Knowing/speaking some of the language... how did it benefit you?
 

Many here extoll the virtues of knowing at least a smattering of the local language when traveling to Europe. I certainly believe this but would appreciate hearing specific examples of how it enhanced your travel experience. Thanks to all.

I took a Franch for Travelers course before our trip. It helped at the train station, and then was a huge help at the pharmacie when I was sick. I was so thankful to be able to explain my symptoms and to be able to understand the pharmacist. Right there, it was worth it! I will take another course before we head back next year.

Maybe I should have taken a spelling course instead:D French,french, french...LOL!

Easy! I used my limited Polish to woe and wed my Polish wife.

I think it helps a lot. Just being able to say things like hello, good evening, please, thank you, and excuse me is enough to make people smile and make every effort to help you. They'll hear your accent immediately and appreciate your taking the trouble to learn some simple words. I always make a point of learning to say "Do you speak English?"

I have used some knowledge of German to read signs and menus. Also, in situations where non one speaks English, knowing a little German is very helpful.

I remember in the Ötztal of Austria, no one at the local grocery store seemed to speak English. We had a week's rental at an apartment and I was able to order meat at the grocery store and get what my wife wanted.

Oddly enough the most use I have made of my little bit of German was in the French speaking part of Switzerland.

The people in the tourist bureau in Zinal spoke less English than I did German. Because the Swiss speakers of French usually learn high German, understanding the answers was easy.

Also our waitress in the hotel spoke no English, but she was very fluent in German. She could help me say what I needed to say.

Local people are more receptive to you when you make the effort. People smile at you when you try.

It helps a lot, though I would not say that you cannot enjoy a foreign country without any knowledge of their language.

Last spring in Madrid, the Royal Palace was closed during regular opening hours due to some ceremony. The couple in front of us who asked the guard left with the impression that the palace would be closed all day since they did not speak (almost) any Spanish, while I could understand that it was only for a few hours, so we would be able to visit bit later in the afternoon.

No big thing, but it helped.

Usually we rent homes in areas in Southern Europe (Spain, France, or Portugal) that do not get much mass tourism, so getting around, asking for directions, even shopping, does require some understanding of the language.

French was not only a great help in France - but also in Quebec ;-)

In Scandinavia, I did not care to learn more than Hello or Thanks in the foreign language as their excellent command of English would make any conversation in Swedish or Danish a total waste of time - for them.

Portugal was a bit tricky, but thank heavens for centuries of British tourists.

I have to admit that I feel most comfortable in those countries where I have at least a basic command of the language. But I do not limit my travels to those countries. Hungary is always quite an adventure... lol

Absolutely - especially the advice: saying "Do you speak English?" in the local language is a great wheel-greaser. Along with please and thank you, as any 5-year old knows!

If I have a little of the language I also carry a small dictionary so I can find words when needed - some fellow Americans asked (later when they discovered I was not Italian) where I learned to speak Italian, after I asked the man in front of them on the bus to please close the window. (Piacere, e possibile a chiusare il finestrino?) Now that I havew a little more Italian, I'm impressed that I got the window closed.

Also, working on the basic pronunciation will help you get where you want to go in a taxi, rather than some similar-sounding place. This can save both time and money - and prevent being stranded in the wrong neighborhood.

Maybe the most useful thing about having a few phrases and knowing a little about pronunciation is the confidence it gives you. Reading signs becomes a little easier, asking for help becomes MUCH easier. Even if all you know is "Excuse me" and "do you speak English?" plus the other basics, you go out in the world feeling less like a freak. You can open the door, and that means everything.

Before our trip to Portugal, I listened to language CDs and read a phrase book. Portuguese is difficult to learn! However, we used greetings and simple common phrases and people were extremely receptive.

I'll never forget asking a woman, who was sitting on her front stoop, where the "Frango" (chicken) shop was located while flapping my arms like a bird,lol. That was all it took as she locked arms with me and led us to the storefront. What a sweet and helpful woman.

