French Phrases for Travel: The Ultimate Phrasebook

After the last season of Emily in Paris aired, France, once again, has become one of the most popular travel destinations in the world. And while a trip to this beautiful country is indeed exciting, it might also be a little nervous, especially if you don’t speak the language. But don’t be scared! In today’s article, we’ve prepared a comprehensive list of French phrases for travel to help you manage different situations.

Basic French Phrases for Travel

Travel to any destination, especially for the first time, usually involves visiting some popular sights, enjoying local food places and markets, etc. In most cases, such activities require a specific set of expressions suitable for various circumstances. Take a look at these lists of basic French phrases for travel for different occasions.

Greetings & Polite Phrases

Let’s begin with some common yet vital expressions that can be used anywhere you go, from your hotel and the café nearby to the famous museum and fabulous restaurant.

• Bonjour – [bɔ̃ʒuʁ] – Hello / Good morning.

Bonjour, comment ça va? (Hello, how are you?)

• Bonsoir – [bɔ̃swaʁ] – Good evening.

Bonsoir, avez-vous une table pour deux? (Good evening, do you have a table for two?)

• S’il vous plaît – [sil vu plɛ] – Please.

Un café, s’il vous plaît. (A coffee, please.)

• Merci – [mɛʁsi] – Thank you.

Merci beaucoup pour votre aide! (Thank you very much for your help!)

• Excusez-moi – [ɛkskyze mwa] – Excuse me.

Excusez-moi, où sont les toilettes? (Excuse me, where are the restrooms?)

• Au revoir – [o ʁəvwaʁ] – Goodbye.

Au revoir, à bientôt! (Goodbye, see you soon!)

Common French Phrases for Travel: Asking for Directions

While modern solutions allow us to rely on Google Maps when navigating through a new city, sometimes, you don’t have any other option than just to ask for directions. In that case, here are some expressions that might be useful.

• Où est…? – [u ɛ] – Where is…?

Où est la gare, s’il vous plaît? (Where is the train station, please?)

• Comment aller à… ? – [kɔmɑ̃ ale a] – How do I get to…?

Comment aller à la Tour Eiffel? (How do I get to the Eiffel Tower?)

• C’est loin? – [sɛ lwɛ̃] – Is it far?

La station de métro, c’est loin? (Is the metro station far?)

• Près d’ici – [pʁɛ disi] – Near here.

Y a-t-il un café près d’ici? (Is there a café near here?)

• Loin d’ici – [lwɛ̃ disi] – Far from here.

La plage est-elle loin d’ici? (Is the beach far from here?)

• Pouvez-vous m’indiquer… ? – [puve vu mɛ̃dike] – Can you show me…?

Pouvez-vous m’indiquer le chemin vers le musée? (Can you show me the way to the museum?)

• Je suis perdu(e) – [ʒə sɥi pɛʁdy] – I’m lost.

Excusez-moi, je suis perdu. Pouvez-vous m’aider? (Excuse me, I’m lost. Can you help me?)

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French Travel Phrases: Ordering Food and Drinks

French cuisine should definitely be on your must-try list when visiting the country. And, whether you go to a fancy restaurant or a small café, here are some expressions that will definitely come in handy.

• Une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît – [yn tabl puʁ dø sil vu plɛ] – A table for two, please.

Bonsoir, une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît. (Good evening, a table for two, please.)

• Le menu, s’il vous plaît – [lə məny sil vu plɛ] – The menu, please.

Le menu, s’il vous plaît, je voudrais voir les options. (The menu, please, I’d like to see the options.)

• Je voudrais… – [ʒə vudʁɛ] – I would like…

Je voudrais un croissant, s’il vous plaît. (I would like a croissant, please.)

• Ce sera tout, merci – [sə səʁa tu mɛʁsi] – That will be all, thank you.

Ce sera tout, merci, l’addition quand vous pouvez. (That will be all, thank you, the bill when you can.) 

• L’addition, s’il vous plaît – [ladisjɔ̃ sil vu plɛ] – The bill, please.

L’addition, s’il vous plaît, je suis prêt à partir. (The bill, please, I’m ready to leave.)

Useful French Phrases for Emergencies

Life is unpredictable, and while we wish you only safe travels, different situations still might occur. Therefore, here’s a list of some emergency expressions to ask for help when needed.

• Appelez la police! – [aple la pɔlis] – Call the police!

Appelez la police, quelqu’un m’a volé mon sac! (Call the police, someone stole my bag!)

• J’ai besoin d’aide – [ʒe bəzwɛ̃ dɛd] – I need help.

J’ai besoin d’aide, je ne me sens pas bien. (I need help, I don’t feel well.)

• Où est l’hôpital? – [u ɛ lɔpital] – Where is the hospital?

Où est l’hôpital le plus proche, s’il vous plaît? (Where is the nearest hospital, please?)

• Pouvez-vous appeler une ambulance? – [puve vu aple yn ɑ̃bylɑ̃s] – Can you call an ambulance?

Mon ami est blessé, pouvez-vous appeler une ambulance? (My friend is injured, can you call an ambulance?)

• Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît – [ede mwa sil vu plɛ] – Help me, please.

Aidez-moi, s’il vous plaît, je suis blessé. (Help me, please, I hurt myself.)

• J’ai perdu mon téléphone – [ʒe pɛʁdy mɔ̃ telefɔn] – I lost my phone.

J’ai perdu mon téléphone, quelqu’un l’a trouvé? (I lost my phone, has anyone found it?)

• Est-ce que vous parlez anglais? – [ɛs kə vu paʁle ɑ̃ɡlɛ] – Do you speak English?

Est-ce que vous parlez anglais? J’ai un problème et j’ai besoin de parler en anglais. (Do you speak English? I have a problem and need to speak in English.)

Master French Travel Phrases and More with Promova

Understanding the basics of the language, from the alphabet to grammar, is essential for anyone aiming to become fluent in it. Whether you want to learn a foreign tongue for travel or any other reason, the convenient Promova platform is always here to help. Within the application, you can access:

• Interactive lessons created by language professionals for various proficiency labels. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your learning path or have already reached some milestones; Promova will always provide you with the essential materials tailored specifically to your level.
• Bite-sized learning to avoid feeling overwhelmed by tons of unnecessary information. With the Promova platform, you can spend only a few minutes a day learning and still reach significant results.
• Multilingual approach. If you want to learn more than one language, you can easily do it within the platform! Master French, Spanish, Korean, English, and many other tongues at the same time.

The Promova app is available to download from Google Play and the App Store, meaning you can easily access all the features from any convenient device. Install it today, and enjoy your learning experience!

Conclusion

Visiting a foreign country can be both exciting and nervous at the same time. But when you’re equipped with a set of basic travel phrases, it will be much easier to navigate through various situations. We hope that today’s list of French travel phrases will be useful for you, and we’re looking forward to meeting you in the next article!