Catching a bus in a Spanish town comes down to three questions: where the stop is, what the ticket costs and when the bus comes. Learn these and the directions you will hear back.
The three questions
Start with “Perdone” (excuse me) when you speak to a stranger, especially an older person. With someone your age, “Perdona” is fine.
Spanish
English
Perdone, ¿dónde está la parada?
Excuse me, where is the bus stop?
¿Cuánto cuesta el billete?
How much is the ticket?“boleto” in much of Latin America
¿A qué hora pasa el autobús?
What time does the bus come?“pasar” = to come by
¿A qué hora pasa el último?
What time is the last one?
Directions you will hear
Spanish
English
a la izquierda
on the left
a la derecha
on the right
sigue recto / todo recto
go straight on
al final de la calle
at the end of the street
al lado de la farmacia
next to the pharmacy
Times and prices
Spanish
English
a las nueve
at nine
a las nueve y media
at half past nine
en cinco minutos
in five minutes
un euro con cincuenta
one euro fifty (€1.50)
Lo pagas en el autobús.
You pay on the bus.
On the bus
Spanish
English
Un billete, por favor.
One ticket, please.
¿Este autobús va al centro?
Does this bus go to the centre?
¿Me avisa cuando lleguemos?
Will you tell me when we get there?
A real exchange
From the last mission of Chapter 1 in Hola Town: it is getting dark and you ask Don Ramón about the last bus.
Don Ramón¡Buenas noches, joven! ¿Buscas algo?Good evening, young one! Looking for something?
YouPerdone, ¿dónde está la parada?Excuse me, where is the bus stop?
Don RamónLa parada está a la izquierda de la farmacia, al final de la calle.The stop is to the left of the pharmacy, at the end of the street.
You¿A qué hora pasa el autobús?What time does the bus come?
Don RamónEl último pasa a las nueve y media… ¡en cinco minutos! ¡Corre!The last one comes at half past nine… in five minutes! Run!
Bus tips
The bus is “el autobús” in Spain, “la guagua” in the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, and “el camión” in Mexico.
Many town buses still take cash on board; city buses often want a card or a ticket bought before you get on.
Ask a local, not the timetable: “¿A qué hora pasa?” gets you the real answer.
