In this workshop you will practice a very practical travel skill: asking how to get to the airport and understanding a short answer. You will hear each native line, learn what it means in English, and then use it in three short tasks. You can play both roles along with the recordings, but there is no automatic assessment, so check your own answers with the notes provided. The focus is on asking the question clearly, recognizing the transport words you hear, and choosing the right reply.
Asking the main question
The most useful line for this situation is a polite question about the best way to reach the airport. Listen to the recording and notice the polite opening word, which works like 'excuse me'. The question asks for the best way, not just any way, so it invites a recommendation. A simpler version asks how you can get there and is very common in everyday speech. Both questions are safe to use with hotel staff, a taxi driver, or anyone local. Practice saying each one slowly, then at a natural speed. Pay attention to the word for airport, which appears at the end of both questions.
Comparing train and bus
Once you know two possible options, you can ask which one is better. This question uses the words for train and bus and asks for a comparison. In the recorded exchange, one speaker asks the main question and the other recommends the train, describing it as fast and cheap. The reply also mentions that buses and taxis are available at the central station. This shows a common pattern: a recommendation plus a short reason. When you listen, focus first on the transport word, then on the describing words. You do not need to understand every sound to catch the main idea.
Finding a taxi or the train
If you prefer a taxi, there is a direct question for where you can get one. The verb here means to take or catch, and it is useful with taxis, trains, and buses. In the recorded exchange, the traveler asks where to catch the train, and the answer gives a location: the central station. Notice that this is a place, not an instruction to turn. The reply also confirms that buses and taxis are there too. This kind of answer helps you plan: you learn one location and what you can find there.
Listen once, then say the phrase yourself. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Checking available voices…
¿Cuál es la mejor manera de llegar al aeropuerto?
What's the best way to get to the airport?
KWAHL es la meh-HOR ma-NEH-rah deh yeh-GAR al ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh
¿Cómo puedo llegar al aeropuerto?
How can I get to the airport?
KOH-moh PWEH-doh yeh-GAR al ah-eh-roh-PWER-toh
¿Es mejor ir en tren o en autobús?
Is it better to go by train or by bus?
es meh-HOR eer en tren oh en ow-toh-BOOS
¿Dónde puedo tomar un taxi?
Where can I get a taxi?
DON-deh PWEH-doh toh-MAR oon TAHK-see
Read one side aloud, then answer in your own words. The goal is to make the exchange yours.
Disculpe, ¿cuál es la mejor manera de llegar al aeropuerto?
Excuse me, what's the best way to get to the airport?Es mejor ir en tren. Es rápido y barato.
It's better to go by train. It's fast and cheap.¿Dónde puedo tomar el tren?
Where can I catch the train?En la estación central. También hay autobuses y taxis.
At the central station. There are also buses and taxis.Your turn
Try each prompt out loud. Choose a guided start, the full sequence, or a challenge pass after your first attempt.
Guided exchange: ask and recommend
Imagine you are at a hotel and want to reach the airport. You will play the traveler first, then the staff member. Use the recordings to guide your lines.
Your task: Play the traveler and say the polite question from «Disculpe, ¿cuál es la mejor manera de llegar al aeropuerto?». Then play the staff member and give the recommendation from «Es mejor ir en tren. Es rápido y barato.». Repeat the exchange, but this time start with the simpler question from «¿Cómo puedo llegar al aeropuerto?» and answer with the same recommendation.
Reply comprehension: choose the transport
You will hear a short answer and decide which transport is recommended. This checks listening, not speaking.
Your task: Listen to «Es mejor ir en tren. Es rápido y barato.» and choose: is the recommendation the train, the bus, or the taxi? Then listen to «En la estación central. También hay autobuses y taxis.» and choose: does the answer mention only the train, or also buses and taxis?
Recall with correct roles
Now you will rebuild the recorded exchange from memory, keeping the roles correct. One person asks, the other answers.
Your task: Without looking at the text, say the traveler's question from «Disculpe, ¿cuál es la mejor manera de llegar al aeropuerto?». Then say the staff member's reply from «Es mejor ir en tren. Es rápido y barato.». Next, say the traveler's follow-up question from «¿Dónde puedo tomar el tren?» and the staff member's answer from «En la estación central. También hay autobuses y taxis.». If you forget a line, listen again and repeat it.
Common questions
Can I use the simpler question instead of the main one?
Yes. The simpler question from «¿Cómo puedo llegar al aeropuerto?» asks how you can get to the airport and is very common. The main question from «Disculpe, ¿cuál es la mejor manera de llegar al aeropuerto?» asks for the best way, so it invites a recommendation. Both are polite and useful.
What if the answer mentions a place I do not know?
Listen for the transport word first, such as train, bus, or taxi. In «En la estación central. También hay autobuses y taxis.» the answer gives a location and then adds that buses and taxis are also there. Focus on the location words you do recognize and use the transport words to keep the main idea clear.
Sources and further reading
- spanish: ask how to get to the airportChecked September 2026
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