🚦 Getting Around
In this section you'll learn useful Spanish transportation vocabulary and everyday expressions for getting around by car, bus, train, subway, bicycle, taxi, and other common forms of transportation.
🟢 Basic Transportation Vocabulary
🚗 Car → Coche / Carro
🚌 Bus → Autobús
🚆 Train → Tren
🚇 Subway → Metro
✈️ Airplane → Avión
🚲 Bicycle → Bicicleta
🏍️ Motorcycle → Motocicleta / Moto
🚕 Taxi → Taxi
🟡 Travel & Commuting Vocabulary
🚉 Station → Estación
🚏 Bus stop → Parada de autobús
🛫 Airport → Aeropuerto
🛣️ Road / Highway → Carretera
🚦 Traffic light → Semáforo
⛽ Gas station → Gasolinera
🎫 Ticket → Boleto / Billete
⏰ Schedule → Horario
🔵 Useful Transportation Actions
🚗 To drive → Conducir
🚆 To arrive → Llegar
✈️ To leave / Depart → Salir
🚌 To get on → Subir
🚏 To get off → Bajar
⏳ To wait → Esperar
🧠 Talking About Transportation
💡 Spanish commonly uses ir en to say how you travel somewhere.
Voy al trabajo en autobús.
I go to work by bus.
Vamos al centro en metro.
We're going downtown by subway.
Voy al trabajo en autobús.
I go to work by bus.
Vamos al centro en metro.
We're going downtown by subway.
💡 With walking, Spanish normally uses ir a pie rather than ir en.
Voy a la estación a pie.
I walk to the station.
Podemos ir a pie desde aquí.
We can walk from here.
Voy a la estación a pie.
I walk to the station.
Podemos ir a pie desde aquí.
We can walk from here.
💡 The word for ticket varies across the Spanish-speaking world. Boleto is common in many Latin American countries, while billete is commonly used for transportation tickets in Spain.
Necesito comprar un boleto de autobús.
I need to buy a bus ticket.
¿Dónde puedo comprar un billete de tren?
Where can I buy a train ticket?
Necesito comprar un boleto de autobús.
I need to buy a bus ticket.
¿Dónde puedo comprar un billete de tren?
Where can I buy a train ticket?
💬 Talking About Transportation
🚕 Necesitamos un taxi que nos lleve al aeropuerto temprano mañana.
We need a taxi to take us to the airport early tomorrow.
We need a taxi to take us to the airport early tomorrow.
🚌 El autobús lleva diez minutos de retraso y todavía no ha llegado.
The bus is ten minutes late and still hasn't arrived.
The bus is ten minutes late and still hasn't arrived.
🚇 Normalmente voy al trabajo en metro porque es más rápido.
I normally go to work by subway because it's faster.
I normally go to work by subway because it's faster.
🚆 Nuestro tren sale a las ocho, así que debemos llegar pronto a la estación.
Our train leaves at eight, so we should arrive at the station early.
Our train leaves at eight, so we should arrive at the station early.
💬 Everyday Conversations
Taking public transportation
A: ¿Qué autobús tengo que tomar para ir al centro?
B: Toma el número doce y baja en la tercera parada.
A: Which bus do I need to take to go downtown?
B: Take number twelve and get off at the third stop.
A: ¿Qué autobús tengo que tomar para ir al centro?
B: Toma el número doce y baja en la tercera parada.
A: Which bus do I need to take to go downtown?
B: Take number twelve and get off at the third stop.
Taking a taxi
A: ¿Cuánto se tarda en llegar al aeropuerto desde aquí?
B: Unos treinta minutos si no hay mucho tráfico.
A: How long does it take to get to the airport from here?
B: About thirty minutes if there isn't much traffic.
A: ¿Cuánto se tarda en llegar al aeropuerto desde aquí?
B: Unos treinta minutos si no hay mucho tráfico.
A: How long does it take to get to the airport from here?
B: About thirty minutes if there isn't much traffic.
📝 Example Sentences
🚆 Llegamos a la estación justo a tiempo para tomar el último tren.
We arrived at the station just in time to catch the last train.
We arrived at the station just in time to catch the last train.
🚲 Cuando hace buen tiempo, prefiero ir al trabajo en bicicleta.
When the weather is nice, I prefer to go to work by bicycle.
When the weather is nice, I prefer to go to work by bicycle.
🚦 Giramos a la derecha después del segundo semáforo.
We turn right after the second traffic light.
We turn right after the second traffic light.
⛽ Tenemos que parar en una gasolinera antes de continuar por la carretera.
We have to stop at a gas station before continuing along the road.
We have to stop at a gas station before continuing along the road.
🚌 Hay mucha gente esperando en la parada de autobús esta mañana.
There are a lot of people waiting at the bus stop this morning.
There are a lot of people waiting at the bus stop this morning.
✈️ Salimos de casa con tiempo porque el aeropuerto está lejos del centro.
We leave home with plenty of time because the airport is far from downtown.
We leave home with plenty of time because the airport is far from downtown.
🏆 Final Practice
Try saying each phrase before pressing play.
- Voy al trabajo en autobús.
- ¿Dónde está la estación de tren?
- Necesito un taxi para el aeropuerto.
- ¿A qué hora sale el tren?
- Baja en la próxima parada.
- Podemos ir a pie desde aquí.