Most Useful Languages for Travel in 2025

Language barriers are one of the biggest hinderances to having incredible, stress-free travel experiences. Therefore, I want to share with you what I believe are the most useful languages for travel in 2025. These languages will help you to travel areas where English is not as common. They’ll help you to gain access to more experiences and adventures. Most importantly, they’ll help you to create life-changing memories.

My Background

As an aspiring polyglot (someone who speaks many languages), I understand the importance of language in international travel. I also know just how much learning a new language can improve your travels. For example, I studied abroad in Japan in 2023, and when I got there, I knew only a few words in Japanese. By the time I left, I was conversationally fluent, and everything was different. Each day that my Japanese improved, my experience in Japan improved exponentially. You see, authentic connections make travel so much more memorable. To me, just getting an Instagram picture at tourist attractions is nothing compared to making lifelong friendships with the locals.

So, I strongly encourage everyone to learn some new languages—even if it’s just a little—as preparation for their travels. I promise it will be worth it.

With that being said, here are, in my opinion, the ten most useful languages for travel in 2025!

1. English

• ~1.5 Billion total speakers*
• 380 million native speakers

English is widely regarded as the de facto language of international travel. At almost any international airport you travel to, you will see English signage. If you’re reading this post, chances are you already speak English, so I won’t waste your time with much more about it. Nevertheless, having some proficiency in English is extremely helpful for international travel, as English is the most spoken language worldwide. English is undoubtably the most useful language for travel, period.

2. Spanish

• 559 million total speakers
• 485 million native speakers

Spanish is the second most spoken native language, and the fourth most spoken language in the world. Learning Spanish is incredibly useful, since you’ll unlock access to 22 countries that speak Spanish, as well as plenty of other speakers around the world!

Whether you’re going to Spain or Latin America, the cultures of these countries are unforgettable. All countries in Central and South America—except for Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, and Suriname—speak Spanish. This gives you so much to explore in the Americas! Even Africa has a Spanish-speaking country with Equatorial Guinea. (From what I’ve heard, though, I’d much rather go back to South America.)

Language Basics

Spanish is considered a Category I language—meaning that it’s one of the easiest to learn as an English speaker. Fluency can be reached in half a year with consistent practice, but some people learn faster than others. If you’ve never learned a language before, I think Spanish is the best place to start. It’s the best bang-for-your-buck language out there, in my opinion!

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As a bonus, if you learn Spanish, learning French, Portuguese, and Italian will be very easy for you, since they’re all closely related languages! These are Romance languages—languages derived from Latin. If you learned all of them, your travels would be legendary. I guarantee it. So, Spanish is hands-down one of the most useful languages for travel.

3. Mandarin

• 1.1 billion total speakers
• 939 million native speakers

Mandarin is the most spoken native language in the world, which is no surprise considering it is mainly spoken in China. Although it’s not the only Chinese language, it is the primary language of China and Taiwan. It’s called “the common language” for a reason, since it’s understood all over China, even by non-natives.

Language Basics

Now, Mandarin is notoriously difficult for English speakers. It’s a Category V language—meaning it could take upwards of 2 years to reach fluency, even with consistent practice. Some even say it’s the most difficult language in the world for English speakers to learn. Mandarin is also a tonal language, meaning that the way you say a syllable changes its meaning.

You may be worried about reading and writing the infamous Chinese characters. However, learning these characters gives you access to many other languages in Asia. While the characters vary slightly between China, Taiwan, Japan, and other countries, their meaning carries over. These characters have different pronunciation between different languages, but once you know the meaning, you should be able to understand lots of what you read. Trust me, it’ll level up your adventures through Asia.

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If you’re interested in traveling to Asia, I sincerely urge you to at least learn a little Mandarin. Even if you never visit China, there are many Mandarin speakers in Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and numerous Chinese communities around the world. A little goes a long way, and you don’t want to miss out on these awesome cultures and countries. As long as you’re up for the challenge, Mandarin is definitely one of the most useful languages for travel.

4. Arabic

• 373 million native speakers

If your interested in the Middle East or the religion of Islam, learning Arabic will elevate your travels exponentially. Arabic is an official language of 26 countries, most of which are in the Middle East or North Africa. Arabic has strong cultural associations with it, notably with Islam. Many Muslims all over the world speak Arabic, even outside of Arabic speaking countries.

Language Basics

This might be a bummer for many of you, but Arabic is another Category V language. And, although you won’t have to learn thousands of characters, you will have to learn a new script. But here’s the really tough part about Arabic—almost every country has its own dialect, and most aren’t mutually intelligible. In simpler words, the Arabic spoken in Morocco is different than the Arabic spoken in Saudi Arabia, which is different than the Arabic in Lebanon. The further away two Arabic speaking countries are from each other, the less likely they are to understand each other. This means that to travel the whole Arab world, you would likely need to learn a few different dialects.

