Travel ranks among the top three reasons Americans want to learn another language, according to a recent survey from KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine. One quarter (almost 24%) said they simply feel more comfortable visiting a country where they can speak the local language, while nearly the same (23%) want to avoid the embarrassment of mispronouncing a word. best language learning app

To help Americans travel like a local while speaking like one too, KAYAK and Babbel are teaming up to launch linGO – a one-stop-shop for travel planning and language learning. Focused on where to go, when to book, and top phrases to consider as restrictions ease (like how to ask for directions or for the check at dinner), linGO pulls together both travel and language hacks to make the most of your next trip.

As more countries open up their borders to travelers, KAYAK data reveals the best time to book an international trip for a good price is five months in advance – more than enough time to get conversational in a new language. And, withinternational travel searches over the last two months continuing to increase weekly, now is the best time to get that trip on the books.

To help get you started, KAYAK curated travel hacks for its top trending destinations, based on Babbel’s most popular languages (Spanish, French and Italian), to provide data-driven pricing insights for flights, stays and rental cars so you can easily plan and budget for your next trip.

• Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is seeing a 170% increase in search share compared to 2019; the best time to l book your flight is three months in advance
• Consider traveling to Nice, France, in January when median flight prices hover around $472 – a 36% decrease from flight prices in December – and average rental car prices are around only $36 per day!
• Celebrate the holidays in Florence, Italy, where you can snag a stay in December for as little as $133 per night – the cheapest stay of KAYAK’s top- trending italian destinations
• Budget conscious travelers looking for an international getaway should consider Cancun, Mexico, where flight prices come in under $500 roundtrip

“KAYAK’s survey revealed nearly half of Gen Z (46%) have attempted to learn a language in preparation for an upcoming trip,” said Matt Clarke, VP of NA Marketing at KAYAK. “By teaming up with Babbel, KAYAK is giving travelers access to even more tools to personalize and uplevel their travel experience with language content tailored for transit, dining and connecting with locals.”

“When traveling wasn’t an option, we still saw that one of the biggest reasons for Americans to learn a new language was preparing to travel,” said Julie Hansen, US CEO, Babbel. “This shows that being able to communicate when visiting another country plays a big role in planning a trip. This is why we’re partnering up with KAYAK to give travelers the best experience possible, from the time they decide on a destination to the adventures they have in their new language while away.” best language learning app

Nearly half of Americans (46%) revealed that learning a language would positively impact their travel experience by making them more confident when traveling. So, KAYAK and Babbel are giving travelers the extra confidence boost they need by giving away 15 lifetime language subscriptions to Babbel via a holiday sweepstakes. And, three of those lucky few winners will receive the ultimate vacation experience which includes one lifetime subscription to Babbel and a $2,800 gift card to be used for a 7-night vacation to one of KAYAK’s top trending destinations.