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331,309 travel language stock photos, vectors, and illustrations are available royalty-free for download., composition of "welcome" messages in many different written languages, black texts on white background.

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16+ Best Languages to Learn for Travel, Plus How to Study on the Go

Travel and language were made for each other.

If you need reasons to learn a foreign language , travel is definitely a good one.

In fact, travelers have more reason than just about anyone else to learn a new language!

If you dream of going to far-off lands and speaking with the locals like it’s nothing, then this post is for you.

Keep reading for the best languages to learn for travel, why you should learn one and how to do it.

3. Mandarin Chinese

8. portuguese, 9. cantonese, 11. indo-malay, 12. hindustani, 13. bengali, 15. swahili, other world languages to learn for travel, why travelers should study languages, how to learn a language for travel, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

Most useful in: Every continent, but North America and Europe in particular

As you’re probably well aware, English is the modern world’s lingua franca .

Throughout the last century, English has grown in international importance. Though it stemmed from Britain’s colonial conquests, it also owes much of its global prominence to American imperialism.

English is less varied throughout North America , and most speakers should understand just about everything they hear from the most remote parts of Canada to either coast of the U.S., though English could also be called “the European traveler’s best friend.”

Thanks to high levels of education and a decidedly global outlook, English is particularly handy in Europe. You shouldn’t expect to get into deep philosophical debates in Italian coffee shops or Russian bars, but you can count on finding enough English speakers to at least give you basic assistance and a little company in nearly every large city throughout the continent.

In fact, throughout most parts of the world frequented by tourists , people understand at least a few basic English travel phrases .

Most useful in: South and Central America, Europe

Spanish is another handy world language for travelers in Europe. Outside Spain, its commonalities with Portuguese and Italian will help you get through its southern European neighbors as well.

Where Spanish really shines, however, is in Latin America —it’s the unifying force from the Rio Grande to Patagonia and beyond. Additionally, most Spanish-speaking travelers will find Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, California and South Florida all relatively easy to navigate in Spanish; most large North American cities have sizable Hispanic populations, as well.

Don’t get discouraged if you learn the language and can’t understand it in some regions. Parts of the Caribbean and the Southern Cone of South America are notoriously difficult for non-natives and even some native Spanish speakers to understand.

One should also be forewarned that remote areas of the Americas, especially in southern Mexico and Andean countries, may lack Spanish speakers entirely and instead have large populations who speak an indigenous language as their first (and possibly only) language.

Some pre-trip classes or just a few important Spanish phrases will be majorly helpful in these parts of the world.

Most useful in: East Asia

As not only the language with the most speakers in the world but also the official state language of the largest country in Asia, Mandarin Chinese is an obvious big name on this list.

Many visitors to China arrange to take organized tours, often led by Mandarin-speaking officials. While English tours are certainly available, speaking a bit of Chinese will almost certainly ingratiate you to your guide and any locals you get a chance to meet.

For the even more adventurous, a sturdy level of Mandarin will help you navigate the enormous country of China more independently, although you’ll find there are a vast amount of dialects with varying degrees of mutual intelligibility.

Mandarin is also the official language of Taiwan , a radical travel alternative to Mainland China. Although the island nation doesn’t technically exist according to most of the world, knowing some Chinese will help you better enjoy its tropical weather, high level of development and relatively cheap cost of travel and living.

Most useful in: Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, North Africa

French isn’t only a good choice for France, but it’s also still popularly learned by educated people throughout Europe .

Further, large parts of North Africa and the Middle East were parts of the French Empire before World War II, and the French language remains prominent and even official in many of the former colonies . The vast majority of middle-class people in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Lebanon still speak fluent French.

French will also serve well in Quebec, French Guiana and the Caribbean Islands, and might open up some interesting chats in southern Louisiana, where Cajun French still runs strong. Throughout mainland Southeast Asia as well, older, educated citizens of the former French colonies of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos are likely to speak some of the colonial language.

There’s a high likelihood that many people you meet in cities will be fluent in French, and you may find that many are happy to chat with a curious traveler, if you have the must-know French travel phrases under your belt.

Most useful in: The Middle East, Northern Africa

Modern Standard Arabic is a good starting point for anyone interested in this multifaceted language, but you can choose a specific variety of Arabic if you have a certain destination in mind.

Egyptian Arabic is a common choice. This isn’t just because of its relative economic and political power, or the fact that Egypt is the most populous Arab country, but because the Hollywood of the Arab World is in Cairo, the heart of both Arab cinema and the place where most foreign films are dubbed.

Another option is Gulf Arabic , one of the widest-reaching dialects. This version is used and understood throughout the Gulf States and in large swaths of Saudi Arabia.

In general, Arabic is an increasingly popular choice for language learners because of its up-and-coming economic potential .

Most useful in: Europe

German is your all-access pass to central Europe and beyond.

Germany is close to the geographic, political and financial centers of Europe , so it makes sense that this powerful country’s equally powerful language penetrates far and wide. Native-speaking countries include Switzerland , parts of Belgium and Luxembourg, Austria and mother Germany herself.

The German language will come in handy far beyond these borders , however. Young people throughout the Netherlands, the UK and Central Europe are learning German more and more as its namesake country increasingly offers jobs and opportunities to young Europeans.

The youths aren’t the only ones who know a bit of Deutsch , though. Huge guest worker populations from Eastern Europe and the Balkans have now spent several decades working in Austria and Germany, leaving many members of the middle generation of these countries fairly proficient German speakers.

A few common phrases will be sure to make your Central European tour sehr gut (very good).

Most useful in: Europe, Asia

The official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will see you from the Baltic Sea all the way to the Bering Strait.

While the Soviet Union never existed in many young travelers’ lifetimes, one of its convenient legacies is the widespread use of the Russian language it left behind.

Aside from the countries in which it’s an official state language, there’s a long list of other Eastern European and West Asian countries that formally recognize Russian as a minority language, including Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Moldova, Georgia, Romania and Norway.

And, while not official, its important role as a significant minority language or inter-ethnic language will assure Russian-speaking travelers easy communication in part or most of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Mongolia and Uzbekistan, as well.

Most useful in: Africa, South America, Europe

Portuguese is of course the language of Portugal , though Brazilian Portuguese is just as (if not more) popular than its European counterpart .

It could be just the language you want to learn for travel through South America, in fact. While it’s limited to one country of the continent, Brazil happens to be the fifth-largest country in the world , full of some of the most appealing tourist destinations in the world.

But Portuguese, as a result of many years of colonialism, is also spoken in a geographically scattered collection of African countries : Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau and the island nation of São Tome and Principe.

Angola is notoriously stingy with its tourist visas, making it nearly impossible for Western travelers to get in, and thus making it something of an internationally undiscovered gem. Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau aren’t as difficult to travel to, but you’ll find their infrastructure reflects the fact that all three are among the least developed countries in the world.

Most useful in: Southern China

Sometimes forgotten in the shadow of big brother Mandarin, Cantonese is another enormous world language spoken both in China and beyond its borders.

As the most prestigious variety of the Yue language, Cantonese (along with other languages with which it’s mutually intelligible) is used by 60 million speakers spread across southern China, Hong Kong and Macau .

Cantonese has a bit more geographic reach than Mandarin, as the vast majority of Chinese expat communities in East and Southeast Asia—and in most of the world—are Cantonese speakers. From the Yokohama Chinatown on Tokyo’s south side to the capitals of Southeast Asia, in almost any big Asian city, you’ll find at least a small community of Cantonese speakers.

Most useful in: Southeast Asia

This is a language that’s practically begging travelers to become expats.

Thailand is currently one of the most popular destinations for “digital nomads,” people who work remotely from their laptops (particularly Westerners, it seems).

If you’re looking to go location independent or just want to spend a few months in one of the cheapest expat-friendly countries in the world, then some Thai lessons would help you get a deeper and more authentic experience of the country.

Beyond Thailand’s borders, some Thai speakers will also understand Laotian , spoken in its even cheaper but less developed neighboring country, making a Laotian vacation an excellent option for Thai-speaking expats based in popular cities like Chiang Mai or Bangkok.

Most useful in: Southeast Asia, Oceania

The fuzzy boundary between the Indonesian and Malaysian languages coincides with the fuzzy geographic boundary between what’s conventionally known as Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Largely because of those fuzzy boundaries, learning the language referred to in Malaysia as “Malay” and in Indonesia as “Indonesian” will put you in touch with about a quarter of a billion locals scattered across these thousands of islands.

Also helpful is the fact that it’s incredibly easy to learn : Indo-Malay’s lack of verb tenses and simple grammar means a couple weeks of intensive courses at the beginning of your trip should leave you reasonably prepared for everyday basic communication—and if you stick to it, your skills will only improve as you hop from island to island.

Most useful in: Asia

Hindustani is the super-language of India and Pakistan. India is already a hot backpacking and luxury travel destination, and Pakistan is steadily climbing its way up as it improves its security and infrastructure.

Between these two giant countries, four hundred million native and second language speakers use Hindi or Urdu, two standard dialects of the giant language linguists call Hindustani.

Throughout northern India and most of Pakistan, Hindi or Urdu will be spoken by nearly everyone you meet , and for many people this will be their native language (the English they learned in school takes a back seat as a third or fourth language for most).

A few well-placed phrases in Hindi or Urdu are your best shot at charming your way into the hospitality and natural beauty of India and Pakistan.

Sandwiched between giants like India and China, plus the tourist attractions of Southeast Asia, Bengali is still a great language for travelers, especially those looking to be on the cutting edge.

There are 200 million speakers in Bangladesh and India’s Bengal province . Bangladesh and the neighboring Indian province are densely populated parts of the Bay of Bengal, with some of the most beautiful and undiscovered wildlife in the world.

Bangladesh hasn’t really reached mainstream travel itineraries yet, but its tourism industry is growing . If you want to get there before it gets cool, brush up on your Bengali and book a flight!

Most useful in: The Middle East

This is the official language of Iran . Americans may still have more trouble getting visas than others, but this country is a rapidly up-and-coming travel destination.

Ask any backpacker who’s been there and they’ll rave about hospitality, openness and well-educated people. Imagine how much more of that you could soak up with some basic Farsi!

The same language, under various different national names, is spoken in Afghanistan and parts of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan . While that first name probably won’t be a popular vacation destination any time soon, the latter two are becoming more and more common legs of Central Asian tours.

Most useful in: East Africa

Swahili is East Africa’s own lingua franca. While native to only a small population of five million or so, it’s spoken and understood by 150 million people , stretching from eastern parts of the Congo to the Indian Ocean shores of Tanzania and Kenya.

The majority of the most spectacular safari countries are situated in the Swahili language area, so speaking the language might allow you to take a more authentic safari or another tour that’s more geared towards locals.

Most useful in: Southeast Africa

Though among the poorest regions on earth, Southeast Africa is also raved about by visitors as one of the friendliest and most welcoming .

From the hippo-filled Okavango Delta of Botswana, throughout Zimbabwe and to the remote northern beaches of Mozambique, Shona is the mother tongue of most locals you’ll meet.

Learn a few words of Shona and visit the nature of the Zimbabwean countryside, or enjoy the well-maintained roads and highly developed cities of Botswana. Even simple phrases like “thank you” or “your country is beautiful” are sure to endear you to everyone you meet.

Depending on where you plan on going, you may want to make your language learning even more niche than some of the options above.

Here are a few additional languages you might choose to learn to make your global travels a bit smoother, or at least a bit friendlier:

Japanese is spoken by a large population, with 125 million speakers, but its limitation to travelers is that it doesn’t go very far outside Japan.
Korean is spoken by about 75 million people, although a good number of them are in North Korea (still not very tourist friendly) and the rest are mostly in South Korea, so it’s also a relatively location-specific tongue as well.
Dutch is the national language of Suriname and six Caribbean Islands, and it’s an official language in Belgium and the Netherlands in Europe, too.
Quechua is one of the biggest indigenous languages of the Andes, and will get you far in more remote areas of South America.
The Serbo-Croatian dialects of the Balkans are all mutually intelligible, and will give you a priceless opportunity to ditch the resorts and explore natural beauty that can’t be beat in the rest of Europe.
Turkish will help you not only in Turkey but also in regions that speak similar Turkic languages in Central Asia.
Hausa in West Africa is a large Bantu language with many millions of speakers and lots of mutually intelligible dialects.
Amharic is spoken by nearly 22 million people in Ethiopia, which is arguably the African continent’s most culturally distinct country due to its unique history.
Telugu can be handy in South Asia, specifically in India, as it’s spoken and understood throughout several of the southern states.
Tibetan will give you priceless access to cultural opportunities if you want to trek into the remote regions of Tibet and northern China in Asia.
Tagalog is the official language of the Philippines in Southeast Asia, and Spanish speakers will find it easy and even familiar.

Of course, there are plenty of factors to consider when deciding which language to learn . Perhaps the most important aspect, however, is your interest in said language.

If you’re planning to travel to a place that speaks a foreign tongue, that likely means you’re interested in the culture and the way of life in that place. This is great motivation for when language learning seems a bit more challenging than you expected.

So, if you really don’t know what language to learn for your travels, pick the one that captures your attention the most !

Language learning takes time and effort. If you’re on the fence about whether it’s really worth learning a language for your travels, let me argue in favor of it with these points:

The local language can help you during your travels. You may be able to haggle and get discounts. You can ask for directions and assistance. It might even save your life (or at least some money) in case of emergencies.
You’ll have a more authentic travel experience . Language is the key to a treasure chest full of history, authentic cultural experiences and new friends. You’ll be able to find out what a place is really like by chatting with locals, who can usually offer advice, tips and/or company on your excursions.
The right language(s) can take you many places. You may have noticed that many languages on the list above are spoken in more than one country, and often (thanks to colonialism) on more than one continent, too. By knowing more than one or two languages, you greatly increase your ability to communicate anywhere in the world.

There are many resources and blogs out there for learning a language that will help you prepare for your journey.

To get ready for a trip abroad, you can start by reading travel guides and phrasebooks—you’ll arrive knowing about the destinations, local language, culture, etiquette and customs. Lonely Planet has travel guides and phrasebooks for virtually every region and language under the sun, so it’s a great place to start learning.

Apps are also an option if you prefer pocket-sized language guides. Dictionaries and flashcard apps are super handy for immediate translations and language practice, while programs like FluentU are helpful for authentic language immersion whenever you have time to spare.

Anything you can do to prepare yourself before traveling makes a difference. But if you want to continue learning while you’re on the go, you have additional options:

Teach English in your destination country. If you’re reading this, chances are you speak English. Use this skill by teaching as you travel. The best part is that you generally don’t need previous experience to start . Teaching English will also offer you a way to earn money as you travel.
Live with a host family. This is a great way to learn a language. Living with people who speak your target language means you’ll hear and use it every day out of sheer necessity. In fact, immersion language learning is one of the most effective and natural ways to learn a new language.
Volunteer. Volunteering with a local non-profit or humanitarian organization is also a great way to learn new languages while traveling—with the bonus that you’ll be helping people in need at the same time.
Ask lots of questions. Actually using the language is perhaps the fastest way to learn it. Ask locals about their favorite restaurants or places to visit, or ask for directions (even if you already know where you’re going!). Remember: When it comes to learning a language, the focus isn’t the destination but the people you’ll learn from along the way!

