If you want to travel to France or any other French-speaking area, a list of French travel phrases can enhance your travel experience.
Visa ready, ticket ready, suitcase ready, everything is ready for your France visit, yet something is missing. One thing that you may not have considered packing yet is your essential guide to French travel phrases. These commonly used words and phrases in French will help you enjoy your stay and help you learn more about French culture.
Ready to explore the list of necessary words needed for your French tour? Here you go.
Essential French Travel Phrases to Prepare Before Your Trip
French people are generally known for being very proud of their language and often reluctant to learn English. However, this is gradually changing. Today, if you travel to major tourist cities like Paris, you can often get by using English.
In smaller towns and less touristy areas, however, many people still don’t speak English very well, so it is essential to know some basic French phrases. From basic greetings to common French phrases for shopping and dining out, mastering the following 100 common travel phrases in French will impress native speakers, making them more willing to help you out!
You need to learn some travel phrases that are so general, but they are the necessary words that you may learn.
With Jolii, you can master these travel phrases by learning directly from real-world videos and interacting with an integrated chatbot for practice.
Here is a list of some of the basic French words.
| Français | English |
| 1. Bonjour | Hello / Good Morning |
| 2. Bonsoir | Good evening |
| 3. Salut | Hi (informal) |
| 4. Ça va! | Alright! |
| 5. Merci | Thank you |
| 6. Excusez-moi | Excuse-me |
| 7. S’il vous plaît | Please |
| 8. Aidez-moi | Help me |
| 8. Oui | yes |
| 9. Non | no |
| 11. Où? | Where? |
| 12. Combien? | How much? |
| 13. Quand? | when? |
| 14. Pourquoi? | why? |
| 15. Que / Quoi? | what? |
| 16. Comment? | how? |
| 17. Qui? | who? |
| 17. Bonne journée! | Have a good day! |
| 18. Bonne soirée! | Have a good evening! |
| 19. Au revoir! | Bye! |
| 20. À bientôt! | See you soon! |
| 21. À la prochaine! | See you next time! |
| 22. Bonne nuit! | Good night! |
French Travel Phrases for Arriving and Introducing Yourself
Whenever we travel to a place, we look to get some cultural insights about that place. Tourists visiting France must have some French travel phrases that can help them introduce them to the natives. By doing so, they can chat with the locals to get an idea of the customs and traditions prevailing in the society.
With the Jolii app, you can not only master these basic introductions but also learn how to pronounce them perfectly using interactive audio and video tools.
First of all, here are five phrases that are essential to survive in France.
| Français | English |
| 23. Je ne parle pas très bien français | I don’t speak French very well. |
| 24. Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement? | Can you speak more slowly? |
| 25. Désolé(e), je ne comprends pas. | Sorry, I don’t understand |
| 26. Est-ce que vous pouvez répéter? | Can you repeat? |
| 27. Parlez vous anglais? | Do you speak English? |
And here are some common French phrases that tourists can use
| Français | English |
| 28. Comment vous appelez-vous? | What is your name? |
| 29. Je m’appelle …. | My name is …. |
| 30. Enchanté(e)! | Nice to meet you! |
| 31. Je suis un(e) touriste. | I am a tourist. |
| 32. D’où venez-vous? | Where are you from? |
| 33. Je viens de … | I come from … |
| 34. Que faites-vous dans la vie? | What do you do? |
| 35. J’apprends le français. | I am learning French. |
| 36. Avez-vous des recommandations? | Do you have any recommendations? |
| 37. À quelle heure ça ouvre/ferme? | What time does it open/close? |
| 38. J’ai besoin d’un médecin. | I need a doctor. |
| 39. Y a-t-il du Wi-Fi ici? | Is there Wi-Fi here? |
Common French Phrases for Shopping
You are traveling to France and don’t go shopping, it doesn’t sound as if you are a complete traveler.
First and foremost, probably the most important sentence to know while shopping, especially when the shop assistant is a little pushy:
40. Je regarde seulement, merci. (I am just looking, thank you).
Helpful phrases in French you may use for shopping
| Français | English |
| 41. Je voudrais acheter.. | I would like to buy… |
| 42. Je cherche un cadeau. | I am looking for a gift. |
| 43. C’est exactement ce que je cherchais! | This is exactly what I was looking for! |
| 44. Combien ça coûte? | How much is it? |
| 45. Avez-vous ceci en taille… ? | Do you have this in size…? |
| 46. Je voudrais essayer ça. | I would like to try this. |
| 47. Où sont les cabines d’essayage? | Where are the fitting rooms? |
| 48. C’est en solde? | Is it on sale? |
| 49. Est-ce que vous avez des réductions? | Do you have any discounts? |
| 50. Puis-je payer par carte / en espèces? | Can I pay by card / by cash? |
| 51. Avez-vous un sac? | Do you have a bag? |
Getting Around in France: Questions You May Ask
If you are a traveler and want to see many famous places in France, you definitely need to ask for directions to the French natives living there.
To get help you must at least know a few of the French terms, which assist you in getting the basics for getting around.
