Crash Course: Basic Spanish Every Traveler in Mexico Needs
There’s nothing worse than finding yourself in the middle of a country, realising you don’t quite speak the language as well as you thought you did, if at all. Mexico can be particularly disorientating, though, even for those well-prepared travellers who do speak Spanish, thanks to the country’s penchant for densely referential slang and minorly amusing accents. To help you out, here’s a crash course guide to all the Spanish you’ll need during your time in this welcoming country.
The Basics
If you only want to know enough Spanish to scrape by, all the while hoping the person you’re speaking to knows a bit of English, this is the section for you: the bare-bones basics.
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CentralAmerica
1. Guatemala
An express adventure for those with limited time off. Prepare yourself incredible experiences. You will hike a volcano, visit mayan temples and witness a ceremony and take in beautiful colonial Antigua.Next
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2. Belize
A quick trip not too far away for those seeking a relaxing mini break. You will have plenty of free time to relax but also some awesome activities to experience the rainforest and the caribbean sea. Next
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3. Mexico
An exciting mini trip exploring the lesser known colonial towns of central Mexico. This is hte perfect trip for someone with limited time off and still wants to turn on explorer mode and do something different. SouthAmerica
1. Ecuador
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A wonderful train journey around Portugal, from the romantic city of Porto to the Douro Valley, to the beautiful Aveiro all the way to Lisbon and Sintra. The perfect trip to train, culinary and culture lovers. Asia
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3. Sri Lanka
A fantastic adventure that showcases Sri Lanka's fantastic landscapes, wildlife and flavours. With 3 epic rail journeys, 3 UNESCO heritage sites and time to relax, this trip has loads to offer at a great price Africa
1. Morocco
An epic journey across Morocco: from Casablanca to Marrakech, through the blue city of Chefchaouen to the wonders of the desert and deep to the High Atlas Mountains - this trip has it all! Ideal for true explorers!Next
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2. Egypt
From Cairo to Aswan, this trip brings the land of the pharaohs to life. You'll visit the Pyramids, Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple and cruise down the Nile in style. This is the perfect way to explore Egypt. Next
The Everyday Stuff
Again, this is for the traveller who isn’t really interested in making conversation with the locals, but who wants to be able to navigate through their day with ease and politeness. It includes the common greetings and sayings you’ll need to be familiar with on a daily basis in Mexico.
The Key Questions
Questions (and question words) are crucial if you want to be able to string together even the most basic of sentences in Spanish. We’ve already mentioned a few that are more rhetorical greetings than anything, but here are some of the other crucial questions you’ll probably want to remember.
The Food and Drinks
The highlight of many countries is often the food, and this applies perhaps even more so in Mexico, which has a world-famous street food culture and some of the most critically acclaimed restaurants in the world. While this section is just a brief introduction to the basic vocabulary, we have more detailed information on tacos, street food, and ordering tips and tricks in other articles.
Getting Around
Unless you’re renting a car or going everywhere on foot, chances are you’ll need to use public transport at some point on your journey and that means talking to someone, however briefly, in Spanish. Plus, you’ll definitely need some knowledge of directions in Spanish, particularly in Mexico.
Mexican Slang
For the advanced Mexico traveller, the slang is perhaps the most important part of all, especially if you want to fit in with the locals. While the range of Mexican slang is vast, extensive and complicated, these are the words you’ll probably need most often.
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