Holidays where you dont know the language at all.

[Branleuse]

I imagine a lot of people dont give this much thought, but do you ever go to non touristy places where you dont know the language, and how do people manage it.
My son is always trying to enthuse me about obscure places to visit, but I cant imagine trying to get around without knowing the language. I am fine in french and can cope with spain with phrasebook help or in touristy areas, and everywhere else ive been can either get by in french or english, but I do like the idea of going to other places, but the language thing makes me feel a bit anxious. Does this factor into anyone elses holiday decisions?

To an extent, yes. However, I figure out a few basics before I go. If you can use a phrase book in Spain, you can use do the same everywhere else.

We went to Japan where the only words we knew were hello, bye, thank you. Obviously we couldn't read the language either. It was fine. For written things - like buying tram tickets - we used google translate to an extent. When speaking with people with limited or no English we got by with a combination of gesturing and google translate for the odd word.

Most places do have lots of English speakers, even when you're in remote areas, particularly younger people.

But even when they don't it's always surprising how well you can get by with little common words.

We always try and learn the basics, as well as any specific cultural greeting and gestures we should/shouldn't use.

I have been to Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria where I don,t know the language. You can pick up the meaning of one or two words in print but generally enough people spoke English and we got by.

Unfortunately for the English, everyone else learns a bit of our language so we don't have any drive to pick it up.
I suppose having dominant languages is only practical and if it was German we would all speak at least some of that.

I'm fluent in a second language and when the kids were small would only go there or France as I knew enough to ask for help in various situations if needed.

Was daunting going to Cyprus and being surrounded by people speaking a language I didn't understand but it's v touristy so lots of nationalities on holiday.

I don't think I would now go off somewhere I couldn't expect to communicate but I wonder, realistically, how many places are left like that?

So ive done this a few times.

I would say firstly have a sense of what you want to do eg a guide book, or internet. This may mean you're less reliant on people for suggestions and feel more independent if you know where you're going and what bus you need etc. This helped me feel more in control when i didnt understand what was going on around me

Staying in hostels or accommodation often means there might be some level of English even just a hello, yes and no can be helpful.
Familiarize yourself with the money or letter system.
Knowing some phrases is always helpful. Yes, no, please, thank you, help.

Have a way of writing things down, eg the destination if you cant pronounce it confidently. Google translate has got me out of sticky spots.

People always suprise me with their kindness, often people are far more willing to listen to my terrible pronunciation, guess what my awful charade would mean then i would expect. People that know English in areas where its not commonly spoke often can be really helpful and like the chance to practice which can be a win win.

Google translate ?

A colleague from Sri Lanka who couldn't speak a word of French managed to get around Paris with his family just using Google translate. Speak into the phone, and it speaks French.

It also has a nifty live-translate feature when you point it at any signs.

You'd need WiFi or a decent data plan

Google translate makes life so much easier.

Try and learn thank you and hello. But sometimes i think the sentiment in English is as appreciated and decimating their language.

Just to say in lots of places people have a smattering of english at least. Ive travelled in not just europe but places like tiny villages in west africa (when i got lost) and have rarely found there wasnt people with a hint english

I used to work in a hostel in a rural part of east africa and always used to think people were a bit dissspointed that English language has vast reaches

I remember staying in South Korea for a day and a night en route to New Zealand.

This was before mobile phones. I didn't venture too far from the hotel area as not only was the language difficult but also the actual writing was very different.

I did get back to the hotel though - which was good. And got some food to eat.

We go on holiday wherever we fancy going and never had any issues with languages. I only speak basic French and German but can work out quite a few words in other languages using those and my husband is French so that's French well covered. It's rare for people not to be able to speak at least a few words of English and between the two you can get by and its fun learning more words. In a lot of places people speak fluent English.

I had a friend who went to Japan alone and they said they found it a bit scary as completely different alphabet. I do think it's best to learn at least a few words first like please, thank you, hello, numbers.