We know there are a ton of benefits for learning a language, but no one benefits from it as much as a world traveler.

If you’re planning a big trip in the near future or dreaming of traveling the world one day, you can start brushing up on your language skills today!

If you dig the idea of learning on your own time from the comfort of your smart device with real-life authentic language content, you'll love using FluentU .

With FluentU, you'll learn real languages—as they're spoken by native speakers. FluentU has a wide variety of videos as you can see here:

FluentU App Browse Screen.

FluentU has interactive captions that let you tap on any word to see an image, definition, audio and useful examples. Now native language content is within reach with interactive transcripts.

Didn't catch something? Go back and listen again. Missed a word? Hover your mouse over the subtitles to instantly view definitions.

Interactive, dual-language subtitles.

You can learn all the vocabulary in any video with FluentU's "learn mode." Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

FluentU Has Quizzes for Every Video

And FluentU always keeps track of vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You get a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

14 Best Languages for Traveling

by Munira Maricar - Last updated on May 2, 2023

Traveling to a foreign country can be an exciting and enriching experience , but it can also be challenging if you can't speak the local language. Knowing even just a few basic phrases in the local language can go a long way toward connecting with locals and making your trip more enjoyable.

two people sitting near green trees overlooking Florence architecture in the background

Ready to make your trips even more meaningful? The best languages to learn for travel will get you there.

We'll explore the best languages to learn for travel and provide language learning tips for travelers. So, get ready to find out about the best languages for traveling internationally and starting planning your next adventure.

How learning a language makes travel more meaningful

Learning a new language can make traveling a more meaningful and rewarding experience. Not only can it help break down communication barriers, but it can also provide insight into the local culture and way of life.

Firstly, speaking the local language can make travel easier and more enjoyable. Simple tasks like ordering food or asking for directions become much easier when you can communicate with locals in their own language. This can lead to a more authentic travel experience as you are able to connect with locals on a deeper level and gain a better understanding of the local customs and traditions.

Learning a new language also provides a window into another culture. Language and culture are closely intertwined, and by learning the language, you are also gaining insight into the way of life and values of the people who speak it. This can lead to a greater appreciation and understanding of the country you are visiting.

Finally, learning a new language is a valuable skill that can benefit you in many areas of life, not just when traveling. It can open up new job opportunities , help you make new friends , and even improve cognitive function.

[ Get a discount on language classes with Lingoda ]

14 best languages to learn for travel.

Here are the 14 best languages for traveling:

Spanish is an incredibly important language to learn for travel. It is the second-most spoken language in the world , making it a valuable language to know for travelers. With over 20 countries speaking Spanish as an official language , including Spain , Mexico , and much of Central and South America, knowing Spanish can be a huge asset while you’re off seeing the world.

Learning Spanish is relatively easy compared to other languages. Its grammar is straightforward and its vocabulary is largely derived from Latin, making it easy to recognize words and understand their meanings. In summary, Spanish is an important language to learn for travel due to its widespread use, its ability to help you connect with locals, and its relative ease of learning.

Best place to learn: Mexico
Recommended program: Learn Spanish and Surfing in Mexico

Put your French skills to good use by touring boulangeries while you’re traveling.

French is an important language to learn for travel for several reasons. Firstly, it is an official language in 29 countries , widely spoken in Western Europe, Africa, and Canada , so knowing French can be useful for those traveling to these regions. French is also considered one of the most romantic languages and is often associated with high culture. It is the language of literature, art, and cuisine, and knowing French can provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of these areas.

Finally, learning French is a valuable skill that can benefit you in many areas of life, not just when traveling. It is one of the official languages of the United Nations and is widely used in the fields of business, education, and diplomacy. Whether you're traveling to Paris, Montreal, or any of the other French-speaking regions, knowing French can greatly enhance your travel experience.

Best place to learn: Morocco
Recommended program: ISA Study Abroad in Meknes, Morocco

3. Mandarin

Mandarin is the most spoken language in the world , making it a valuable language to know for travelers. With over 1.3 billion speakers , Mandarin is the official language of China and Taiwan, making it a great choice for travelers to these regions. Knowing Mandarin can provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of Chinese culture.

China is a country with a rich history and unique traditions, and knowing Mandarin can help travelers gain a better understanding of these areas. Learning Mandarin can also benefit you in many areas of life beyond travel. China has become an economic powerhouse in recent years and knowing Mandarin can open up new job opportunities and business partnerships.

Best place to learn: Singapore
Recommended program: LTL Language School || Learn Chinese (8 Cities)

Arabic is the fifth most spoken language in the world and is the official language in over 20 countries , including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco. It is one of the best languages to learn for travel as popular tourist destinations in the Middle East and North Africa operate in Arabic.

Arabic is a language with a rich cultural history. Arabic literature, music, and art are revered around the world, and knowing Arabic can provide a deeper appreciation and understanding of these areas. Furthermore, the Middle East is an area of increasing global importance, and knowing Arabic can open up new job opportunities in the future.

Best place to learn: Egypt
Recommended program: Arabic Language Intensive Program (ALIN) at AUC

flock of birds in front of ornate building

You can’t go wrong by learning Hindi if you’re planning a trip to India.

Hindi is a critical language to learn if you're planning on traveling to India . It's one of the more commonly spoken languages of India and is spoken by over 500 million people worldwide , so knowing Hindi can really come in handy when communicating with locals.

Another cool thing about learning Hindi is that it can give you a better appreciation and understanding of Indian culture. India is a really diverse country with a rich history, amazing food, and Bollywood films loved around the world.

Knowing Hindi can help you better understand and appreciate all of these things. It is also a stepping stone toward learning other Indian languages and even Sanskrit if you’re interested in pursuing a more spiritual path someday!

Best place to learn: India
Recommended program: Homestay Hindi Language Immersion Program in Jaipur, India

If you're planning a trip to East Africa, you might want to consider learning Swahili. Swahili is a really important language in East Africa and is spoken by over 140 million people . It’s the official language of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda , making it one of the best languages for traveling—and it’s also a really beautiful language!

Swahili has a melodic quality to it that many people find really pleasing to the ear. Plus, it has lots of words and phrases that just roll off the tongue in a really satisfying way.

Another reason why people enjoy speaking Swahili is that it's a language with a lot of history and cultural significance. Swahili has been spoken for centuries, and it's a language that's deeply tied to the region's culture and traditions. So for many people, speaking Swahili is a way to connect with their heritage and identity.

Best place to learn: Tanzania
Recommended program: Swahili Language Course in Tanzania

Thailand is a popular tourist destination known for its beautiful beaches, vibrant cities, and rich cultural heritage. Knowing Thai can help travelers navigate the country more easily and communicate with locals, which can enhance their overall travel experience. In addition, Thai is the official language of Thailand and is spoken by about 60 million people worldwide .

Learning Thai can be a gateway to understanding the culture and traditions of the Thai people and can help travelers connect with locals on a deeper level. But why do people want to learn Thai? Well, for one thing, Thai is a tonal language, which means that the meaning of a word can change based on the tone used to say it. This makes it a fascinating and challenging language to learn, and many people enjoy the intellectual challenge of mastering Thai.

There are plenty of reasons why Thailand is a top tourist destination, and learning Thai will take your visit to another level.

Furthermore, Thai has a rich and diverse vocabulary, with many words that don’t have direct translations in English. This means that learning Thai can expand the ways in which you can express yourself. Thai people are known for their warmth and hospitality, and knowing Thai can help travelers form meaningful connections with locals and gain a deeper understanding of Thai culture.

Best place to learn: Thailand
Recommended program: Thai Language Course and Immersion in Chang Mai, Thailand

8. Portuguese

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal, Brazil, and several other countries in South America and Africa. This means that knowing Portuguese can be really helpful if you're traveling to any of these regions, as it can make it a lot easier to communicate with locals and really immerse yourself in the culture.

In addition, Portugal and Brazil are known for their amazing food, music, and art, and speaking Portuguese can help you better appreciate and understand these aspects of their cultures. From the samba rhythms of Brazil to the fado music of Portugal, the Portuguese language is deeply intertwined with the cultural fabric of these countries.

With its lilting rhythms and romantic intonations, Portuguese is a language that's often described as melodic and poetic. Portuguese also has a unique ability to convey a wide range of emotions and sentiments.

From expressing love and passion to conveying sorrow and longing, Portuguese is capable of evoking powerful emotions and feelings. Whether you're sharing stories over a glass of port wine in Porto or chatting with locals at a samba club in Rio, knowing Portuguese can help you forge meaningful connections with people from all walks of life.

Best place to learn: Brazil
Recommended program: Study Portuguese Language Online or in Salvador, Brazil

Italian is the official language of Italy, and it is also spoken in parts of Switzerland and Croatia. Italy is a popular tourist destination, known for its stunning architecture, rich history, and delicious food.

Italy is also known for having an aging population—many elderly people in Italy likely do not speak English. Italians are known for their friendliness, and knowing Italian can help travelers navigate the country more easily and communicate more efficiently, which can enhance the overall travel experience and help you tap into that Italian wisdom!

person walking down stone street with people sitting outside

That could be you, enjoying the Italian sunshine, getting ready to make conversation with locals.

Italian is also a beautiful language with a rich cultural history. From the art and literature of the Renaissance to the operas and music of the modern era, Italian has played a significant role in shaping Western culture. As one of the Romance languages, it can be your gateway to other languages like Spanish, French, and Portuguese—or it will be a much easier endeavor picking up Italian if you already have a foundation in these other languages!

Best place to learn: Italy
Recommended program: Learn Italian in Tuscany at Il Sasso Language Institute

Korean is the official language of both North and South Korea and is spoken by about 75 million people worldwide , including in parts of China and Japan. Learning Korean is a great idea if you’re interested in that region. Firstly, South Korea is a very attractive place to visit , with their delicious food, rich history, and cutting-edge technology. Korean is also a unique language with its own distinct writing system and grammar rules.

Many people are drawn to the challenge of learning Korean and enjoy the intellectual stimulation that comes with mastering a new language like this. Furthermore, South Korea is a major player in industries like technology, entertainment, and automotive manufacturing. Knowing Korean can not only open up potential future opportunities but will also allow you to appreciate K-pop and K-dramas on a deeper level!

Best place to learn: South Korea
Recommended program: Summer Korean Immersion Program with Homestay in Seoul

German is a widely spoken language in Europe and has over 100 million speakers worldwide . Learning German can be a gateway to understanding the culture and traditions of German-speaking countries like Germany , Austria, and parts of Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy.

German is a language of innovation and industry, with a reputation for precision and efficiency. Many people are drawn to German because of its association with fields like engineering, science, and technology, and see it as a valuable skill to have in today's global marketplace. Furthermore, German is a language with a rich cultural heritage, with contributions to fields like philosophy, literature, and music.

From the works of Kant and Nietzsche to the operas of Wagner, German has played a significant role in shaping key European history. Finally, German people are known for their directness and honesty, and knowing German can help travelers form meaningful connections with locals with a better understanding of cultural barriers.

Best place to learn: Austria
Recommended program: Eurolingua Study Abroad Program - German in Vienna

12. Japanese

temple surrounded by trees with mountain and sun in the background

Japan’s iconic sights are calling. Start studying Japanese and get your answer ready!

People all over the world are interested in learning Japanese for a variety of reasons. Japanese is the official language of Japan and is spoken by over 130 million people worldwide . Apart from Japan, it is also widely spoken in Brazil due to the early immigration of Japanese people for many generations. Learning Japanese can be a gateway to understanding the culture and traditions of Japan, from historic art dating back centuries to contemporary manga and anime.

The language itself is immensely fascinating. Japanese has many honorifics and polite language expressions that are used to show respect and politeness in social interactions. These honorifics can be used to show respect to someone of higher social status or to express gratitude, and are an important part of Japanese culture and language .

Japanese vocabulary also includes onomatopoeic words. These are words that imitate sounds, like "pika-pika" for sparkling or "gacha-gacha" for clattering. Onomatopoeic words are used frequently in Japanese and add a fun and playful element to the language.

Japanese has a rich and diverse vocabulary, with many words and phrases that don't have direct translations in English. This means that learning Japanese can help you think in new and different ways. Japanese people are known for their politeness and hospitality, and knowing Japanese can help travelers form meaningful connections with locals and minimize language gaps.

Best place to learn: Japan
Recommended program: Meiji Academy - Study Japanese in Fukuoka

13. Russian

Russian is spoken by over 258 million people worldwide and is an official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan . It is also widely spoken in other former Soviet republics like Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, making it one of the best languages to learn for travel. Many people in these countries learned Russian as a second language during the Soviet era, and it remains an essential language for business and communication.

Knowing Russian as a traveler will allow you to appreciate the richness of such countries and the vast diversity it has to offer. Russian is known for its complex grammar rules and unique vocabulary. For example, Russian has a rich system of word endings that indicate grammatical cases, which can be challenging for English speakers to learn.

All that studying will pay off when you can handle grammatical cases with ease.

In addition, Russian has a lot of loanwords from other languages, particularly French and German, which add to the richness and diversity of the language. Russian is also spoken by diaspora communities all over the world, particularly in the United States, Israel, and Germany. These communities often maintain cultural and linguistic ties to Russia and use Russian as a means of communication and cultural expression.

Best place to learn: Latvia
Recommended program: Russian as a Foreign Language in Daugavpils, Latvia

14. Turkish

Turkish is the official language of Turkey and is spoken by over 80 million people worldwide , including in parts of Cyprus and Bulgaria . Turkish is a language that many people aiming to be polyglots want to master as the language is known for its agglutinative nature . This means that words are created by stringing together different morphemes which can result in long and complex words and can be challenging for English speakers to learn.

In addition, Turkish has many loanwords from other languages, particularly Arabic and Persian. These loanwords add to the richness and diversity of the Turkish vocabulary and can be interesting for language learners to explore.

Furthermore, Turkish is a vital language for trade and commerce, with Turkey being a major player in industries like textiles, agriculture, and tourism. Turkish media like drama series and music are also gaining popularity lately, so learning this beautiful language will allow you to appreciate and indulge in a wider variety of art forms.

Best place to learn: Turkey
Recommended program: Turkish Language Course and Immersion in Istanbul, Turkey

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Traveling is a great motivator for learning a new language.

Which of these languages will you choose to learn first?

Learning even a few basic phrases in any of these languages can greatly enhance your travel experience and help you connect with locals. Exploring the world is a never-ending journey, and enhancing your experience by learning various languages will be priceless.

Not only is learning a language a great way to improve your own capabilities, but it’s also a great way to connect with people around the world and appreciate other places! So why not give it a try and see where your language learning journey takes you?

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The 7 Most Useful Languages for Travel (and How to Learn Them!)

