You are probably right, but I think there are some people who visit some countries rather often who would have the time to learn the language. If you can speak one language well, it is not so hard to learn a second or third language. And once you have learned a second, the third becomes even easier!

True too, though some languages are harder than others, and some are closely related and some not. An English-speaking person who knows French ought not to have too much trouble reaching some level of proficiency in another Romance language, but he or she would have less advantage over a monoglot when it came to learning, say, Finnish or Chinese.

There are some people who do amaze me, that is people who have lived in another country for many years and can yet barely speak the language. Sometimes this seems to be almost a matter of misplaced pride. Personally I would hate to live somewhere and not be able to speak the same language as the people around me: I'd make every effort to learn it. (I am not talking here about poverty-stricken, recently arrived asylum seekers and other disadvantaged people but about people who have chosen, for example, to retire to another country or to live in another country to write, compose, etc, etc.)

While it is not true, as you correctly said, that there are only two language groups in Europe, I think most people will find that knowing at least one language from each group will get them quite far in Europe. If you can speak two from each group, you will very rarely have a problem anywhere in Europe, because many, if not most, Europeans can usually speak more than one language. My brother-in-law, who is Belgian, for example, speaks 10 languages, several of which are non-European.

What you wrote about foreigners not speaking the language of the country they live in is very true. There are many requirements dealing with the government that will be lost and certainly many opportunities that will be missed. I am thinking myself of partially retiring to another country, but I can already speak the language, and I would keep my nationality, so I don't expect problems.

I live in Europe and travel often to every single country here. Many, many times I encounter people who do not speak English and it happens in every non-English speaking country. Even in places like the Netherlands where most everyone speaks English, I sometimes encounter people, even shopkeepers, who don't know English. If you are a tourist in a large capital city, you should be fine at all places that tourists go. But when you off the beaten path, or get out in the countryside, even at hotels you may not find English. This is true in every country.

So take the advice above to learn at least a little bit of the local language. I can do the basics in at least 25 languages, some better than others. I'm not that smart, nor have I taken any language classes. It's just because I travel a lot and I try to be polite. And I like to know what I am eating.

Just to echo the previous post ......

What seems to prevail in this thread are two seperate issues that sometimes seem to be blurred into over simplified responses.

The main question that seems to be posed is what's the minimum effort I need to make in order to get by and survive - and that crisp question will receive some replies based on personal experiences.

But what some of us are trying to sell - is what mimimum incremental effort could you make in order to get more out of the visit and be seen by the people living in the host country you are visiting as being cultured, sensitive and well mannered and worthy therefore of more effort and engagement in return.

It's an error to think that "getting by" is the same as "getting the most" out of a visit.

I don't think that language is a problem! Nowadays almost everybody speaks English and I believe that noone will be offended that you don't speak their native language

If only that were true. Actually I'm quite thankful it is not true.

Be more optimistic

It's certainly not true, and I'm also very glad!

I'm afraid you have managed to encapsulate in one sentence exactly what irritates so many non-English speakers when people of your persuasion visit their countries and make no effort to be courteous.

But then .... one has to ask the obvious question ....how could you possibly know if you are unable to converse with them?

........... oh dear ......!

Quite clearly, not everyone does speak English. In some (non-Anglophone) countries, many or most people that are directly employed by the tourist industry might speak some English, but even in countries where English is best spoken there are exceptions. (I have, for example, come across someone in the tourist information office in Uppsala who spoke virtually no English at all.)

I'd also contest that no one will be offended at anything. Certainly I do think it is rude to barge up to people in a non-English-language country and start talking at them in English without some sort of initial enquiry, somehow, as to whether they actually speak it (unless, of course, you know that they do).