100 Must-Know French Phrases for Travel With Pronunciation Guide

Key takeaways:

• Start every interaction with Bonjour – it’s essential in French culture
• Focus on pronunciation clarity over perfection when you speak English isn’t an option
• Learn polite expressions and common phrases before your trip to France
• Practice speaking with a native person to build confidence
• Even basic words and phrases create positive interactions with French people

French phrases for travel are one of the easiest ways to feel more confident, polite, and connected when visiting France or other French-speaking countries. 

You don’t need to be fluent. Even a few key phrases can completely change how locals respond to you. As a French native and tutor, I see this all the time: students who make a small effort in French often receive warmer service, clearer help, and more patience. 

In this guide, I’ll share 100 essential French phrases for travel, grouped by real-life situations, with simple pronunciation to help you speak up confidently. I’ll also show you how practicing with a native speaker can make these phrases feel natural fast – something you can do with experienced French tutors on italki. 

Essential French phrases for travel 

Below are practical, commonly used phrases you’ll hear and use every day while traveling. Don’t worry about the French accent – clarity and politeness matter more than perfection. 

Greetings & polite expressions

French	Pronunciation	English
Bonjour	bon-jhoor	Hello / Good morning
Bonsoir	bon-swar	Good evening
Ça va ?	sah vah	How are you?
Ça va, merci	sah vah, mehr-see	I’m good, thank you
Merci beaucoup	mehr-see boh-koo	Thank you very much
S’il vous plaît	seel voo pleh	Please (formal)
S’il te plaît	seel tuh pleh	Please (informal)
Excusez-moi	ex-koo-zay mwa	Excuse me
Pardon	par-dohn	Sorry
Au revoir	oh ruh-vwar	Goodbye
De rien / Pas de quoi	duh ree-ehn / pah duh kwa	You’re welcome
Enchanté(e)	ahn-shahn-tay	Nice to meet you

Native tutor tip: Always start with Bonjour. It’s considered basic good manners in France. To learn more about using polite expressions correctly, check out the guide on please in French.

Introductions & basic conversation

French	Pronunciation	English
Je m’appelle…	jhuh mah-pell	My name is…
Comment vous appelez-vous ?	koh-mahn voo zah-play voo	What’s your name? (formal)
Je suis…	jhuh swee	I am…
Je viens de…	jhuh vyen duh	I come from…
Parlez-vous anglais ?	par-lay voo ahn-glay	Do you speak English?
Un peu	uhn puh	A little
Je ne comprends pas	jhuh nuh kom-prahn pah	I don’t understand
Pourriez-vous m’aider ?	poo-ree-ay voo meh-day	Could you help me?
Pouvez-vous répéter ?	poo-vay voo reh-pay-tay	Can you repeat?
Plus lentement	ploo lahnt-mahn	More slowly

When you’re learning a new language, introducing yourself with Je m’appelle is one of the first words you’ll use with real French people. If you want to deepen connections with French-speaking friends or family, explore our guide on French for family and relationships.

At the airport / train station

French	Pronunciation	English
Où est… ?	oo eh	Where is…?
Où est la gare ?	oo eh lah gahr	Where is the train station?
Où est l’aéroport ?	oo eh lah-ay-roh-por	Where is the airport?
À quelle heure est… ?	ah kel ur eh	What time is…?
Quelle heure est-il ?	kel ur eh-teel	What time is it?
Un billet, s’il vous plaît	uh bee-yay seel voo pleh	One ticket, please
Aller simple / aller-retour	ah-lay sahmpl / ah-lay ruh-toor	One-way / round trip
C’est ici ?	say ee-see	Is it here?
Quel quai ?	kel kay	Which platform?
Le train est en retard	luh trahn eh ahn ruh-tar	The train is delayed
La sortie	lah sor-tee	The exit

Hotels & accommodation 

French	Pronunciation	English
J’ai une réservation	jhay oon reh-zehr-vah-syon	I have a reservation
Le Wi-Fi fonctionne ?	luh wee-fee fonk-syon	Does the Wi-Fi work?
La clé, s’il vous plaît	lah klay seel voo pleh	The key, please
À quelle heure est le petit-déjeuner ?	ah kel ur eh luh puh-tee day-jhu-nay	What time is breakfast?
Il y a un problème	eel yah uhn pro-blehm	There is a problem
Pouvez-vous m’aider ?	poo-vay voo meh-day	Can you help me?
Merci pour votre aide	mehr-see poor votr ehd	Thank you for your help
La note, s’il vous plaît	lah noht seel voo pleh	The bill, please (hotel)
Avez-vous des chambres disponibles ?	ah-vay voo day shahm-bruh dees-poh-neebl	Do you have rooms available?
La climatisation ne marche pas	lah klee-mah-tee-zah-syon nuh marsh pah	The air conditioning doesn’t work

Want to know what to expect at your hotel breakfast in France? Read our guide on French breakfasts to learn about typical morning foods and customs.