I'm kind of amazed you've only been to countries where you speak the language! Isn't that very limiting?

The year after the Berlin Wall came down I was a student and went interrailing with 2 friends, and we visited 7 countries (including 3 eastern bloc countries whose borders were newly opened). We had never been abroad before, and spoke English and schoolgirl French with strong Scottish accents. Our guidebook taught us some key phrases but if you're doing the touristy stuff you tend to be mixing with locals who speak a bit of English. Sign language works wonders as well.

30 years on just have google translate open on your phone the whole time, it makes a tremendous difference.

It's embarrassing to have to rely on it, but the reality is that in most places you're likely to go as a tourist someone will have enough English that you'll manage. And yes, signs and smiles and gestures will get you through a lot - but it's easy enough to memorise/write down a few phrases ("where are the toilets?").

Learn a few phrases before you go. Being able to greet people, say thank you and excuse me in the native language will go a long way.

I had a friend who went to Japan alone and they said they found it a bit scary as completely different alphabet.

This is true, I was in Egypt years ago and not being able to read thing made life harder. In Europe even if you can't speak the language you can read quite a bit.

There are some very good apps that will translate languished - eg in China there is one universality used by airport staff in the domestic terminals

Other apps will also read and translate languages that do not use the Roman script

OP, imagine how much more of a problem foreigners from a minority language country have when travelling! We can almost always find someone who has at least a little English. Serbocroat not so much!
Don’t be put off. As PPs suggest, use Google translate, gestures, phrase books. A friend who had to go to Taiwan on business got the hotel reception to write the hotel name and address in Chinese characters, for him to show taxi drivers to get back at night.
I’ve managed fine in Albania, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Morocco and Romania, among others, without anything more than please, thanks, hello, and a phrase book. And that was without a mobile phone! Humans are social animals, we always find a way to communicate.
DD has a smattering of Japanese, and will always stop to help with directions when she spots Japanese tourists struggling with a map in the streets of Edinburgh. They are invariably gobsmacked to find a Brit who can speak it!

Travelling using a phrase book is what I normally do.
I strongly dislike the attitude of "everyone else will speak English", and on a lot of occasions I've been places where English wasn't spoken.

Most people are friendly and will be charitable even if your grammar isn't perfect (or in my case terrible)

I speak French, Spanish and German but if I go anywhere else I learn the basics, always - so Good morning, please, thank you, where are the toilets, as a minimum but more if I have time. I think it’s polite to do so and is appreciated. My DS went on a school trip to Finland - has allergies- so I googled how to say this and wrote it down on little business cards for him so he could show it at restaurants etc.

I feel the same way tbh OP. I'm always a bit about people who claim to be "experiencing another culture" when they're on holiday. Because I think you really only get a surface impression if you can't talk to anyone. Go knock yourself out if that's your thing but don't claim to have gained any massive insights.
It actually makes me feel really unsettled and vulnerable to be somewhere I can't understand others or make myself understood so I don't really "get it" in general. I suspect the feeling of being unmoored from familier things that I find so difficult is precisely what others are enjoying.
Fwiw I've travelled indepedently in Europe and lived in Barcelona for a few months but never did the gap year back packer thing.
In adult life I feel more comfortable holidaying in the UK.

Been to a few places where I don’t know the language, (Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Kosovo) but I agree, being able to say hello, please and thank you goes a long way. Most people working in places where tourists go have a smattering of the language at the very least.

Just to qualify my earlier Calathea response:

it's actually a Maranta amabilis prayer plant, closely related to calathea

care conditions remain as I indicated above

Take a peek at it at night time

Ffs - wrong thread

We avoid places where English is widely spoken and English food is available. We don’t choose a holiday based on what language they speak. It’s easy enough to google useful phrases.

China as a solo traveller was somewhat daunting. I also feel a bit stressed in the German-speaking rural parts of Switzerland.

Read up before I go, phrase book and Google translate - handy because you can listen to the pronunciations