Having a language barrier when visiting Mexico can be both exciting and intimidating. Most tourists will resort to communicating with exaggerated hand gestures and random words that come to mind from their high school Spanish class; but fear not, this doesn't have to be you.

photo by Josh

Mexico is a country that has adapted well to tourists, and in most places, you won't need to know a lick of Spanish, especially if you are doing organized activities with a tour company. If you decide to do some Copper Canyon travel with Amigo Trails, for example, all of our tour guides are fluent in English.

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous and decide to do some exploring on your own though, knowing a few phrases of Spanish can certainly help. To get you started, we've compiled a few key phrases that we believe every traveler should know when visiting a Spanish-speaking country:

1. Do you speak English? = ¿Habla inglés?

2. I don't understand. = No entiendo.

3. Where is/are…? = ¿Donde está/están…?

4. How much does it cost? = ¿Cuánto cuesta?

5. What time is it? = ¿Qué hora es?

6. I have a problem. = Tengo problema.

7. The bill, please. = La cuenta, por favor.

8. Excuse me (asking a question). = Disculpe

9. Sorry (when bumping into someone). = Perdon

Do you have any other tips for first time visitors to Mexico? Let us know in the comments below!