123. Directions - Finding your Way around Town

123. Directions -  Finding your Way around Town 

Travelling to a new country is tough enough even when you are armed with a local map of the city and your tourist guide so knowing a few phrases about directions can be a great help as long as you also know the likely answers. Let's look first at the major places of interest and then some directions.

Feminine  (die words)

Kirche   =   church                 Bank   =    bank           Sparkasse  =  savings bank

Post       =     post office          Polizei  =  police          Haltestelle  =  (bus/tram) stop

Stadt      =    city                     Straße   =  street           Straßenbahn  =  tram

Allee      =     avenue               Ampel   =  traffic light  Fußgängerzone  = pedestrian zone

Universität  =  university        Altstadt  =   old city      U-Bahn  =  subway,  underground

Station   =  station (usually subway)                           Pension  =  B & B, guest house

Toilette   =   toilet

Masculine  (der words)

Bahnhof    =  station                Park   =   park          Verkehrsverein    =  tourist information

Dom           =  cathedral            Markt  =  market       Platz   =   square, place

Marktplatz  =  market place     Tierpark  =  zoo        Hauptbahnhof   =   main station

Neuter (das words)

Dorf  =  village                         Museum   =   museum        Kino   =   cinema

Rathaus   =   city  hall              Schloß     =  castle              Büro   =   office  

Verkehrsamt  =  tourist office  Hotel   =  hotel                    WC  =   toilet

Helpful Expressions

Der Bahnhof bitte?  =  The station please?

Wie komme ich zur (fem words) / zum  (masc & neut words)  = How do I get to the?

Wo ist der Dom?   =  Where is the cathedral?

Wie weit ist es zur  Post  / zum Marktplatz?  =  How far is it to the post office / market?

Wie komme ich am besten   zur  /  zum  .... How do I best get to?

Likely Answers

geradeaus   =  straight ahead     immer geradeaus  =  keep on going straight ahead

gehen Sie hier links / rechts  =  go left / right here

biegen Sie rechts / links an der Ampel ab  =  turn right /left at the traffic lights

zu Fuß zehn Minuten  =  on foot 10 minutes

mit dem Bus =  by bus,  mit dem Taxi = by taxi / mit der U-Bahn =  by tram
mit der Straßenbahn =  subway, 

rechts um die Ecke  =  go right around the corner

in der Nähe von der Kirche  /  vom Bahnhof  =  near the church  /  station

Gehen Sie die Müllerstraße entlang  =  go along Müller Street

Castle Mid Rhine near Lorelei Rock