I'd say just don't sweat the language thing, especially in the countries you are talking about. Lots of English speakers, esp in the hospitality industry.

It's a bit more challenging in southern Europe and in small towns, but you can usually communicate somehow. If necessary, I bring a cheat sheet with key phrases such as "I am allergic to shellfish!" and "Do you have any epinephrine?" Yes, I wind up feeling like a bit of an idiot sometimes, but if I only got to go places where I *didn't* look like an idiot, they wouldn't let me leave the house!