Travel tips for Traveling to the Dominican Republic: Do you need to know Spanish?
Do you need to know Spanish?
When I first visited the Dominican Republic I knew absolutely zero words in Spanish. Well, I guess truthfully I should say I knew a few—Agua, Gracias, No, Hola, and Taco (at the time I thought taco would be helpful… but I found out Dominicans DO NOT eat tacos unless they go to an Mexican restaurant), yet I made it just fine with a little patience and a sense of humor.
The question you have to ask yourself is what type of vacation are you really going on. If you are going to an all-inclusive resort you do not need to know any Spanish at all. The resorts are going to have employees who speak enough English for you to get by.
If you are going to try to get by in the country on your own without knowing Spanish you are going to be in for some interesting situations. For example, most of the taxi drivers will not know enough English for you to be able to tell them where you want to go. In addition to the difficulty of telling them where to take you, they will ask you to pay a rate that is much higher than you should pay. I have been here for over four years and it is normal for me to still have to fight for the local rates when I take a taxi.
With that said, it is not abnormal for entirely English speaking people to visit and tour the country. Just make sure you try to schedule as mush as possible ahead of time. If you book a room at a hotel that is common for tourists, particularly the higher-end hotels, chances are they will have English speaking staff.
If you plan to visit the Dominican Republic and you know absolutely no Spanish I recommend you at least learn 15-20 of the most needed Spanish phrases. You can visit http://www.MovingtoDR.com/BasicSpanish to find a list of the phrases I believe are most important.
Article #2 Covers the Question: What Can I Eat in the Dominican Republic?
~
Best Wishes,
Ross Weber
www.MovingtoDR.com - Dominican Republic
Ross@MovingtoDr.com
Do you need to know Spanish?
When I first visited the Dominican Republic I knew absolutely zero words in Spanish. Well, I guess truthfully I should say I knew a few—Agua, Gracias, No, Hola, and Taco (at the time I thought taco would be helpful… but I found out Dominicans DO NOT eat tacos unless they go to an Mexican restaurant), yet I made it just fine with a little patience and a sense of humor.
The question you have to ask yourself is what type of vacation are you really going on. If you are going to an all-inclusive resort you do not need to know any Spanish at all. The resorts are going to have employees who speak enough English for you to get by.
If you are going to try to get by in the country on your own without knowing Spanish you are going to be in for some interesting situations. For example, most of the taxi drivers will not know enough English for you to be able to tell them where you want to go. In addition to the difficulty of telling them where to take you, they will ask you to pay a rate that is much higher than you should pay. I have been here for over four years and it is normal for me to still have to fight for the local rates when I take a taxi.
With that said, it is not abnormal for entirely English speaking people to visit and tour the country. Just make sure you try to schedule as mush as possible ahead of time. If you book a room at a hotel that is common for tourists, particularly the higher-end hotels, chances are they will have English speaking staff.
If you plan to visit the Dominican Republic and you know absolutely no Spanish I recommend you at least learn 15-20 of the most needed Spanish phrases. You can visit http://www.MovingtoDR.com/BasicSpanish to find a list of the phrases I believe are most important.
Article #2 Covers the Question: What Can I Eat in the Dominican Republic?
~
Best Wishes,
Ross Weber
www.MovingtoDR.com - Dominican Republic
Ross@MovingtoDr.com
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appartementen mallorca Find the best apartment in Barcelona: Friendly Rentals has the widest Barcelona Apartments offer with Luxury Loft, Beach Apartments in Barcelona and much more.
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