Dining & restaurants

French	Pronunciation	English
Une table pour deux	oon tah-bluh poor duh	A table for two
La carte, s’il vous plaît	lah kart seel voo pleh	The menu, please
Je voudrais…	jhuh voo-dreh	I would like…
Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez ?	kes-kuh voo ruh-koh-mahn-day	What do you recommend?
L’addition, s’il vous plaît	lah-dee-syon seel voo pleh	The bill, please
C’était délicieux	say-teh day-lee-syuh	It was delicious
Sans alcool	sahn zahl-kohl	Without alcohol
Une carafe d’eau	oon kah-rahf doh	A jug of water
Commander	koh-mahn-day	To order
Je ne mange pas de…	jhuh nuh mahnj pah duh	I don’t eat…
Végétarien(ne)	veh-jheh-tah-ryen	Vegetarian
Du vin, s’il vous plaît	doo vahn seel voo pleh	Some wine, please
Santé !	sahn-tay	Cheers!

For more detailed restaurant vocabulary and ordering tips, see our complete guide on how to order food in French.

Shopping & payments

French	Pronunciation	English
C’est combien ?	say kohm-byen	How much is it?
Trop cher	troh sher	Too expensive
Je regarde seulement	jhuh ruh-gard suh-luh-mahn	I’m just looking
Puis-je l’essayer ?	pwee jhuh leh-say-yay	Can I try it on?
Avez-vous… ?	ah-vay voo	Do you have…?
Carte ou espèces ?	kart oo eh-spehs	Card or cash?
Le reçu, s’il vous plaît	luh ruh-syoo seel voo pleh	The receipt, please
Quelle taille ?	kel tie	What size?
C’est en solde ?	say ahn sold	Is it on sale?
Je cherche…	jhuh shehrsh	I’m looking for…

Directions & transportation

French	Pronunciation	English
Où sont les toilettes?	oo sohn lay twa-leht	Where is the bathroom?
À gauche / à droite	ah gosh / ah dwaht	Left / right
Tout droit	too dwah	Straight ahead
C’est loin ?	say lwahn	Is it far?
Le métro	luh may-troh	The subway
Le bus	luh boos	The bus
Je suis perdu(e)	zhuh swee pair-doo	I’m lost
Un taxi, s’il vous plaît	uhn tax-ee seel voo pleh	A taxi, please
L’arrêt de bus	lah-reh duh boos	The bus stop
Combien de temps ?	kohm-byen duh tahn	How long? / How much time?
En face de	ahn fahss duh	Across from
À côté de	ah koh-tay duh	Next to

Numbers & time

French	Pronunciation	English
Un, deux, trois	uhn, duh, twah	One, two, three
Dix	deess	Ten
Vingt	vahn	Twenty
Cent	sahn	One hundred
Aujourd’hui	oh-jhoor-dwee	Today
Demain	duh-mahn	Tomorrow
Hier	yehr	Yesterday
Maintenant	mahn-tuh-nahn	Now
Plus tard	ploo tar	Later

Emergencies & health 

French	Pronunciation	English
Aidez-moi !	eh-day mwa	Help me!
J’ai besoin d’un médecin	jhay buh-zwan duh uh meh-deh-sahn	I need a doctor
Je ne comprends pas	jhuh nuh kom-prahn pah	I don’t understand
Parlez-vous anglais ?	par-lay voo ahn-glay	Do you speak English?
C’est une urgence	say oon ur-zhahnss	It’s an emergency
Appelez la police	ah-play lah poh-leess	Call the police
L’hôpital	loh-pee-tahl	The hospital
Une pharmacie	oon far-mah-see	A pharmacy
J’ai mal à…	jhay mahl ah	I have pain in…
Je suis allergique à…	jhuh swee ah-lehr-jheek ah	I’m allergic to…

Useful expressions

French	Pronunciation	English
Oui / Non	wee / nohn	Yes / No
D’accord	dah-kor	Okay / Agreed
Bien sûr	byen soor	Of course
Peut-être	puh-tetr	Maybe
Pourquoi ?	poor-kwah	Why?
Comment ?	koh-mahn	How? / What?
Encore	ahn-kor	Again / More
Assez	ah-say	Enough
Trop	troh	Too much
Un peu	uhn puh	A little
Beaucoup	boh-koo	A lot
Très bien	treh byen	Very good

