Rehearse the exact situations of your trip out loud: checking in, ordering, asking the way, a pharmacy visit. Tutor lessons give feedback; daily role-play with an AI tutor or a friend gives repetition. With basic English (about A2), a focused month of 20 to 40 minutes a day can make those situations familiar. The CEFR puts "most situations likely to arise whilst travelling" at B1, roughly 350 to 400 guided hours from zero by Cambridge English's estimate, so a beginner should aim for survival phrases, not fluency.
How long it takes, realistically
The Council of Europe's CEFR describes each level, and Cambridge English publishes guided learning hours per level. Cambridge calls them "a guideline only": they depend on your background and how intensively you study.
CEFR levels for travel, with Cambridge guided learning hours from zero
Level
On a trip (CEFR, paraphrased)
Guided hours from zero
A1
Basic phrases for concrete needs, if people speak slowly and help
"Most situations likely to arise whilst travelling"
350 to 400
What one month can do. Thirty minutes a day for four weeks is about 14 hours. Cambridge says a level takes approximately 200 guided hours, so a month is unlikely to change your level, but it can make a short list of predictable situations familiar.
My suitcase hasn't arrived. Where can I report it?
Tip: At passport control, answer briefly and truthfully. Carry your hotel address on paper.
Hotel
I have a booking under the name Rossi.
Is breakfast included?
Could I leave my bags here until the room is ready?
The air conditioning in my room isn't working.
Tip: In Britain the "first floor" is one floor above street level; in the US it is at street level.
Restaurant and café
Do you have a table for two?
I'm allergic to nuts. Are there any nuts in this?
Excuse me, I ordered the fish, not the chicken.
Could we have the bill, please?
Tip: Mention allergies before you order. Britain says "bill"; the US says "check".
Transport and directions
Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?
Does this bus go to the airport?
A return ticket to Oxford, please.
Could you tell me when we get to Market Street?
Tip: Repeat directions back ("So, left at the lights, then second right?") so people can correct you.
Shopping
I'm just looking, thanks.
Do you have this in a medium?
Can I pay by card?
I'd like to return this. It doesn't fit.
Tip: Before buying something expensive, ask "Can I bring it back?" and keep the receipt.
Emergencies, pharmacy and doctor
Can you help me, please? I've lost my passport.
Please call an ambulance.
I need something for a headache.
I've had a fever since yesterday.
I'm allergic to penicillin.
Tip: Save the local emergency number, and carry a note of your allergies and medicines in English.
Small talk
Is this your first time here?
What would you recommend seeing around here?
Sorry, could you say that again more slowly?
It was nice talking to you. Enjoy your evening!
Tip: If you miss something, ask straight away instead of nodding along.
Practise: two mini-exercises
Say answers aloud before checking.
1. Hotel check-in: fill the gaps
Use each word once: booking, here, included, checkout, possible, password.
Receptionist:Good evening. How can I help?
You:Hi, I have a gap 11 under the name Novak.
Receptionist:Yes, three nights in a double room. Could I see your passport, please?
You:Sure, gap 22 you are. Is breakfast gap 33?
Receptionist:Yes, from seven to ten on the ground floor.
You:Great. What time is gap 44 on Friday?
Receptionist:Eleven o'clock.
You:Would it be gap 55 to have a quiet room, away from the lift?
Receptionist:Of course. Here's your key card for room 512.
You:Thanks. And what's the Wi-Fi gap 66?
Show the answers
booking (reservation is also right)
here
included
checkout
possible
password
"Lift" is British; Americans say "elevator".
2. What would you say?
One short, polite sentence for each situation.
Your soup arrives cold.
The waiter brings chicken, but you ordered fish.
Someone gives you directions too fast.
You want to know if you can walk to the museum.
Show model answers
Excuse me, my soup is a bit cold. Could you warm it up, please?
Sorry, I think there's been a mistake. I ordered the fish.
Sorry, could you say that again more slowly? Or: Could you show me on the map?
Is it far to walk to the museum? Or: Can I walk there from here?
Other answers can be right; "Excuse me", "Sorry" and "a bit" keep a complaint polite.
Which learning methods fit a trip
Each does one job well, so combine them.
A short course with a tutor
Good for rehearsing your itinerary with corrections, at real speed.
Honest limit: costs per lesson and needs booking; ask for role-play, not general chat.
AI conversation practice
Good for volume: the same check-in ten times, at any hour.
Honest limit: can be wrong, is easier to follow than real staff, and may not judge pronunciation.
An app for vocabulary
Good for ten minutes a day of trip words.
Honest limit: little speaking under pressure.
Free resources
Good for listening with transcripts.
Honest limit: nobody checks your speaking.
Recommended options
Ordered by their job in a pre-trip plan, not by commission. See Guru and Tospeak share our owner: we include them where they fit, with their limits and no scores. Prices in US dollars, checked on 25 October 2026.
A tutor on italki or Preply, for feedback on your itinerary
Live one to one · italki 30 to 90 min, Preply 25 or 50 min · italki says $4 to $60 an hour; Preply tutors charge $3 to $100 per 50 min (Preply's averages: $22 to $28)
Suits anyone who wants corrections. Four weeks fit one Preply cycle: at least 4 lessons of 50 minutes, or 8 of 25. italki is pay per lesson.