STW--That is hilarious! We only had a weeks notice for our Portugal trip, so I didn't know a thing before we arrived. DH gave me a little flip phrase booklet, which gave us the basics, but I do wish I knew more at the time. I am still laughing at the flapping of the arms:)

I think I'll approach this question first from the negative sign. If we had known the French for "Rental car return," we wouldn't have driven around Charles DeGaulle Airport for an hour hunting for the voiture du location so we could get rid of our Peugeot.

We would also have known that the road we were entering was a toll road.

On the positive side, I think it probably does something to diminish Europen stereotypes about others (such as Americans) when you can speak at least some of the language. I think you have more personal experiences, too. I was sitting in a sidewalk cafe in Heidelberg when a lady next to me commented that the waitress had ignored me and had taken her order first. As soon as I spoke, she knew by my accent that I was American, but we had quite a nice long chat, though I didn't understand absolutely everything she said. It was fun.

Another time I ordered breakfast in a cafe in Schwäbisch Hall. I used my best German, asking for "ein weich gekochtes ei." (A soft-boiled egg.) A woman at the next table gave me a big smile and said, "Gut gemacht!" (Well done!) I loved it!

I like to think that speaking at least some of another language brings us closer.

Sometimes gestures language is more useful ! I like to learn languages, I don't do it because of travels but yes, it's great when you visit not heavy tourist areas where it's less common to find people who speaks a foreign language.
It's very nice to learn at least to say "thank you" and "good morning", though.

Where to begin? I studied French in school and learned German during my 2.5 years there; both have done wonders for my travel experiences. Being able to understand a little of the world around you is just the beginning. There's nothing so rewarding as being able to strike up a conversation with a local (and even better, having them compliment you on your skills, even if they are just being polite!). Demonstrating that you care enough to learn some of the language is a meaningful gesture that will almost always be appreciated, and it makes getting around and dealing with daily tasks much easier. You might even get better service if you make an effort to speak the language. (Although I should add, all of this can sometimes backfire if your accent is particularly bad, so don't just read books - listen to tapes and practice that accent!)

The vast majority of Europeans I have encountered are warm and welcoming to Americans, but I can't blame them for being frustrated and a bit put-off by Americans who assume that everyone else on the planet should speak English. Even learning an apologetic, "I'm sorry I don't speak XX, do you speak English?" in the local language can do wonders.

On the other hand, I have gotten by with only a handful of Italian in Italy and never had a problem. In some countries at least, a smile can get you a long ways!

mmms, it was the BEST chicken on the face of this earth! If necessary I would have also clucked like a chicken just to find the place! :D

Now, we made a day-trip to Spain, Seville to be exact. I didn't think about taking a phrase book with me and that was a hoot. We ended up in the Jewish Quarter for Tapas and our waiter did not understand English, only Basque and boy did we fumble. He smiled a lot; we smiled a lot...the Tapas was delicious, but a total surprise since we hadn't a clue what we ordered. It was fantastic and quite the adventure!!

In a small rural town in Germany, years ago, we got lodging with a local family because we were able to ask about rooms in German.

More recently, in a small town in Italy, I was able to get directions to a little store that sold art supplies, and buy paint I had forgotten to bring.

A gentleman in Seville saw me looking at a map, stopped to offer help and then took my DH and me on a wonderful evening walk. His English was as limited as my Spanish, but together we managed enough to discover that he was a High School Art Teacher, as was I.

The best, however, was helping some German tourists buy train tickets in France.

STW--Doesn't surprise me as we had excellent chicken there too! One of the first days in Portugal, we went to lunch. Of course we had no idea what we were ordering, but it turned out that DS (who was 4) ordered grilled calamari. We were lucky...he LOVED it and it was his favorite food for years after that. So for once, not knowing the language actually helped, lol!

If you are interested enough in a place to go there, seems like you'd have some curiosity about the language too. It's as much a part of the culture as its architecture, art, food, music etc.

We took German lessons when we lived in Vienna over 20 yrs ago, then we didn't use it again until our first trip back in 1999. Of course, we had forgotten so much but were still able to get by much better than if we hadn't known any German.

We've made 4 more trips back to Germany, Austria and Switzerland since then and each time we are a little more confident about our German skills.

