Whether you’re reading a train schedule, asking for directions, or describing how you commute, having the right transport vocabulary is essential. This page focuses on the words themselves — the nouns and verbs you need to name vehicles, describe places, and talk about travel. For ready-to-use conversational phrases (buying a ticket, hailing a taxi, asking “where is the station?”), see our Spanish Travel Phrases page.
Spanish has some regional variation for common vehicles. The most important split is between Spain and many Latin American countries. Notes are included where the difference matters.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| el coche (Spain) / el carro (much of Latin America) / el auto (Southern Cone) | el KOH-cheh / el KAH-rroh / el OW-toh | car |
| el autobús | el ow-toh-BOOS | bus (intercity or urban) |
| el tren | el TREN | train |
| el avión | el ah-vee-OHN | airplane |
| el barco | el BAR-koh | boat / ship |
| el metro | el MEH-troh | subway / underground |
| el taxi | el TAK-see | taxi |
| la bicicleta | lah bee-see-KLEH-tah | bicycle |
| la moto(cicleta) | lah MOH-toh (moh-toh-see-KLEH-tah) | motorcycle / motorbike |
| el tranvía | el tran-VEE-ah | tram / streetcar |
| el camion | el kah-mee-OHN | truck / lorry (also “bus” in Mexico) |
Regional note: El camion means “truck” or “lorry” in most Spanish-speaking countries, but in Mexico it commonly refers to a city bus. Context usually makes the meaning clear.
These are the nouns you’ll encounter on signs, in schedules, and in everyday conversation when navigating a Spanish-speaking city or country.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| el aeropuerto | el ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh | airport |
| la estación (de tren / de metro) | lah es-tah-see-OHN | station (train / metro) |
| la parada (de autobús) | lah pah-RAH-dah | bus stop |
| el puerto | el PWER-toh | port / harbour |
| la carretera | lah kah-rreh-TEH-rah | road / highway (between towns) |
| la autopista | lah ow-toh-PEES-tah | motorway / freeway |
| la calle | lah KAH-yeh | street (in a town or city) |
| el andén | el an-DEN | platform (at a train or metro station) |
| la taquilla / la ventanilla | lah tah-KEE-yah / lah ven-tah-NEE-yah | ticket window / ticket booth |
| el semáforo | el seh-MAH-foh-roh | traffic light |
| la aduana | lah ah-DWAH-nah | customs (at a border or airport) |
These are the objects you carry or use when travelling. Note the important regional variation for “ticket.”
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| el billete (Spain) / el boleto (most of Latin America) | el bee-YEH-teh / el boh-LEH-toh | ticket |
| el pasaporte | el pah-sah-POR-teh | passport |
| la maleta | lah mah-LEH-tah | suitcase |
| el equipaje | el eh-kee-PAH-heh | luggage (uncountable) |
| el mapa | el MAH-pah | map |
| el asiento | el ah-see-EN-toh | seat |
| la mochila | lah moh-CHEE-lah | backpack / rucksack |
Note: El equipaje (luggage) is a mass noun in Spanish, just as it is in English — you say mucho equipaje (a lot of luggage), not muchos equipajes. To refer to individual pieces, use una maleta (a suitcase) or una bolsa (a bag).
To say how you are travelling in Spanish, the standard pattern is ir en + vehicle. The preposition en is used with all modes of transport — with one important exception: on foot. When travelling on foot, Spanish uses a pie, not en pie.
| Spanish | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Voy en tren. | VOY en TREN | I’m going by train. |
| Voy en avión. | VOY en ah-vee-OHN | I’m going by plane. |
| Voy en autobús. | VOY en ow-toh-BOOS | I’m going by bus. |
| Voy en taxi. | VOY en TAK-see | I’m going by taxi. |
| Voy en bicicleta. | VOY en bee-see-KLEH-tah | I’m going by bicycle. |
| Voy en barco. | VOY en BAR-koh | I’m going by boat. |
| Voy a pie. | VOY ah pee-EH | I’m going on foot. (walking) |
The exception is easy to remember: think of a pie as “on foot” — your feet are already on the ground, so you use a (not en). Every other standard means of transport uses en.
You can also express this pattern in the past tense with fui en (“I went by…”), in the future with voy a ir en (“I’m going to go by…”), or with other subjects: Él va en metro (He goes by metro), Nosotros fuimos en coche (We went by car).
Knowing the right verbs lets you describe the journey itself, not just the destination. Below are the most useful travel verbs with an example sentence for each.
| Infinitive | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| viajar | to travel | Me gusta viajar en tren. — I like travelling by train. |
| conducir (Spain) / manejar (most of Latin America) | to drive | ¿Sabes conducir? / ¿Sabes manejar? — Do you know how to drive? |
| volar | to fly | Volamos a Madrid. — We flew to Madrid. |
| llegar | to arrive | El tren llega a las ocho. — The train arrives at eight. |
| salir | to leave / depart | ¿A qué hora sale el autobús? — What time does the bus leave? |
| subir (a) | to get on / board | Sube al tren en el andén tres. — Get on the train at platform three. |
| bajar (de) | to get off / alight | Baja del metro en la próxima parada. — Get off the metro at the next stop. |
| hacer escala | to make a stopover / layover | El vuelo hace escala en Ciudad de México. — The flight has a stopover in Mexico City. |
In Spanish, salir (to leave / depart) is almost always followed by de + the place you are leaving, while llegar (to arrive) is followed by a + the destination. Getting these prepositions right sounds much more natural.
The pattern is consistent: salir de (depart from) and llegar a (arrive at/in). A useful mnemonic: you “leave of a place” and “arrive to a place” in Spanish.
• Learn billete AND boleto. Both mean “ticket,” and both are widely understood throughout the Spanish-speaking world. If you’re travelling to Spain, “billete” is the norm; in most of Latin America, “boleto” is more common. Knowing both saves confusion.
• El metro is always masculine. Although the word ends in “-o,” learners sometimes second-guess this. El metro (not “la”) — confirmed by the noun’s origin from el metropolitano.
• Remember the ir a pie exception. Every other transport uses ir en + vehicle. Foot travel uses ir a pie. If you accidentally say voy en pie, a native speaker will understand you, but it will sound slightly odd.
• Subir a and bajar de are a natural pair. You board (subir a) a bus, train, or plane and you get off (bajar de) it. Think of “up to” and “down from” — the spatial logic matches.
• Signs often abbreviate. At airports and stations, you’ll see Salidas (Departures) and Llegadas (Arrivals) on signs — the noun forms of salir and llegar. Recognising these noun forms will help you navigate quickly.
Use these prompts to practise the vocabulary and grammar patterns from this page. Try answering out loud or writing your answers before checking.
Sample answers: (1) Voy al trabajo en metro. (3) de — the train departs from Madrid. (4) Ella baja del autobús en la próxima parada. (6) Viajamos a Sevilla en tren.