How to give directions in English

Give the shortest useful answer: direction, number of turns, then a landmark. Take the first right — it's opposite the post office. Add a time if you know it (It's about five minutes from here), and use just around the corner or next to the … when the place is close and easy to spot.

Keep it to one sentence with three parts: turn, count, landmark. When the place is very close, It's just around the corner or It's the building right behind you is enough — adding a route to somewhere obvious makes it harder to follow, not easier.

A useful habit is to point while you speak. People follow a hand direction faster than a spoken sentence, and pointing also signals that you are confident about which way it is.

Travel English Phrases: Directions, Hotels and Restaurants →