If you were to only learn one version of Arabic, I recommend Egyptian Arabic. It’s the most spoken native dialect and is commonly understood by Arabic speakers around the world. You could also learn MSA—Modern Standard Arabic, but no one really speaks this natively or in conversation, so you should only learn it for Islamic purposes, in my opinion.

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Whether you want to visit the Ancient Egyptian wonders, live the high life in Dubai, or just read the Quran, Arabic is an incredibly useful language to learn.

5. French

• 310 million total speakers
• 81 million native speakers

France is the most visited country in the world, so French is a perfect language to learn for travel. But, French is truly a global language, as 29 countries have it as an official language, and many more having significant French speaking populations!

Outside of Europe, French is spoken across many African countries, some parts of Canada, and even in my home state of Louisiana, to some extent. These are just a few examples—remember, France has territories all over the world! And France is not the only French speaking country in Europe. Monaco, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, and more commonly speak French, making it one of the most spoken languages in Europe.

Language Basics

French is a beautiful language also in the Romance language family. Like other Romance languages, it’s a Category I language. Although the pronunciations can be somewhat tricky, you’ll find many words in French to look exactly the same as many English words. English and French share lots of vocabulary, so French is quite an easy language to learn.

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With so many French speakers around the world, and France being such an awesome country to visit, French is another language that will prove useful for your travels.

6. Russian

• 255 million total speakers
• 147 million native speakers

Although you may not be planning a trip to Russia right now (hopefully), Russian is still an incredibly useful language to learn for travel, even in 2025. The USSR once contained plenty of countries that are no longer part of Russia, but still speak Russian to a large extent. Russian is an official language of 4 countries, and largely spoken in many more.

Language Basics

Russian is written in the Cyrillic alphabet, which has similarities to our alphabet, but will require some learning. You can see the Russian alphabet here. Russian is a Category III language—requiring around 44 weeks to reach proficiency. I’ve never learned it personally, but there are some parts that seem quite difficult. One of those is its notoriously intricate case system.

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If you’re interested in Central Asia, Eastern Europe, or the Caucasus, then Russian is the perfect language to learn. Many Russian immigrants have brought the language to countries like the U.S. and Israel, as well, so there are many places to practice the language.

Even if 2025 is not the time to travel to Russia or Ukraine, there are still many amazing places to utilize the Russian language. Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus are full of breathtaking landscapes and interesting cultures. I sure can’t wait to make it there. And when I do, I’ll be sure to learn a little Russian before I go. Therefore, I still believe it’s one of the most useful languages for travel in 2025.

7. Portuguese

• 264 million total speakers
• 236 million native speakers

If you ask me, I think Portuguese—specifically the Brazilian dialect—is the most beautiful language in the world. I’ve been learning it for a while, and it has been a blast. Portuguese is an official language in 9 countries and is the 6th most spoken language in the world. Most notable of these countries are Brazil and Portugal, but it’s even spoken as far as Angola and Macau.

Language Basics

Portuguese and Spanish are very similar languages. If you’re familiar with one of them, learning the other will be much easier. Nevertheless, even if Portuguese is your first foreign language, it’s still a Category I language coming from English. The main thing that sets Portuguese apart are its nasal sounds. It also has just a few letter modifications, but no new characters.

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Portugal and Brazil are some of the countries I’m most excited to visit. I absolutely love the culture, the food, the architecture, and more. The music is exceptional as well, which makes Portuguese so fun to learn! These are the countries where Portuguese will benefit you the most, but there are plenty of other places where you can use the language.

Many countries in Africa speak Portuguese extensively, and plenty more as a minority language. It’s one of the most useful languages for the continent. In South America, Paraguay and Uruguay have significant minority Portuguese speaking populations. Argentina and Venezuela speak it to some extent as well. Even in Asia, you can use your Portuguese in Macau and East Timor.

Unfortunately, foreigners rarely learn Portuguese! Look at the small difference between total speakers and native speakers. I think that should change and more people should visit the Lusophone countries—Portuguese speaking countries. My bias aside, Portuguese is still one of the most useful languages to learn for travel, especially since these countries aren’t typically super English-friendly.

8. German

• 133 million total speakers
• 75 million native speakers

I took five German classes in high school, but years later, I must confess that I am quite rusty with the language. Still, I understand the utility of German, as well as the fun and frustration that comes with learning it. German is an official language of six countries, notably Germany—the most populous country in Europe.

Learning German will improve your travels in some of the best countries on earth. Germany, Switzerland, and Austria are all some of the most beautiful countries you could ever visit. German is a Category II language—requiring ~36 weeks to reach proficiency.

Language Basics

Since English is a Germanic language, there are plenty of similarities between English and German. In fact, I would argue that German is easier to start learning than the Romance languages—which are Category I. Starting out, German is quite intuitive; however, mastering it is not so easy. Still, it is a far easier language to learn than many on this list. There’s only one character outside of the English alphabet (unless you count ümlauts). I’ll leave you the German alphabet to read on your own if you’re interested.

