Spain without knowing Spanish
 

How hard would it to go around Spain
without knowing more than a few words, of Spanish.
I would love to go but the cost of
tours is way beyond my means esp throwing in the single supplement.
I really would love to see Seville,
Cordorba, Madrid.

I went to Costa Rica last year and managed to get by with what little I knew I did realize alot of signs etc
were easy to figure out

It's really not a problem. I don't know any Spanish, and survived 12 days in Spain last year. I went to Madrid, Segovia, Toledo, Seville, Cordoba, Granada.

The major problem was reading menus, even though my guidebook has a menu decoder section. Having said that, I never went hungry on my trip... it's just hard to figure out what all the choices are on a menu.

Oh, and I took this trip solo, using all public transportation.

If you have a good Spanish phasebook, Lonely Planet is excellent, then you shouldn't have any major problems getting by. Sit down, work out a plan and go for it.

You might want to download a few of Maribel's Guides, Madrid, Toledo, Barcelona, etc. They will give you a good idea of what to expect and will help in planning your stay, depending on where you want to go.

www.maribelsguides.com

Except in very small villages in the back of beyond you should have little trouble. Most people in the tourist infrastructure understand a little English even if they don;t speak any.

As long as you know the basic politenesses you should be fine. (But if it were me I would bring a good menu reader - and spend a couple of hours learning a few more basics.)

Thanks for suggestions in Costa Rica
we were going into restaurants and
pointing to what we wanted we also
had some tours with meal included

maybe I should work on learning more

what kind of public transports I know
there are some high speed trains like
AVE guess need to explore those more

My experience from some 20 trips to Spain is similar to what others have said: In those cities you mentioned, English will be spoken (at least to some degree) at many restaurants.
As yk has mentioned, a menu reader has its limits, so I would focus on basic food groups, and styles how they can be prepared, e.g. cooked, fried, grilled, etc.

Only when exploring the hinterland, some better command of Spanish can make a difference.

Some vocabulary in Southern Spain varies a bit from what you have seen in Latin America, e.g. a castle is usually not a castillo but an alcazar.

Madrid, Cordoba, and Sevilla are linked by high speed trains, and it's the easiest way to get around between those three. Maybe you should inquire if an open jaw flight is possible, i.e. arrive Madrid, leave from Sevilla. That will keep you from backtracking, and is often not more expensive.

The Spanish are forgiving about not speaking the langugae. Sevilla and Cordoba are tourist destinations and Madrid is a sophisticated metroplois.

Many restaurants have English translations and you may encounter a shopkeeper who does not speak English, but in no way should that hinder your trip.

Sorry, mediaqueen, I disagree with posters who say it's no problem and you can always get English-speaking help: that's true if you're in a 4-or-5 star world; but those of us in a 2-or-3 star Universe should expect some difficulty at Bus and Rail Stations, on City Buses and even Metro lines. Be outgoing and look for help wherever you find it (i.e., other Tourists from Germany or the UK; and Spanish students love to be able to practice their English).

Many Restaurants, incl. Tabernas and other food serving places have a 'Menu del Día' served 1-4 PM: the ones with the chalkboard outside to tell you what their Menu includes. Just order 'el Menu' and then all you have to do is tell the server what you want to drink (included).

We spent 8 days there last spring including Seville and know not a word.

No problem for us.

Print off the basic phrases from the internet.

gruezi

Well I am in the 2-3 star universe. I am not a big restautant fancy eater at all. My ideal dinner when I go to London is fish and chips or lamb kehab

I am cramming hard for a trip to Spain in March. I think I'll get more out of the trip. The BBC has some great free language courses on line.http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/
I love Mi Vida Loca!
English is taught in school in Costa Rica, so most Costa Ricans speak some English. Also, I don't believe Costa Rican food has anywhere near the diversity/selection of Spain's.

Under most circumstances I don't think you'll run into much trouble if you don't speak the language. In Barcelona they speak Spanish and Catalan, and I didn't have a Catalan phrasebook, which caused some problems.
We've found that when we travel and don't speak the language, it is much appreciated if we attempt at least some phrases. We're visiting their country and it seems good manners to not assume everyone knows English.
Since you don't have a trip planned, start now to learn some of the key words and phrases you'll need to know. Buy a CD and practice when driving. Get a phrase book and put it next to your favorite chair. In a short time you'll be familiar enough with the language to order from a menu, find a toilet, buy tickets for transportation or museums, and handle hotel conversations.
Good luck and happy travels.