Post author By Damon Lane
Post date September 7, 2023
8 Comments on The 7 Most Useful Languages for Travel (and How to Learn Them!)

Learning a new language for travel is a great way to feel a deeper connection to the places you visit and the people you meet. Many of us dream of being able to converse freely and fluently with people wherever we go. But with more than 6,500 languages spoken in the world today, it isn’t practical to learn them all.

So which languages are most useful for travel, and how should you go about learning them?

In this guide, we detail the top 7 languages to learn for travel and provide tips and resources to make language learning easier.

Our experience learning languages for travel

When we were first bitten by the international travel bug, we knew our travels would take us to many countries that were not natively English-speaking. So, our language-learning journey began!

We went to a book store and picked up a book about Switzerland, the first country we eventually visited in Europe. The cover of the book looked so cool. There were mountains… and skiers… and snow. All the things that we enjoy!

The book also mentioned all the languages that are spoken in Switzerland: German, English, Italian, Spanish, French… and then something called Swiss-German. Children in Switzerland, and in much of the world, are taught a second language beginning in grade school, if not younger.

Yet foreign language is still not something that is actively and earnestly taught in the US public school system until at least high school.

That is when we decided to learn another language… maybe two… or three. And we made it our goal to ensure our daughter learns a second language, as well.

Table of Contents

The 7 best languages for travel to learn

If you want to learn a second language for travel, you first need to determine which language would be most beneficial and useful during your travels.

Here are the top languages that have the most travel value and why.

The fact that you are reading this in English tells me you are likely already a native English speaker or at the very least fluent in the language.

So, you probably don’t need to learn English. However, I included it on the list because in terms of the top languages for travel, English is undoubtedly number one.

There are 67 different countries in the world where English is the official language, as well as numerous non-sovereign entities. Residents from countries like the United States , United Kingdom, and Canada speak English as their native language.

Surprisingly, English is even the official language of the Central American country of Belize and of many of the countries on the continent of Africa.

Additionally, many countries teach English as a second language beginning in kindergarten. So nearly 20 percent of the world’s population, or 1.35 billion people can speak some English.

However, don’t think you can get by everywhere just by knowing English. Because that leaves more than 75 percent of the world who do not speak or understand English at all.

Aside from English, Spanish is one of the most important languages to learn for travel.

It is the official language in at least 20 countries – and a large section of two continents. If you want to travel to Spain , Mexico , or to most countries in Central America and South America , Spanish will be beneficial.

Spanish is also the second most-spoken language in the United States. An estimated 13% of US residents speak Spanish as a first language.

As a romance language, learning Spanish also makes it easier to learn other romance languages like French, Italian and Portuguese.

For English speakers, Arabic is a challenging language to learn, at least compared to Spanish. Arabic has its own alphabet, grammatical complexities, and pronunciation.

Additionally, there are a lot of different dialects of Arabic that can make learning it difficult.

But, since Arabic is the official language of 26 countries, including areas where international tourism is growing rapidly, like Dubai, UAE and Morocco , it is one of the best languages to learn for travel.

If you have a desire to visit the Middle East or any of the countries in Northern Africa, you should at the very least learn some Arabic.

Mandarin Chinese

Mandarin Chinese makes our list of the best languages for travel, simply because it is the most spoken language in the world.

Although only 5 countries have Chinese and one of its dialects, like Mandarin, as the official language, many of those countries are extremely populated.

So, if you have a desire to see the Great Wall of China , any of the fascinating sites in Beijing or elsewhere in China, Mandarin Chinese is a useful language.

And considering Beijing is one of the best places to visit for a family vacation in Asia , learning at least a few key phrases would be a good idea.

In fact, Mandarin is a good language for travel and for business, and will always be as long as companies around the world continue to outsource production to China.

Like Spanish and Arabic, French is widely spoken around the world. There are 29 countries where French is the official language.

So, if you dream of Paris to see one of the most famous bridges in Europe or you want to wander around the Louvre and gaze at famous European statues and paintings, or explore beautiful gothic cathedrals , French is a great language to learn.

French is also spoken in parts of Canada , like Quebec and even in some of the Caribbean islands, like St. Martin .

Portuguese is a romance language, like French and Spanish. While Portugal is the home country for the language, it is not the largest country that uses the language.

Portuguese is also the official language of Brazil, the largest country in South America.

Portuguese is spoken in 10 countries around the world, and if you want to visit Lisbon or any of these other popular places in Portugal , learn a few words and phrases in Portuguese to make your trip easier.

While Russian may not be widely spoken in many countries, learning it can help you get by in one of the largest, most populated countries in the world, and in several of the countries that neighbor Russia.

There are currently only 4 countries where Russian is the official language: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. But it is the seventh-most spoken language in the world, with more than 258 million native speakers.

Even if you have no desire to ever travel to Russia, the language is still spoken by many people in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, particularly in the countries that were once under Russian rule.

Two bonus languages to learn for travel

Although the seven languages above are the most beneficial languages for travel, it may make sense for you to learn others that aren’t on this list.

The language you will use the most

A great language for you to learn would be the one that you would use the most, even if it is not one of the more widely spoken languages above.

If you have grandparents from Japan , for example, it might make more sense for you to learn Japanese to communicate and connect with your relatives and your heritage.

In fact, in this example it would also be helpful to learn about the culture and the unique Japanese habits and customs so you can preserve and honor your heritage, as well.

The language that interests you

Another great language to learn would be the one that interests you the most. For instance, if you are of Polish descent and are interested in learning Polish, do it!

Even if no one in your family still speaks Polish and you have no plans to travel to Poland , if the language interests you, you will be more likely to stick with it.

Why you should learn a language for travel

Travel is a great way to learn. In fact, many of our favorite family travel quotes revolve around the idea that travel is the best form of education.

Through travel, you can learn so much about the world and its history, and about other cultures and religions. But to truly connect with a place and its people, it is important to learn at least a little of the native language for travel.

Learning a language opens up new possibilities

If you live in the United States and never plan to travel outside its borders, then you may not need to learn a language other than English.

But the USA only accounts for 4.25% of the entire world population and only 6.1% of the land on this planet. That means that more than 95% of people in this world, and 94% of the beautiful lands to explore are in other countries.

While there are a lot of great places to visit in the United States , there is so much you will never discover if you don’t leave the country.

So, if you want to see more than just 6.1% of the world, then learning a language for travel would be beneficial. And the further you go off the tourist path in a city or country, the more likely it is you will have to interact with people who do not speak English.

Speaking a country’s native language earns respect from locals

Even if you only know a few key phrases in a language, it will ultimately earn you a lot of respect from the locals you interact with while you are traveling.

A few years ago, when we took a family trip to Costa Rica , we tried to make a reservation at a restaurant at the resort where we were staying, RIU Guanacaste . Unfortunately, the restaurant was booked. However, when we started to speak to the manager in Spanish, the native language of Costa Rica, he made an exception and reserved a table for us.

Our Spanish was far from perfect. In fact, it was likely pretty terrible. But by simply attempting to speak it, we earned the managers respect or favor, and ultimately we were able to secure a reservation.

Language helps you connect with locals in other countries

Interacting with locals takes on an entirely new dynamic when communication is more fluid because you took the time to learn a language for travel.

When we are even somewhat comfortable speaking the language in a new country, we are able to break off the tourist path, see more of the country, and interact more with the people that make that country unique.

There is something about sitting down in a pub and having a beer in areas that only the locals go that will make you feel more connected to a city.

More importantly, you can establish cross-cultural friendships and do so while giving your brain a nice boost.

Guide at a Hanging Bridges Costa Rica tour

How to learn a new language for travel

Learning a language can admittedly be hard, especially for adults. But it can also be one of the coolest and most rewarding things you ever do.

In our household, we personally spend at least 20 minutes each day practicing another language. It helps us feel more connected to other cultures even when you aren’t traveling , and ultimately helps us be more prepared for future trips.

Of course, immersion is always the best way to learn a new language. But most of us don’t have the opportunity to move abroad for months at a time.

So, for those who are learning from home, here are some of the most popular resources to learn another language for travel.

Duolingo is a free app that you can install on your phone so you can take language learning with you wherever you go.

Did you miss the part where I mentioned it is FREE ?

In reality, you will not become fluent in a language using Duolingo alone. However, it is a convenient app that can help you learn 19 distinct languages. It has a fun, engaging gamification platform, and is easy to use, even on the go. We personally use Duolingo daily in our household.

Duolingo practicing the Spanish language for travel

Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone is another great language-learning resource that we personally use.

Rosetta Stone teaches you language the way you learned your first one, beginning with easy nouns and phrases. However, like Duolingo, Rosetta Stone is great for building vocabulary but not as great for everyday, practical use and language comprehension.

Still, at the current price for a lifetime subscription for all languages, Rosetta Stone is well worth the investment. In fact, it even makes a great gift for moms who love to travel .

Like Rosetta Stone, Babbel is a paid-app or language learning program. It was designed with real world use in mind.

Babble does a better job than Rosetta Stone at explaining translations, but offers fewer languages.

Rosetta Stone offers 25 languages, whereas Babble currently only offers 14.

For those wanting to dive deeper into language learning, Babbel Live is extremely beneficial as the courses are live online classes taught by speakers and teachers of the language. However, Babbel Live is only offered in Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

Language-learning Podcasts

Who doesn’t love a good podcast these days?

If you commute for work or are trying to pass the time on a road trip, a language learning podcast like Coffee Break Languages (currently offered in Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Swedish, and English) are great!

These free podcasts teach the basics of a language for travel or practical purposes. For example, one podcast may be solely dedicated to ordering in a restaurant.

Children’s movies

“How did you learn English?” is one of my favorite questions to ask someone who learned English as a second language. Many times the answer is from watching movies!

So, as you become more studious in language learning, watch some of your favorite children’s movies in the language you are trying to learn and turn the closed captioning on.

Disney movies are great for this. Not only are many Disney movies inspired by places you can actually visit , but children’s movies tend to use simple vocabulary which is easier to understand as you are trying to learn a new language.

Tips for practicing a new language when traveling

Speaking a new language to those who speak it natively can be intimidating. But here are a few tips to help you practice your new skills with confidence.

Conquer your fear of mistakes

Don’t be afraid to say things incorrectly. Even if your grammar or pronunciation is off, chances are people will still understand the gist of what you are saying.

And the more you practice speaking a language to others the more comfortable you will get.

Learn the basics and know them well

You don’t need to learn the language from front to back. But learning some of the more popular phrases and sayings in multiple languages is beneficial.

So what should you learn? Here are a few phrases that we try to learn in the native language of any country we visit:

Excuse Me/Pardon Me
Please
How are you?
I am good/fine/great/wonderful
How much does this cost?
I would like to eat/drink
Do you know
Table for (2, 3, 4, or however many people are in your family)

In most cases, this will cover the bulk of necessary interaction you will have when traveling, if you’re trying to get by with the bare minimum. But learning these simple sayings can really make you stand out.

Have a question or comment about the best languages to learn for travel? We’d love to hear from you! Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Like it? Pin this list of languages for travel to save for later!

Learning a new language for travel is a great way to feel a deeper connection to the places you visit and the people you meet. But with more than 6,500 languages spoken in the world today, it isn’t practical to learn them all. So, which languages are most useful for travel, and how should you go about learning them? In this guide, we detail the top 7 languages to learn for travel and provide tips and resources to make language learning easier.

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8 comments on “The 7 Most Useful Languages for Travel (and How to Learn Them!)”

Well said. I stayed with a family in Austria for a few days when I was 14. The other same-aged kids already knew English on top of their German, and they were all deciding which language to learn next – French or otherwise. I was so jealous.

Isn’t that amazing?! It still baffles me that kids aren’t required to learn a foreign language in the states. It is much harder to learn one as an adult.

Germany is BEAUTIFUL! You will love it. I was an exchange student in the Allgäu region for a full year and it was the best experience of my life, bar none. There is so much to do and see, so hopefully you booked at least a week there, as you’ll need every second. I went there language blind…not a lick of Deutsch….but by the 6-month mark I was dreaming in German…that’s when you know you’ve got it down good. I know you have limited time there, but just know everyone loves tto be able to talk to Americans in English, but are super helpful in helping you to speak German when you try as well. I def recommend you try the Späetzle noodles–one of my favs! Also their cheeses and breads…and of course, their beer selections :). If you need any pointers, etc, definitely feel free to contact me. Happy travels!

Thanks for the tips Mandi! I’m excited to try all the foods and beers in Germany. We had a German exchange student live with us when I was growing up. I still consider him my brother. He now lives in Switzerland, and we actually went and visited him and his family a few years ago.

I will NEVER forget an American lady, probably in her late thirties, that instead of trying to understand the language being spoken simply started to shout in English at the young Guatemalan shop-keeper. Then had the audacity to yell at him, “why can’t you stupid people learn English?”. I didn’t know spanish but had my handy dandy guidebook with phrases and was treated like a friend wherever I went. The locals had a lot of laughs at my inability to roll an R or make that LL sound, but they really appreciated me at least trying. We seriously need to have our school focus on languages and make it a requirement for graduation..

I completely agree! In high school, we had exchange students from various European countries live with us for a year, and at the age of 16, they knew perfect English, as well as their native language, and usually a third language. I think American kids are really at a disadvantage because foreign languages aren’t taught beginning in grade school or Pre-K.

I have unfortunately run into these situations far too frequently as well. When people leave the borders of their own country (which I encourage everyone to do), they can’t expect the world to cater to them. Why would anyone want to go somewhere that’s exactly like home anyway? I was very fortunate that in Canada, we must learn French up to Grade 8 and then are highly encouraged to either continue with it or choose another language throughout high school. It is not even the language itself that matters, but rather the process of learning another language.

It’s been several years since I’ve used it, so my Spanish ability has regressed quite a bit, but I used to be very capable and confident in that language and traveled to several places in Central and South America. Knowing the language allowed me to experience so much more than I ever could have otherwise. I made some great friendships with locals who couldn’t speak English.

Years later (about ten years ago now) I got a job in Korea. It was my first experience traveling to a place where I could not speak the local language. I could get around, and I managed fine, but my experience traveling was so different. I couldn’t make friends with locals (unless they spoke English) and I getting off the beaten path was much more challenging. I only planned to stay there a few years so never made a concerted effort to learn Korean, but two years turned into ten before I finally decided to leave. It saddens me to think of how richer my experience could have been if I had started right away to learn the language and if I had been committed to trying harder.

Earlier this year, we moved to China and I decided I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. I’ve been trying to learn Mandarin. It’s so much more difficult than Spanish. I think I could study it for ten years and not have the same level I achieved after a year studying Spanish. My kids are picking it up so much faster than I am. It makes me happy for them, but frustrated with myself. But in the end, all we can do is try, right?

I applaud your efforts to get out there and not be intimidated with your lack of language. It shows your kids that you value other cultures and languages.

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Travelling Languages is the first 'travelling language school' in the world to put together an organised structure, one that includes traditional classroom tuition combined with an outside social programme that helps maximise the students foreign language skills while travelling around their chosen host country. Moving from town to town is a fantastic way to keep the students engaged; it helps to increase their knowledge, enhance their experience and, most importantly, to ensure that they practise their chosen foreign language while continuously interacting with local people. Our tailor made programmes provide a perfect balanced program of learning, exploring, enjoying and relaxing; a trip to broaden the student's language skills and knowledge of the country, while having fun and meeting new people throughout. …

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Home > Foreign Language > 25 Handy languages for Travellers: Learn them Before Taking off

25 Handy languages for Travellers: Learn them Before Taking off

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Vacation planned, Tickets booked, luggage packed. But the foreign language ? Travelling abroad is a dream for many of us. Traveling gives us a different level of energy and exposure. But there are times when we drop the travel plans thinking about how we would manage our conversation while traveling . Worry not, this blog will help you choose the handy languages for travellers according to the place you travel.

People who have a love for travel often feel a sense of adventure and excitement. The excitement of travelling to a new place wants them to learn the best languages for travellers. Knowing the local language helps them understand their culture and customs more deeply. It also brings about a deep connection with the natives. Approximately there are 7,000 languages in the world. Why not learn the ones that would help you find new connections and experiences? Here are the top 25 handy languages for travellers.

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English is one of the best handy languages for travellers worldwide. It is the official language of over 50 countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. However, you might think English is just enough for travelling around the world, but it is not true. By speaking only in English, you might miss out on various cultural experiences and beliefs of the place you visit .

The word ‘French’ immediately transports us to the imagination of the Eiffel Tower which symbolizes love. That’s why French is known as the romantic language . If you are planning to visit France anytime soon, knowing a few basics of French would make you connect with locals easily. French is not only spoken in France but also in its neighboring countries such as Belgium, Switzerland, and Luxembourg.

If you are planning a vacation to central Europe, knowing a little of the German language is a smart idea. Besides Germany, the German language is widely spoken in Austria, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. So, knowing a little about the German language can make your travel an enjoyable and rewarding experience.

By looking at the name Spanish we might think it is mostly spoken in Spain. But Spanish and English are popular handy languages for travellers in South American countries such as Argentina, Cuba, Bolivia, and Venezuela.

Spanish is sometimes referred to as Espanol and Castilian. You will want to pick up a few conversational words in Spanish if you plan to get around South America or Spain.

Russian is the traveller’s handy guide if you are planning a Eurasia vacation. It is the national tongue of Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Apart from helping travelers explore the country, Russian is also the mandate language for astronauts who wish to travel to space.

6. Japanese

Japanese is a beautiful language and is especially beneficial if you are going on a business trip to Japan. It is one of the best languages for travellers. The Japanese language is called ‘Nihongo’ by its natives. But according to many surveys, Japanese is the most difficult language to learn.

Arabic is the official language of 22 countries including Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. One of the fun facts is the Arabic language is written and read from right to left which is vice versa in most languages. Arab is a country of beliefs and interesting customs. Of course, having a grip on the Arabic language will be one of the handy languages for travellers to Arab.

8. Mandarin

Mandarin is the official language of Taiwan and is useful if you are planning to travel to Asia. Most Mandarin speakers are from China and are spoken by 14% of the world’s population. Learning Mandarin would help in improving business relationships with China.

Approximately 422 million Indians speak Hindi. If North India is on your travel bucket list, Hindi is a must-learn language. Try learning and speaking a few beautiful phrases in Hindi. Because it will automatically help you receive good hospitality once you land in India.

If you are thinking of having a glimpse of Iran, then picking up a few phrases of Farsi is great. Iran is becoming one of the top destinations because of its history and culture. Farsi is also practiced under different names in countries like Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and is one of the handy languages for travellers

11. Portuguese

With over 260 million people speaking worldwide, Portuguese is one of the growing international languages. People in Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and Angola popularly speak Portuguese. The unique and beautiful beaches of Portugal attract many tourists.

Thailand is currently the best place for backpackers especially if you are single. If you wish to roam around and explore Thailand independently, a few classes in the Thai language will benefit you as it is one of the best languages for travellers.

Malay is a major language spoken in Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and Singapore. Malaysia is a country bestowed with splendid gateways and it’s a destination for every pocket. All in all, by knowing some Malay, you will get a better understanding of Malaysia’s diversity.

14. Filipino

Filipino is the official language of the Philippines and is one of the handy languages for travellers. This language is derived from the Tagalog language. The Philippines offers its tourists unique delicacies and Instagram-worthy pictures. Though not everyone in the Philippines speaks Filipino, it will give some freedom while traveling.

15. Swahili

Swahili is the language spoken by the people of Kenya and Tanzania. However, this language is spoken only by 15 million people, which is quite a small population. If you want to experience some of the best safaris in the world, a little knowledge of Swahili will be of great help.

If you are planning a trip to Zimbabwe, Shona is one of the handy languages for travellers you must learn. At least l earning Shona will help you interact with the locals of the region. This language is quite easy to learn as it is based more on tones of vowels.

17. Quechua

Peru is a country of natural wonders. You will want to learn a few basics of Quechua if you are planning to explore Peru. Most of the people in Peru also understand Spanish, but Quechua is one of the best languages for travellers in remote areas.

18. Amharic

While Amharic might not be spoken in many countries, it is one of the handy languages for travellers in Ethiopia. Amharic is spoken by 25 million people around the world. If you have the desire to travel to Ethiopia, knowing a few words in Amharic will keep you connected with the natives.

Hausa is the primarily spoken language of the Hausa people in Nigeria. Apart from Nigeria, it is also spoken in Ghana, Cameroon, and Chad. While people might understand English a little, knowing the Hausa language will make your experience better.

20. Turkish

People who live in Turkey and Cyprus speak Turkish. Turkish is one of the easiest handy languages for travellers to learn especially if you know Arabic. Turkey is home to breathtaking scenery and fascinating history. With such incredible wonders, one must not miss visiting Turkey.

Korea has become like a second home to many people. It has gained attraction through its Korean series and music. In addition, p eople have gone crazy for its artists. If you are one such and wish to visit Korea, Korean is one of the best languages for travellers before you pack your bag.

22. Bengali

Bengali, also known as Bangla, is a language spoken primarily in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal. If you love lush greens and blue rivers, Bangladesh is a must-visit country. The hospitality of Bangladesh people needs a special mention.

23. Italian

Around 66 million people in the world speak Italian. Italian is the national language of Italy. Out of the handy languages for travellers, Italian is the best if your business is based on luxury items. Italy also attracts tourists because of its rich history.

Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands, France, Belgium, and Germany. Additionally, it is widely spoken by 24 million speakers worldwide. With this one language, you can navigate through many regions of Europe. Dutch is the gorgeous canals and vibrant nightlife.

The Polish language is spoken by Polish communities mainly in Poland. It is also spoken in countries such as Germany, Israel, Romania, and Slovakia. Poland has a diverse landscape and offers its tourists stunning sceneries and amazing delicacies.

Best way to learn handy languages for travelers

Once you have picked one of the handy languages for travellers, there are several ways to learn a language based on your learning style. But taking up a well-structured course will give you a solid foundation. Henry Harvin’s language academy offers a wide variety of courses. Enrolling in their program will make you prepared before you take off.

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Conclusion:

E xploring the culture of a country is the oh-so-important part of travel. Learning a handy language can make your travel more enjoyable and an in-depth experience. Besides, learning a new language can also add value to your professional life by improving career prospects.

A1. Yes, definitely. Age is just a number. Your age should never be a barrier to learning something new.

A2. It will take only a week or two to learn the basics of a language if you dedicate your time wisely.

A3. Well, there are more than 7,000 foreign languages in the world.

A4. No, having a grip on the basics of the language is just enough for travel.

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Hi there! I am Vivi and I am a Curious Writer. I love exploring different niches in writing. I also love traveling and my favorite pastime is reading books.

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Long Term Programme (25 weeks)

…is ideal if you are looking to ramp up your English before exploring the best part of Ireland with its welcoming people. Our premises are in the heart of Dublin, right beside the National Gallery and Trinity College and our small classes will make each lesson intimate and focused on your specific needs. Long Term Courses in Dublin are available for enrollment all year round.

Reviews 2 Reviews 5/5
Vacation Style Holiday Type VISA Students
Activity Level Easy (15h per week)
Accomodation
FAQs & Reviews

All our lessons are student centred , they will focus on your needs and will cover all the skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. During the course you will be constantly assessed by our experienced teachers and you will cover all the aspects of the English language. You will be encouraged to speak English 24-7 (even if it is particularly difficult and challenging). The aim is to help you put your language into practice from the moment you arrive. Some conditions may apply for VISA requiring students, please have a look at our Terms & Conditions page or get in contact with us directly.

What non EE-AA students should know:

We would like to remind you that you must attend 8 weeks before taking a holiday break and you must complete the 25 week course within a 7-month period.

You have the right to work up to 20 hour per week during the course and up to 40 hours per week during your holidays from May to August & December 15th to January 15th inclusive. We will give you a timetable with your classes when you book.

It is also mandatory for you to take an examination at the end of your programme. Of course we will advise and prepare you for it!

15h afternoon tuition per week morning or afternoon
Course Extra Material included
FREE Wi-Fi at school and use of printer
Possibility to borrow books and tablets to better improve your language skills
Travel insurance and other emergencies (mandatory)
Visa fees and entry clearing fees
Book for your course (mandatory) – around 40euro per level
Learner protection insurance (mandatory)
Exam registration fees

From time to time the school organizes trips around Ireland in perfect Travelling Languages’ style… Enjoy them, with the pleasure of practising English constantly with our native speakers! And then plenty of afternoon activity programmes.

Accommodation is not included in the price of the course, however if you need we can help you to find one (either temporary or for the whole duration of your stay in Dublin).

You can avail of hospitality from Irish families who will host you in a friendly and warm atmosphere. This is not only a good way for you to integrate into Irish life and culture, but also helps to become familiar with the city and with the language used on day to day basis.

All host families are carefully selected and continually monitored.

If you fancy having your own space and share an apartment with other students, we can help you to find a single (at a surcharge) or a twin room. Bills are usually included and you will have the opportunity to meet new people and socialise even more.

If none of the above works for you, you can always opt for a hostel.

Please get in contact with us and we will be glad to help you!

15h afternoon tuition per week
Course Material included
How many people are in each class?
Is the learner protection included?
Can I arrange my own insurance?

There is a maximum of 15 people per class to ensure that every student’s needs are met in the classroom. However, the average size of the class is 6-8 people.

When enrolled, you will be issued an insurance certificate. It is not included in the price, but it is a mandatory add on.

Yes, you can arrange your own travel insurance. However, if you need help to find one, please ask, we will be happy to help.

Truly a fantastic school. Staff are very friendly and they always make their best to help you for any request you may have. I definitely recommend them as I improved my English and made a lot of friends too!

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9 best translations apps for travelers

The team at The Points Guy loves to travel, but now is not the time for unnecessary trips. Health officials note that the fastest way to return to normalcy is to stop coming in contact with others. That includes ceasing travel. We are publishing some travel guides because we should all use this time to think about and plan our next adventures. TPG doesn't advise booking trips for travel until later this year -- and even then, be mindful of cancellation policies.

Not multilingual? You don't actually need to be when using these handy translation apps that can help you read, speak and understand the local language wherever your points and miles take you. With voice, text and camera translation, these apps help break down language barriers -- and some even work offline when you don't have internet access. You'll be able to order food, hail taxis and communicate with locals by tapping your phone, for a stress-free, enjoyable experience when traveling abroad.

For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter .

Here are TPG's picks for nine of the best translation apps you can download today:

One of the most popular translation apps in the world, iTranslate has almost 350,000 ratings on both iTunes and Google Play — most of them with four and five stars. There's also a special version for Apple Watch. The basic app includes a phrasebook with predefined, useful phrases and translations in more than 100 languages. A pro version ($5.99 per month or $49.99 for a yearly subscription) features language packs to download and use offline, website translation (including a Safari extension), camera translation, voice-to-voice conversations (now available offline in four languages) and verb conjugations. Download the basic version for free on iTunes or Google Play .

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Google Translate

This app allows you to translate 108 languages by typing in a word or a phrase and offers access to 59 languages offline. You can use handwriting (where you draw text or characters instead of typing) in 95 languages. For camera translation in 90 languages, you can point your camera for an instant translation of, say, a menu. Two-way instant speech translation is available in 43 languages. Google Translate is simple to use too, with icons at the top you can click to draw, take a photo, speak or type. Download for free on iTunes or Google Play .

If you want to sound savvy abroad, TripLingo will help you communicate like the locals and understand their culture. Start by selecting a country (there are more than 100 countries, from Nepal to New Zealand, Senegal to Spain, Indonesia to Israel and beyond) and then downloading the pack for your desired destination. For example, if you're heading to Spain, you'll have a voice translator that will translate your voice into Spanish, an image translator, a selection of key Spanish phrases, a Wi-Fi dialer so you can make calls from abroad (you can add credits starting at $10), and even a section about tipping, safety and cultural norms to ensure you'll blend right in.

There are suggested phrases you can use for a little humor and fun, nightlife and even flirting -- all can be downloaded and accessed offline. A pro version with added phrases, a $3 Wi-Fi call credit, a free call to a live translator and audio lessons starts at $19.99 per month . Or, if you find yourself in a sticky situation while abroad and need serious translation assistance, access to a live translator starts at $3 per minute. Download the basic version for free on iTunes or Google Play .

Translate your voice into 90 languages and dialects with SayHi. The app allows you to record your voice and then translates it into the language you've selected. You can play your translation in the voice of either a woman or a man, and adjust the speed to your liking. If you're in a noisy environment, you can also type in the app instead of speaking into the microphone. The app is only available when you're connected to the internet through Wi-Fi or have at least a 3G data connection. Download for free on iTunes and Google Play .

Specializing in Asian languages, Papago translates between English and Korean, Japanese, Chinese (simplified/traditional), Indonesian, Vietnamese and Thai, as well as Russian, German, Italian and Spanish. Translations are available in the form of text and voice, and you can also have a conversation using the app in which two people can simultaneously speak and have the app automatically translate the respective languages. Photo translation, handwriting translation and offline translation are all available. There is a dictionary/phrasebook, too. You can download a special section just for kids. Download for free on iTunes and Google Play .

Microsoft Translator

Translate text, voice and photos between English and more than 60 languages with Microsoft Translator. The app is ideal for business travelers, with a multi-person conversation translation feature where you connect your devices and can actually speak with as many as 100 people at a time in different languages. The split-screen function lets you see a phrase while someone sitting across from you can read the translation. Language packs are available for offline translation. With translation guides and pronunciation help (the app is particularly useful for Chinese), you can also learn how to properly speak some of the phrases you're translating instead of relying only on the voice function. Download for free on iTunes or Google Play .

Waygo only translates from English to and from Chinese, Japanese and Korean, but it can be a lifesaver if you're stuck without Wi-Fi, as it's available entirely offline. The app is best used with the instant camera — just point at signs and menus and then see your translation. Foodies will find Waygo particularly useful, as you can go into the food picture mode after translating a menu item to better understand what you're about to order. The basic version includes 10 free translations per day, and the upgraded version, which includes unlimited translations, costs $6.99 for just one of the three languages or $11.99 for all three. Download the basic version for free on iTunes and Google Play .

iTranslate Voice

Similar to SayHi, this app translates audio into more than 40 languages, allowing you to ask a local for directions, tell a taxi driver an address or say almost anything you'd like in another language. You record yourself and then your voice is immediately translated into your chosen language. You can record someone's response in their language, and the app will then translate it into your language. You can also connect two devices and have easy back-and-forth conversations with someone who doesn't speak your language. The pro version comes with a custom phrasebook, unlimited translations and transcripts and no ads for $39.99 per year. Or, download the basic version (with limited translations) for free on iTunes .

Speak and Translate

If you're willing to pay for a translation app and are interested in translating less common languages, consider Speak and Translate, which translates to 117 languages for text and 54 languages for voice. It integrates seamlessly with iCloud, allowing you to sync your translation history across all your Apple devices. You can also change the voice speed and select the gender you want to read your translations. Download and pay $6.99 per month or $38.99 per year (a short three-day or seven-day trial may be included) on iTunes .

Related: New to The Points Guy? Check out our points and miles guide for beginners.

Android Police

How to use google translate to translate images in real time.

Transcend communication barriers with a few taps

Google Translate is a nifty tool for understanding foreign languages on the go. It can take input in the form of text, images, or voice and translate it into the language of your choice. Although it is available on the web and mobile, the former is a limited version. The app works on both Android and iOS, but Google Pixel owners get access to the latest features. We show you how to use Google Translate on most devices, whether you use it on your phone or desktop PC.

How accurate is Google Translate?

Google Translate has come a long way since its inception in 2006 as a statistical machine translation (SMT) service. It first translated the source text into English and then the desired language. It then performed a word-for-word match, which had poor results.

It transitioned to Google Neural Machine Translation (GNMT) in 2016, which uses deep learning techniques. However, the accuracy depends on the language since Translate sometimes uses SMT. According to a 2021 UCLA study on emergency department instructions, researchers found the highest accuracy rate for English to Spanish (94%). The lowest recorded rate was for English to Armenian (55%). The study considered the seven commonly spoken languages in the US.

How to translate a PDF document with Google Translate

Google Translate continuously tweaks its translation techniques, and its progress over the years is undeniable. Although it can't decipher subtleties, it works for regular use. You can translate instruction manuals, simple phrases, and chat messages. But don't use it to joke around in an unknown language since it might backfire.

When translating words within images, the accuracy depends on the clarity of the text. Google Translate may struggle with small, blurry, or stylized fonts.

How to use Google Translate on mobile

The Google Translate app is available on Android and iOS. We show you how to use the app on any mobile device.

The following steps work on Android and iOS. We use an Android phone for our tutorial, but iPhone users can follow along.

How to use Google Translate with an existing picture in your gallery

Launch Google Translate .
Choose a source language by tapping the option in the upper-left corner.
Choose a target language by tapping the box in the upper-right corner.
Swap the language options by tapping the two arrow buttons between them.
Select the gallery icon in the lower-left corner of the screen.
Choose an image from your gallery.

Manually check for updates in the Google Play Store to ensure you have the latest version of the Google Translate app.

How to use Google Translate with a new picture

Point your camera at a picture to get a live, in-image translation. Here's how to translate a picture in real time:

Open Google Translate .
Tap the Camera icon at the bottom of the screen.
Choose the source and target languages.
Point your smartphone camera at the picture you want to translate.

How to use your Google Pixel Buds to translate conversations in real time

How to use google translate with handwritten text.

You can use Google Translate to recognize and translate handwritten text, whether you use a stylus or your finger to draw.

Tap Enter text .
Write the word you want to translate in the window at the bottom.

How to use Google Translate offline

When traveling, you might experience spotty network connectivity. The Google Translate app lets you download select languages to your device. Connect to Wi-Fi to avoid data usage charges and erratic downloads. Make sure to download your preferred languages and have them handy before your next trip.

Here's how to download languages on Google Translate:

Connect to a reliable Wi-Fi network and launch the Translate app .
Select the language you want to download from the bottom of the screen.
Tap Download .

How to use Google Translate on the web

Here's how to translate text within an image on the browser:

Open the Google Translate website .
Click Images .
Select Detect language or choose the source and target language.

Transcend language barriers with Google Translate

Google Translate helps you communicate on the go by translating text and speech. The app supports 133 languages and can easily interpret documents and websites. With the tips in this guide, you can translate text within images in a few steps. Unleash the tool's full potential by reading our comprehensive guide on Google Translate .

Travel Portrait Photography – Tips For Taking People’s Photos While Traveling

Woman from a local tribe with a long pipe

Travel Portrait Photography Tips For Taking People’s Photos While Traveling

Our travel portrait photography guide outlines the best tips and tricks for taking people’s photos while traveling. From tips for nailing your composition, choosing your location, cultural sensitivity, and approaching people to the more technical stuff that will help you improve your portrait photography and take better travel and cultural portraits.

Ask us what we love more, traveling or photography, and we’ll have a hard time giving you an answer. Travel photography combines both of our passions, taking photos and videos and experiencing other cultures . Travel photography includes many aspects and elements of highlighting the local culture, from the architecture and landscape to the customs and food. Though we try to incorporate all of these elements and more while creating our photo essays to convey the story of the place we’re traveling in, our true passion lies in cultural portraits. We love to learn about the local culture mainly by highlighting the human element. We love taking people’s photos while traveling, and in our opinion, it’s the best way to deepen your knowledge about the local culture and truly get to know the place you are traveling in.

So how do you do that? Showcasing the local culture while focusing on the human element? We like to visit local markets and artists. We love strolling around local streets and alleys, trying to capture a fleeting moment or the vignettes of daily life through our lens. We always try to tell a story with our images, and it is something we’ve learned over the years. If you want to improve your travel portraits, if you want to know how to approach people and learn how to tell a story with your lens, this article has all the tips you need and then some. We start by giving some general tips for taking awesome travel portraits and then dig in deeper into the more technical stuff.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means we earn a small commission if you purchase from them (no extra costs to you!). For details check our disclaimer .

Table of Content

Why is travel portrait photography so powerful.

Capturing the essence of a place can come in many forms. You can take pictures of the food, architecture, or landscapes but taking pictures of the people not only helps you showcase the local culture, it also provides endless opportunities for interactions with the local residents and deepens your knowledge about the local culture. No matter if you snap a picture of a local lady in the market or if you take pictures of the local cheesemaker or artisan, you will have an opportunity to make a connection with them. It might be just a smile or a nod of the head; it’s up to you to make it a bit more than that and learn about that person’s life. Ask the lady in the market about the local fruits and vegetables, inquire the cheesemaker about the process of making cheese or how he got into the cheese-making business, ask the artist about the tradition behind his craft. These interactions with local people provide a glance into the local customs and personal lives of the local residents. Besides, as a photographer, you want your pictures to evoke an emotion and tell a story, and in our opinion, travel portraits are the best way to achieve this goal.

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Types of Travel Portraits

Let’s start from the beginning and talk about the different types of travel portraits. Most people think that portrait photography is taking a close-up or medium shot of a person, but that’s not entirely true since there are other kinds of portrait photography.

Classic Portrait

When you take a picture of your subject that fills up the whole frame, that’s a classic portrait. It can be just the face, part of the face, or even the entire body.

Environmental Portrait

The environmental portrait is different from your classic portrait since you’ll fill the frame with your subject and the environment. The environmental portrait is all about showcasing the place of work of your subject, where he lives, his personality, hobbies etc.

Details Portrait

Sometimes you don’t need to capture the face of your subject. Highlighting just a part of the body can tell a story as well. You can focus on a unique outfit, special shoes, hands, and so on.

Challenges of Taking People’s Photos While Traveling

If you are a travel portrait photographer, you have to face many challenges before getting the perfect shot. Most times, you won’t be able to control the light or carry a lot of equipment with you. If it’s a candid shot, you need to be quick about it, and even if it’s not, you can’t keep your subjects from their daily routines for a long time. You’ll need to learn how to approach people if you’d like to take their photo from up close; there will be cultural differences, language barriers, and many more issues you’ll have to deal with. There is also the ethical issue of taking people’s photos without their permission or using your travel portraits across social media.

Travel Portraits – Ethical Issues of People Photography

In recent years more and more voices have started speaking about the ethics of people photography. Should you ask for permission before taking a photo? Should you take pictures of children? Should you post your photos across social media? Should you sell your photos? Some are even claiming that in the era of social media, Westerns seem to treat people in third world countries as if they were animals in a zoo, snapping pictures of the “exotic creature” without permission. There are also questions regarding the photographs’ authenticity and the different approach in people photography. Some photographers would not dream of staging a moment, while others claim it’s the only way to get breathtaking travel portraits of their subject matter.

So what’s the right answer? You’ll have to decide for yourself. We have our own rules of conduct that we try to follow. Regarding permission, if it’s a candid shot, there’s no point in asking for permission because the moment will be lost forever. If our subject is aware of our presence, we’ll ask for consent—either verbally or by gesturing to our camera. If we notice that someone isn’t happy about us snapping a picture of him, we’ll apologize and delete the image. When we do ask for permission, we do it with a smile and accept the fact the photograph is going to be a bit staged, which can even be a good thing at times. In fact, after our encounter with a group of photographers in Myanmar’s Inle Lake, we realized some of the most stunning shots on Instagram must have been staged. Regarding social media and posting photos on our site, we make a point of choosing images that we feel flatter our subject. We’ll never post a picture that showcases someone in a negative light. We love to highlight a place by taking photos of the daily life and local customs and traditions, so for us people photography and travel portraits are a big part of our cultural photo essays.

We encourage you to think about these ethical questions and decide for yourself how to behave but always be respectful, accept “no” as an answer and treat your subjects like you would like to be treated. Think about your intention and only post pictures that you believe flatter your subjects.

Travel Portrait Photography Tips and Tricks - General

Research your destination - history, customs and more.

Before going anywhere, we do our research. We’ll start reading a little bit about the history and culture of the place we plan on visiting. You have to know at least the basics about the local culture in terms of Do’s and Don’ts and make sure to search for these social cues while traveling. If people leave their shoes at the entrance to a temple, follow their lead and if you’re not sure, ask one of the local residents. You should especially be culturally sensitive when taking pictures of children, and if you see a child with his parents, always ask for permission before photographing them.

Regarding locations, research online for the sights you’d like to see, but also, always look beyond the obvious sights and attractions if you’d like to be a bit more original and capture more authentic shots.

Learn a Few Phrases in the Local Language

Learning a few phrases and words in the local language goes a long way. It’s much easier to make someone smile or have a positive attitude when you speak a few words of his language. Moreover, it’s much more respectful when you visit another country, and you make the effort of learning how to say ‘thank you’ ‘you welcome’ and so on in the native language.

In terms of travel portraits, it’s a good idea to learn how to ask ‘what is your name’ ‘May I take a picture’ ‘thank you’ ‘how to say’ and perhaps a few adjectives like ‘beautiful smile’ ‘nice’ etc. People tend to be more open and listen to you or give you the time of day when you make an effort to learn their language. They will gladly help you learn a few more words if you ask them ‘how to say’ and point to an object. It’s also a great way to break the ice and even get a candid moment from a somewhat staged situation.

Search for Things You’d like to Photograph

Besides learning about the local culture and etiquettes, list your interests and favorite places you’d like to visit. We love local markets and art, so we always look for the best markets, and we intentionally search online for local artists we could see or local festivals or events that take place during our visit.

First of all, always have your camera ready. Stumbling upon a magical moment and having your camera in the bag will result in heartbreak (and we’re talking from experience). You always need to be ready to shoot, and that means choosing your camera’s setting and looking around for interesting situations.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip: Most DSLR/Mirrorless cameras have custom buttons. You can choose your custom settings and assign them to these buttons. For example, you can assign the perfect setting for an outdoor photoshoot to one of them, and the second can be used for a low-light setting.

Are You Going for a Staged Photo or a Candid Photo

There’s something magical about a candid travel portrait. You were able to capture a fleeting moment, one perfect shot that no one will be able to reproduce. We love taking candid photos. It’s all about street photography and catching that decisive moment. However, staged shots have their own merits and charm.

What is a staged shot? Many times, once you ask for permission from your subject, it’s going to be a staged shot (including a big cheesy smile). Your subject’s posture and facial expression are going to change, and many times it won’t be as unique or authentic as it was before. Nevertheless, there are ways to make your subjects act or pose more naturally, and we’ll discuss it later.

Now there are those staged shots when you tell your subject how to act, where to look, what to do or even where to stand. It can be awkward at first, but that’s the best way to get a perfect portrait (provided your subject is following along with your guidelines).

local woman from the hill tribes myanmar

Approaching People/Asking Permission

Most times, we ask people for permission before or after we take the picture. Many times, while we’re taking the shot, the person might notice us, and we ask for permission with a gesture. If he seems comfortable with it, we’ll continue shooting; if not, we’ll apologize and delete the images.

There are times when we ask for permission in advance, especially when we get really close to our subject. We smile, point to the camera and to him/her, sometimes we introduce ourselves and try to say a few words and see if it’s ok. Sometimes after a short conversation, people will change their minds and let you take their picture.

It is not easy, and for us, it has always been and still is one of the most challenging aspects of people’s photography, but we’ve learned to overcome our shyness. Even if you’re not sure, there’s no harm in trying, and remember to always be polite and thank them with a smile even if they say no.

Keep Smiling, Show Your Interest and Engage with Your Subjects

No matter what happens, always keep smiling and have a positive attitude. It’s not just about approaching people but also about taking candid photos, talking to people on the street, addressing your waiter, and so on. Not just while traveling, keeping a big smile, having a positive attitude, and showing a genuine interest in the daily lives and local traditions of anyone you meet can open the door to many opportunities. If you’re taking pictures of a local, ask for recommendations for the area. If you’re photographing a local artist, ask about the process, and by doing so, you might learn about another craft you’d like to photograph.

Get close to your subjects! Yes, using a zoom lens might give you beautiful classic portraits with nice bokeh in the background, and it’s definitely less obtrusive, but you’ll get the best travel portraits by getting close to your subjects.

When you take a candid shot of a street or a market scene, it’s always best if you have someone close in the foreground since it adds perspective, depth, and interest to your photo. It also allows you to make a real connection with your subject.

Reciprocation

After you’ve learned how to approach people and engage with them, what about reciprocation? Should you offer to pay them for their portraits? Should you buy something from them? There’s no right answer to these questions, and we judge each situation as it comes.

We don’t encourage paying someone for taking his portrait, especially in third world countries, since many times it creates a habit. People are expecting a payment, they might be rude about it, and in some countries, children are taken out of schools and go “work” in the streets by posing for tourists. If someone asks us for money, we simply smile, shake our heads and go away. A few times in the past, especially in Vietnam , I refused, and then the women called me back to take their portraits after all ; fter taking a few snaps, I bought some items from them.

Nevertheless, there’s an exception to that rule. Many times, especially in third-world countries and especially in pagodas or nunneries, it’s customary to donate a small amount of money for the living expenses of the nuns/monks. Other times, if you’d like to ask someone to pose for you and you are going to give them instructions and spend a while there, you should definitely consider paying him/her.

Other times, in local markets, for example, we usually buy something from the vendor. We’re always happy to have fresh fruit or nuts as a snack. When photographing local artists, we buy an item, and if we spend a long time there but know that the items are too heavy to carry, we do offer a small payment for their time.

When we visit local villages in third-world countries, we try to carry with us some simple toys, crayons, or stickers to give to the local children. Some say it’s a bad habit since they start to expect it (which might be true), but it’s a simple exchange, and it’s nice to see the pure joy of these children who often don’t have access to these kind of items.

No matter what, you should always offer to show your subject the picture you’ve taken. Sometimes they don’t want to see it, but many times they will be grateful for the offer and, if possible, ask to send it to them by email. Some people even carry a polaroid camera and give them the picture on the spot.

Travel Portrait Photography Tips and Tricks - Advanced

Think about the light.

As a photographer, light is your best friend or your worst enemy. The more you learn how to use the light to your advantage, the more you’ll be able to capture breathtaking travel portraits. If you have no clue about how light affects your camera, we suggest either taking the portrait in the shadow or in the light but in most cases, taking a picture when half of the frame is in shadow and half of the frame in the sun will result in a bad travel portrait unless you know what you are doing.

Generally speaking, without getting too technical, the worst time for taking travel portraits is around noon when the sun creates harsh shadows under the nose and eyes. A backlight travel portrait can be quite flattering when you know how to work with the light, and the best light for travel portraits is definitely in the late afternoon and early morning hours.

Over exposure is usually more flattering to your subjects, while underexposure is going to enhance the appearance of wrinkles and signs of time. Analyze the quality of light (is it a harsh or soft light ) and use it to your advantage.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – Try and plan your daily schedule according to the light. In the morning and late afternoon, you’ll have the best light, so plan for outdoor activities. During the harsh hours of midday, you can visit indoor markets or other indoor venues.

Know Your ISO Limit

ISO can be your best friend when you don’t have enough light, but you need to be familiar with your camera’s ability. Some cameras can handle ISO 8000, while others produce very grainy images in ISO 400. You should always try and be at ISO 100 or 200 but if you don’t have enough light take advantage of the ISO capabilities of your camera.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – If you don’t have a lot of light, choose a lens with a wide aperture and use it to your advantage. If you have a camera with internal image stabilization, you’ll be able to work with slower shutter speeds under 1/60 (provided your subject stands still), but you can always lean against a wall or something steady which will provide extra stabilization.

Composition

Composition is everything, and after learning how to work with light, you should spend some time learning about the different composition rules. From the rule of thirds to leading lines and the golden ratio, knowing how to compose a portrait will improve your portrait photography skills. Also, think about headroom or breathing/negative space when you compose your travel portraits.

Composition also includes choosing to take a horizontal or vertical picture. Generally speaking, most old-school photographers will probably say that a classic portrait should be vertical, and an environmental portrait should be horizontal, but nowadays, it’s all up to you. Depending on what you would like to express and how you choose to compose the picture, there are no clear rules regarding the horizontal/vertical choice.

Check out this quick overview of Steve McCurry’s , one of the most well-known travel photographers, composition tips!

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – Apply the grid option in your camera (Mirrorless, DSLR or mobile phones). It will help you compose the shot according to the Rule of Thirds.

Break the Rules

Once you know the classic composition rules of photography, it’s time to break them. There are many stunning travel portraits that don’t adhere to any of the traditional composition rules. Think about what you are trying to express and the story you’d like to convey, and compose your frame accordingly. For example, though it’s customary to leave some breathing space in front of your subject in the direction he’s walking to, by placing your subject close to the edge of the frame, without leaving breathing space in front of him, you might express anxiety, stress, the end of a journey etc.

Think about DOF

Depth of Field (DOF) is the distance between the closest and farthest objects in a photo that appear acceptably sharp. In simpler terms, the area in front/behind your subject that remains in focus. A large depth of field means that much more area in your photo will be in focus, while a narrow DOF means that just a small area in your photo will be in focus.

You can control the depth of field mainly with your aperture and the distance of your subject from the camera. Large apertures (smaller f-numbers such as 1.8 or 4) means shallower DOF. Small apertures (such as f 10) mean larger depth of field. Shallower DOF provides some dreamy quality to your travel portrait and it works great with classic portraits when there’s a ‘hero’ in your shot. A larger DOF is great for environmental portraits when you want to showcase the background as well. If there are many people in your photo that stand at various distances from the camera, you have to go for a larger DOF if you want them all to be in focus.

Other than the aperture, other factors such as distance from the camera/background, the focal length of your lens, and the size of your camera’s sensor can affect the DOF. Check out this helpful DOF guide!

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – If you’re using your mobile and you’d like to have a blurry background (shallow DOF) choose the food/live focus option for Samsung or Portrait for iPhone.

Change Your Angles

When you attempt to take a portrait of someone, do you choose to take a picture at eye level, or do you go for a higher/lower angle? Choose your camera angle, depending on what you want to convey

The classic portrait is usually taken at eye level. This way, the subject looks directly into the lens, which enhances the feeling of connection between the subject and the spectator.

However, a lower angle, when the camera is slightly lower than eye level and tilted up, can provide some kind of authority to your subject and contribute to making him the hero of your shot. If you choose a lower angle, do so with caution since it can be unflattering if the camera is too low.

A high angle puts the focus mainly on the face and can help create beautiful light in the eyes of your subject (catch light) since they are looking up towards the light source. It’s also great to show artists with all of their arts and crafts or while working, but you should pay attention to the depth of field and think about what you’d like to be in focus, and choose your aperture accordingly.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – Always try to take a few pictures at different angles and various compositions. Sometimes a few steps to the right or lowering your angle makes all the difference in the world. In addition, you can play with your angle/composition/DOF to eliminate distracting elements in your shot.

Woman in the market of the Muslim Quarter in Jerusalem

Think About Focus

First of all, you need to learn everything you can about the focus system in your camera. If you don’t nail the focus in your travel portrait, there’s really not much you can do about it; the portrait will be unusable.

Now think about where the focus should be. Most times, It should be on the eyes but sometimes it can be elsewhere, depending on what you’d like to emphasize and your composition. The shallower DOF, the harder it is to nail the focus. So when in doubt, opt for a smaller aperture (larger f no.). With extremely wide aperture numbers like f1.8, it’s much harder to nail the focus.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – Some cameras have face/eye detection systems, so it’s easier to nail the focus, but with other cameras, your best bet is to work with a single focus point.

Know How to Use Your Manual Focus

When in doubt or when your camera struggles to focus, switch to manual focus. Many cameras let you enlarge the area you’re focusing on, so it’s easier to nail the focus.

Know Your Camera – Custom buttons & Functions

It’s always a good idea to get to know all the functions of your camera. If you’re a beginner, you can use the Auto function. However, most times, you’ll get better results while using one of the semi-automatic (shutter/aperture priority) or manual mode.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – Other than the shooting modes and ISO capabilities learn about the most important functions of your camera that can help you improve your travel portrait photography. Try to shoot in burst mode, so you don’t miss a moment. Learn about the focus system, light-metering and so on.

Tell a Story & Evoke Emotions

The most mesmerizing portraits tell stories and evoke emotions. Think about your favorite portraits, often times you can see the emotions of the subject, spontaneous laughter, a gesture of heartbreak, an expression of delight or any other kind of emotional spark. Even when you stage someone, you can create candid moments that will highlight the situation and your hero.

Furthermore, try to tell a story with your portrait. You can shoot your hero in his/her environment and include everyday objects/tasks, or you can capture the interactions of several people like a group of children, market vendors, a father and son, and so on.

a woman is working in the lotus weaving factory in myanma burma

Look for a Nice Location & Wait for the Shot

That’s one of the most important rules that can genuinely make a difference. The problem is it can take a long time to take the shot. When you see beautiful scenery and the light conditions are great for your travel portrait or street photography, you want to wait for the right moment for someone interesting to pass by.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – For these kinds of situations, it is always better to shoot in burst mode

Use Colors, Textures, Patterns & Light

Colors add so much life and vitality to an image, so look for these colorful spots/ walls/ objects and incorporate them in your photo. Use patterns and textures to your advantage to add depth and interest to your travel portrait, and always think about the light and backdrop. Ray of lights can add so much drama to a scene. If you’re trying to capture someone who is smoking or a steamy dish, a light source and a dark backdrop will enhance the drama in your shot.

Go Off the Beaten Path

We always try to find off-beaten-path locations. Sure, we want to capture the most famous places in each destination we visit, but for a less touristy experience, we recommend finding these places that not many tourists know about. There’s something much more authentic when you visit a local market than the touristy one and we’ve visited many of those in Sidemen area in Bali. We are always looking for neighborhoods and towns we don’t know much about, and usually, we discover hidden gems like the Istrian peninsula in Croatia. The residents are usually surprised to see tourists there and are much more patient and willing to have their portraits taken.

Look for Inspiration

If you want to be a better photographer, you need to learn from the best and seek inspiration. There are so many great travel and portrait photographers. Look for inspiration on Instagram, Pinterest, Google, or wherever you can find it. Think about which portraits you will remember or which ones evoke emotion and determine how the photographer has achieved it.

A girl from the hill tribes of Vietnam wearing traditional; clothes

Tips for Taking Environmental Portrait While Traveling

Environmental portraits must showcase the surrounding of your subject. We’d often opt for a horizontal shot, but depending on the environment, we might go for a vertical shot. It doesn’t really matter as long as your viewer can recognize the environment and your image tells your subject’s story.

Don’t go for an ultra-wide aperture like 1.8; otherwise, the background is going to be blurry. We usually go for f/5.6-11 depending on the setting and what we’d like to emphasize.

Since you’re photographing a relatively large area, think about the composition. What would you like to include in your frame, how are the light conditions, do you prefer a staged/posy portrait, or do you want to capture your subject in action? After you have your answers, give directions to your subject, ask him to move according to the light conditions, tell him what to do (go about his business or pose for you), and change your angles so you’ll have a variety of shots.

Tips for Taking Classic Portraits

Classic portraits focus on your subject, so you don’t really have to pay much attention to the environment, even though sometimes it can improve your shots. For example, if there’s a beautiful colorful wall, use it as your backdrop, include some leafy greens in your photographs etc.

In the past, many photographers believed classic portraits must be vertical, but nowadays, the rules are more flexible. It really depends on your subject, what you would like to emphasize, and the intended use of your image. We usually take some vertical and some horizontal shots.

Choose your aperture according to your framing and be aware of the depth of field. Always make sure the eyes are in focus, and usually you’d want your subject to be lightened evenly across his body/face unless you work in manual or aperture priority and you know how to expose for the shadows or highlights.

Sometimes people feel awkward while they pose. You can give them something to think about or fuss about to evoke emotion and make the portrait more natural. Ask an artist to hold his tools, ask a child to play with his/her favorite toy.

Tips for Taking Portraits of Details

Details portrait can be powerful, but you have to make sure they can still depict a story, evoke an emotion, or shed light on the culture/person you photograph. You can play around with the depth of field depending on what you’d like to convey. Sometimes you’d like to highlight just one item (choose a wide aperture), or you’d like the majority of things to be in focus (choose a narrow aperture like f8).

If there’s movement in your shot (like the hand of the artist), you need to think about your shutter speed. If you want to freeze the motion, choose a higher shutter speed like 1/250 to be on the safe side (the faster the movement, the higher the shutter speed should be in order to freeze it).

Tips for Taking Candid Portraits

Candid moments are usually best to capture emotions and tell stories simply because once you ask someone to take his picture, his demeanor changes, from the facial expression to the body language. However, don’t be afraid of posing your subject because sometimes it’s the best way to capture great travel portraits. The secret is you need to create these real moments that occur naturally and evoke emotional sparks. Ask your subject about himself until he relaxes a bit, tell a joke to catch his genuine laughter, ask an artist to continue working or ask a vendor to grab some fruits.

Editing Your Travel Portraits

Nowadays, post-processing is a must, especially when shooting RAW. Try to use Photoshop, Lightroom, or any other photo editing up to your advantage. Eliminate distracting colors, enhance the important elements in your image, get rid of noise etc.

Travel Portrait Photography Tip – Shooting RAW will give you more options while you edit your travel portraits. You could salvage some of your under-exposed/over-exposed images. If you have a good camera, you probably have the option to shoot in RAW files. Many mobiles also give you such an option, and so are some photography editing apps like the mobile version of Lightroom (DNG is RAW).

As a travel photographer, you usually don’t carry a lot of equipment with you. Some prefer a zoom lens, while others like to work with prime lenses (with a fixed focal point). Generally speaking, for classic portraits, you’d better use a focal point of 50 mm or above since it’s more flattering to your subject (wider lenses have a distortion effect). However, for environmental portraits, use semi-wide and wide lenses (35mm and below). The wider the lens, it can have a slight distortion, depending on the quality of your lens but you could fix in post-processing.

Most times, you will shoot in natural light, but you can have a foldable reflector with you if you need a boost of light. However, nowadays, especially if you shoot in RAW, you’d be able to open up the shadows in post-processing.

A flash can be an excellent addition to your portrait photography kit if you know how to use it. Bouncing the light from a white wall or using an off-camera flash allows you to adjust the lighting conditions to your liking, but it means carrying more stuff with you.

A Word About Model Releases

Portrait photographers need to be aware of model releases, especially if they plan to sell their travel portraits to stock photography sites or make commercial use of them. In general, if someone is in a public place, technically, you do have a legal right to photograph him, so why do you even need a model release?

The bottom line is that in order to use a travel portrait on your social media/website/private use, you do not need a model release, but you should think about your subject’s privacy and show your respect. If someone clearly doesn’t want his photo taken, don’t use it. As long as you do not portray your subject in a negative light, you should be ok.

When talking about selling photos, you can sell travel portraits to individual people or for editorial use without a signed model release. However, you can not use these photos commercially or sell them to stock photo sites since they require such a release. You can read more about model releases or if you’d like to have an app for model release on your mobile just in case, here are some great choices.

That’s it for our travel portrait photography guide. We hope we’ve given you some useful tips to improve your travel portraits and feel free to ask us anything or add tips of your own in the comments below.

Don't forget to pin our guide for later!

Check out some of our other guides!

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Madrid Neighborhoods

Our Madrid neighborhood guide lists the top things to do in our favorite Madrid neighborhoods!

4 thoughts on “Travel Portrait Photography – Tips For Taking People’s Photos While Traveling”

This is a nice tutorial. I will surely try it later. I think this tutorial will help me a lot. I would like to read more of your article in future. I wish you best of luck for your next article.

Many thanks for your kind words, glad it was helpful!

This is a nice blogwith having good content & best Visuals

Thank you so much for your kind words, we’re glad you like it 🙂

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Book Reviews

'james' revisits huck finn's traveling companion, giving rise to a new classic.

Carole V. Bell

An enslaved man debates John Locke. A Black man pretends to be a white man in blackface to sing in a new minstrel show. In a fever dream of a retelling, the new reigning king of satire , Percival Everett, has turned one of America's best loved classics, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, upside down, placing Huck's enslaved companion Jim at the center and making him the narrator. The result is strangely new and familiar – an adrenaline-spiking adventure with absurdity and tragedy blended together.

Percival Everett gives Mark Twain's classic story about Huck a new voice in 'James'

Re-imaginings of classic literature are challenging, often unnecessary endeavors. This one is different, a startling homage and a new classic in its own right. Readers may be surprised by how much of the original scaffolding remains and how well the turnabout works, swapping a young man's moral awakening for something even more fraught. A kind of historical heist novel about human cargo, as in the original, James is an enslaved man in antebellum Missouri. James loves his wife Sadie and their 9-year old daughter Lizzie, and keeps them safe by not just adhering to – but mastering – the racial codes of an inhumane system.

Advice from a critic: Read 'Erasure' before seeing 'American Fiction'

Despite those efforts, one day Jim learns the unthinkable — the mistress is planning to sell him down the river but keep Sadie and Lizzie. James can't have his family separated, so he runs to nearby Jackson Island, planning to hide out until he can figure a way to secure their freedom. Jim's unlikely friend, young Huckleberry Finn also has reason to hide and to run with his abusive and alcoholic father back in town. After faking his own death (an action that unintentionally puts James under suspicion), Huck begs to come along, offering to pretend to be Jim's owner. This alliance launches a delirious odyssey, two runaways navigating a treacherous river on a raft.

A subtle but significant change is that while the events of Twain's 1884 novel take place in the Mississippi Valley "forty to fifty years ago," in the 1840s, Everett advances the timeline by two decades, putting the nation on the cusp of civil war, though James and Huck don't know it.

More importantly, Everett provides what Twain could not: Jim's deep interior life. The entire story is narrated in his voice. Getting inside James's head is a remarkable experience. Though they're sometimes parted, James (as he prefers to be called in Everett's novel) and Huck somehow always find each other again, and that creates a sense of surreality.

Along with shifting states of consciousness and reality, identity is a crucial and an explicitly slippery thing. Twain wrote Huck Finn in region-, race- and even age-specific dialect and pushed back on critics who found the language objectionable by explaining each dialect contained was researched with anthropological attention to detail. Everett, like Twain, is similarly obsessed with the link between language and identity. James plays the role of the docile and ignorant slave, whose speech to white people is barely intelligible, while inside he's savvy, literate, and nursing a bubbling rage. Every chance meeting with white folks is a performance, a private minstrel show in which James code switches his style of speaking for white comfort.

The artifice serves a crucial purpose, and James is a consummate trickster – the cooperative slave, play acting exaggerated subservience, with his voice and diction morphing to character. And despite their growing connection, James's audience is all white people, old and young – including Huck. James only holds fast to only one true thing: His vow to his family: to "get me a job and save me sum money and come back and buy my Sadie and Lizzie."

Every now and then Huck can sense the falseness and it destabilizes their partnership. Their connection is real and tenuous, undermined by who they are – or appear to be to society – and the gap between them. Those contradictions are hard for a boy to grasp. It would be poignant but the repetition of those scenes of code switching uncertainty also renders this comic. As narrator, James recounts this moment when Huck got close to discovering his act:

"Jim," Huck said. "What?" "Why you talking so funny?" "Whatchu be meanin'?" I was panicking inside. "You were talkin'—I don't know—you didn't sound like no slave."

'Dr. No' is a delightfully escapist romp and an incisive sendup of espionage fiction

Again and again. In true Everett fashion, the intertwined artifice of race and language is stretched to self-reflexive absurdity. On top of the issue of interracial, interpersonal performance, the author mimics and pokes fun at the self awareness and calculus of slave narratives like the one James is himself secretly trying to craft (or maybe, rather modern literary analysis of slave narratives) and what James explicitly calls "the frame" in storytelling. James knows he's smarter than those who would consider themselves his betters and, sometimes, as long as he's safe and among other Black people, he secretly enjoys having some fun with his expertise.

Book News & Features

Percival everett's latest grounds racial allegory in history, horror and blood.

The earliest and most self-conscious example of this linguistic play and reflexivity occurs before James and Huck go on the run. James was careful to approach Huck and Tom like any other white folks – with caution and concealed distance. When the boys think to play a trick on James while he's sleeping, the truth is "Those boys couldn't sneak up on a blind and deaf man while a band was playing." But James spins a story letting the boys think their trick of moving his hat while he was sleeping has been so successful that he believes he was visited by a witch. He's telling a tale to another Black man, but he knows that he's being overheard by the two white boys. This is the dual frame of which James is explicitly aware. Similarly, when teaching his daughter Lizzie how to manage the expectations of white people and avoid insulting Miss Watson about her terrible cooking, James advises the girl: "'Try'dat be,' I said. 'That would be the correct incorrect grammar.' "

James takes pride and pleasure in these deceptions. But fluidity of language and role playing can never be just a game. This 19th century linguistic shape-shifting can become a matter of life or death in an instant. So the intimacy between him and Huck is worrying: "spending time with Huck alone had caused me to relax in a way that was dangerous." Plus, the people James and Huck encounter are also, more often than not, playing with their own roles. When James meets Norman, a man with white skin who seems to see through his racial performance, he finds it a "terrifying notion." James's horror and fear are so obvious that Norman feels compelled to reassure him: "'You didn't slip," he said. I'se jest knows.'" James is impressed: "His accent was perfect. He was bilingual, fluent in a language no white person could master." But Norman has his own secrets of identity and language. He's actually of mixed race passing for white, and James just doesn't detect it.

Like James and Norman's encounter, the novel is exquisitely multilayered. A brilliant, sometimes shocking mashup of various literary forms, James has the arc of an odyssey, with the quest for home, and an abundance of absurdly comical humor. Con men and tricksters like the Duke and the Dauphin are borrowed from Twain. But even with the humor, Everett weaves in signature touches, like dream sequences with John Locke, whom James criticizes over his position on slavery. As James recounts, "I knew I was dead asleep and dreaming, but I didn't know whether John Locke knew that." So they debate in his dreams, the famous philosopher from which America's "inalienable and natural rights" flow defending his contradictions. When Locke says, "Some might say that my views on slavery are complex and multifaceted," James counters that his positions are "Convoluted and multifarious." Locke says: "Well reasoned and complicated;" James says: "Entangled and problematic." Locke: "Sophisticated and intricate." James: "Labyrinthine and Daedalean."

The back and forth is virtuosic in a scene that will make you smile if not laugh out loud. At other moments, especially those involving James's evolution and the enslaved women inside and outside of his family, James is devastating. Eventually, the story crescendos to a paroxysm of violence that is simultaneously inevitable and shattering. That combination of moral philosophy, absurdity and tragedy is very Everett. But James's situation is so bleak, his character so flesh and blood so fully realized, his pain so visceral and poignant, that at times the farce and telegraphing of inside jokes can seem jarring.

Still, I'm not sure if that dissonance is truly a bug or a feature. In addition to addressing language and identity, James is very convincingly and movingly a book about two runaways' quest for freedom and the relationship between human beings that society says should not have any connection. James works shockingly well in all those dimensions. America's original sin and contradictions are his subject, and this riveting riff on a similarly complex American classic that even Toni Morrison called "this amazing troubling book" is his most challenging and maybe even his best canvas. With the previous high water marks of Telephone, The Trees, and Erasure , Everett has long been an American literary icon. But in the wake of an Oscar-winning adaptation , this time the world is watching. James expands the Everett canon in a way that will have to be reckoned with come award season.

A slow runner and fast reader, Carole V. Bell is a cultural critic and communication scholar focusing on media, politics and identity. You can find her on Twitter @BellCV .

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Fluentalk by Timekettle, T1 Language Translator Support 40 Languages and Photo Translation, Built-in 2-Year Global Mobile Data, Bundle with Fluentalk Lanyard Accessories

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by Timekettle, T1 Language Translator Support 40 Languages and Photo Translation, Built-in 2-Year Global Mobile Data, Bundle with Fluentalk Lanyard Accessories

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2-Year Free Global Mobile Data for 40 Languages: T1 translator device provides 2 years of mobile data for 40 languages, covering most countries and regions around the world. The 2-year mobile data plan is integrated into the non-detachable ESIM card of the translator and automatically activates when the product is turned on. No additional traffic services or nano SIM card is required during the 2-year period.
Offline Voice Translator: T1 handheld language translator supports 13 offline language pairs out of 8 languages: from Chinese to English, Japanese, French, Spanish, Korean, Russian and German; from English to Japanese, French, Spanish, Korean,Chinese, Russian and German. Select and download the languages you need for lifetime using for free. Note that while T1 provides convenient and quick offline translations, the accuracy may not be as high as online translations.
Four Translation Modes For You To Pick: Four translation modes for different scenories when travelling abroad.One-click translation is for quick conversation; Listen mode is to translate anything that's said to you or being said around you;chat conversation means T1can automatically pick up the speeches in a conversation and translate them to your language,for more deep communication; photo translation is for road signs, maps, menus etc.
Free Your Hands: Use Fluentalk Lanyard for your T1 translator device to make your Journey easier. Easily hangs Fluentalk T1 translator around your neck so you can always find it when you need it.
Greater Convenience: The lanyard can be extended up to 42 inches to keep your T1 translator in the correct pickup position. Start translating faster by hanging up your Fluentalk T1 translator device.

Ultra-fast 2-way Translation: Fluentalk T1 instant translator uses over 150 servers and accelerators for fast translations. Please note that the translation speed may vary depend on your internet connection and sound pick-up orientation. We recommend using a stable WiFi connection and following the product instructions to ensure correct sound pick-up orientation.
Four Translation Modes For You To Pick: Four translation modes for different scenories when travelling abroad.One-click translation is for quick conversation; Listen mode is to translate anything that's said to you or being said around you; Chat conversation means T1 can automatically pick up the speeches in a conversation and translate them to your language,for more deep communication; photo translation is for road signs, maps, menus etc.
4"HD screen, Compact-sized: T1 is built with a 4-inch large touchscreen twice as big as conventional handheld translators for an ultra-clear resolution of 540*1080P and is only about the size of a credit card and weighs merely 115g. Carry the pocket translator anywhere you need with ease when you travel.

Well-Designed Size: This Lanyard measures 42 inches long and 0.8 inches wide, and fits comfortably around the neck with a lot of room to spare.
Comfortable and Durable: Fluentalk Lanyard is made of polyester fabric. It’s easy to use, soft texture and is durable. No matter how long you wear it, it wouldn't irritate your skin.
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Buckeye Countdown to the 2024 Solar Eclipse

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Get ready for the solar eclipse

On April 8, 2024, the sun, moon and Earth will align to create a solar eclipse viewable from Ohio and other parts of North America.

Listen to an Ohio State expert detail this unique event

Learn more about the science behind the solar eclipse and how to safely view this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Dr. Wayne Schlingman, Director, Arne Slettebak, The Ohio State University

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Check out Ohio State’s hub for solar eclipse information on the Columbus, regional and CFAES Wooster campuses, including key resources, events and frequently asked questions.

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The Ohio State University at Lima hosted a speaker series to investigate the upcoming total solar eclipse through a series of science-based lectures and presentations.

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Kate Middleton's Photo Editing Scandal Calls Into Question Other Royal Family Images

Getty Images found that a photograph of the late Queen with some of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren at Balmoral was also edited.

A photo of Kate Middleton and her three children smiling released by Kensington Palace for UK Mother's Day inadvertently ignited a storm around the editing of royal photographs.

In addition, Kate's admission that she occasionally experiments with editing led many news agencies, including CNN and Getty Images, to go back through other pictures released by the Palace. Here, all the images that have been called into question.

Kate's Mother's Day Photo

The editing issues flagged include the disappearance of Princess Charlotte's sleeve, the artificial pattern of the young princess's hair, Kate's zipper being misaligned, Prince Louis's sweater pattern repeating oddly, and more.

Per the New York Times , " Samora Bennett-Gager, an expert in photo retouching, identified multiple signs of image manipulation. The edges of Charlotte’s legs, he said, were unnaturally soft, suggesting that the background around them had been shifted. Catherine’s hand on the waist of her youngest son, Louis, is blurry, which he said could indicate that the image was taken from a separate frame of the shoot."

Queen Elizabeth 97th Birthday Photo

A photo shared by the Prince and Princess of Wales on what would've been Queen Elizabeth's 97th birthday shows the late monarch with some of her great-grandchildren and two of her grandchildren at Balmoral. The photo was taken by Kate, and following the reassessment of Palace handout images, an editor's note in Getty reads "Image has been digitally enhanced at source." Edits of the photo include changes to the sofa upholstery, a repeated curl pattern on Mia Tindall 's hair, a weird cutout around Prince Louis, and more. (See an investigation into the edits, here .)

A Getty spokesperson said, "Getty Images is undertaking a review of handout images and in accordance with its editorial policy is placing an editor's note on images where the source has suggested they could be digitally enhanced."

The Wales Family Christmas Card 2023

While no official statements from photo agencies have been made regarding Kate and William's 2023 Christmas Card , many online have pointed out possible evidence of editing.

Photographs shared by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Following the Kate photo drama, allegations arose that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released edited photos: Specifically, Archie's christening portrait , taken by Chris Allerton in 2019, and their second pregnancy announcement portrait , taken by Misan Harriman in 2021. Both photographers vehemently denied the allegations of editing, and they were soon retracted.

Of the christening portrait, Allerton said , "I would like to state very clearly and thus clarify matters that the photograph you are referring to, taken by me at Windsor Castle on July 6, 2019, has not been manipulated and was distributed to the best of my knowledge in adherence with the submission guidelines required by Getty Images, via the Palace press office." He added, "It would be utterly false and indeed defamatory to suggest that I had somehow changed or materially manipulated any of the subjects or content of the image."

Of the pregnancy announcement, Harriman said the accusations were "insidious and really dangerous journalism." He soon released the original, color portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug Review: The Best Insulated Travel Coffee Mug

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In my wider tested review of travel coffee mugs , I found the Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug to be the best insulated mug on the market today. Ahead, learn more about the features that made it stand above the rest.

When it comes to travel coffee mugs, aesthetics (and practicality) are subjective. Some prioritize compatibility with their car’s cupholders, while others seek spill-free options for their backpacks. For many, all-day insulation is paramount, while others simply aim to maintain their coffee’s temperature until reaching their destination. Regardless of preference, almost everyone would prefer a sleek and stylish take-anywhere travel coffee mug that matches their lifestyle. After rigorously testing 14 different travel mugs and tumblers over a span of 10 days, the Zojirushi Stainless Mug emerged as the standout for its exceptional insulation properties and overall quality.

The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug emerged as the standout for its exceptional insulation properties ... [+] and overall quality.

Zojirushi’s travel mug lived up to the company’s reputation for high-quality appliances. It did not spill, slosh or leak a single drop of coffee into my bag and was lightweight and easy to drink from. But most impressively, it kept coffee hot (and iced coffee chilled) for many hours—far longer than I personally even needed it to. Several of the other travel coffee mugs I tested were well insulated, including the Stanley Classic Trigger-Action Travel Mug and Fellow Carter Cold Tumbler . But overall, the Zojirushi topped the list for impressive insulation.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

Keeping your beverages piping hot or refreshingly icy cold for extended periods
Easy access with one hand for opening and drinking
You prefer a travel mug with a traditional design

The 11 Best Vitamin C Serums, According To Skincare Experts

The 10 best cooling mattresses to prevent night sweats and discomfort, zojirushi stainless steel mug features, first-rate insulation.

While reviewing travel coffee mugs, insulation (the ability to keep drinks piping hot or frosty cold) was one of the most important features I assessed. Of course, unless you’re going hiking or camping, most folks don’t usually need to maintain their coffee’s temperature for a whole day—or even half a day. But it’s nice to know that the coffee you pour into your mug in the morning will be just as comfortingly hot when you get to the office—and Zojirushi’s travel mug lives up to that promise.

The stainless steel mug is double-walled and vacuum-insulated, which slows down the transfer of heat or cold to keep the contents inside at a consistent temperature. In my testing, I poured coffee made with almost boiling water (207 degrees Fahrenheit) into the mug in the morning, then tested it with a digital thermometer six hours later. During that time, the coffee dropped a mere 37 degrees—far less than most of the other models I tried. Even after 12 hours, the coffee was still above 140 degrees Fahrenheit, which is generally considered the upper end of the ideal coffee-drinking temperature range. Similarly, the Zojirushi mug kept iced coffee at a chilly 47 degrees for eight hours, giving it one of the best cold-retention scores of any model I tried. While most of the travel mugs I tested claimed to be well insulated, the Zojirushi truly delivered.

Absolutely, Positively Leak-Proof

There’s little worse on a day-to-day basis than opening your backpack or purse to discover your travel mug has leaked coffee inside. That’s why I was thrilled to find that the Zojirushi travel mug is completely leak-free. Its screw-top lid securely fastens into the base, creating an airtight seal that keeps the contents in place, even when shaken, jostled or held upside down. Additionally, the lid features a slider lock to prevent accidental openings. To truly put it to the test, I took the mug on an airplane flight and was delighted to find my backpack dry when we landed. While I wasn’t completely enamored with the Zojirushi’s tapered shape or flip-top lid, both of which felt more like drinking from a water bottle than a travel coffee mug, I’m willing to overlook this minor issue for the sake of enjoying hot or icy coffee for hours with no leaks.

Spacious But Lightweight

I tested Zojirushi’s 20-ounce travel mug, which proved more than capable of holding ample coffee, tea or water to satisfy my thirst and caffeine needs. (The mug also comes in a larger 24-ounce size, though I did not personally try it.) While many of the mugs I tested felt somewhat heavy in my hand, the Zojirushi’s ultralight stainless steel construction, weighing just 10 ounces, felt featherlight and effortless to hold, even when filled with coffee. Additionally, I appreciated the ability to hold and operate the travel mug with one hand, simply pressing a button to flip up the lid when ready to drink. When I’m rushing around multitasking (which is all too often), I value a travel mug that makes my coffee consumption absolutely seamless.

My Expertise

I have been a professional food writer for more than 15 years, and a dedicated coffee lover for even longer than that. My writing and recipes have appeared in publications including Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, the Washington Post and Food52, and I am also the author of seven cookbooks. When not writing specifically about food, I regularly review and test a wide array of kitchen appliances—like hand mixers , ice cream makers and loaf pans –for Forbes Vetted. To make sure I did not miss anything during my research, I reached out to two coffee industry experts: Stephanie Dana, from the Brooklyn-based roastery Parlor Coffee , and Namisha Parthasarathy, co-founder of the coffee subscription service Aramse , provided their valuable knowledge and perspective.

How Does The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug Compare?

Unsurprisingly, to anyone who already knows and loves Zojirushi’s kitchen appliances (like their exceptional rice cookers , for example), this stainless steel mug performed very favorably when compared to the other travel coffee mugs I tried. Like the MiiR Flip Traveler , it was lightweight and easy to hold (but easier than the MiiR to operate the lid). Similar to my overall favorite mug, the Klean Kanteen TKWide Insulated Coffee Tumbler , it kept liquid safely inside the bottle and was splash-resistant, even when I was drinking from it. But on the insulation front, it bested all of the other travel coffee mugs at keeping drinks hot and cold for the longest. Several of the travel coffee mugs I tried out were unpleasantly wide or had a finish that felt slippery and insecure in my hand. But the Zojirushi mug was slim and easy to hold.

How I Tested The Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug

I put 14 different travel coffee mugs and tumblers to the test over the course of 10 days in search of the very best, and I was happily surprised to see how strong and diverse the category is. There are travel mugs for your morning brew, ones designed specifically for iced coffee and even travel mugs that let you take an afternoon cappuccino on the road with you. But while there isn’t a single set of criteria that applies to every travel coffee mug, I kept the following things in mind while determining the best.

The most important criteria, to me, were how each travel coffee mug or tumbler felt in my hand, and how pleasant they were to drink from. This criterion is subjective, of course, and will be different for everyone. But I looked for coffee mugs that were slim and as simple to hold with one hand as with two. I also noted whether the mugs felt slippery or secure. On the drinking front, I gave top marks to the coffee mugs with spouts or tops that provided smooth, splash-free streams of liquid or, in the case of iced coffee tumblers, that had sturdy, easy flowing straws.

Insulation was also an important factor in my testing process, though not every travel mug that made my best-of list even promised great insulation. In the case of the glass KeepCup Brew Cork Reusable Coffee Cup , the focus was less on insulation and more on providing a stylish, functional and sustainable alternative to a disposable paper cup. But for the mugs and tumblers that did promise insulation, I filled them with nearly boiling hot coffee (and iced cold brew, in the case of my cold insulation tests) and tested the liquid’s temperature several times throughout the day with a digital thermometer.

Ease of cleaning was a third primary category for my testing. The majority of the travel mugs and tumblers on the market today are made from stainless steel (sometimes coated with ceramic) or glass rather than plastic, which means they all do a pretty good job of washing clean with soap and water. But to test them, I poured in coffee and let them sit for many hours before attempting to wash them—either by hand or, when applicable, in the dishwasher. After cleaning, I gave the mugs and tumblers a little sniff to see if any lingering stale coffee aroma was left behind.

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Man arrested for boarding flight with someone else's ticket: How he reportedly did it

The FBI is investigating an incident where a man allegedly took a picture of someone else’s boarding pass to illegally board a Delta Air Lines flight on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the District of Utah.

According to the complaint, officers removed the passenger – identified as Wicliff Yves Fleurizard of George, Texas – from Flight 1683, departing Salt Lake City for Austin, Texas.

Fleurizard was arrested on one felony count of stowing away on a vessel or aircraft and faces a fine or no more than a five-year sentence, or both.

The complaint said surveillance footage of the boarding area showed Fleurizard taking photos of multiple passengers' phones “while they were not looking.” A Delta gate agent who was interviewed said a minor female passenger traveling alone had an issue when she tried to scan her ticket – the system showed she was already on board.

When the aircraft was preparing to take off, Fleurizard spent “a significant amount of time in the lavatory” in the front of the aircraft before moving to the back lavatory.

Learn more: Best travel insurance

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During taxiing, a flight attendant noticed “there were no available seats” left, so she approached Fleurizard to help. He told her his seat was 21F, but the flight attendant verified the seat wasn’t under Fleurizard’s name.

The flight crew looked up Fleurizard’s real name and were unable to locate a valid ticket or reservation for him under the Guest Service Tool. Since Fleurizard was not authorized to be on board, the plane returned to the gate, and he was escorted off the flight.

Fleurizard told officers he was in Utah for a snowboarding trip and “needed to get home to see his family who had flown in from Florida,” according to the complaint, adding that he tried to use his friend’s Southwest Airlines buddy pass on Saturday but all the flights were booked. He used the Southwest flight to get through security.

“Fleurizard admitted he made a mistake and was only trying to get home,” the complaint said.

Delta said it is “cooperating with law enforcement and relevant federal agencies regarding an investigation.”

The flight landed in Austin 30 minutes later than its scheduled arrival time. Fleurizard is held on a federal detainer at Salt Lake County Metro Jail .

Last month, a woman reportedly boarded an American Airlines flight from Nashville, Tennessee, to Los Angeles without a boarding pass by passing through an unmanned section of security. She was met with law enforcement upon arrival.

Kathleen Wong is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at [email protected] .

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Travelling Languages
English in Dublin and Northern Ireland and Connemara Travelling Programme…let's talk with Yumehiro; Contact Travelling Languages +353 1 44 345 44 +39 011 198 377 28; [email protected]; Docklands Innovation Park, U14G 128-130 East Wall Road Dublin 3 Ireland
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Travelling Languages, Dublin, Ireland. 5,906 likes · 1 talking about this · 246 were here. Your Language School on the Road. Visit us at... Travelling Languages, Dublin, Ireland. 5,906 likes · 1 talking about this · 246 were here. Your Language School on the Road. Visit us at www.travellinglanguages.com
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Although the island nation doesn't technically exist according to most of the world, knowing some Chinese will help you better enjoy its tropical weather, high level of development and relatively cheap cost of travel and living. 4. French. Most useful in: Europe, the Middle East, the Americas, North Africa.
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13. Russian. Russian is spoken by over 258 million people worldwide and is an official language of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It is also widely spoken in other former Soviet republics like Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, making it one of the best languages to learn for travel.
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Travelling Languages is located in the heart of Dublin. It is opposite one of the side entrances of Trinity College, it is close to the National Gallery and the shops of Grafton Street. Also when you travel during a total immersion travelling programme, school is always located at the very centre of the city where you stay.
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An estimated 13% of US residents speak Spanish as a first language. If traveling in Mexico or nearly any country in Latin America, Spanish would be a beneficial language for your travels. As a romance language, learning Spanish also makes it easier to learn other romance languages like French, Italian and Portuguese.
TRAVELLING LANGUAGES
Specialties: Travelling Languages is the first 'travelling language school' in the world to put together an organised structure, one that includes traditional classroom tuition combined with an outside social programme that helps maximise the students foreign language skills while travelling around their chosen host country. Moving from town to town is a fantastic way to keep the students ...
8 Most Useful Languages
Best Languages to Learn to Travel Europe. As everyone knows, the most valuable languages for travelling to Europe are German and English, both Indo European languages. As a result of the research, English has been determined as the second most used language in 55 countries . However, considering the total number of speakers, German is ...
25 Handy languages for Travellers: Learn them Before Taking off
This language is derived from the Tagalog language. The Philippines offers its tourists unique delicacies and Instagram-worthy pictures. Though not everyone in the Philippines speaks Filipino, it will give some freedom while traveling. 15. Swahili. Swahili is the language spoken by the people of Kenya and Tanzania.
Long Term Programme (25 weeks)
Gallery. All about the Long Term Programme (25 weeks). All our lessons are student centred, they will focus on your needs and will cover all the skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking. During the course you will be constantly assessed by our experienced teachers and you will cover all the aspects of the English language.
9 best translations apps for travelers
For camera translation in 90 languages, you can point your camera for an instant translation of, say, a menu. Two-way instant speech translation is available in 43 languages. Google Translate is simple to use too, with icons at the top you can click to draw, take a photo, speak or type. Download for free on iTunes or Google Play.
Google Translate: How to translate photos in real time
How to use Google Translate offline. When traveling, you might experience spotty network connectivity. The Google Translate app lets you download select languages to your device.
Travel English: Vocabulary, phrases & expressions for traveling
English is often used in travel situations as a common language which many people can speak. This means that knowing some English phrases can make your trip safer and more fun, even if you're not traveling to a place where English is the official language. Travel is also an amazing reason to improve your English.
Travelling Languages (@tltravellinglanguages) • Instagram photos and videos
1,059 Followers, 414 Following, 110 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Travelling Languages (@tltravellinglanguages)
Travel The U.S., Discovering The Literal Meaning Of States And ...
It's interesting traveling across the U.S. when we understand how places got their names, when many stem from local languages, the geography and rich indigenous heritage.
Travel Portrait Photography
Our travel portrait photography guide outlines the best tips and tricks for taking people's photos while traveling. From tips for nailing your composition, choosing your location, cultural sensitivity, and approaching people to the more technical stuff that will help you improve your portrait photography and take better travel and cultural portraits.
ESL Picture Conversation Questions
Topic: Travelling. View Conversation. Enhance your English language skills with our curated collection of ESL picture conversation questions. Explore captivating visuals that spark discussions.
Percival Everett's 'James' reimagines Jim in Mark Twain's ...
In a fever dream of a retelling, America's new reigning king of satire has turned a loved classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, upside down, placing Huck's enslaved companion Jim at the center.
Fluentalk by Timekettle, T1 Language Translator Support 40 Languages
Fluentalk by Timekettle,T1 Language Translator with 4" HD Screen,Support 40 Languages and Photo Translation,Instant Translator Device No WiFi Needed,Built in 2-Year Global Mobile Data for Travelling. ... Supports 36 Languages and Photo Translation, Instant Language Translator for Travelling White.
Buckeye Countdown to the 2024 Solar Eclipse
Events and Travel; Buckeye Countdown to the 2024 Solar Eclipse Get ready for the solar eclipse On April 8, 2024, the sun, moon and Earth will align to create a solar eclipse viewable from Ohio and other parts of North America. ... We'd love to see photos of you rocking our Buckeye-themed eclipse glasses. Add #BuckeyeForLife to your social media ...
Royal Photoshop Controversy: All the Royal Family Photos Being Questioned
A photo of Kate Middleton and her three children smiling released by Kensington Palace for UK Mother's Day inadvertently ignited a storm around the editing of royal photographs. In addition, Kate ...
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug Review 2024
Zojirushi Stainless Steel Mug Features First-Rate Insulation. While reviewing travel coffee mugs, insulation (the ability to keep drinks piping hot or frosty cold) was one of the most important ...
Man arrested for boarding Delta flight with someone else's ticket
The FBI is investigating an incident where a man allegedly took a picture of someone else's boarding pass to illegally board a Delta Air Lines flight on Sunday, according to a criminal complaint ...