Below are 60 French travel words for flights, hotels, roads and directions, each with its article. Learn these five first: la valise (suitcase), le passeport (passport), réserver (to book), à gauche (left) and tout droit (straight on). The sections cover false friends, verbs like se perdre, and en France versus au Portugal.
- Words
- 60: flying, hotels, roads, directions
- Variety
- France French
- Level
- A1–A2
- Read them in
- Contos stories (chapters 1–2 free)
60 French travel words
Nouns are listed with their article; verbs and phrases without one. The Contos web app reviews this same pack as flashcards.
| French | English |
|---|---|
| l'aéroport | airport |
| le vol | flight |
| la carte d'embarquement | boarding pass |
| le passeport | passport |
| les bagages | luggage |
| la valise | suitcase |
| le sac à dos | backpack |
| la chambre double | double room |
| la clé de la chambre | room key |
| la réception | reception |
| le touriste | tourist |
| le guide | tour guide |
| le site touristique | tourist attraction |
| le musée | museum |
| la frontière | border |
| la douane | customs |
| le départ | departure |
| l'arrivée | arrival |
| le retard | delay |
| la porte d'embarquement | gate |
| le siège | seat |
| le couloir | aisle |
| la place côté hublot | window seat |
| le taxi | taxi |
| le métro | underground |
| le tramway | tram |
| le ferry | ferry |
| la moto | motorbike |
| la station-service | petrol station |
| la route | road |
| l'autoroute | motorway |
| l'embouteillage | traffic jam |
| le feu tricolore | traffic lights |
| le parking | car park |
| réserver | to book |
| s'enregistrer | to check in |
| faire sa valise | to pack |
| défaire sa valise | to unpack |
| atterrir | to land |
| décoller | to take off |
| se perdre | to get lost |
| louer une voiture | to rent a car |
| à l'étranger | abroad |
| le souvenir | souvenir |
| la carte postale | postcard |
| à gauche | left |
| à droite | right |
| tout droit | straight on |
| le nord | north |
| le sud | south |
| l'est | east |
| l'ouest | west |
| près d'ici | nearby |
| loin | far |
| le pilote | pilot |
| le passager | passenger |
| l'île | island |
| le camping | campsite |
| le port | harbour |
| le carrefour | crossroads |
Which French travel words look English but aren't?
French borrows English words and then gives them its own meaning. Several of them are in this list, and they catch English speakers out.
| French | Means | Not |
|---|---|---|
| le parking | a car park | the act of parking (that is le stationnement; to park is se garer) |
| le camping | a campsite, as well as camping | only the activity |
| le souvenir | a souvenir, and also a memory | only an object |
| le couloir | an aisle on a plane or train, and a corridor | a place to sit: a seat there is une place côté couloir |
| la route | a road between towns | a route (that is un itinéraire); a street in town is la rue |
| le retard | a delay | anything slow: être en retard is to be late |
La station and la gare both mean station, but not the same kind. Trains leave from la gare; the underground stops at une station de métro; and la station-service sells petrol. A coach is un car, which has nothing to do with une voiture, a car.
Le ferry de neuf heures du matin a apporté le courrier et trois touristes perdus.Packing, checking in, getting lost: the verbs
Several verbs in this list come as phrases, and two of them change with the person. In faire sa valise (to pack), the possessive follows the subject: je fais ma valise, tu fais ta valise, nous faisons nos valises. The same goes for défaire sa valise. Faire ses bagages means the same thing.
Camille arrive à l'immeuble avec une valise.- se perdre is reflexive, so the past uses être: je me suis perdu (a man), je me suis perdue (a woman). Perdre without se means to lose something: j'ai perdu mon passeport.
- s'enregistrer is what you do online before a flight. At the airport desk you enregistrez vos bagages, you check your bags in. At a hotel you simply go to la réception.
- décoller and atterrir are used for the plane: l'avion décolle à huit heures. Planes land; passengers arrivent.
- louer is to rent: louer une voiture, louer un appartement. The same spelling also means to praise, but only in formal or religious language.
Elle descend l'escalier et trouve sa tante Margot à la réception.How do you ask the way in French?
Start with Excusez-moi and ask Où est…? (Where is…?) or C'est loin ? (Is it far?). The three direction words to know cold are à gauche (left), à droite (right) and tout droit (straight on). Beginners often mix up à droite and tout droit, because droit also means straight.
Excusez-moi, la gare, c'est loin ?
Excuse me, is the station far?
Allez tout droit, puis tournez à gauche au carrefour.
Go straight on, then turn left at the crossroads.
C'est à dix minutes à pied.
It's ten minutes' walk.
Il y a une pharmacie près d'ici ?
Is there a chemist's nearby?
The list gives près d'ici for nearby, the everyday phrase; pas loin works too. À proximité is correct but formal.
En France, au Portugal, à Paris
"In" or "to" a place depends on what kind of place it is. Cities take à: à Paris, à Lyon. Feminine countries, which mostly end in -e, take en: en France, en Espagne, en Italie. Masculine countries take au: au Portugal, au Canada, au Japon. Plural ones take aux: aux États-Unis. À l'étranger means abroad.
Asking the way often ends at the toilets: see where is the bathroom in French. Words for buses, tickets and platforms are on the daily routine page.
Read a French story at A1: tap any word to see what it means and save it as a flashcard.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
What does le parking mean in French?
A car park. French borrowed the English word but uses it for the place, not the action. To park is se garer, and parking as an activity is le stationnement, as in stationnement interdit (no parking).
How do you say "straight on" in French?
Tout droit. Don't confuse it with à droite, which means on the right: allez tout droit is go straight on, tournez à droite is turn right.
Is it en France or à France?
En France. Feminine countries take en (en France, en Allemagne), masculine ones take au (au Canada), plural ones take aux (aux États-Unis), and cities take à (à Marseille).
What is the difference between la gare and la station?
La gare is a railway station for trains. La station is used for the métro (une station de métro), for taxis (une station de taxis) and for petrol (une station-service).