Category "language-barrier"

I don't speak Chinese. Will I encounter any problems going through customs in Beijing?

I will be flying to Chongquing (CKG) through Beijing (PEK) with a Chinese friend to visit his home. I am American and speak practically no Chinese. Will I have

How much Farsi do I need to travel within Iran?

I'm looking to travel to Iran and I'm wondering how much Farsi I should know to be able to get by. Can I assume most people in the cities know English ? Is the

How to know if a meal was cooked with or contains alcohol?

In the restaurants that I have been to, the menus usually indicate if an item has things like peanuts, eggs, is vegetarian, or contains raw meat. In some Asian

Planning to go to Georgia, but I only speak English; will that be a problem?

I am planning to go to Georgia. I know only the English language. Will I have any language problems with local people? Can anyone help me out?

How to make sure that you get off at the correct bus stop in Thailand?

I find it extremely difficult to get off at the correct bus stop in Thailand, mainly for the reasons as: The bus stop usually doesn't have a recognizable sign

Getting around in Thailand without knowing Thai

I'm going to Thailand in a few days and am wondering if it is possible to get around without knowing any Thai. Maybe I was a bit naive not to think about this i

Why can't I skip on-plane announcements on the IFE, in langauges I don't speak?

Recently I was flying on a middle-eastern airline, which offered "gate-to-gate" in-flight entertainment (IFE). I started watching a film shortly after getting t

English phrases used in airports, to translate in the language of one's choice

Is there any website, with "sample" phrases in English, to translate that can be used in airports, to assist seniors who don't speak English?

"Booking" nightclubs for solo tourists in their thirties

I've heard about booking nightclubs in Korea, where you can pay a waiter to bring over someone of the opposite sex. I'd like to try it, but I've got a couple of

How likely is it to get a phone call on Didi ("Uber in China")?

I travel for China now but it is sometimes hard to get a taxi here (I'm in Chongqing) since the driver can deny the route he doesn't like. So I would rather try

In which countries in Asia is Mandarin more understood than English?

I'm bilingual in English and Mandarin Chinese, and I'm planning to go backpacking around Asia (Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia,

Do I have to learn to read the greek alphabet if I go to Greece?

I am traveling to Rhodes and I guess that in touristic places I am not going to have to much problem but I was wondering if I'll have some trouble if I go to a

Is English spoken widely in Ireland?

My fiancée and I will be traveling to various places in Ireland for our honeymoon. Mostly mid-southern Ireland (Dublin, Galway, Limerick, etc.). Is the

Acceptable in Bilbao: is it better to speak Spanish or English?

I will be visiting Bilbao next week and I would like to know whether I should speak English or Spanish. I don't know Basque. What is acceptable for tourists? An

How useful is Azerbaijani language in Iran?

I am planning to visit Iran soon and, unfortunately, I don't speak a word of Persian. As an Azerbaijani, I am curious whether I should try to speak to people th

How to request for translator at Australian Border Control in advance?

How can one request for a translator of a certain language to be present at Sydney Airport's border control, while travelling to Australia?

Friend is worried about language barrier at airport in France

A friend of mine is worried about missing her flight home when she travels to Paris. Her thinking is that there will be a language barrier and she will miss the

How easy is it for an English only speaker to navigate Iceland [duplicate]

I am visiting Iceland in July and am interested in knowing how difficult it will be for an English and Spanish speaker to navigate the country

How to use public transport in Russia with limited knowledge of Russian?

I will soon make a small trip around Russia and visit some larger cities in Western Russia. I will arrive by train and further plan on traveling by public trans

A really really shy question about language [closed]

In four months I'll set off for my first solo travel, at the age of 18. I'll stay in Bern for about 4 days, and of course I'm not enough wealt