Bienvenue en France! While traveling through this beautiful country, knowing basic French travel phrases is essential to help you get around. Many French people do not speak English, so it’s actually quite necessary to know a bit of French to help make your travels as smooth as possible.
It can be frustrating to travel to a place that does not speak your native language. Still, one part of exploring new places is navigating these difficulties. If you prepare yourself beforehand by learning a few French phrases, you can turn these frustrations into meaningful interactions with local people.
Whether you need to order food from a restaurant, tell your cab driver where you’re headed, or ask French locals general questions, these 30+ travel phrases will help you navigate easily and cement memories to last a lifetime.
Essential French Phrases For Travelers
Basic French Phrases For Conversations
These basic words and phrases are the first level of interactions while traveling and probably the words you will use the most in everyday conversations. So pay special attention to them!
These basic words and phrases are the first level of interactions while traveling, and probably the words you will use the most in everyday conversations. So pay special attention to them!
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| Hello / good morning | Bonjour | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bonjour[/Speechword] |
| Good evening | Bonsoir | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bonsoir[/Speechword] |
| Hi (informal) | Salut | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Salut[/Speechword] |
| Nice to meet you. | Enchanté | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Enchanté[/Speechword] |
| Welcome | Bienvenue | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bienvenue[/Speechword] |
| Yes / No | Oui / Non | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Oui[/Speechword]/[Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Non[/Speechword] |
| How are you? | Ça va? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Ça va?[/Speechword] |
| I’m well. | Je vais bien. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je vais bien[/Speechword] |
| How’s it going? (informal) | Ça roule? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Ça roule?[/Speechword] |
| I am well, and you? | Je vais bien, et vous? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je vais bien, et vous?[/Speechword] |
| Do you speak English? | Parlez-vous anglais? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Parlez-vous anglais?[/Speechword] |
| I do not speak French. | Je ne parle peu français. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je ne parle peu français.[/Speechword] |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je ne comprends pas.[/Speechword] |
| Where are you from? | D’où venez-vous? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]D’où venez-vous?[/Speechword] |
| I am from … | Je suis de … | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je suis de …[/Speechword] |
| What is your name? | Quel est votre nom? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Quel est votre nom?[/Speechword] |
| My name is … | Je m’appelle … | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je m’appelle …[/Speechword] |
| Mrs. / Mr. / Miss | Madame / Monsieur / Mademoiselle | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Madame[/Speechword]/[Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Monsieur[/Speechword]/[Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Mademoiselle[/Speechword] |
| Cheers! | Santé. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Santé[/Speechword] |
| I don’t know | Je ne sais pas. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je ne sais pas.[/Speechword] |
| Thank you very much. | Merci beaucoup. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Merci beaucoup.[/Speechword] |
| You’re welcome | De rien. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]De rien.[/Speechword] |
| Excuse me / sorry | Excusez-moi/pardon | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Excusez-moi[/Speechword]/[Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]pardon[/Speechword] |
| Sorry | Je suis désolé | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je suis désolé[/Speechword] |
| See you later! | À tout à l’heure! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]À tout à l’heure![/Speechword] |
| Goodbye | Au revoir | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Au revoir[/Speechword] |
Basic French Phrases For Directions
Are you lost in a big city with no phone service? Whip out these basic phrases for directions to get someone to point you in the right direction and save yourself a headache.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| Directions | Les directions | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Les directions[/Speechword] |
| Where is … please? | Où est… s’il vous plaît? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Où est… s’il vous plaît?[/Speechword] |
| I’m lost. | Je suis perdue. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je suis perdue.[/Speechword] |
| Is it far? | Est-ce que c’est loin? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Est-ce que c’est loin?[/Speechword] |
| Is it close? | Est-ce que c’est proche? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Est-ce que c’est proche?[/Speechword] |
| Which way? | Par où? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Par où?[/Speechword] |
| It’s to the right / left. | C’est à droite / gauche. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est à droite[/Speechword]/[Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est à gauche[/Speechword] |
| Turn right. | Tournez à droite. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Tournez à droite. [/Speechword] |
| Turn left. | Tournez à gauche. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Tournez à gauche.[/Speechword] |
| Straight ahead. | Tout droit. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Tout droit. [/Speechword] |
| Over there. | Là-bas. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Là-bas.[/Speechword] |
| Where are we? | Où sommes-nous? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Où sommes-nous?[/Speechword] |
| Can you help me? | Pouvez-vous m’aider? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Pouvez-vous m’aider?[/Speechword] |
Basic French Phrases For Money & Shopping
France is known for its opulent, high-end clothes and style. You’ll definitely be tempted to shop in all the beautiful boutiques, so learn basic phrases for money and shopping. Want to learn more about this topic? Check out Shopping Vocabulary In French: 20+ Useful Phrases & Expressions.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| How much is this? | Combien ça coûte? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Combien ça coûte?[/Speechword] |
