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I sympathise with your reluctance to butcher a language, but I've usually found that people will tolerate a surprising amount of linguistic terrorism if they can see (hear) that you're making an effort. It may also depend on whether you're visiting on business or pleasure - business may demand a degree of formality and precision that is unattainable to the tourist limited to a couple of pleasantries. I've usually equipped myself with "yes/no/please/thanks/hello/goodbye" as a minimum in my excursions in Europe and this has always helped enormously. (So has a willingness to make a prat of myself in public).
On a slightly more Machiavellian note, I have often found that butchering somebody else's language results in them admitting that they can manage a bit of English with only minimal bloodletting, whereas the stereotypical monoglot Englishman gets no help at all!
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