As people have said, the locals appreciate your attempt and will sometimes engage you in conversation so they can practice their English!

I once saved my husband from ordering a small crushed car when what he really wanted was a lemonade.

We've had some stimulating discussions when our French was almost good enough to meet halfway the English of French people we encountered. We and they both learned some things about each others' lives that surprised us. To me, that's the best part, connecting with people.

In mainland Europe it is probably much more useful than learning Irish was for me. I was able to translate a few signs out west, and say hello and how are you to the locals on the Aran Isles - but that's about it :)

Two weeks ago, I managed to get by quite o.k. with my limited command of the local language, when I was in Nevada and California. The locals had a hard time understanding my native German, but they tried nevertheless. It's hard to find natives speaking anything but their local languages there! Be prepared to learn at least a few phrases like "Good morning" or "Hello".
I ordered a cheesebuger with coleslaw at a local restaurant. Fortunately, the waitress did understand, what I wanted. But unfortunately, I didn't receive any applause from neighboring tables. I tried to start singing a folk song from my native bavarian tribe, but it didn't seem like they liked that idea very much.
Anyway, I managed o.k.

Absolutely agree about "do you speak english." I don't remember a lot of smiles, but it's just more polite and gets you off on a better foot than asking in english (or, worse, just starting to speak without asking at all).

It's also good to know how to count to ten, say yes, no, excuse me, help, what is this?, or other basic phrases.

Not only will knowing the numbers help you order one coffee (and avoid having someone ask how many and you not having a clue what they're saying), but it will help you understand how much something costs (although it's even better to know the double digits).

It's also worth it to have a simple phrase book with a menu section so you don't unintentionally order anything you want to avoid eating (or, if you're an adventurous eater, so you know your particular adventure either before hand or after the fact). I once recommended a Sardinian restaurant in Venice to a friend of mine and she returned to tell me that, to her horror, one of the specials was horse. She didn't know the word, but when she asked what it was the waiter pantomimed riding a horse.

People are more likely to respond to you positively if you at least greet them in their own language - even if you immediately switch to Do you speak English?

Also, it's tremendously useful:

reading menus
reading parking signs
dealing with machines (paying in train stations or garages)

Also - if you're off the beaten track often museums/other sights only have signs in the native language. Being able to figure out the days and hours the church will be open can help you decide to hang around and wait for it or not.

Most useful are:

greetings
numbers
days of the week
open, closed, entrance, exit, left, right
basic menus items (you need a menu reader to get details)

It deifintely helps to learn the basics. I took German in high school (seems like a lifetime ago). German langauge is taught twice a year (spring and fall) at our local Adult School at the local high school. I go for the 6 weeks, either the spring or fall semester, once a year. I also keep German Language cd's in the car to listen to now and then on my commute to work. Even after doing this, my mastery of the German language is just enough to "get by".

"specific examples of how it enhanced your travel experience."

It came in very handy in Heiligenblut, Austria, as our "host" Anni spoke virtually not a word of English. It was very nice to able to have a conversation with her. She spent over an hour talking with me over breakfast. She was as interested in what it's like here in the States as I was about life in Heiligenblut and Austria.
Very similar instance in Ramsau, Germany. The pension owners Sabine and Johann were very nice and Sabine (speaks English) had a broken foot and was "incapacitated". Running the place was left up to Johann, who spoke no English. Again, it was very nice to be able to communicate with him and found him to be a very warm and charming person. We wound up having such a wonderful time there, we decided to make their place a longer stop the very next year.

It also makes decifering the menu a bit easier! Actually, even when offered the English menu, we usually opt for the German menu and give it our best shot.

I believe one should at least know the basics... hello, please, thank you, goodbye, do you speak English? in the language of the country your visiting. My opinion, people appreciate it you make an attempt.

Paul

It enhances my trips because I get to eavesdrop...

But seriously, whenever I travel to a place where I know none or very little of the language, I feel left out. Sure, I can enjoy looking around me and visiting sites and hearing the sounds, but if I can't strike up conversations with people I feel like I'm just getting a smattering of a place.