| It’s too big / small. | C’est trop grand / petit. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est trop grand[/Speechword]/[Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est trop petit[/Speechword] |
| I’m just looking around, thanks. | Je regarde juste autour de moi, merci. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je regarde juste autour de moi, merci.[/Speechword] |
| I would like … please. | Je voudrais … s’il vous plaît. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais … s’il vous plaît.[/Speechword] |
| Good quality! | Bonne qualité! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bonne qualité![/Speechword] |
| I need … | J’ai besoin … | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]J’ai besoin …[/Speechword] |
| I want … | Je veux … | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je veux …[/Speechword] |
| I’m looking for … | Je cherche … | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je cherche …[/Speechword] |
| Can I try this on? | Je peux l’essayer? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je peux l’essayer?[/Speechword] |
| Is it on sale? | C’est en solde? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est en solde ?[/Speechword] |
| No thanks, I’m only looking. | Non merci, je ne fais que regarder. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Non merci, je ne fais que regarder.[/Speechword] |
| It’s too expensive! | C’est trop cher | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est trop cher[/Speechword] |
Basic French Phrases For Transportation
France has an excellent public transport system, so you’ll most likely be taking trains and buses while traveling through. These are some phrases to help you get by.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| Transportation | Le transport | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Le transport[/Speechword] |
| Early | En avance | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]En avance[/Speechword] |
| On time | À l’heure | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]À l’heure[/Speechword] |
| Delayed | En retard. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]En retard.[/Speechword] |
| Cancelled | Supprimé | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Supprimé [/Speechword] |
| What is the price of a ticket? | Quel est le prix d’un billet? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Quel est le prix d’un billet?[/Speechword] |
| Where is the ticket window? | Où est le guichet? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Où est le guichet?[/Speechword] |
| I would like to purchase a one-way ticket. | Je voudrais acheter un billet aller simple. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais acheter un billet aller simple.[/Speechword] |
| I would like to purchase a return ticket. | Je voudrais acheter un billet aller-retour. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais acheter un billet aller-retour.[/Speechword] |
| Do not enter. | Passage interdit. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Passage interdit.[/Speechword] |
| Exit | La sortie. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]La sortie.[/Speechword] |
| Validate your ticket. | Valider votre billet. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Valider votre billet.[/Speechword] |
| Train station | La gare | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]La gare[/Speechword] |
| Have a nice trip! | Bon voyage! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Bon voyage! [/Speechword] |
Basic French Phrases For Instruction
These French phrases will help you find the bathroom, the nearest grocery store, or wherever else you need to go. These are easy to pop out while walking or sightseeing, so keep them in mind!
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| Can you help me? | Pouvez-vous m’aider ? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Pouvez-vous m’aider ?[/Speechword] |
| Can you take our photo? | Pouvez-vous nous prendre en photo ? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Pouvez-vous nous prendre en photo ?[/Speechword] |
| I don’t understand. | Je ne comprends pas. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je ne comprends pas.[/Speechword] |
| Where is the bathroom? | Où sont les toilettes ? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Où sont les toilettes ?[/Speechword] |
| Where is …? | Où est ___ ? | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Où est ___ ?[/Speechword] |
| Airport | L’aéroport | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]多謝[/Speechword] |
| Grocery store | L’épicerie | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]L’épicerie[/Speechword] |
| Coffee shop | Le café | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Le café[/Speechword] |
| Metro station | La station de métro | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]La station de métro[/Speechword] |
| Bus station | La gare routière | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]La gare routière[/Speechword] |
| Park | Le parc | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Le parc[/Speechword] |
| Beach | La plage | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]La plage[/Speechword] |
Basic French Phrases For Dining
Food is a huge part of French culture, so when you’re fine dining, you’ll definitely want to know some basic phrases to fit in and avoid any awkward situations.
| English | French | Pronunciation |
| Menu | Le menu | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Le menu[/Speechword] |
| I would like a coffee. | Je voudrais un café. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais un café. [/Speechword] |
| I would like a beer. | Je voudrais un verre. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais un verre.[/Speechword] |
| I would like some water. | Je voudrais de l’eau. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais de l’eau.[/Speechword] |
| Can I have the bill, please? | L’addition, s’il vous plaît. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]L’addition, s’il vous plaît.[/Speechword] |
| A glass of wine. | Un verre de vin. | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Un verre de vin.[/Speechword] |
| I would like … | Je voudrais … | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je voudrais … [/Speechword] |
| I’m full. | Je suis repue | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]Je suis repue[/Speechword] |
| This is delicious! | C’est délicieux! | [Speechword voice=”French Female” isinline]C’est délicieux![/Speechword] |
Final Thoughts
Whew! I know that is a lot of information, but take it one category at a time to learn these basic French words and phrases for travelers. Trust me, when you’re in France you’ll want to speak French! Not only is it a beautiful language, but French speakers find it extra respectful when you speak French to them.
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Want even more resources? Check out #1 Best Guide: French Vocabulary To Use At The Airport & French.
