Learning Spanish for a trip to Portugal and Spain

You'll be absolutely fine using English and a smile.

Sure, any attempt to learn a bit of a local language will win you almost as many points as the smile recommended by the previous poster. Here's some to get you started:

Please: "Por favor" (Spanish, Catalan & Portuguese (you get off easy on that one))

Thank you: "Gracias" (Spanish) "Merci" (Catalan) "Obrigado" (Portuguese)

Where is: "Donde está" (Spanish) "On es" (Catalan) "Onde está" (Portuguese)

Beer: "Cerveza" (Spanish) "Cervesa" (Catalan) "Cerveja" (Portuguese)

Off the top of my head, those are the "must knows". Everything else is has to do with your attitude. Have a great trip.

Two others I'd throw in:

Donde esta el bano? (pronounced ban-yo) Where is the restroom?

Donde esta el cajero automatico? Where is an ATM?

While Catalan is the official language in Barcelona, just about everyone speaks Spanish, too.

In most European cities where there are a lot of tourists, you can easily get by with English. Of course, there will always be those situations that come up where somebody doesn't speak English, and you need to communicate something. Carrying a little phrase book or mini dictionary might help, but it's not something to worry excessively about.

English is fine in the tourist areas, and, as a tourist, there's really no need to learn the language before your trip (unless you'd like to). I’ll also recommend learning and using the Spanish pleasantries, as well as bringing along a small phrasebook for reference. Tom’s reply reminded me that my application of "¿Dónde están los servicios, por favor?" when popping into a restaurant in Madrid in November to use the WC made the hostess think I wanted a table for dinner. So, just make sure you have it right, and have fun with it! Another very important phrase to add to the list: “Café con leche, por favor.”

Agreed that you should not 'worry' about learning Spanish, but to live up to the notion that we, as considerate practitioners of the Rick Steves travel philosophy, want to live as temporary locals, would want to have a few basic phrases ready.

Charles Berlitz claimed that you can 'get by' in almost any language if you learn "the right 80 words". I like the suggestions so far. Here's my short list of words I like to learn in any language before I visit, translated into Spanish:

Yes -- Sí.

No -- No.

Please -- Por favor.

Thank You -- Gracias.

Where is the toilet? -- ¿Dónde está el tocador?.

(Note, 'tocador' is usually clearer than using 'bano' or 'instalaciones' -- both of which appear in many phrase books...).

Good -- Bueno.

How much does it cost? -- ¿Cuánto cuesta?.

One -- Uno.

Two -- Dos.

Three -- Tres.

Four -- Cuatro.

Five -- Cinco.

I’d like… -- Quisiera…. (or I 'want' - Quiero…).

…tap water -- … agua de golpecito .

…bottled water -- … agua embotellada.

…red wine -- … vino rojo.

…white wine -- … vino blanco.

I am sorry -- Lo siento...

I don’t speak Spanish. -- No hablo español.

Hello -- Hola.

Excuse me -- Excuseme.

Do you speak English? -- ¿Usted habla inglés?.

I then try to learn a handful of regional words. For example, the Austrian habit of using "Tscheus" (pronounced like 'chooss')for a familiar 'good bye' rather than the more formal "Auf Wiedersehen".

No matter how I've butchered a language, the localers get genuinely excited that an American visitor to their home cared enough to try -- and that includes the French, despite rumors to the contrary.

…red wine -- … vino rojo.

In Spain, red wine is usually called "vino tinto"

Excuse me -- Excuseme.

They will understand what you are saying, but the right way to say "excuse me" is "con permiso" -- like, for example, when you want to get past somebody on the street. Use "perDON" or perDOName" for other situations, except when you express regret, which is "lo siento" (I'm sorry).

BBC's website has free language courses for travelers. If you get through that, it will help even if you don't find yourself speaking Spanish much while you're there.

I wholeheartedly agree that learning a few words in the language that is spoken is polite. However, an issue with learning how to ask a question is you need to be prepared for getting the answer!

My husband and I speak a fair amount of Spanish and thought we'd be fine in Spain. But we realized pretty quickly that the Spanish speak Spanish at lightening speed - I considered understanding every third word a win. :)

All of these are great suggestions, or just do what I do, learn please, thank you, bathroom/WC and whatever your alcoholic beverage of choice is. With a smile!