Do you have tips on traveling in countries where you do not speak the language?

by Freya
(Canada)

I'm sure you get this question all the time, but do you have tips on traveling to countries where you do not speak the language? I'm a young first time solo traveler, and one of the points that makes me the most nervous is not being able to communicate well with local people, especially if I need help/directions or get lonely. I will be traveling to Costa Rica, Argentina, France, Czech Republic and Norway. Do you have any country specific info that might be useful?

Answer:

You're right, Freya, it's a common question - and rightly so, since most people do not speak the languages of the countries they're visiting!

First, a few general tips. I'd try to learn a few common phrases, just the basics - where is, how do you say, please, excuse me, thank you, how much does it cost... that sort of thing. If you're challenged by languages, and many people are, I'd suggest a good phrase book or two.

Lets see. Costa Rica and Argentina are both Spanish-speaking, although you'll find more English speakers in Costa Rica since there are so many travelers from North America. France - is France. Don't expect much English because you won't find it outside a very few places, such as major tourist attractions in Paris or Provence. Even there... Norway shouldn't actually be a problem because many Scandinavians speak excellent English, and most speak at least a bit. I spent some time there and never had a problem being understood. As for the Czech Republic, German and English as a second language are common but if you're headed to the rural areas, a phrase book might be helpful. Bottom line: English is the second language in many countries, so finding someone who speaks English and can help you out is never impossible.

If you're in desperate need of English-language companionship, here's where I'd head: a youth or backpackers' hostel (it usually takes about 5 minutes to meet someone in the lobby), an American church, a student center or university campus, an English-language bookstore, McDonalds, or any place mentioned in popular guidebooks like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. All the countries you mentioned will also have an American Women's Club or a British Council office (you'll find these easily on the web - but these should be your last resort).

Another option might be for you to prepare some encounters beforehand. Even if you don't stay with anyone, couchsurfing or similar hospitality groups have plenty of members who want nothing more than to meet English-speaking travelers from other parts of the world for a few hours.

There are also some fantastic expat blogs with forums where you can post questions before you go and make a few friends. I'd try Expat Forum, Expat Blog, or Expat Exchange.

Here are a few country-specific links that could be useful - after you've looked at the official government and commercial travel sites, of course. For the Czech Republic, try getting in touch with Dean and Martina at My Prague Sights. In Costa Rica, Doug at Travel Costa Rica Online might be able to help with recommendations. If I were headed to Argentina, I'd browse through Argentina's Travel Guide and, if you're headed there, there's Living in Patagonia. In Norway, there's Best Norwegian for the coastline and My Beautiful Norway for everywhere. Finally, in France, the Anglo Info portal is filled with useful information.

Still need more? Then go to Twitter.com and try finding the members and tweets for #argentina #costarica #prague and so on. Bon voyage!

Photo credit: Tran's World Production via Flickr CC

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