I don’t speak German! How will I communicate?
English is widely spoken in the major cities, and most larger hotels usually have someone on staff who speaks English. In the countryside, you’ll mostly hear German, especially in the former East German areas. Some regional dialects can be difficult to understand. Young people generally have a knowledge of second and even third languages.
Even if you don’t speak a word of German, you can communicate more than you think. It seems strange, but it always works out. Germans are used to tourists and are good at anticipating your questions. Don’t let your lack of language skills keep you from having a great adventure! People from all parts of the world travel everywhere and manage just fine. To get you started with reserving your room:
| Single room | Einzelzimmer | Double room | Doppelzimmer |
| Two beds | zwei Betten | Extra bed | Extrabett |
| With bath | mit Bad | With Shower | mit Dusche |
| I would like... | Ich möchte ... | ||
| We are...(number of people) in our party. | Wir sind (number of people) Personen. | ||
| A room with a good view | Ein Zimmer mit guter Aussicht | ||
| Do you have any rooms available? | Haben Sie noch freie Zimmer? | ||
| How much is it per night? | Wieviel kostet es pro Nacht? | ||
| Is breakfast included? | Ist Frühstück inbegriffen? | ||
| Is service included? | Ist die Bedienung inbegriffen? | ||
| I have a reservation. | Ich habe ein Zimmer reserviert. | ||
| I will arrive...on (day, month) | Ich komme am...an | ||
| I will leave...on (day, month) | Ich reise am...an | ||
| Do you need a deposit? | Benötigen Sie eine Anzahlung? | ||
| One night | eine Nacht | Two nights | zwei Nächte |
| Three | drei | Four | vier |
| Five | fünf | Six | sechs |
| One week | eine Woche | ||
| Thank you | Danke | Please | Bitte |
| Yes | Ja | No | Nein |