What Is The Best Language To Learn To Travel Europe In 2025? Revealed!

I’ve traveled extensively throughout Europe and lived in different European countries over the past 10 years. People always ask me which language they should learn to travel to Europe.

Through my observation and experience, I have the answer for you. By now, I’ve learned 3 foreign languages. I also speak the most useful European language for traveling in Europe, so I can say it’s very beneficial to speak the language.

In this article, I’ll reveal which language it is and give you a few tips on how to learn it.

What Is The Best Language To Learn To Travel Europe? Revealed!

German is the best language to travel to Europe. Simply because it’s an official language in 8 European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Northern Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Southern Denmark).

In addition, German people travel a lot, so even if you travel to a country with a different official language than German, you’ll most certainly meet Germans and will be able to communicate in the language.

💡 NOTE: Theoretically, Russian is the most spoken native language in Europe, but that’s because Russia is so huge, and many other post-Soviet countries still speak it. However, nowadays, German is more widespread and more commonly used across Europe than Russian.

Why Is German The Best Language For Travelling In Europe?

There are several reasons why German is the best language to use in Europe. Let’s have a look at it in more detail.

First of all, German is the only language that is spoken in 8 European countries. These are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Northern Italy, Belgium, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, and parts of southern Denmark. Other European languages are only spoken in a single country or a maximum of six countries (French).

Secondly, Germans are everywhere and travel a lot. Seriously, whenever I travel, I meet Germans, even in the less-known European corners or destinations where tourism is still developing. So you can speak German even in a country where it’s not an official language.

Moreover, many people, especially in Central Europe, learn German as their second or third language. For instance, it’ll be easy to speak German in countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, or Hungary.

These nations learn German for school or work. They have better opportunities for their lives and careers in German-speaking countries, so they all learn German (including myself).

In Which European Countries Can You Speak German?

German is an official language in 8 European countries:

✅ GERMANY
✅ AUSTRIA
✅ SWITZERLAND
✅ BELGIUM
✅ LUXEMBOURG
✅ LIECHTENSTEIN
✅ NORTHERN ITALY
✅ SOUTHERN DENMARK

Additionally, you’ll be able to communicate in German in Central Europe and Balkan countries, like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, North Macedonia, and even Albania.

Does German Have Any Dialects?

Yes, it does. You’ll hear the proper German only in Germany (except in Bavaria). We refer to it as ‘Hochdeutsch,’ the standard German.

Austria has slightly different German with different accents. In addition, each Austrian region uses a slightly different accent. For instance, in Salzburg, people have a very strong German accent, also widely spread across Bavaria (southern Germany).

Switzerland is another chapter, as it has the strongest German dialect. Better to say they have their Swiss German. It’s so strong that it’s barely possible to understand Swiss people. However, once you get used to it, you can understand Swiss German or at least assume the meaning.

But don’t worry, you can still speak German (Hochdeutsch) even in Switzerland and Austria, so just ask them to speak Hochdeutsch instead of their dialect.

👉 READ ALSO: Do People Speak English In Switzerland? My Experience

Is It Difficult To Learn German?

Yes, German is a very difficult language to learn. It’s one of the most difficult European languages to learn. It has many reasons, but the main one is because it uses 3 different definite articles. 

Its verbs come with a preposition. And German words are long and sometimes difficult to pronounce.

Each noun has a different article, which you have to memorize. Moreover, these definite articles change their form when you conjugate them. Another challenging thing in the German language is prepositions. Each German verb comes with a preposition, which you must also learn by heart.

But I don’t want to discourage you from learning it; I just want to be honest with you. I learned it on my own and now speak it fluently. Thanks to my German skills, I was able to work in Salzburg and after Swiss hotels as a receptionist.

So you can make it. Just be patient and practice speaking a lot.

👉 READ ALSO: Best Way To Learn German Vocabulary: My 13 Proven Tips

German Is The Best Language For Career In Europe

Apart from German being spoken in many European countries and being the best European language to learn, it’s also the best language for your career. 

Your German skills will make it easy if you plan to move to Europe for work. Of course, it also depends on the country where you want to work. If you want to only work in Spain, learn Spanish. Or if you want to move and work in Italy, learn Italian. It also depends on the job position you’ll have.

Even if you want to work in Spain, there are thousands of opportunities to work in the German language. Many companies in Spain or Portugal look for German speakers. So that’s why German is also the best European language for a career.

With German, you have the highest opportunities to get employed in Europe. You’ll also have a great chance to earn a good salary if you speak German. 

Switzerland has an average salary rate of 6,538 CHF per month, according to Swissinfo News, which makes it to the top 2 countries in Europe with the highest salaries. That’s also my own experience as I worked in Switzerland for 3 years, thanks to my German skills.

So, if you speak German, not only have you thousands of career opportunities in Europe. You’ll also be better paid for your work than in other European countries.

Best Languages To Learn To Travel Europe: In A Nutshell

Europe is a very diverse place. Even though German is widely spoken, there are a few other languages that will be beneficial for you to learn. After German, the most useful will be French and Russian.

So here is an overview of other useful languages to learn when traveling to Europe.
Also, German is quite difficult to learn, so if you feel like giving up because it’s challenging, switch to a different language – French is a great idea, too.

These are the best languages to learn to travel to Europe:

👉 English
👉 German
👉 French
👉 Russian
👉 Spanish
👉 Italian

👉 English

English is the most common language in Europe. Everybody in each country has to learn it as their first foreign language.

However, you might still find places where people don’t even speak English. It can happen in tiny villages in Central and Eastern Europe, such as Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, or Bulgaria.