Here are some essential questions you may ask French natives to get around.
| Français | English |
| 52. Comment puis-je aller à l’hôtel? | How can I get to the hotel? |
| 53. Y a-t-il un bon restaurant près d’ici? | Is there a good restaurant nearby? |
| 54. Où est la gare? | Where is the train station? |
| 55. Où est la station de métro la plus proche? | Where is the nearest subway station? |
| 56. Quel bus dois-je prendre pour aller à … ? | Which bus should I take to go to …? |
| 57. Y a-t-il un arrêt de bus près d’ici? | Is there a bus stop nearby? |
| 58. Combien coûte un ticket de métro? | How much is a subway ticket? |
| 59. Où se trouve le musée? | Where is the museum located? |
| 60. Est-ce près d’ici? | Is it near here? |
| 61. C’est loin d’ici? | Is it far from here? |
| 62. Où se trouve le centre-ville? | Where is the city center? |
| 63. Le centre-ville est à cinq minutes à pied d’ici. | The city center is a five-minute walk from here. |
| 64. Prenez le premier à droite / gauche. | Take the first one on the right. |
| 65. Je suis perdu(e). | I am lost. |
Basic French Phrases for Dining Out
Eating and traveling both go hand-in-hand. While traveling to France, you need to try some authentic French cuisines to taste the actual food. Food and the orders are better understood in French.
You can even use some phrases to direct the restaurants about any dietary restrictions due to any health issues.
French phrases or sentences for dining out are not only helpful but necessary for you.
| Français | English |
| 66. J’ai une réservation au nom de … | I have a reservation under the name of … |
| 67. Une table pour deux, s’il vous plaît. | A table for two, please. |
| 68. Le menu, s’il vous plaît. | The menu, please. |
| 69. Où sont les toilettes? | Where are the restrooms? |
| 70. J’ai faim! | I am hungry |
| 71. J’ai soif! | I am thirsty |
| 72. Avez-vous la carte des vins? | Do you have a wine list? |
| 73. Qu’est-ce que vous voulez boire? | What would you like to drink? |
| 74. Puis-je avoir un verre d’eau? | Can I have a glass of water? |
| 75. Un autre verre de vin blanc, s’il vous plaît. | Another glass of white wine, please. |
| 76. Avez-vous un menu en anglais? | Do you have a menu in English? |
| 77. Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez? | What do you recommend? |
| 78. Quelle est la spécialité du jour? | What is today’s special? |
| 79. Je n’ai pas encore choisi. | I haven’t chosen yet. |
| 80. Je suis allergique à… | I am allergic to… |
| 81. Une minute encore, s’il vous plaît. | One more minute, please. |
| 82. Pour l’entrée, je voudrais… | For the starter, I would like… |
| 83. Pour le plat principal, je vais prendre… | For the main course, I will have… |
| 84. En dessert, je voudrais… | For dessert, I would like… |
| 85. Bon appetit! | Enjoy your meal! |
| 86. Ça a été? | Was everything okay? |
| 87. C’est trop bon! | This is so good! |
| 88. Je voudrais un café. | I would like a coffee. |
| 89. L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | The bill, please |
| 90. Pouvons-nous partager l’addition? | Can we split the bill? |
French Phrases for Enjoying a Night Out
Traveling is for fun; how about if you also have some sentences or phrases already learned in French that can elaborate the amusement of a night out?
Night outs are for socializing and entertainment; these phrases in French can increase your fun.
| Français | English |
| 91. Tu fais quoi ce soir? | What are you doing tonight? |
| 92. Ça te dit d’aller boire un verre? | Do you want to get a drink? |
| 93. On va danser en boîte? | Let’s go dance at the club. |
| 94. C’est une bonne ambiance ici! | The atmosphere here is great! |
| 95. Tu viens souvent ici? | Do you come here often? |
| 96. C’est ma première fois ici. | It’s my first time here. |
| 97. Pourriez-vous me recommander un bon cocktail? | Could you recommend a good cocktail? |
| 98. Tu veux danser? | Do you want to dance? |
| 99. On partage un taxi? | Shall we share a taxi? |
| 100. C’était une super soirée! | It was a great night out! |
? BONUS Word: Truc! ?
Now that you have finally reached the end of our 100 common French travel phrases, we have a bonus word for you, a word that you will hear a lot in France: Truc.
Truc, literally thing or stuff, is a versatile word that you can use in countless situations, especially whenever you don’t know a specific term, like in:
Je cherche un truc à manger. (I’m looking for something to eat.)
Je veux acheter ce truc. (I want to buy this thing)
C’est quoi ce truc? ( what is this thing?)
J’aime ce truc. (I like this stuff).
And surprises are not over because we have a learning tool for you!
Add More Fun to Learning Before You Travel!
Planning to practice these phrases on your next trip? Why wait to get started? Download Jolii now, where you can build confidence by learning directly from real-world scenarios. From Netflix series to YouTube vlogs, Jolii integrates content you enjoy into your learning.
Conclusion:
Learning these helpful French travel phrases can add fun to your visit to France visit. You will always pat yourself on the back for remembering these words because they will multiply your exposure. You will feel a deeper connection with the natives and will enhance your cultural understanding of culture and social norms of French people. And there’s a magic potion in the form of the Jolii app, which will help you bring excellent resources to remember and recall the phrases from different videos or movies so you can actually use them during your French visit.
