Below are 60 German travel words with their articles, covering flights, hotels, getting around and directions. Learn these five first: der Koffer (suitcase), die Verspätung (delay), links (left), rechts (right) and geradeaus (straight on). After the list: how to guess der, die or das, the verbs that split in two, and real story sentences.
- Words
- 60, nouns with der, die or das
- Variety
- Germany German
- Level
- A1–A2
- Read them in
- Contos stories (chapters 1–2 free)
60 German travel words
Every noun is listed with its article. In German the article tells you the gender, and the gender changes the endings around it, so learn der Koffer, not just Koffer. This is the same word pack the Contos web app uses for flashcard review.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Flughafen | airport |
| der Flug | flight |
| die Bordkarte | boarding pass |
| der Reisepass | passport |
| das Gepäck | luggage |
| der Koffer | suitcase |
| der Rucksack | backpack |
| das Doppelzimmer | double room |
| der Zimmerschlüssel | room key |
| die Rezeption | reception |
| der Tourist | tourist |
| der Reiseleiter | tour guide |
| die Sehenswürdigkeit | tourist attraction |
| das Museum | museum |
| die Grenze | border |
| der Zoll | customs |
| die Abfahrt | departure |
| die Ankunft | arrival |
| die Verspätung | delay |
| das Gate | gate |
| der Sitzplatz | seat |
| der Gang | aisle |
| der Fensterplatz | window seat |
| das Taxi | taxi |
| die U-Bahn | underground |
| die Straßenbahn | tram |
| die Fähre | ferry |
| das Motorrad | motorbike |
| die Tankstelle | petrol station |
| die Straße | road |
| die Autobahn | motorway |
| der Stau | traffic jam |
| die Ampel | traffic lights |
| der Parkplatz | car park |
| buchen | to book |
| einchecken | to check in |
| packen | to pack |
| auspacken | to unpack |
| landen | to land |
| abheben | to take off |
| sich verlaufen | to get lost |
| ein Auto mieten | to rent a car |
| im Ausland | abroad |
| das Souvenir | souvenir |
| die Postkarte | postcard |
| links | left |
| rechts | right |
| geradeaus | straight on |
| der Norden | north |
| der Süden | south |
| der Osten | east |
| der Westen | west |
| in der Nähe | nearby |
| weit | far |
| der Pilot | pilot |
| der Passagier | passenger |
| die Insel | island |
| der Campingplatz | campsite |
| der Hafen | harbour |
| die Kreuzung | crossroads |
der, die or das? The patterns in this list
German gender looks random, but a lot of travel words follow rules you can see in this list.
- Compound nouns take the gender of their last part. der Hafen gives der Flughafen; das Zimmer gives das Doppelzimmer; der Schlüssel gives der Zimmerschlüssel; der Platz gives der Fensterplatz, der Parkplatz and der Campingplatz; die Bahn gives die U-Bahn and die Straßenbahn.
- Nouns ending in -ung, -keit and -tion are always feminine: die Verspätung, die Sehenswürdigkeit, die Rezeption.
- The points of the compass are all masculine: der Norden, der Süden, der Osten, der Westen.
- Many borrowed words are neuter: das Taxi, das Gate, das Museum, das Souvenir.
Verbs that split, and words for the journey
Several travel verbs are separable: the first part jumps to the end of the sentence in the present tense. Einchecken becomes ich checke ein, auspacken becomes ich packe aus, and a plane that takes off hebt ab.
Wir checken um drei Uhr ein.
We check in at three o'clock.
Ich habe ein Doppelzimmer gebucht.
I have booked a double room.
Der Zug hat zehn Minuten Verspätung.
The train is ten minutes late.
German says a train "has" a delay: Verspätung haben.
Gehen Sie geradeaus und dann links.
Go straight on and then left.
Entschuldigung, ich habe mich verlaufen.
Excuse me, I'm lost.
Sich verlaufen is getting lost on foot. In a car, it is sich verfahren.
Departure: Abfahrt or Abflug?
Die Abfahrt is the departure of a train, bus or car, and it is the word on station boards. For a plane, airports use der Abflug. Die Ankunft (arrival) works for both.
Train words to learn next
This list leans towards flying and driving. In Germany most journeys start at the station, so add these:
- der Bahnhofstation
- der Zugtrain
- die Fahrkarteticket
- das Gleisplatform, track
- umsteigento change trains
How these words appear in Contos stories
Most of the Contos German library is set in Germany: a flatshare on Bergmannstraße, a Bavarian guesthouse with a mysterious room, a pharmacy on a North Sea island. Travel words turn up where the story needs them, which makes them easier to remember than a list.
Sie hat nur einen Koffer.Margot saß um elf Uhr nachts an der Rezeption und trank ihren dritten Kaffee.Maren lächelt immer – selbst wenn es regnet, selbst wenn die Fähre Verspätung hat.One more to watch for: der Gang is the aisle on a plane, but on a train or in a building it is the corridor. In the night-train mystery at B1, a lot happens in the corridor between compartments.
Read a German story at your level: tap any word to see what it means and save it as a flashcard.
Read free in your browserFrequently asked questions
Is it der, die or das Flughafen?
Der Flughafen. It is a compound of der Flug (flight) and der Hafen (harbour, port), and a German compound always takes the gender of its last part.
How do you say "the train is late" in German?
Der Zug hat Verspätung, literally "the train has delay". To give the time, add it before the noun: Der Zug hat zwanzig Minuten Verspätung.
What is the difference between die U-Bahn and die S-Bahn?
The U-Bahn is the underground or metro inside a city. The S-Bahn is a suburban rail service that links the city centre with the surrounding towns, often above ground. Big cities such as Berlin, Munich and Hamburg have both.
How do you ask for directions in German?
Start with "Entschuldigung" and then ask "Wie komme ich zum Bahnhof?" (How do I get to the station?). The answer will often use geradeaus (straight on), links (left), rechts (right) and die Kreuzung (the crossroads).