If you wish to explore these countries through the off-beaten path, learn Russian.

👉 German

German is the most common language in Europe, right after English. It’s spoken in most European countries (8) and is also the second language for people to learn in Central Europe.

But as I said, Germans travel a lot, so you’ll be able to communicate in German almost in every European corner.

👉 French

French is the third most common European language. It’s the official language in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, and Andorra. It’s a great language to learn, especially if you don’t want to learn German.

So, if you want to visit any of these countries, learn French.

👉 Russian

Russian is a very popular language in Central and Eastern Europe. Many people in Central Europe had to learn Russian during the Communist regime back in the 1960s. And they speak some Russian until nowadays.

If you want to travel to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and especially Ukraine, Moldavia, Bulgaria, or Romania, you’ll be able to use your Russian skills a lot.

Russian is also spoken in the Baltic countries: Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

👉 Spanish

I honestly don’t hear that much Spanish in many European countries. The only country where Spanish is the official language is Spain. Sometimes, I meet Spanish-speaking people in other countries, mostly in Switzerland, as they come there for work.

Otherwise, Spanish isn’t used much in Europe unless you meet people who speak it.

👉 READ ALSO: Is French Or Spanish More Useful In Europe? My Experience

👉 Italian

Italian is the least spoken language in Europe. You’ll mainly need it in Italy as it’s the official language there. But if you are in love with Italy, its pasta, gelato, and pizza, and want to visit the country out of your passion, learning Italian will be worth it.

Locals appreciate it when you speak Italian.

You’ll have a better travel experience in Europe if you speak any other European language. I recently started learning Italian just to explore Italy’s hidden gems next summer. So, if you have the motivation, go for it.

BONUS: How To Learn A Language For Travel

Here at Voices of Travel, I’m all about learning languages for travel. If you want to learn any foreign language before visiting your dream country, follow my step-by-step guide to doing so.

It has actionable steps, material to use, and a realistic approach to learning the language of your dreams. Click on the image below to get started:

Why Should You Learn A Language To Travel To Europe?

I highly encourage you to learn a European language to travel to Europe. It will make your travel experience much more magical and enjoyable.

For example, you might visit remote villages and understand locals talking to you about wine production. You can also speak to your Airbnb host about how he makes cheese in Switzerland.

The language will bring you closer to locals, their stories, and the cultures of each country.

Check out my article about 7 benefits of learning languages for travel to get some extra support and encouragement:

Get My Language Travel Notebook

Here’s a language notebook I put together for you to keep track of new words and German vocab for different topics.

Whenever you pick up a new word, write it down (with the translation) and come back to it whenever you need to remember it. It’s like building your own personal dictionary.

Get my language travel notebook below:

FAQs

I’ve also answered some of the frequently asked questions about European languages based on my own experience traveling around and living in different European countries. So check my answers below:

Which European Countries Have More Than 1 Official Language?

Switzerland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Finland, North Macedonia, and Kosovo (Albanian and Serbian).

Switzerland has 4 official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch (an ancient language).

Belgium has 3 official languages: Dutch, French, and German.

Luxembourg has also 3 official languages: Luxembourgish, French, and German.

Norway has 2 official languages: Norwegian and Sami (a local language spoken by the Sami tribe that lives in the northern part of the country).

Finland has 2 official languages: Finnish and Swedish (spoken in the southwestern part of Finland around Turku).

North Macedonia has 2 official languages: North Macedonian and Albanian.

Kosovo (which is still not acknowledged as a country by a few nations) also has 2 official languages: Albanian and Serbia.

What Is The Most Useful Language In Europe After English?

German is the most useful language in Europe after English. Because it’s spoken in 8 different European countries, you’ll meet Germans almost everywhere, so you can speak it even in a country where it’s not an official language. It also brings you many job opportunities in Europe.

What Is The Best European Language To Learn For A Job?

German and French are the best languages to learn for work. They are the most spoken in many European countries, so you’ll have many job opportunities. Besides, both are spoken in Switzerland, which has the highest salaries in Europe (apart from Luxembourg), so you can also be financially better off.

Which European Language Is Easy To Learn?

Spanish and Italian are the easiest European languages to learn. They’re also the easiest languages for English speakers to learn, as they have many similarities.

Best Language To Learn For English Speakers

Spanish is the best language for English speakers to learn as it’s the easiest language for them to start with. It has many similarities.

Is Spanish Or French More Useful In Europe?

French is more useful in Europe than Spanish. French is the official language in 4 European countries (France, Switzerland, Belgium, and Luxembourg + Monaco). Spanish is the only official language in Spain. So you’ll have more opportunities to speak and practice French than Spanish in Europe.

What Is The Most Useful Language To Learn When Traveling?

English, Chinese, and Spanish are the most useful languages to learn for travel

English is the first foreign language for the entire population. Chinese is widely spoken in Asia and is a great base for learning other Asian languages. And Spanish is also widely spoken worldwide, so you’ll use it often when traveling.

What Is The Most Taught Language In Europe?

German is the most taught language in Europe. Most people in Central and Eastern Europe learn German to seek better job opportunities in German-speaking countries. And with German, you can also communicate in most European countries (6).

WRAP-UP: Best Language To Learn To Travel Europe

These are my thoughts on learning European languages for travel and life in Europe in general, based on my own experience and a few statistics to back it up. Learning languages has significantly improved my life over the past years. I have become a better and more efficient person, and languages have opened up so many more opportunities for me. So I highly recommend picking a language and learning one if you plan to visit Europe.

If you have any questions or need help learning languages, contact me at info(at)voicesoftravel.com. I’ll be happy to help you.

Happy Learning & Travelling!