Germany remains a vacation hot spot for many reasons — the party scene is unbeatable, the festivals are record-breaking and the sights are beautiful. Consider taking a trip to the European country soon to get the authentic experience, but first, give your German vacation a boost by learning these helpful phrases! Even if you don’t have time to learn the whole language before you go, even just a little German can go a very long way. Pro tip: all of these topics are covered in Babbel’s German lessons, so you might want to download the app before you depart so you can learn German and be prepared.

German Vacation Cheat Sheet

Meeting New People

One of the best parts about visiting Germany is not only meeting all the fun, quirky Germans but also running into interesting people from all walks of the world who’ve come to experience the same fun. You’ll definitely want to make friends with this crowd. Also, note that we use the formal Sie for “you” in the examples below. This is the safer, but there are some contexts when the informal du might make more sense.

Hallo. — Hello.

Mein Name ist _____. — My name is _____.

Ganz meinerseits! — Nice to meet you (lit. totally my part)!

Wie heißen Sie? — What is your name (lit. how do you call yourself)?

Woher kommen Sie? — Where are you from?

Ich komme aus [England]. — I come from [England].

Ordering Food And Drinks

From decadent chocolate cakes to creamy mashed potatoes and everything in between, you’ll want to make sure you know how to order so it doesn’t take away from what you’ll order. Here’s a good place to start when it comes to ordering the best German delicacies.

Ich möchte ein oder zwei Kekse zu meinem Tee. — I’d like to have one or two cookies with my tea.

Haben Sie auch vegetarische gerichte? — Do you also have vegetarian dishes?

Ich nehme zweihundert Gramm von diesem Käse. — I’ll take two hundred grams of this cheese.

Asking For Directions

Getting lost happens to the best of us. Don’t get frustrated, get going in the right direction (and potentially make new friends) by learning these phrases! You’ll be on the right track to a perfect German vacation in no time.

Wo sind die Waschräume? — Where are the bathrooms?

Wo ist die Apotheke? — Where is the pharmacy?

Wo finde ich eine Bank? — Where can I find a bank?

rechts — right

links — left

geradeaus — straight

German Vacation Sightseeing

There’s so much to do in Germany, whether you’re trekking through Munich or dancing through Berlin. Get the most Instagram-worthy photos of your German vacation by planning an extraordinary itinerary with these phrases!

Lass uns mit dem Riesenrad fahren! — Let’s go on the ferris wheel!

Ich fahre nach München aufs Oktoberfest! — I’m going to Munich to the Oktoberfest!

Super, gehen wir ins Theater? — Great, should we go to the theater?

Ich möchte gern dieses Museum besichtigen. — I would like to visit this museum.

Wir wollen an die Ostsee gehen! — We want to go to the Baltic Sea!

Wie lange fährt man? — How long does it take?