I love having conversations with cab drivers and bar tenders and waiters and salespeople. You find out so much about the lives of people in other cultures that way. If you speak the language you get invited places and have experiences you'd never have otherwise. On a practical level, if your kid has an earache or breaks a leg you can go to the doctor or pharmacy with confidence you can get the problem fixed. You can understand public announcements that are telling you get out of the station immediately or your life is at risk. You don't get lost because you can read signs and stop people and ask how to get where you're going. You don't mistakenly order bunny balls for dinner.You can go get your haircut without coming out sporting a blue Mohawk. You can read your rental car manual and fix your own tire. You can read the local paper and listen to the local news. You can argue with people who are trying to rip you off. You can buy things without wondering what's in them or what they're made of. You can go to really, really remote places and ask about stuff hardly anyone else knows about. You can read the plaques in museums so you know what you're looking at. You can understand announcements on trains so you don't miss your stop. You can make telephone calls without panicking. You can join local language tours, which are always more frequent than English ones - and ask questions if you want.

There are a thousand ways speaking the language enhances my experience. But mostly I enjoy the evesdropping ;)

The ability to see and hear a different part of the world through a different language - - even if it's only a few hundred words - - is THE reason to go to Europe.

Best wishes,

Rex

It enhances my experiences differently, depending on whether it is a language I know a lot, a little, or just the phrases from the guide book.

I studied French in school when dinosaurs roamed the earth, and I love going to France partly so I can hear French all around me. I have had lots of fun conversations with people I would never have been able to talk to if I hadn't spoken French. One of the things we talk about is learning languages, especially if they have some English, and we try to help each other out. I have been able to tag along on French-speaking tours and understand as well as translate for my travel companions. Reading signs can be very helpful. Going to performances in French. Reading the local newspapers and listening to the radio and TV. Describing to a hairdresser the way my daughter wanted her hair cut. And I have trouble doing that with my own hairdresser in English! (My daughter's haircut ended up far nicer than either of us had expected.)

I learned a little Italian from books and CDs and it was just enough to ask directions in Rome, understand some of the answers, speak to shop attendants about trying things on, reserve a table at a restaurant on the telephone, things like that.

I tried to learn Portuguese pronunciation before my trip last summer just so I would get fewer blank looks from taxi drivers, and it worked to some extent.

I have been complimented on my truly ghastly French, Italian and, yes, Swahili. These compliments benefited me by feeding my ego.

If I were being serious, I would go on to say that my fully fed ego enabled me to be a little more relaxed, a little more open and a little more friendly on my travels--and as a result I've been treated in kind.

But I'm never serious.

Give it a try and have a wonderful trip.

I found French to be very helpful in Paris. Whenever I would say, "bonjour", they would smile (laugh?) and say, "let's just do this in English".
But when I was really stuck with someone who didn't speak English I carried a notebook and wrote it.

Spanish has come in handy. We met a an Italian couple in Germany and the wife and I just had to talk to each other, like old friends who haven't met yet. The woman knew a little English, we both spoke tourist German. I only know a couple of words of Italian but once we hit upon Spanish; we had a great time. Lots of hand gestures too.

The oddest language experience I had was not travel-related but when regularly visiting a friend in hospital.

He's German, and shared a room with one guy from Togo and one from Nigeria. While his roommates spoke different African languages with their spouses some friends which the other one could not understand, the guy from Togo used French to communicate with other friends (those not from his ethnic group), and the Nigerian spoke English. Since neither one of them shared English or French as second language (besides 10 words maybe), so they communicated with eachother in German.
That was very bizarre, since you hardly think of German as a common language - especially not for two guys of African descent.

So there was a constant switch between 5 different languages, which made that room sound like a modern-day version of the Tower of Babel.

I broke a tooth while on holiday in Paris (snapped it completely in half!!) and I was very glad that I had school girl French and the very charming dentist had a tiny bit of English. At least I could work out that Radiograph was an x-ray and give him the ok to proceed!

I'm completely useless at languages but I always make an effort to learn a few basic courtesies such as please, thank you, hello, goodbye, and some basic numbers up to about 10.

