100 Essential German Travel Phrases For Travelers With Explanatory Videos
Germany and other German-speaking countries like Austaria and Switzerland are beautiful.
No wonder if you want to visit them! But what if you don’t know how to speak German? Don’t worry!
We’ve got you covered!
First of all, you can check this video by Glossika, where they list 50 essential German travel phrases:
And in this blog post, we’ll teach you the most important German travel phrases: from greetings in German to emergency situations. To add to all of this, we’ll share amazing videos for different scenarios.
1. Basic German greetings and expressions
First things first: when you arrive to your destination, you must know how to greet German people.
Keep in mind, that German natives have their own ways to say good morning in German, and it’s also important to know when to say good night in German.
Here are the most important German travel phrases used for greetings:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Hallo! | Hello! |
| Guten Tag! | Good day! |
| Guten Morgen! | Good morning! |
| Guten Abend! | Good evening! |
| Tschüss! | Bye! |
| Auf Wiedersehen! | Goodbye! |
| Bitte | Please |
| Danke! | Thank you! |
| Entschuldigung | Excuse me |
| Wie geht’s? | How are you? |
2. German basics for introductions
After you said your ‘Hallo!’ and ‘Guten Tag!’, you would want to introduce yourself. right?!
Use ich bin… or ich komme aus… and then ask questions from your conversation language partner.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Hallo, ich heiße… | Hello, my name is… |
| Ich komme aus… | I come from… |
| Ich bin… Jahre alt. | I am… years old. |
| Ich spreche… | I speak… |
| Ich arbeite als… | I work as… |
| Ich studiere… | I study… |
| Was machen Sie beruflich? | What do you do for a living? |
| Wie lange sind Sie schon hier? | How long have you been here? |
| Haben Sie Familie? | Do you have family? |
| Es freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen. | Nice to meet you. |
3. Essential German questions for tourists
As a tourist, you probably need some essential German travel phrases that you can use in any situation.
Here are what we think are the most important German questions!
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wo ist…? | Where is…? |
| Wie komme ich zu…? | How do I get to…? |
| Haben Sie ein Zimmer frei? | Do you have a room available? |
| Könnte ich die Rechnung bitte haben? | Could I have the bill, please? |
| Was empfehlen Sie? | What do you recommend? |
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much does that cost? |
| Gibt es hier in der Nähe…? | Is there… nearby? |
| Könnte ich bitte Wasser haben? | Could I have water, please? |
| Wo ist die nächste U-Bahn-Station? | Where is the nearest subway station? |
| Sind hier in der Nähe Restaurants? | Are there restaurants nearby? |
4. Asking for directions in German
You’re settling in, you’re looking for your hotel or other kind of accommodation, so you need to ask for directions.
Here’s how you can approach this situation:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Gehen Sie geradeaus. | Go straight ahead. |
| Biegen Sie links ab. | Turn left. |
| Biegen Sie rechts ab. | Turn right. |
| Es ist in der Nähe. | It is nearby. |
| Wie weit ist es? | How far is it? |
| Ich habe mich verlaufen. | I’m lost. |
| Könnten Sie das bitte wiederholen? | Could you please repeat that? |
| Ziehen Sie die Karte heraus. | Please take out the map. |
| Ich suche… | I’m looking for… |
| Könnte ich eine Wegbeschreibung bekommen? | Could I get directions? |
5. Common German travel phrases for transportation
You set up on your own path, and now you’re navigating between German streets and regions.
The most important transportation vocabulary is at your hands:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| die U-Bahn | the subway |
| der Bus | the bus |
| der Zug | the train |
| das Ticket | the ticket |
| die Haltestelle | the stop |
| der Flughafen | the airport |
| die Straßenbahn | the tram |
| die Fahrkarte | the travel card |
| Wo ist der Bahnhof? | Where is the train station? |
| Wann fährt der Zug? | When does the train leave? |
Spring German (a project I co-founded) made a fantastic video about all the useful German airport vocabulary, check it now:
6. Learn German travel phrases for accommodation
By now, you’ve landed, you asked for directions, and now, you’re reaching your hotel.
But how do you check-in? How do you ask for the so much need Wi-Fi password?
Don’t worry, just take a look at this table!