Limits: Preply's trial is paid and plans renew every 28 days; italki lessons cannot be changed within 24 hours. A processing fee is added at checkout on both.
See Guru (shares our owner), for free trials and low entry prices
Live one to one in the browser, apps or Zoom · 25 or 55 min · teachers set prices; the cheapest English teacher charged $4.63 for 25 min, or $41.50 for 10
Suits tight budgets. It lists "English for travelling" as a goal and offers three free 25-minute trials with different teachers (account needed, no card; not every teacher offers one). Packs never renew.
Limits: Quality varies from teacher to teacher, and there are no group classes; its terms say it offers no standard curriculum or accredited certificates.
AI conversation at any hour, no booking · Tospeak lessons up to 60 min · Praktika $9.99 for 1 month, Speak $17.99 a month (US App Store); Tospeak (shares our owner) $20 a month for up to 60 min a day
Suits shy learners. Praktika offers several accents and pronunciation scores; Speak has role-play and a Pronunciation Coach; Tospeak has Travel English, Hotel & Check-in, Restaurant Dining, Doctor's Visit and Shopping & Returns topics, in the browser.
Limits: AI can be wrong and is more patient than real staff. Praktika and Speak have no desktop version, and Speak's English course is only for speakers of 15 languages; Tospeak gives no pronunciation feedback.
Self-study app · Babbel lessons typically 10 to 15 min · Babbel (US) $17.95 for 1 month; Duolingo free with ads, Super paid
Suits beginners building words for numbers, food and transport. Babbel works offline.
Limits: Little real speaking. Babbel's English courses need an app language of German, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Swedish or Ukrainian; Duolingo's AI Roleplay is paid (Max) and, for English, limited to speakers of five languages.
* Our arithmetic, before fees: italki's typical $4 to $10 per 30 minutes and Preply's averages per 50 minutes, scaled to 25; See Guru's cheapest teacher, 100-lesson pack to single lesson; Tospeak's Daily plan at 60 or 20 minutes a day. Praktika and Speak: US App Store prices; Praktika's listing also shows promotional prices.
What to choose by budget and by level
By budget, for one month
$0
BBC and British Council for listening, Duolingo's free tier for words; for speaking, Praktika's free version, Tospeak's 2 minutes a day or See Guru's three free trials.
About $20 to $60
A month of an AI tutor ($9.99 to $20) plus three or four short lessons with a low-cost tutor (italki says a 30-minute lesson typically costs $4 to $10; See Guru from $4.63 for 25).
About $100 to $135
One Preply cycle at average prices (4 lessons of 50 minutes or 8 of 25): $88 to $112 before fees, plus an AI plan.
By level
Complete beginner, two months to go
Cambridge estimates 90 to 100 guided hours for A1; 45 minutes a day for two months is about 45. Aim for a survival kit: greetings, numbers, prices, "Where is...?", "Could I have...?" and "Sorry, could you repeat that?", plus a translation app.
Elementary (A2), a month to go
You can manage routine exchanges. Follow the plan below, focusing on fast, natural speech and on what goes wrong.
Intermediate (B1 or above)
You can already handle most travel situations. Work on speed, accents and small talk: AI role-play, plus a tutor lesson to check how natural you sound.
A 4-week pre-trip plan
For about A2 and above: roughly 12 to 15 hours in total, including three or four 25-minute tutor lessons. A friend can replace the AI.
Week 1: 20 min a day
Map the trip
Take the level test and list every situation on your itinerary. Daily: 10 minutes of airport and hotel phrases aloud, 10 minutes of BBC 6 Minute English with the transcript.
Week 2: 30 min a day
Rehearse aloud
15 minutes of AI role-play (check-in, ordering) until you can do it without reading, then 15 minutes of transport and shopping phrases. One tutor lesson: role-play your itinerary with corrections.
Week 3: 30 to 40 min a day
Practise what goes wrong
Role-play a lost bag, a wrong order, a cancelled train, a pharmacy visit. Ask the AI or tutor to speak faster and interrupt. One or two tutor lessons.
Week 4: 20 to 30 min a day
Run the whole trip
Rehearse the trip in order and redo the exercises above. Final tutor lesson: a full-trip role-play. Last two days: review only.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn English for travel?+
It depends on your start. Cambridge English estimates about 90 to 100 guided hours for A1, 180 to 200 for A2 and 350 to 400 for B1, the CEFR level for "most situations likely to arise whilst travelling". For one trip, a focused month can make your own situations familiar.
What level of English do I need to travel?+
There is no minimum: people travel at every level with prepared phrases and a translation app. A2 handles routine exchanges; B1 handles most travel situations. Our level test gives a rough estimate.
What are the most useful English phrases for travelling?+
Repair phrases first: "Sorry, could you say that again?", "Could you speak more slowly?" and "Could you write it down?" Then "Could I have...?", "Where is...?" and "How much is it?"
Can I prepare for a trip with an app or AI alone?+
Partly. Apps build vocabulary and AI lets you rehearse at any hour, but neither reacts like a busy person speaking fast. A few tutor lessons fill that gap.
Should I learn British or American English for a trip?+
Understanding matters more than accent. Learn the words that differ (bill or check, return or round-trip, lift or elevator) and listen to several accents.
Not sure which mix suits you? Our quiz matches a method to your goal, level, budget and time.