Knowing the word for 'no' came in extremely useful in Tunisia at fending off the gropers before they reached me. After a couple of days I learned to positively spit 'la' and glare at any man approaching me with a big smile and outstretched hand. Sorry to have to come up with a negative example but it was really essential.

If I need to ask directions in Italy, I find that the best person to ask is usually an old lady with a shopping bag.
They don't usually speak English.
We went on a river trip last time we were there and ended up sharing a restaurant table with a French and Spanish couple.
The French lady had been to England years ago but had forgotten all her English. The French husband had no English at all. They had no other languages.
The Spanish husband had a bit of English and some Italian but no French. His wife had no other languages.
I have some Italian and some very rusty French, but hardly any Spanish.
My husband's Italian is slightly worse than mine and so is his French.
We all got on very well and even managed to discuss European politics.

Some Italian classes before my visit to Italy certainly enhanced my travel to Italy, although I must confess that we probably could have gotten by fairly well with just English in Rome, Florence and Venice. It's a little hard to judge all the little things that were smoothed over, since most Italians in those cities do speak some English.

One instance, which still brings a smile to my face:

We attended a mass in Rome celebrated by Pope John Paul II on Corpus Christi in 2004. Assisting were Girl Guides and the Italian version of Boy Scouts. Since my son was a Boy Scout at the time, I wanted to take a photograph of one of the Boy Scouts, so I used my basic Italian to ask him to pose for me. He smiled and declined, but when I said in my poor Italian that "Mon figlio est un Scout!" (OK, it's been a few years, bear with me on this), he smiled again and indulged me. Even the older Italian gentleman assisting with him gave me a smile and nodded, of course.

A small moment, but touching for me. Made me feel my Italian classes paid off, even with all the English spoken in the touristy cities.

First trip to Italy and my husband & I were eager to use our beginning Italian lessons. We saw an older couple from our hotel at a cafe and sat with them. They did not know English but our limited Italian was perfect for small talk: "what is your name", "where do you come from", "how many children do you have?", etc.

The next day at breakfast they approached us and gave us a gold flower with bows and a message. I could read enough of the Italian to understand the word "marriage" and the date-August 23. We were confused because we didn't remember telling them that August 23 was our anniversary. With more broken Italian and lots of hand gestures we all finally figured out that they were giving us a souvenier of our meeting - which was a token from their Golden Anniversary which had taken place a few weeks earlier - and which, we were finally able to explain, was the date of our anniversary as well!

We will never forget meeting Florio and Floria and we have their Golden flower displayed in our home.

My high school and university German from 30+ years ago finally did come in handy on our 3 trips over the past 6 years that included stops in Germany. Enough of it came back to me that I could make a rough translation of information posted only in German when visiting museums, castles, etc.

And my halting Deutsch did break the ice a few times on trains and in other situations that brought us into close contact with the natives. Once off the main tourist track, it came in handy in restaurants and when arranging accomodations in places where no one spoke English, or at least their English was much worse than my German.

That's the only time that the thousands of taxpayer dollars and hundreds of schoolroom hours invested in the German language had any payback of significance. Probably not very cost effective and it's unlikely that I'll ever use it again, but it was handy at the time.

TBH I've found it most useful reading captions in museums. (Oh, and in Turkey I once bought a French guide to a museum because they'd sold out of the English one). Usually there's someone around who can speak or at least understand English in a tourist area for general communication purposes.

logos:
was the tap water safe and how much did you tip?

I drank the local tap water when offered in the restaurant, didn't experience any problems with it. All three times, they were actually serving tap water with ice at no extra charge. Tasted quite o.k.
But then, you can buy canned soft drinks rather inexpensive at the local supermarkets. The 24 can pack is sold without deposit in NV, in CA they did charge 5ct per can.

When the check came to $10.30, I left $12 on the table. The waitress seemed to be happy with that. (at least, I didn't hear any swear words). However, should you drive through town it will be hard finding any public fountains. Next to the front seat of their cars, they have can holders usually where you would expect the stick for shifting gears. Put your soda cans in there, you can even drink something while driving but don't try to shift gears while driving!