Biggest Mistake Travellers Make in Spain & Latin America:

¡Hola a todos! Soy Romina Romaniello, tu profesora de español de Hola Spanish. Welcome to another Hola Tuesday Spanish lesson!

A couple months ago I travelled throughout Europe for five weeks. It was absolutely increíble! I visited major cities like London, Rome & Paris among many others. Most people in these cities spoke various levels of Spanish and/or English but you can’t expect everyone to do so.

Whenever I was able to use Spanish or English, it was really easy to get around. Making bookings or getting directions was something that would just take seconds of my precious time in holidays. However, there were times when no one could understand a word I was saying. During those times, most people I asked for help would just ignore me. Some kind-hearted people would repeat instructions over and over again in a language completely foreign to me. Nonetheless, they’d persist repeating these instructions although I couldn’t understand them for the life of me. They’d use the same words just increasing the volume each time as if that would help me understand better. It was very frustrating just to say the least!

Today when I look back in my time in Europe, I realise that my best memories are always in places where I managed to communicate. I didn’t have to worry about ordering food, booking hotels, buying train tickets or jumping on the right bus, so I’d sit back, relax and enjoy my holidays. Mark my words: Never underestimate the power of being understood!

I believe that this is the biggest mistake we travellers make: not learning the language of the places we´ll visit. You don´t need to be fluent, even knowing basic phrases would make a world of a difference.

So, if you are planning a trip to Spain or Latin America, you have to watch today’s Hola Tuesday lesson:

While in Latin America or Spain more often than not you’ll meet people that don’t speak a word of English. To get the best out of your holidays learn some Spanish before you go. It’s easy and lots of fun!

We Latino and Spanish people appreciate travellers that make an effort to learn our language. You’ll not be the typical turista (tourist) that just cares about taking a photo with a landmark in the back for Facebook. People will invite you to their homes, show you around, and suggest amazing places to visit that only locals know!

Now we’d love to hear from you! Are you planning to travel to Latin America or Spain? Which places are you hoping to visit? Would you like to learn Spanish before you go? Let us know in the comments down below. Also be sure to subscribe to  our FREE Spanish lessons here if you wish to learn the top ten most useful phrases in Spanish!

¡Adiós! ¡Hasta luego! ♥