Portuguese Phrases for Travel: The Complete Survival Guide
The phrases you'll actually reach for at the airport, hotel, restaurant, and street — in Brazilian and European Portuguese, side by side.
You don't need fluency to travel confidently — you need about 60 phrases that cover 90% of real situations: checking in, ordering food, asking for directions, and getting out of trouble politely. This guide gives you exactly those, with both Brazilian and European Portuguese versions where they differ, so you're covered no matter which country you land in.
Bookmark this page. You'll use it more than any grammar lesson in your first week.
Key Takeaways
- You need about 60 phrases, not 600. Travel Portuguese is narrow and repetitive — master these and you'll handle almost any situation.
- BR and PT diverge more in travel vocabulary than in grammar. Words for train, bus, and check-in genuinely differ between the two countries.
- Politeness markers matter more than grammar accuracy. "Por favor," "desculpe," and "obrigado/a" smooth over almost any mistake.
- Numbers and time phrases are worth over-preparing. Prices and schedules are where most travelers actually get stuck.
At the Airport and Getting Around
These are the first phrases you'll need, often within minutes of landing.
| English | Brazilian Portuguese | European Portuguese |
|---|---|---|
| Where is the bathroom? | Onde fica o banheiro? | Onde fica a casa de banho? |
| I need a taxi | Preciso de um táxi | Preciso de um táxi |
| How much does it cost? | Quanto custa? | Quanto custa? |
| Bus station | Rodoviária | Estação de autocarros |
| Train | Trem | Comboio |
| Bus | Ônibus | Autocarro |
| Ticket | Passagem | Bilhete |
| One-way / round-trip | Só ida / ida e volta | Só ida / ida e volta |
At the Hotel
| English | Brazilian Portuguese | European Portuguese |
|---|---|---|
| I have a reservation | Tenho uma reserva | Tenho uma reserva |
| Do you have any rooms available? | Tem quarto disponível? | Tem quartos disponíveis? |
| What time is check-out? | Que horas é o check-out? | A que horas é o check-out? |
| Is breakfast included? | O café da manhã está incluído? | O pequeno-almoço está incluído? |
| Could I get more towels? | Poderia trazer mais toalhas? | Podia trazer mais toalhas? |
At the Restaurant
Food vocabulary is one of the biggest BR/PT vocabulary gaps — the words below are the ones you'll use every single meal.
| English | Brazilian Portuguese | European Portuguese |
|---|---|---|
| Table for two, please | Mesa para dois, por favor | Mesa para dois, se faz favor |
| The menu, please | O cardápio, por favor | A ementa, por favor |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favor | A conta, se faz favor |
| I'm allergic to... | Sou alérgico/a a... | Sou alérgico/a a... |
| Without meat | Sem carne | Sem carne |
| Delicious! | Delicioso! / Uma delícia! | Estava ótimo! |
Getting Out of Trouble Politely
A short list of phrases that smooth over almost any awkward moment — miscommunication, needing help, or simply not understanding fast speech.
| English | Portuguese (both dialects) |
|---|---|
| I don't understand | Não entendi |
| Could you repeat that, please? | Pode repetir, por favor? |
| Could you speak more slowly? | Pode falar mais devagar? |
| Sorry / Excuse me | Desculpe |
| I don't speak Portuguese well | Não falo muito bem português |
| Thank you very much | Muito obrigado / Muito obrigada |
Get the Full Portuguese Survival Phrasebook
A 12-page printable PDF with every phrase you actually need at the airport, hotel, restaurant, and street — BR and PT side by side.
Download the PhrasebookBrowse All Free ResourcesPhrases get you through a trip. Real classes get you a conversation.
Take the free level test, then book a 1-on-1 class with a native teacher who'll actually correct you.
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