5 of the Most Useful Languages to Learn If You’re a Travelholic

Languages and traveling the world go hand in hand with each other. To really enjoy the culture of your up-coming destination, it’s good to learn its language or at least some every day phrases. There is no doubt that you can get by a whole trip with speaking English in really any destination and you will definitely enjoy your time there, but speaking the local language can completely transform your travel experience. 

So, let’s explore the most useful languages for world travel because languages really are the key to having an authentic cultural experience and making new friends all over the world.

1. Spanish

With over 500 million speakers worldwide, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken and the most popular languages in the world. It’s actually the second most spoken language spoken in the world. Not confining to Spain only, Spanish is the official language of countries in South America, Africa, and Europe. There are 21 countries that have Spanish as the tongue language. By learning some Spanish, you will be in a much better position and have an advantage when you travel throughout South and Central America. 

Popular Travel Destinations That Speak Spanish: Spain, Peru, Colombia, Equatorial Guinea, Mexico, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Cuba, Chile, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Argentina.

2. Chinese

Yes, English is the world’s universal language, but Chinese is the one with the most speakers in the world, making it the winner over English (which comes in the third place) and Spanish (which as we mentioned comes in the second place). Although it is not at all easy to learn, learning Chinese will come in handy if you are traveling through Asia, and especially China, and will help you navigate the language’s vast geographic reach more independently. 

Popular Travel Destinations That Speak Chinese: China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, Kuala Lumpur, and Singapore.

3. Arabic

When people think of the Middle East and North Africa, Arabic is the first language that comes to mind. And that’s for a good reason, although most of the countries of the Middle East and North Africa also speak English and some of them speak French, the official language of these countries is Arabic and their cultures are built on the Arabic language. By learning some Arabic, you will be able to understand specific beliefs and customs of the local people. There are 25 countries that claim Arabic as their official language. There are many dialects of the Arabic language, but Egyptian Arabic is the most popular and the closest thing to the standard Arabic. So, if you planning on traveling to the Middle East or North Africa, learning some Arabic will really help you out experience the real local life of the Arab world.

Popular Travel Destinations That Speak Arabic: Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Algeria, Oman, Lebanon, and Tunisia.

Planning a trip to Egypt or the Middle East and need a quick Arabic guide for quick everyday phrases? Get a copy of our Arabic Pocket Guide now and enjoy the true Arab experience!

4. Russian

Unlike what people think, Russian is not just the official language of Russia; it is spoken throughout Eastern Europe. There are a number of countries that has Russian as its tongue language. Also, it is spoken as a second / minority language in many other countries. If you plan to travel through Eastern Europe, it is good to learn some Russian. Russian is actually the sixth most natively spoken language in the world. Fun fact is that along with English, Astronauts have to learn Russian as a part of their training. So, if you learn a bit of Russian, you will be speaking one of the two languages of space.

Popular Travel Destinations That Speak Russian: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, and Norway.

5.  Italian

If you plan on a romantic getaway, then you got to learn the language of romance. It’s known worldwide that Italian is the language of romance. Italian is actually popular and will come in handy when traveling throughout Europe. There are other countries beside Italy itself that have many Italian speakers.
When it comes to learning new language, Italian is one of the easiest languages to learn. It’s extremely phonetic. Also, many of its root words are similar to Spanish and French. So, learning Italian can actually help you in countries that speak Spanish and French.

Popular Travel Destinations That Speak Italian: Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Malta, Slovenia, San Marino, Vatican City, and Croatia.