How do I get to?
Perdone, por favor, ¿cómo se llega al centro?Excuse me, how do I get to the city centre?¿Cómo se llega a la estación de tren?How do we get to the railway station?¿Para ir al Museo Picasso, por favor?How do I get to the Picasso Museum, please?¿Para ir a la estación de autobuses es por aquí?Is it this way to the bus station?Perdone, ¿por dónde se va a Segovia?Excuse me, which way do I go for Segovia?Am I going?
¿Voy bien para el aeropuerto?Am I going the right way for the airport?¿Vamos bien para la autopista?Are we going the right way for the motorway?¿Va usted al aeropuerto?Do you go to the airport?¿Para usted en la plaza de España?Do you stop in the plaza de España?Where is?
Perdone, ¿dónde está la consigna?Excuse me, wheres the left luggage office?Por favor, ¿dónde está la parada de taxis más cercana?Wheres the nearest taxi rank, please?¿Dónde están los servicios?Where are the toilets?¿Sabe usted de dónde salen los autobuses a Torrejón?Do you know where the buses to Torrejón leave from?Perdone, ¿dónde se compran los billetes, por favor?Excuse me, where do I buy a ticket, please?To ask which bus, which platform, which line, and so on, you use ¿Qué? followed by a noun.
Which?
¿Qué línea tengo que coger?Which line do I need to take?¿De qué vía sale el tren a Vilanova?Which platform does the train for Vilanova leave from?¿Qué autobuses van al centro?Which buses go to the centre of town?You may need to find out what time something is due to happen at or what time your bus, train or flight is scheduled to go. To do this, you can use ¿A qué hora? (What time?).
What time?
¿A qué hora embarcamos?What time are we boarding?¿A qué hora empieza el metro?What time does the underground open?¿A qué hora llegamos a Valencia?What time do we get to Valencia?¿A qué hora sale el siguiente vuelo para Madrid?What times the next flight for Madrid?¿A qué hora sale el primer tren de la mañana para Tarragona?What times the first train in the morning to Tarragona?On your travels, you may also need to find out if something is available in a particular area. Just use the same Spanish word, ¿Hay? to ask Is there? and Are there?.
Is there?
¿Hay una gasolinera por aquí cerca?Is there a petrol station near here?¿Hay una parada de metro por aquí?Is there an underground station near here?¿Hay descuentos para estudiantes?Is there a student discount?¿Hay servicios en la estación de tren?Are there any toilets at the train station?¿Hay tren directo hasta Barcelona?Is there a direct train to Barcelona?Dont forget that there are two verbs which both mean to be in Spanish ser and estar. For information on when to use them, see here.
Is it?
¿Está lejos?Is it far?¿Está cerca de aquí?Is it near here?¿Está en el centro de la ciudad?Is it in the town centre?¿Está ocupado este asiento?Is this seat free?¿Está incluido el seguro?Is the insurance included?¿Es ésta la parada para el museo?Is this the right stop for the museum?Perdone, ¿es éste el tren que va a Toledo?Excuse me, is this the train for Toledo?To ask how much something is, use ¿Cuánto cuesta? or ¿Cuánto vale? (How much is?) with a singular noun and ¿Cuánto cuestan? or ¿Cuánto valen? (How much are?) with a plural noun.
How much is?
¿Cuánto cuesta un billete a Madrid?How much is a ticket to Madrid?¿Cuánto cuesta dejar una maleta en consigna?How much does it cost to leave a case in left luggage?¿Cuánto vale el vuelo?How much is the flight?¿Cuánto cuestan las tarjetas de diez viajes?How much are cards that are valid for ten journeys?¿Cuánto costaría alquilar un coche dos días?How much would it cost to hire a car for two days?¿Cuánto me cobraría por llevarme a Tarragona?How much would you charge to take me to Tarragona?How long?
¿Cuánto se tarda en llegar a Figueres?How long does it take to get to Figueres?¿Sabe cuánto se tarda de León a Madrid?Do you know how long it takes from León to Madrid?¿Cuánto tardaremos en llegar allí?How long will it take us to get there?¿Cuánto dura el viaje?How long is the journey?When travelling, youre very likely to want to ask about how often buses, trains and so on run. To do this you can use ¿Cada cuánto tiempo? (How often?) with a verb in the present tense.
