· 7 min read
German Phrases for Travel: 45 for Tourists
By Language Lab editorial team
45 German phrases for travel and tourists: greetings, hotel, directions and tickets, shopping, and eating out, with meanings. From the BBC's German lists.
German for a trip starts with a small set of short phrases. Guten Tag is hello, bitte is please and danke is thank you. Entschuldigung gets attention, and wo means where; the answers you will hear are geradeaus, straight ahead, rechts, right, and links, left. Haben Sie... ? asks whether a hotel or shop has something, and Was kostet... ? asks what something costs. To order, say Ich möchte or Ich hätte gern, I'd like. Die Rechnung, bitte asks for the bill. If you need help, Sprechen Sie Englisch? means do you speak English. The 45 phrases below are grouped by situation and come from the BBC's German Quick Fix lists.
First words
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| guten Tag | hello |
| bitte | please |
| danke | thank you |
| ja | yes |
| nein | no |
| entschuldigung | excuse me |
| Sprechen Sie Englisch? | Do you speak English? |
| Wie bitte? | pardon? |
| auf Wiedersehen | goodbye |
At the hotel
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| das Hotel | hotel |
| Haben Sie ... ? | Do you have ... ? |
| das Zimmer | room |
| das Doppelzimmer | double room |
| das Einzelzimmer | single room |
| das Badezimmer | bathroom |
| Wie viele Nächte? | How many nights? |
| Ihr Name, bitte. | Your name please. |
| der Personalausweis | passport, identity card |
Wie viele Nächte? and Ihr Name, bitte are what the receptionist says to you. German builds long words out of short ones, and the hotel list shows it nicely: Zimmer is room, Doppelzimmer is double room, Einzelzimmer is single room and Badezimmer is bathroom.
Directions and tickets
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| wo | where |
| der Bahnhof | train station |
| der Bus | bus |
| Gehen Sie ... | Go ... |
| geradeaus | straight ahead |
| rechts | right |
| links | left |
| um die Ecke | around the corner |
| in der Nähe | nearby |
| die Fahrkarte | ticket |
| einfach | single |
| hin und zurück | return |
Shopping and money
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Kann ich helfen? | May I help? |
| Was kostet ...? | How much does ... cost? |
| Das macht ... | That is ... |
| der Geldautomat | cash machine |
| Das gefällt mir. | I like that. |
| Sonst noch etwas? | Anything else? |
Eating out
| German | Meaning |
|---|---|
| die Speisekarte | menu |
| Was nehmen Sie? | What are you having? |
| Ich hätte gern ... | I'd like ... |
| Ich möchte ... | I'd like ... |
| ein kleines/großes Bier | a small/large beer |
| der Kaffee | coffee |
| Guten Appetit! | Enjoy your meal! |
| Die Rechnung, bitte. | The bill, please. |
| Wo ist die Toilette, bitte? | Where's the toilet, please? |
Three short exchanges
Built only from phrases in the tables above.
- At reception. You: Guten Tag. Haben Sie ein Einzelzimmer? Hello. Do you have a single room? Receptionist: Wie viele Nächte? How many nights? Then: Ihr Name, bitte. Your name, please.
- In the street. You: Entschuldigung, wo ist der Bahnhof? Excuse me, where is the train station? Passer-by: Gehen Sie geradeaus, links, um die Ecke. Go straight ahead, left, around the corner.
- In a café. Waiter: Was nehmen Sie? What are you having? You: Ich möchte einen Kaffee, bitte. I'd like a coffee, please. Later: Die Rechnung, bitte. The bill, please.
How to learn them quickly
- Start with the frames: Haben Sie ...?, Ich möchte ..., Was kostet ...? Each takes any noun.
- Learn each noun with its article, der, die or das, as the BBC lists them. German courses treat the articles as a topic of their own.
- Say everything aloud and test yourself from the English side.
- Spread it over a week. A 2013 review of learning research rated practice testing and distributed practice as high utility, and rereading as low.
- Add listening: Deutsche Welle's Deutschtrainer teaches vocabulary on 100 everyday topics with audio, free of charge.
Language Lab's German course is built around voiced real-life scenarios with an AI tutor, so you can practise the reception desk, the station and the café out loud.
Frequently asked
What are the most useful German phrases for tourists?
Guten Tag, bitte and danke, then Haben Sie ...? for do you have, Was kostet ...? for how much does it cost, Ich möchte ... for I'd like, and Die Rechnung, bitte for the bill.
How do I ask for directions in German?
Entschuldigung, then wo ist and the place, for example Wo ist der Bahnhof? Listen for geradeaus, straight ahead, rechts, right, links, left, and um die Ecke, around the corner.
How do I ask if someone speaks English in German?
Sprechen Sie Englisch?
How do I buy a train ticket in German?
Die Fahrkarte is the ticket. Say einfach for a single or hin und zurück for a return.
How do I order in German?
Ich möchte or Ich hätte gern, followed by what you want and bitte. Both mean I'd like.
How do I ask for the bill in German?
Die Rechnung, bitte.
Sources: BBC Languages, German Quick Fix: basic, accommodation, food and drink, shopping, getting around and social phrases (archived pages); Deutsche Welle, Learn German; Dunlosky et al., Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2013. Checked on 13 October 2026. Photo: The Old Bridge, castle and old town of Heidelberg, Jörg Braukmann / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).
