Rick Steves' Spanish Phrase Book and Dictionary

by Rick Steves, Dominic Bonuccelli (Photographer), Gloria Villaraviz Weeden (Translator)

From ordering tapas in Madrid to making new friends in Costa del Sol, it helps to speak some of the native tongue. Rick Steves, bestselling author of travel guides to Europe, offers well-tested phrases and key words to cover every situation a traveler is likely to encounter. This handy guide provides key phrases for use in everyday circumstances, complete with phonetic spelling; an English-Spanish and Spanish-English dictionary; the latest information on European currency and rail transportation, and even a tear-out cheat sheet for continued language practice as you wait in line at the Guggenheim Bilbao. Informative, concise, and practical, Rick Steves' Spanish Phrase Book and Dictionary is an essential item for any traveler's mochila.

Genres: Travel, Reference, Language

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Rick Steves is an American travel writer, television personality, and activist known for encouraging meaningful travel that emphasizes cultural immersion and thoughtful global citizenship. Born in California and raised in Edmonds, Washington, he began traveling in his teens, inspired by a family trip to Europe. After graduating from the University of Washington with a degree in European history and business, Steves started teaching travel classes, which led to his first guidebook, Europe Through the Back Door, self-published in 1980.
Steves built his Edmonds-based travel company on the idea that travelers should explore less-touristy areas and engage with local cultures. He gained national prominence as host and producer of Rick Steves' Europe, which has aired on public television since 2000. He also hosts a weekly public radio show, Travel with Rick Steves, and has authored dozens of popular guidebooks, including bestselling titles on Italy and Europe at large.
Beyond travel, Steves is an outspoken advocate for drug policy reform, environmental sustainability, and social justice. He supports marijuana legalization and chairs the board of NORML. He has funded housing for homeless families and donates to anti-hunger and arts organizations. In 2019, he pledged $1 million annually to offset the carbon emissions of his tour groups.
Steves is a practicing Lutheran with Norwegian ancestry and continues to live in Edmonds. He has two adult children and is in a relationship with Reverend Shelley Bryan Wee. Despite health challenges, including a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2024, Steves remains committed to his mission of helping Americans travel with greater purpose, empathy, and understanding of the world. His work reflects a belief that travel, done right, can be both transformative and a force for peace.

Reviews

[Tammie]

This is the funniest, and most helpful spanish phrase book ever.
Learn to say such gems as:
"This man is bothering me" and "It hurts to pee"

[Catherine Woodman]

Very useful in alot of ways--and quite compact so it is easy to throw in with all that you need to travel, even if you don't check and travel light. This rivals the Lonely Planet phrasebook--so look at them both ans see which one meets your needs. THe Lonely Planet tends towards a younger crowd, with phrases like "Do you want to have sex with me?" and "Where is the nearest methadone clinic?", neither of which are all that useful for me, but could see they might better meet someone else's.

[Simon]

Every so often he writes a weird phrase.

[Aiden]

This Phrasebook is awesome! I memorized a few key phrases before I left for Spain (I'd like a cup of black coffee, please; where are the bathrooms?, etc.), and with Rick Steves' help I got along fine. Don't get me wrong, I still made (a lot of) mistakes. The phrasebook is easy to use quickly and the pronunciation guide was right-on (ok, as close as you can get!).

[Lisa]

This was a very useful phrase book. I liked that it was grouped by subject so that things you might use in a conversation are all together in one place. It covered realistic subjects that come up in a travel situation. Looking at it ahead of time before our trip gave me a good quick review of my old high school Spanish and I felt much more prepared for simple interchanges with the locals.