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With such amazing countries to explore, why is German not higher on this list? Perhaps the most aggravating part of learning German is finding the chance to speak it. If you’re traveling to Berlin, you may be excited to use your newly learned language—but the moment you start speaking, the local notices your accent and starts speaking English. This happens very often—the Germans think it’s more convenient. You see, many German speakers also speak English fluently. Finding someone that will let you practice your German can sometimes be difficult—unless you know where to look.

Where you should look is in the countryside towns! Outside of the big cities, you’re far more likely to find people who only speak German, and sometimes Russian as well. And these are areas you’ve got to explore anyway! If you just want to visit places like Berlin and Vienna, German may not be worth learning. But, if you’re interested in wandering off the beaten path, then German is one of the most useful languages for travel for you. Plus, it’s a great language for business!

9. Indonesian

• 199 million total speakers
• ~42 million native speakers

Indonesian is an interesting language, mainly because it is primarily just a lingua franca—a common language used by speakers of other languages to communicate with each other. In Indonesia’s case, most people speak a local language of their island or region, such as Javanese. So, Indonesian exists so that Indonesians can all communicate with each other! Although Indonesian is almost exclusively spoken in Indonesia, it’s extremely similar to Malay spoken in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.

The fourth most populous country in the world, Indonesia is an incredibly diverse country that you could easily spend years visiting. In addition to that, the language will come in handy in visiting other South-East Asian countries. Indonesian will help you travel Malaysia and Singapore more easily as well, so you’ve got plenty of awesomeness to explore.

Language Basics

Indonesian mostly consists of Malay words and grammar, but also has bits of Dutch and Javanese influence. Unlike most Asian languages, Indonesian is only a Category II language, making it about as difficult as German. Some people actually consider Indonesian to be one of the easiest languages to learn. This is because of its simple grammar and easy alphabet and pronunciations. Indonesian uses our alphabet, just with less letters.

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In terms of travel, South-East Asia is one of the most highly regarded regions in the world. These countries have so much to offer, and English access can vary by region. Even if you’re only interested in Bali, Indonesian is a greatly useful language for travel.

10. Japanese

• 123 million total speakers
• 123 million native speakers

Japanese holds a special place in my heart since I spent a semester in Japan and now speak the language quite well. As you can see by the difference in total speakers and native speakers, there are not many people who learn the language outside of Japan. In addition, Japanese is really only spoken in Japan, aside from Japanese communities in countries like Brazil.

Even if Japan is the only country you will get to use the language in, that should be plenty enough reason to learn Japanese! Japan is one of the best countries for travel in the entire world, especially in 2025. Speaking Japanese will make your experience truly life-changing—you’ll get to explore Japan beyond the big tourist attractions. There’s so much to see and do in Japan, but English is limited there, especially outside of the touristy cities.

Language Basics

Hopefully this doesn’t scare you away for good, but I won’t lie to you and say that Japanese is easy at all. For starters, it has three writing systems—one of which is the infamous Chinese characters. The other two are syllable-based alphabets, one for native Japanese, and the other for loan words. Japanese is made up of 10-20% loan words, most of which come from English. Since they’re in a different writing system, you’ll be able to spot them and understand their meaning, making Japanese at least a little bit easier. Still, it’s a Category V language, and some say it’s the most difficult.

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Should you accept this challenge, you’ll be rewarded handsomely. You’ll find the real beauty of Japan, like I did. Plus, there are so many fun ways to learn Japanese, like music, anime, and video games. I promise you, speaking Japanese with locals in a countryside town is an experience you will never forget. Since I wish for all you fellow wanderers to feel that joy, I consider Japanese to be one of the most useful languages for travel in 2025.

Final Thoughts

Don’t think that you have to learn all of these, or that you have to master a new language to have better travels. Learning any new language to fluency is a serious commitment, and I understand that that’s not for everyone. Honestly, just learning a few words and phrases in the language of wherever you’re going can be enough to make a huge difference.

To anyone accepting the challenge to commit to a new language (especially one of the Category V’s), congratulations on this new journey. I wish you the best, sincerely. These are the apps I recommend to all new language learners:

• LanguageTransfer
• Pimsleur
• Lingoda
  • Spring Sale – 20% off language courses with code BLOOM20

For anyone interested in learning a new language—I will be updating this post with links to my advice for learning languages. I’ve been learning languages for years, including Spanish, German, Japanese, Mandarin, French, and more, so I would be very happy to help any of you. I have lots of tips to share, so please stay tuned! Subscribing is the best way to see when I post that information.

*All language statistics are according to Brittanica.com.

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All travel recommendations on this blog are based on personal experiences and research. Readers should confirm information independently before making travel plans.