Introduction

Viajar means “to travel”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Viajar is the verb for travelling to a place: to another city, to another country, to the beach. The destination follows a. Viajar en + transport means to travel by something: by train, by plane, by car. The en marks how you travel. This page shows viajar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo viajo a Madrid cada mes.” — I travel to Madrid every month.

Viajar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how viajar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.

In the present: everyday use

These sentences use viajar in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Yo viajo a Madrid cada mes.” — I travel to Madrid every month.

  2. “¿Tú viajas mucho?” — Do you travel a lot?

  3. “Mi hermano viaja con su familia.” — My brother travels with his family.

  4. “Nosotros viajamos en tren.” — We travel by train.

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show viajar in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.

  1. “Ayer yo viajé a Madrid.” — Yesterday I travelled to Madrid. (preterite)

  2. “Mi padre viajaba por trabajo cada mes.” — My father used to travel for work every month. (imperfect)

Plans and things already done

These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of viajar stays the same.

  1. “Nosotros viajaremos a Italia en verano.” — We will travel to Italy in summer. (future)

  2. “¿Tú has viajado alguna vez a Italia?” — Have you ever travelled to Italy? (present perfect)

More everyday uses

Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.

  1. “Vosotros viajáis en avión.” — You travel by plane.

  2. “Ellos viajan a Italia en verano.” — They travel to Italy in summer.

  3. “Yo viajo solo con una mochila.” — I travel alone with a backpack.

  4. “Mi padre viaja por trabajo.” — My father travels for work.

Viajar in context

Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how viajar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

A short dialogue

  • Ana: “¿Tú viajas mucho?” — Do you travel a lot?

  • Luis: “Sí, yo viajo a Madrid cada mes.” — Yes, I travel to Madrid every month.

  • Ana: “Nosotros viajamos en tren.” — We travel by train.

  • Luis: “Y ellos viajan a Italia en verano.” — And they travel to Italy in summer.

  • Ana: “Vosotros viajáis en avión.” — You travel by plane.

  • Luis: “Sí, y mi hermano viaja con su familia.” — Yes, and my brother travels with his family.

A short paragraph

Ana viaja a Madrid cada mes, y su hermano viaja con su familia. Nosotros viajamos en tren, y ellos viajan a Italia en verano. Yo viajo solo con una mochila, y mi padre viaja por trabajo. Viajar is part of every holiday, because travelling to a place, travelling by train and travelling with family are all part of the same verb.

Common mistakes with viajar

These are the errors learners actually make with viajar. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Yo viajo Madrid.” Right: “Yo viajo a Madrid.” Why: Travelling to a place needs the preposition a: viajo a Madrid, not viajo Madrid. The destination is not a direct object, so the a is required.

  • Wrong: “Ellos viaja a Italia.” Right: “Ellos viajan a Italia.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form viajan. The singular viaja belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as mi hermano.

  • Wrong: “Yo viajo a Madrid ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo viajé a Madrid.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished trip yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to viajé.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros viajas en tren.” Right: “Nosotros viajamos en tren.” Why: Nosotros needs viajamos. The tú form viajas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos viajo todos los días.” Right: “Ellos viajan todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form viajan, not the yo form viajo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: viajar in use

Ten questions on viajar in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ en avión.” (You travel by plane.)

  • (a) viajas
  • (b) viajáis
  • (c) viajo

Answer: viajáis — The vosotros/as form of viajar in the present tense is viajáis.

2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a Italia en verano.” (They travel to Italy in summer.)

  • (a) viajan
  • (b) viajo
  • (c) viajas

Answer: viajan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of viajar in the present tense is viajan.

3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ a Madrid.” (Yesterday I travelled to Madrid.)

  • (a) viajaste
  • (b) viajó
  • (c) viajé

Answer: viajé — In the preterite, the yo form of viajar is viajé.

4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Mi padre ______ por trabajo cada mes.” (My father used to travel for work every month.)

  • (a) viajabas
  • (b) viajaba
  • (c) viajaba

Answer: viajaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of viajar is viajaba.

5. Complete the sentence (future): “Nosotros ______ a Italia en verano.” (We will travel to Italy in summer.)

  • (a) viajaremos
  • (b) viajaré
  • (c) viajarás

Answer: viajaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of viajar is viajaremos.

6. What does viajar mean in English?

  • (a) to finish, to end
  • (b) to serve
  • (c) to travel

Answer: to travel — Viajar means “to travel”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • (a) Yo viajo a Madrid.
  • (b) Yo viajo Madrid.
  • (c) Ellos viaja a Italia.

Answer: Yo viajo a Madrid. — “Yo viajo a Madrid.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.

8. How do you say “I travel alone with a backpack.” in Spanish?

  • (a) Yo viajan solo con una mochila.
  • (b) Yo viajo solo con una mochila.
  • (c) Mi padre viaja por trabajo.

Answer: Yo viajo solo con una mochila. — “Yo viajo solo con una mochila.” is the correct translation. The second option means something different, and the third uses the wrong person's form.

9. What is the nosotros form of viajar in the present tense?

  • (a) viajo
  • (b) viajas
  • (c) viajamos

Answer: viajamos — The nosotros form is viajamos.

10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?

  • (a) Ayer yo viajé a Madrid.
  • (b) Nosotros viajaremos a Italia en verano.
  • (c) Yo viajo a Madrid cada mes.

Answer: Yo viajo a Madrid cada mes. — “Yo viajo a Madrid cada mes.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.

Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'I travel to Madrid' in Spanish?

Say 'Viajo a Madrid'. The destination takes the preposition a. For a routine: 'Viajo a Madrid cada mes'.

How do you say 'to travel by train' in Spanish?

Say 'viajar en tren'. In the present: 'Nosotros viajamos en tren'. For a plane: 'Viajo en avión'.

Can viajar be used without a destination?

Yes. '¿Tú viajas mucho?' means 'Do you travel a lot?', with no destination at all. Add a destination only when you want to say where: 'Viajo a Madrid'.

Related pages