Local language French people use

French	Pronunciation	English
Allez / Allez-y	ah-lay / ah-lay-zee	Go ahead / Come on
Truc	trook	Thing / stuff
Apéro	ah-pay-roh	Pre-dinner drinks
Ça marche	sah marsh	That works / Sounds good
Voilà	vwah-lah	Here you go / There you go
D’accord	dah-kor	Okay / Agreed
D’acc	dahk	Okay (casual)
Bref	bref	Anyway / In short
Chouette	shwett	Cool! / Nice!
Bonne chance	bon shahnss	Good luck
Bon courage	bon koo-rahj	Good luck / Be strong
Pas de souci	pah duh soo-see	No worries / No problem
Wesh	wesh	Hey / Yo (casual greeting)
Meuf	muhf	Girl / chick
Frérot	freh-roh	Bro / brother
T’es large	tay larj	You’re good / You have plenty
Frais / fraîche	freh / fresh	Cool / fresh
Chelou	shuh-loo	Sketchy / weird
Ouf	oof	Crazy / wild
Kiffer	kee-fay	To love / to really like
Pote	poht	Buddy / friend
Bouffer	boo-fay	To eat (informal)
Grave	grahv	Seriously / totally
Relou	ruh-loo	Annoying / pain
Laisse tomber	less tom-bay	Forget it / drop it
Je suis crevé(e)	jhuh swee kruh-vay	I’m exhausted / wiped out
Une clope	oon klohp	A cigarette
Mec	mek	Guy / dude
Mytho	mee-toh	Liar / bullshitter

Cultural tips for French travelers 

From a native speaker’s point of view, a few habits make a big difference.

Dos

• Say Bonjour before asking anything 
• Use s’il vous plaît and merci 
• Speak slowly and clearly 

Don’t 

• Start a conversation without greeting 
• Assume everyone speaks English 
• Apologize excessively – confidence matters
• Effort beats perfection every time. 

For a deeper understanding of French social norms, etiquette, and daily life, read our comprehensive guide on French culture.

How to learn French for travel (fast and realistically)

• Here’s what I recommend to travelers preparing for a trip: 
• Practice speaking, not just reading 
• Focus on common French phrases, not grammar rules 
• Repeat phrases out loud daily.
• Learn polite expressions first 
• Practice with a real person 

Many of my students choose to learn French online with a native French tutor so they can practice real conversations before their trip. Even 2-3 sessions can dramatically boost confidence and pronunciation. 

You don’t need perfect French to enjoy France. A handful of the right phrases -even basic French words– plus a bit of courage and a friendly attitude can make all the difference.

If you want to sound more natural, practice pronunciation, and feel ready for real conversations, working with a native French teacher is one of the fastest and most enjoyable ways to prepare. 

For comprehensive learning strategies beyond travel phrases, read the guide on the best way to learn French.

Learn French faster with personal guidance from experienced French teachers trusted by over 10 million learners worldwide. Book a lesson today and start preparing for your trip with confidence. Bon voyage !

FAQ

What is the French quote for travel?

One beautiful French quote about travel is “Le monde est un livre, et ceux qui ne voyagent pas n’en lisent qu’une page” (The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page). Another popular saying is “Voyager, c’est vivre” (To travel is to live). Both capture the French appreciation for exploration and cultural experiences.

How do you wish a good trip in French?

The most common way to wish someone a good trip in French is Bon voyage (pronounced: bon vwah-yahj). Other options include Bon séjour (Have a good stay!), Bonne route (Safe travels, literally “good road”), or Profitez bien (Enjoy!). “Bon voyage” is universally understood and appropriate for any type of trip.

Which words and phrases will help you a lot when traveling in France? (list 10 key phrases)

Here are the 10 most essential phrases for traveling in France:

1. Bonjour / Bonsoir – Hello / Good evening (start every interaction with this)
2. S’il vous plaît – Please (shows politeness and respect)
3. Merci (beaucoup) – Thank you (very much)
4. Excusez-moi – Excuse me (to get attention or apologize)
5. Parlez-vous anglais ? – Do you speak English?
6. Où est… ? – Where is…? (for directions)
7. Je voudrais… – I would like… (for ordering or requesting)
8. L’addition, s’il vous plaît – The bill, please
9. C’est combien ? – How much is it?
10. Je ne comprends pas – I don’t understand

These 10 phrases cover most basic situations you’ll encounter while traveling in France.