Lesson 09 · 7 min read
Spanish for Travel and Asking Directions
Traveling in a Spanish-speaking country is far easier with a few key phrases. This lesson covers transport, directions, and the polite questions that get you where you need to go.
1. Getting around
Transport nouns usually appear with "en": en tren, en autobús, en coche. The exception worth remembering is on foot, which is "a pie". To say where you are going, "ir a" is the pattern — "voy a la estación".
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el aeropuerto | airport |
| la estación | station |
| el tren | train |
| el autobús | bus |
| el taxi | taxi |
| el billete / boleto | ticket |
| el hotel | hotel |
| la maleta | suitcase |
2. Directions
Directions are given as short imperatives — "siga recto", "gire a la derecha" — usually in the polite usted form to a stranger. Note that "a la derecha" and "a la izquierda" both keep the feminine article, because the noun they hide is "la mano", the hand.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| a la derecha | to the right |
| a la izquierda | to the left |
| todo recto | straight ahead |
| cerca | near |
| lejos | far |
| aquí | here |
| allí | there |
| la esquina | the corner |
3. Useful travel phrases
Opening with "perdone" or "disculpe" before you ask anything is close to obligatory and changes how the answer comes back. If the reply is too fast, "más despacio, por favor" is far more effective than pretending you understood.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ¿Dónde está la estación? | Where is the station? |
| ¿Cómo llego al centro? | How do I get to the center? |
| Un billete para Madrid, por favor. | A ticket to Madrid, please. |
| ¿A qué hora sale el tren? | What time does the train leave? |
| Estoy perdido. | I am lost. |
4. Understanding the answer
Asking for directions is the easy half. The hard half is that the reply comes fast, from someone who knows the area and assumes you do too. The single most useful thing you can do is ask them to slow down and then repeat the key part back to them for confirmation. Directions in Spanish lean on a handful of landmarks and prepositions that recur constantly: al lado de, enfrente de, detrás de, hasta el final, en la esquina. Learn those six and you will follow most answers even when you miss individual words.
| Spanish | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| al lado de | next to | Está al lado del banco. — It's next to the bank. |
| enfrente de | opposite | El hotel está enfrente de la plaza. — The hotel is opposite the square. |
| hasta el final | to the end | Siga hasta el final de la calle. — Carry on to the end of the street. |
| en la esquina | on the corner | Gire en la esquina. — Turn at the corner. |
| ¿Está lejos? | Is it far? | ¿Está lejos de aquí? — Is it far from here? |
Use it in context
A single arrival — off the train, asking the way, finding the hotel.
- —¿Dónde está la estación? —Todo recto, y luego a la derecha.
'Where is the station?' 'Straight on, then right.' - Un billete para Madrid, por favor.
A ticket to Madrid, please. - ¿A qué hora sale el tren?
What time does the train leave? - El hotel está al lado de la estación.
The hotel is next to the station. - Perdone, estoy perdido. ¿Está lejos el centro?
Excuse me, I'm lost. Is the centre far? - El taxi está en la esquina, enfrente del hotel.
The taxi is on the corner, opposite the hotel.
Common mistakes
Voy a pie a la estación en coche → Voy a pie / Voy en coche
Transport usually takes en — en tren, en autobús — but a few go with a instead: a pie and a caballo. En pie exists as well, though it means standing upright.
Estoy caliente en el autobús → Tengo calor en el autobús
Same trap as in the food lesson, and it comes up constantly while travelling. Use tener calor.
Gira a la derecho → Gire a la derecha
Derecha (right-hand side) and derecho (straight ahead) are different words, and to a stranger you would use the polite usted imperative gire, not the tú form gira.
Quick check
Voy ___ tren. — en / a
Show the answer
en — Transport usually takes en. A pie and a caballo are the ones that go with a.
a la derecha means… — to the right / straight on
Show the answer
to the right — Todo recto is straight on.
Which asks where the station is? — ¿Dónde está la estación? / ¿Cuándo está la estación?
Show the answer
¿Dónde está la estación? — Cuándo asks when, not where.