't understand, they'd just keep going on in Japanese. I'm sure it's because they couldn't speak English - many people in Japan don't - but they also made little effort to simplify things or try another method of communication. It wasn't really annoying, just a bit frustrating for me (like when the coins I'd given the cashier at a grocery store weren't adding up like I thought, and I couldn't understand why). But it was never a debilitating problem. And 99% of the people there are very kind and accommodating, so I had a very positive experience.

I think as long as you know all the basic safety rules of international travel, and have a good phrase book or some kind of translation tool with you, going to a place where you don't know the language is no problem. Also, the more you know/have prepared before you go, the better. Spontaneous travel can definitely be fun, but you don't want to be stuck in a strange city at night, looking for an open hotel, and unable to ask for directions. Especially not if you're traveling alone.

But I'm sure you'll be fine - you're obviously a confident traveler who knows what she's doing! And Germany's a great place. Where in the country will you be visiting?

[Dziubka]

I've mentioned it like 308631074 times before, but I moved to Poland, not speaking the language at all. It was weird at first and I accidentally bought garlic cream cheese (and tried to eat it with jam ) and buttermilk, but apart from that I was good. It was a really interesting experience, because not only did I not speak even basic Polish, but Polish vocabulary is majorly different. If you know English, you can make out quite a lot of German words, if you know Spanish you can guess Italian, French or Portuguese words. I didn't understand anything and I live to tell the tale (and so do a million other EU volunteers and Erasmus students).
A phrase book or a list of words you might need is helpful, (I usually look up the foods that are meat, so when they appear on the menu I know what not to take) but even without them it shouldn't be too difficult.

Follow my very brave boyfriend's example. He hardly speaks any other language apart from Polish (and as of recently reasonable German) and he has travelled to Lithuania, Hungary, Spain and worked in Ireland Or my grandparents, who travelled through all of Europe and Australia speaking only German. If they managed, then there's no reason you can't.

You speak ENGLISH, you're always going to find someone to help you and you're going to Germany where most people speak at least basic English, enough to give you simple directions or explain the ticket machines. You're going to be fine.

[snow_girl]

You speak ENGLISH, you're always going to find someone to help you and you're going to Germany where most people speak at least basic English, enough to give you simple directions or explain the ticket machines. You're going to be fine.

The ticket machines that have touch screens also always have an english language option...in munich anyway.

[lucybelle]

You speak ENGLISH, you're always going to find someone to help you and you're going to Germany where most people speak at least basic English, enough to give you simple directions or explain the ticket machines. You're going to be fine.

I always think about how lucky I am that English is my native language.

And thanks for your story. I guess I "moved" to Costa Rica the first time without knowing Spanish, but it was to study Spanish so it wasn't that big of a deal to me. I guess it's sort of the same thing.

I think perhaps the biggest worry for me is coming across as the "ignorant American". I don't want to reinforce any stereotypes, but it's also impossible to learn all the languages in the world. (Though Dziubka is pretty damn close) I don't mind sounding silly when I try to speak the language, but I'd hate to come off as "the stupid American that can't do anything right". Ya know?