You don't need a magic bullet to get a conversation rolling. If you are traveling in a Spanish speaking country one of the most natural ways to open a conversation is to ask for directions or a recomendation. I added a bunch of these basic phrases to the Hook Up Spanish Phrase Guide.

A taste:

Recommendations:

What's there _____ around here?
¿Qué hay de _____ por acá?
¿kEH igh _____ pohr ah-kAH?

What do you recommend _____ around here?
¿Qué recomiendas _____ por aquí?
¿kEH reh-koh-mee-ehn-dahs _____ pohr ah-kEE?

more basic openers here