Language apps

Google Translate is great. The app has a feature where you hold up your phone's camera to a foreign word and it translates it before your eyes; it also "sounds out" words for you. Also Duolingo helps you learn basic phrases.

Another vote for Duolingo. Also there are handy phrases at the back of the RS guidebooks for France, Italy, and Germany.

Try the Microsoft translator. I find it much more user-friendly than the google version.

Speakeasy. It’s basically an audio phrase book. Perfect for learning and practicing all those standard interactions. I love it, and always refer to it! Plus, it’s cheap.

Doris,

Google Translate is getting much better, but it's not always completely accurate and sometimes produces a translation that doesn't provide the desired meaning. One point to consider is that you'll need a data connection on your phone, unless you download the offline version of the dictionaries for each language.

I've been using Duolingo (on my PC) and Pimsleur (in the car) before my trips to work on my local language skills. I don't use either when I'm on the road.

I have the Google translate app on my phone now. A Scottish gentlemen used it with our French Airbnb host during my last trip. It worked quite well. I was impressed that both sides of the conversation were able to understand and respond to each other. It's not a substitute for knowing some polite words but goes a long way for asking questions, clarifying information or basic conversation when you are on your trip.

Thank you, everyone! So far I have tried Google Translate and Duolingo - find both useful

There are lots of great apps and websites to learn languages. It's important to know if they work offline before you go. Some of them are good for lessons and others are good reference tools like dictionaries.
Vidalingua makes reference tools that are complementary to most of the others such as French Translator Dictionary + There have most of the other European languages as well.
You can use it to translate phrases and lookup words in the dictionary. But it also has verb conjugations and flashcards.

If you are looking for help with common tourist language, I’d recommend Busuu. It’s a free app and covers several languages. You can choose the tourist learning path or the general (more intensive) learning path. I’ve found it much more useful than Duolingo. While you are in Europe, for common tourist uses, Google translate works well, especially the function that allows you to take a photo of written language with immediate translation.

I agree with Richard, Microsoft Translator is easier to use than Google Translate. It works better offline, the phrase book is handy, it lists recent and pinned words/conversations.