When travelling, youre very likely to want to ask about how often buses, trains and so on run. To do this you can use ¿Cada cuánto tiempo? (How often?) with a verb in the present tense.
How often?
¿Cada cuánto tiempo pasa el autobús a Sitges?How often does the bus to Sitges run?¿Cada cuánto tiempo hay vuelos a Londres?How often is there a flight to London?¿Cada cuánto tiempo sale un tren para Vilafranca?How often is there a train to Vilafranca?To find out if somethings available, whether youre asking an assistant about car hire, timetables, or seating, youll need to use the question ¿Tienen? (Do you have?). Its from the verb tener. For more information on tener, see here.
Do you have?
¿Tienen monovolúmenes de alquiler?Do you have people carriers for hire?¿Tienen coches más pequeños?Do you have any smaller cars?¿Tienen horarios de trenes?Do you have train timetables?¿Le quedan asientos de pasillo?Have you got any aisle seats left?ASKING FOR THINGS
Just as in English we can ask for something by saying a, please, in Spanish you can say un, por favor or una, por favor, depending whether the thing youre asking for is masculine or feminine. Alternatively, another very natural way to ask for things is using ¿Me da? (Can I have?).
Can I have?
Un billete sencillo, por favor.A single, please.Tres billetes de ida y vuelta a Cáceres, por favor.Three returns to Cáceres, please.¿Me da un mapa del metro?Can I have a map of the underground, please?¿Me da un horario de trenes?Can I have a train timetable, please?¿Me da un billete de ida y vuelta a Madrid?Can I have a return to Madrid?To say what youd like or what you want, you can use either quiero or quisiera (Id like). They come from the verb querer. For more information on querer, see here.
Id like
Quiero alquilar una bicicleta.Id like to hire a bike.Quiero denunciar la pérdida de mis maletas.Id like to report my luggage missing.Quisiera un billete de ida a Alicante.Id like a single to Alicante.Quisiera billetes de ida y vuelta a Zaragoza para dos adultos.Id like two adult returns to Zaragoza.You can also use ¿Puede? and ¿Podría? (Can you? and Could you?) when asking whether someone can do something for you. They are both from the verb poder. For more information on poder, see here.
Can you?
¿Puede avisarme cuando estemos cerca del museo?Can you tell me when were near the museum?¿Puede dejarme aquí?Can you drop me here?¿Puede decirme cómo se llega a la cathedral?Can you tell me how to get to the catedral?¿Podría comprobar la presión de los neumáticos?Could you check the tyre pressure?¿Podría comprobar el nivel de aceite?Could you check the oil?Can you take me?
¿Me lleva al Barrio Gótico, por favor?Can you take me to the Barrio Gótico, please?¿Me lleva al Hostal Principal en la avenida de Vilanova, por favor?Can you take me to the Hostal Principal in avenida de Vilanova, please?Al Hotel Don Sancho, por favor.To the Hotel Don Sancho, please.ASKING FOR PERMISSION
Use ¿Puedo? or ¿Se puede? (Can I?) to ask whether you can do something. These come from the verb poder (to be able). For more information on poder, see here.
Can I?
¿Puedo pagar con visa?Can I pay by visa?¿Puedo pagar con tarjeta?Can I pay by card?¿Se puede abrir la ventanilla?May I open the window?¿Se puede fumar en el tren?Is smoking allowed on the train?To ask someone if they mind if you do something, you can use ¿Le importa que? (Do you mind if?) followed by a verb in the present subjunctive. For more information on the subjunctive, see here.
Do you mind if?
¿Le importa que ponga mi maleta en el portaequipajes?Do you mind if I put my suitcase on the rack?¿Le importa que me siente aquí?Do you mind if I sit here?SAYING WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO
To say what you have to do, you can use tengo que (I have to) followed by an infinitive. tengo comes from the verb tener (to have). For more information on tener, see here.