This is a guestpost from Trish at Simple Life in France. Trish was born in the United States and is currently living in France (ahh my ultimate dream!!), having made a few stopovers along the way. She is out of the rat race and prancing through lavender fields…and is young and thrifty, in France! Please subscribe to her RSS for more updates on her thrifty adventures in France. Thanks Trish!!
Wanderlust anyone? You may be planning a trip abroad or just fantasizing about one, but don’t forget to include a little language learning in your preparations–if you want to save money, that is.
How speaking the language will save you:
–You’ll avoid more tourist traps. The more you know of the language the easier it is, but you certainly don’t have to be fluent to find better deals. On my first trip to Spain, before I spoke any Spanish, I was able to find a very cheap, cozy and well-placed pensión in Zaragosa by asking a few local shop owners in the neighborhood. My limited language skills and my ability to use them allowed me to ditch the overpriced (and obnoxious) youth hostel rent a room from some locals for the night. You can get deals on all kinds of travel necessities this way.
–You’ll be able to use cheaper transportation. Language can open you up to the possibility of travel by smaller bus systems used by locals instead of forking over the cash for a taxi driver who can understand you—or who can understand you just enough to overcharge you!
If you can read the departure and arrival signs and can ask a few questions of fellow passengers, the public transportation systems of remote/exotic locations become more user-friendly. I used cheap buses all the time during my stay in Mexico. My developing Spanish skills allowed me to find out which ones were safe for me (a woman traveling alone). I also found better deals by chatting with locals I knew. Cheap and safe—now that’s the way to go.
–You’ll have increased haggling powers. Even if you only know a few expressions, being able to say the local equivalent of, “No way! That’s a rip” or “Come on, you’re killing me” can make even the toughest market hagglers crack a smile and maybe a deal too. I used this trick with great results in the markets in Antananarivo, where merchants expect you to pay a ‘tourist tax’ if you are not a local.
It’s as easy as getting a bilingual local to teach you a few good expressions before you hit the markets. You only need a few of them to pull this off—once again, no need to be fluent! Speaking just a smidge of the local language, even badly can often make you stand out from the majority of tourists and change the negotiations in your favor. (And it’s amusing for all involved).
–The ‘schmooze factor’ and the ‘good will’ factor will work in your favor. Now, I certainly don’t engage in friendly conversation only for the purpose of getting freebies. It’s something I naturally enjoy . . . however, an added benefit of engaging other people (aside from the fact that people are just fascinating) is that you will often get a ‘freebie’ of some kind. I’ve had locals invite me in for a cup of tea or coffee or give me great advice. I’ve had café owners toss in a free desert or cocktail after a bit of good conversation. I’ve also had locals help me negotiate a better deal with a local vendor on such purchases as . . . a live chicken, a taxi trip and even a small set of hunting spears . . .ok, that sounds random, but all were useful at the time.
Do you try to speak the local language when you travel?
I could go on, but I’ll stop here, because I know there are some other great travel tales out there that deserve a spot in the comments section. Do you find that speaking the local language saves you money? Does it provide you with other benefits?
Tags: cheap travel, language, trips
Having better haggling power is key! Won’t get run over and bullied as much if you speak their language.
YT, did you do something to your site recently? It looks good!
Financial Samurai´s last blog ..Pretend You Have Arrived So You Can Become
Hmm..not that I know of!
thanks to Trisha for such a great post. I’ll have some posts myself up on cheap travel soon 
Young and Thrifty–can’t wait to see your posts on travel! I’ll say it again, I’m jealous of your recent adventures.
Sam, Yes, haggling is ideal–and so is the ability to assert oneself in another language. I’ve never been bullied so far in a foreign country though, although I suppose speaking the language would be useful in that situation as well
Simple in France´s last blog ..Learn the local language, travel on the cheap
I learned this trick when I went to Italy for 2 1/2 weeks in 2004. I didn’t know any Italian besides “grazie” (and a few choice curses I learned from my father) before going, but I did know Spanish. I used it to my advantage and caught on quickly enough that I could converse simply after a few days. Soon, I was the one ordering food, getting us on the train and arranging taxi trips. The moment of truth came when me and my American cousins split up into two taxis. I ‘schmoozed’ with the taxi driver, who only charged us 10 euros for the trip. But my cousins in the other taxi (who didn’t know any Italian) got stuck paying 25 euros for the same trip/distance!
Rainy-Day Saver´s last blog ..Credit Card is Paid Off / Midweek Link Love
Sometimes people are shy to speak a language they’ve been learning when they’re travelling. I have found in my experience that many people are open & helpful even if you end up mangling some of the words & phrases (if they see that you are making a concerted effort). Great post!
OlivAmor´s last blog ..Relocating During a Recession: Part 2
Rainy day saver–that’s a great example. Sometimes it’s a question of being willing to take a stab at the local language–even when you’re not sure what your saying is correct. It can lead to savings and all kinds of other interesting and unintended consequences–and I think it’s just more fun.
Simple in France´s last blog ..Learn the local language, travel on the cheap
OlivAmor–you’re quite right–the willingness to try is everything. I spent a week in Paris with my parents. Before we went, they studied these crazy flashcards they had plus some CD’s–very informally. My parents are not easily embarrassed;) and spoke French at every opportunity–with flagrant accents and massive errors– I completely expected to be snobbed by Paris waiters etc, but everyone seemed to think my parents were adorable.
Simple in France´s last blog ..Learn the local language, travel on the cheap
Agree with those points totally! I can only speak Indonesia as a second language but have tried with some other languages. I find it quite difficult to pick up anything more than the numbers and a few greetings… It’s probably best to learn a bunch of verbs and nouns too.
Adam @ Sit Down Disco´s last blog ..Myanmar (Burma): Yangon, Bago & Golden Rock
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