French Travel Vocabulary: Essential Words and Phrases
Travel is one of the most common topics in the DELF exam and in everyday life in a French-speaking country. From booking a hotel to asking about a train schedule, these words and expressions will help you get around with confidence. In the DELF A2 and B1 exams, reading and listening texts often deal with travel and tourism.
At the airport — À l'aéroport
l'aéroport (m)
/laeʁɔpɔʁ/
Nous arrivons à l'aéroport à 6h.
We arrive at the airport at 6am.
le vol
/vɔl/
Mon vol est à 14h30.
My flight is at 2:30pm.
l'enregistrement (m)
/ɑ̃ʁəʒistʁəmɑ̃/
L'enregistrement ferme 45 minutes avant.
Check-in closes 45 minutes before departure.
la carte d'embarquement
/kaʁt dɑ̃baʁkəmɑ̃/
N'oublie pas ta carte d'embarquement.
Don't forget your boarding pass.
la valise
/valiz/
Ma valise est trop lourde.
My suitcase is too heavy.
le passeport
/paspɔʁ/
J'ai oublié mon passeport à la maison.
I forgot my passport at home.
le décollage / l'atterrissage
/dekɔlaʒ/ /ateʁisaʒ/
Le décollage est prévu à l'heure.
Takeoff is scheduled on time.
le retard
/ʁətaʁ/
Mon vol a deux heures de retard.
My flight is two hours delayed.
At the hotel — À l'hôtel
la réservation
/ʁezɛʁvasjɔ̃/
J'ai une réservation au nom de García.
I have a reservation under the name García.
la chambre simple / double
/ʃɑ̃bʁ sɛ̃pl / dubl/
Je voudrais une chambre double.
I'd like a double room.
la clé / le badge
/kle/ /badʒ/
Voici votre clé de chambre.
Here is your room key.
le petit-déjeuner inclus
/pəti deʒœne ɛ̃kly/
Le petit-déjeuner est inclus dans le prix.
Breakfast is included in the price.
la réception
/ʁesɛpsjɔ̃/
La réception est ouverte 24h/24.
The front desk is open 24 hours a day.
l'ascenseur (m)
/asɑ̃sœʁ/
L'ascenseur est au fond du couloir.
The lift is at the end of the corridor.
At the station and on transport — À la gare
le billet aller-retour
/bijɛ ale ʁətuʁ/
Un billet aller-retour pour Lyon, s'il vous plaît.
A return ticket to Lyon, please.
le quai
/ke/
Le train part du quai numéro 5.
The train leaves from platform number 5.
la correspondance
/kɔʁespɔ̃dɑ̃s/
Il y a une correspondance à Lyon.
There's a connection in Lyon.
le guichet
/ɡiʃɛ/
Je fais la queue au guichet.
I'm queuing at the ticket counter.
composer son billet
/kɔ̃poze sɔ̃ bijɛ/
N'oubliez pas de composer votre billet.
Don't forget to validate your ticket.
Ejercicios de vocabulario
1How do you say 'boarding pass' in French?
2At the hotel: '_____ est au rez-de-chaussée.' (the reception desk)
3What does 'composer son billet' mean in the context of trains?
Consejos de pronunciacion
- L'aéroport: the 'é' is a crisp, closed sound, so say four distinct vowels — a-é-ro-port, not a run-together diphthong. The final 't' is silent, but the 'r' is pronounced with a French uvular sound, quite unlike the English 'r'.
- La valise: the 's' between two vowels is pronounced like an English 'z', as in 'please' — not like a hissing 's'.
- Le quai: pronounced like the English letter 'k' — the combination 'ai' sounds like the vowel in 'bed' or 'day', not like 'eye'.
- Le guichet: the French 'ch' sounds like the English 'sh' in 'shop', and the stress falls on the final syllable, unlike English words which tend to stress the first syllable.