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Haben Sie ein Zimmer frei? | Do you have a room available? |
| Ich habe eine Reservierung. | I have a reservation. |
| Wie viel kostet das Zimmer? | How much is the room? |
| Könnte ich bitte ein Zimmer mit Aussicht haben? | Could I have a room with a view, please? |
| Gibt es WLAN im Zimmer? | Is there Wi-Fi in the room? |
| Könnte ich die Schlüssel bitte haben? | Could I have the keys, please? |
| Wann ist der Check-out? | When is the check-out? |
| Könnten Sie mir bitte ein Taxi rufen? | Could you please call me a taxi? |
| Ich brauche zusätzliche Handtücher. | I need extra towels. |
| Gibt es hier Frühstück? | Is there breakfast here? |
Some extras are mentioned in the next Spring German video:
7. Basic German phrases for shopping
Time to enjoy your visit!
Let’s go for a shopping, because German-speaking regions are full of opportunities for buying great things… German brands are awesome!
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie viel kostet das? | How much does that cost? |
| Haben Sie das in einer anderen Größe? | Do you have this in another size? |
| Könnte ich das anprobieren? | Could I try this on? |
| Ich schaue nur, danke. | I’m just looking, thank you. |
| Kann ich mit Kreditkarte bezahlen? | Can I pay with a credit card? |
| Gibt es Rabatte? | Are there discounts? |
| Ich hätte gern… | I would like… |
| Könnte ich bitte eine Tüte haben? | Could I have a bag, please? |
| Das ist zu teuer. | That is too expensive. |
| Haben Sie das in einer anderen Farbe? | Do you have this in another color? |
8. Common German expressions for leisure activities
When you want to have a great time, you take a guided tour, you rent a bike, or visit the parks.
Or maybe you just want a fantastic cinema experience. Here’s how you can talk about these leisure activities:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Was gibt es heute zu tun? | What is there to do today? |
| Ich möchte ins Kino gehen. | I want to go to the cinema. |
| Gibt es hier Parks? | Are there parks here? |
| Was empfehlen Sie für Aktivitäten? | What do you recommend for activities? |
| Könnten Sie mir einen guten Ort zeigen? | Could you show me a good place? |
| Ich liebe es zu reisen. | I love to travel. |
| Wo kann ich ein Fahrrad mieten? | Where can I rent a bike? |
| Gibt es geführte Touren? | Are there guided tours? |
| Was ist das beste Restaurant hier? | What is the best restaurant here? |
| Wie lange dauert die Tour? | How long does the tour take? |
9. Common German phrases for restaurants
German food is kind of special – it might not be the most famous in Europe, but it can have some surprises!
Learn the necessary expression for German food vocabulary on Effortless Conversations.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich hätte gern die Speisekarte. | I would like the menu. |
| Könnte ich die Tagesempfehlung haben? | Could I have the daily special? |
| Ich bin allergisch gegen… | I am allergic to… |
| Das schmeckt lecker! | That tastes delicious! |
| Könnte ich bitte ein Glas Wasser haben? | Could I have a glass of water, please? |
| Ich hätte gern eine Vorspeise. | I would like a starter. |
| Sind die Getränke im Preis inbegriffen? | Are the drinks included in the price? |
| Könnte ich die Rechnung bitte haben? | Could I have the bill, please? |
| Möchten Sie etwas trinken? | Would you like something to drink? |
| Ich hätte gern eine Nachspeise. | I would like a dessert. |
10. German words and phrases for emergency
God forbid you need these German travel phrases for emergencies, but it’s better to be prepared.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Hilfe! | Help! |
| Ich brauche einen Arzt. | I need a doctor. |
| Wo ist die nächste Apotheke? | Where is the nearest pharmacy? |
| Ich habe meine Papiere verloren. | I have lost my documents. |
| Könnten Sie mir bitte helfen? | Could you please help me? |
| Rufen Sie die Polizei! | Call the police! |
| Ich habe ein Problem. | I have a problem. |
| Sind hier in der Nähe Krankenhäuser? | Are there hospitals nearby? |
| Ich fühle mich nicht gut. | I do not feel well. |
| Ich brauche einen Krankenwagen. | I need an ambulance. |
Spring German teacher Brunhild explains what you need to know in German when you visit the doctor’s office:
Learn German phrases for travel with Conversation Based Chunking
We think that the best way to learn German and these German travel phrases is with Conversation Based Chunking.
This method is all about German immersion: listening to the best German podcasts, watching the best German tv shows on Netflix, learning German while driving… basically, surrounding yourself with German every step of the way.
And that’s just the first step: you listen how native speakers talk and use chunks. Chunk are the natural building blocks, the puzzles of German sentences that always go together. So, instead of learning the German words separately, you learn them in context.
This way, you won’t have to remember all the grammar definitions and examples, and instead, you’ll learn to use these German travel phrases naturally.
If you’re interested, you can sign up right now, and we’ll send you a free German Conversation Based Chunking Guide that you can use later on your language learning journey:
