jen,

Many Germans speak English. Not so many Austrians, but some - esp. in touristed areas.

I think Danke will get you as far as you need to go.

There are so many ways to say hello and good bye depending on where you are. I live in Zurich and so say "gruezi" on the weekends, I work in Bern and so use "gruesse" during the week. "Hallo" works all over Germany, Austria and Switzerland as does "Ciao." Once people figure out I'm American, they often say, "bye-bye!"

gruezi

You've gotten great advice so far.

In my expereince the Germans are very patient and appreciative with any attempt to use their lanaguage. So, don't be shy in using your new skills.

Speaking of Gruess Sie, you could always make the Tschuess more familiar by adding ie on the end and saying Tscheuessie! with a melodic tone. More of a bye-bye compared to simple bye. Quite teenager girlfriendish, but funny to middle aged men quipping Tschuessie! to their perky admins when leaving work.

>Tschuessie!
Hyper-Ultra-Über gay