120+ Basic French Words and Phrases for Travel and Tourists
Planning a trip to France this year? Review these top 120+ basic French words and phrases for travel and tourists to help you get around a little easier. Avoid confusions and warm yourself to the locals with these key French phrases and common French words for tourists!
France is a beautiful country full of delicious food, rich culture, and a long list of incredible attractions that lands it in many travelers’ bucket lists. But it’s also a proud one, and they care deeply about their native tongue. While we now live in a world where Google Translate is at our fingertips and learning the language before you travel may feel unnecessary, mastering a few common French words for tourists can go a long way in warming the locals to you. Plus, whipping out your phone every time you order a drink is a little embarrassing 😐 Thankfully, with just a few basic French words and phrases for travel in hand, you can get through a lot of daily interactions without needing Google’s help. We’ve compiled the most key French phrases for tourists based on our one month living in France.
Visiting Paris or Chamonix on your trip? Check out our fully premade itineraries for each city available at the links below to make planning your vacation there easy-breezy. We’ve also got a slew of other helpful posts in our France destination category, including top bars and restaurants, tour reviews, and more:
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Basic French Words and Phrases for Travel and Tourists:
Basic French Words for Travel
We’ve broken up our list of basic French words and phrases for travel into logical categories below to help you digest things easier. Each word or phrase in English is followed by the equivalent in French as well as a phonetic spelling afterwards, to help you pronounce it properly. As always with our blog, the foreign language words will be in italics. When relevant, we’ve included some helpful notes on when it’s appropriate (or not) to use the word or phrase.
Without further ado, let’s learn some common French words for tourists!
The Basics
Let’s start off with something simple – everyday basics like “hello,” “goodbye,” “please,” and “thank you” – arguably the most key French phrases for tourists!
- Hello – Bonjour – bon-ZHOOR
- Goodbye – Au revoir – oh ruh-VWAHR
- See you later – À plus tard – ah ploo TAR
- Nice to meet you – Enchanté – ahn-shahn-TAY
- How are you? – Comment ça va? – koh-MOHN sah VAH?
(casual and super common – like “How’s it going?”) - Please – S’il vous plaît – seel voo-PLAY (always pays to be polite!)
- Thank you – Merci – mehr-SEE (the most important)
- You’re welcome – De rien – duh ree-ahn (casual, literally meaning “of nothing”)
- Yes – Oui – wee
- No – Non – nohn
- Excuse me/beg pardon – Pardon – par-DOHN (for passing through a crowd)
- I’m sorry – Désolé – day-zo-LAY
- I don’t speak French – Je ne parle pas français – zhuh nuh parl pah frahn-SEH
- Do you speak English? – Parlez-vous anglais? – par-LAY voo ahn-GLAY (polite and commonly understood)
Getting Around
Google Maps not working? These basic French words and phrases for travel will help you out in a pinch.
- Where is…? – Où est…? – oo eh…?
- How do I get to…? –Comment aller à…? – koh-MOHN ah-LAY ah…?
- I’m lost – Je suis perdu – zhuh swee pair-DOO
- Left – Gauche – gohsh
- Right – Droite – drwaht
- Straight ahead – Tout droit – too drwah
- Near – Près – preh
- Far – Loin – lwahn (where-eeeever you are)
- Train – Train – trahn
- Bus – Bus – boos (and taxi is just taxi, so you get a freebie there)
- Airport – Aéroport – ah-ray-oh-PORT
- Train station – Gare – gahr
- Platform – Quai – keh
- Stop – Arrêt – ah-RAY (bus/train stop)
- A ticket for… – Un billet pour… – uh bee-YAY poor… (to purchase a train ticket, followed by the name of your destination)
- One-way – Aller simple – ah-LAY SAM-pluh
- Round trip – Aller-retour – ah-LAY ruh-TOOR
- When does it leave? – À quelle heure ça part? – ah kel UR sah PAR?
- When does it arrive? – À quelle heure ça arrive? – ah kel UR sah ah-REEV?
We highly recommend traveling by train in France when possible – it’s sustainable, affordable, but most importantly, SO much easier than flying. Say goodbye to early check-in times and long security lines! Just show up a few minutes early with your bag and walk right on – smooth and simple. We recommend Omio for easy research and train ticket bookings.
Drinking and Dining
We all know one of the best parts about visiting France is its incredible food scene. Here are the common French words tourists need to order every tasty bite.
- Restaurant – Restaurant / Brasserie – res-toh-RAHN / BRA-suh-ree (restaurant is more general, while brasserie is for traditional French cuisine, often with a brewery component)
- Bakery – Pâtisserie / Boulangerie -pah-tee-suh-REE / boo-lahn-zhuh-REE (visit a pâtisserie for pastries and sweets and a boulangerie for the holy baguette)
- A table for two – Une table pour deux – oon tah-bluh poor duh
- Menu – Carte / Menu – kart / muh-NEW (menu for a set meal, carte for everything else)
- Waiter/Waitress – Serveur / Serveuse – sair-VUHR / sair-VEUHZ
- Excuse me – Excusez-moi – ex-KYOO-zay mwah (to grab a waiter’s attention)
- I’d like…(to order) – Je voudrais… – zhuh voo-DRAY…
- What do you recommend? – Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez? – kes-kuh voo ruh-koh-mahn-DAY?
- Where is the bathroom? – Où sont les toilettes? – oo sohn lay twah-LET?
- Can I pay? – Je peux payer? – zhuh puh pay-YAY?
- The bill/check – L’addition – lah-dee-SYOHN
- Water still / sparkling – Eau plate / gazeuse – oh plaht / gah-ZUHZ
- Wine red / white – Vin rouge / blanc – vahn roozh / blohn
- Glass of water/ wine – Verre à vin / d’eau – vehr ah vahn / doh
- Beer – Bière – byair
- Cheers! – Santé! – sahn-TAY!
- Delicious – Délicieux – day-lee-SYEUH
- I’m full – J’ai trop mangé – zhay troh mahn-ZHAY
- I’m allergic to… – Je suis allergique à… – zhuh swee ah-lair-ZHEEK ah…
- Vegetarian – Végétarien – vay-zhay-tar-YEHn
- Gluten-free – Sans gluten – sohn glue-TEN (sans works as “without” for any other ingredients you don’t want, too)
Shopping
Whether you’re buying designer clothes in Paris or just some Advil at the market, here are some key French phrases for tourists to help you complete your purchase.
- What is this? – Qu’est-ce que c’est? – kes-kuh seh?
- How much is this? – C’est combien? – seh kohm-BYAN?
- Do you accept credit card? – Prenez-vous la carte bancaire? – pruh-NAY voo lah kart bon-KAIR?
- Do you have change? – Avez-vous de la monnaie? – ah-vay voo duh lah moh-NAY?
- Do you have…? – Avez-vous…? – ah-vay voo…?
- Where can I find…? – Où puis-je trouver…? – oo pwee-zh troo-VAY…?
- I’m just looking – Je regarde seulement – zhuh ruh-GAHRD sull-MOHn
- Can I try it on? – Je peux l’essayer? – zhuh puh less-ay-YAY?
- I’ll take it – Je le prends – zhuh luh prahn
- Size – Taille – tie (clothing)
- Do you have this in a small/medium/large – Vous l’avez en petit / moyen / grand? – voo lah-VAY ahn puh-TEE / mwah-YEHn) / grahn?
- Open – Ouvert – oo-VEHR
- Closed – Fermé – fair-MAY
Many people travel to France just for the shopping. Whether for designer clothes and purses, perfumes, or even specialty foods like cheese or macarons, don’t forget to add some shopping time to your vacation itinerary. If you’re heading to Paris, make sure that a stroll down Champs-Élysées and a visit to the stunning Galeries Lafayette Haussmann are on the agenda!
Pro tip: The Galeries Lafayette Haussmann has a free viewing platform on its roof – head to the top floor to check it out!
At the Hotel
Checking in at the hotel always leads to a few key questions to facilitate your stay. Ask for extra towels and make sure you don’t miss breakfast with the basic French words and phrases for travel below.
- Hotel – Hôtel – oh-TEL (use auberge – oh-BEHRZH for hostels)
- I have a reservation – J’ai une réservation – zhay oon ray-zair-vah-SYOHN
- Do you have a room available? – Avez-vous une chambre de libre? – ah-vay voo oon SHAHM-bruh duh LEE-bruh?
- What time is checkout / breakfast? – À quelle heure est le départ / petit-déjeuner? – ah kel UR eh luh day-PAR / puh-tee day-zhuh-NAY?
- Can we leave our bags here? – Peut-on laisser nos bagages ici? – puh-tohn lay-SAY noh bah-GAHZH ee-SEE?
- More towels – Des serviettes en plus – day sair-VYET ahn ploos
- Key – Clé – klay
- Elevator – Ascenseur – ah-sahn-SUHR
- Wi-Fi password – Le mot de passe du Wi-Fi – luh moh duh pahss doo wee-FEE
Numbers and Time
Keeping track of time is key on vacation to make sure you don’t miss out on any of your activities! Use these common French words for tourists to make sure you get to the ticket office on time – and understand the price, too.
- One – Un – uhn
- Two – Deux – duh
- Three – Trois – trwah
- Four – Quatre – KAH-truh
- Five – Cinq – sank
- Six – Six – sees
- Seven – Sept – set
- Eight – Huit – weet
- Nine – Neuf – nuff
- Ten – Dix – dees
- Eleven – Onze – ohnz
- Twelve – Douze – dooz (or Midi – mee-DEE
if you mean noon) - Twenty – Vingt – vahn
- One Hundred – Cent – sahn
- What time is it? – Quelle heure est-il? – kel UR eh-TEEL?
- Today – Aujourd’hui – oh-zhoor-DWEE
- Tomorrow – Demain – duh-MUHn
- This morning – Ce matin – suh mah-TAHn
- In the afternoon – Cet après-midi – set ah-PRAY mee-DEE
- Tonight – Ce soir – suh swahr
- Half past (time) – …et demie – …ay duh-MEE
- Quarter past – …et quart – …ay KAR
- Quarter till – …moins le quart – …mwan luh KAR
In an Emergency
Sometimes, bad things happen. While we hope your vacation goes flawlessly, it’s best to be prepared with these basic French words and phrases for travel emergencies, just in case.
- Help! – À l’aide! – ah LED!
- Can you help me? – Pouvez-vous m’aider? – poo-VAY voo meh-DAY?
- Can I borrow your phone? – Puis-je emprunter votre téléphone? – pwee-zh ahm-pruhn-TAY vo-truh tay-lay-FOHN?
- Call the police! – Appelez la police! – ahp-lay lah poh-LEESS!
- Call an ambulance! – Appelez une ambulance! – ahp-lay oon ahm-bew-LAHNS!
- Emergency – Urgence – ur-ZHAHNS
- I’m sick – Je suis malade – zhuh swee mah-LAHD
- I need a doctor – J’ai besoin d’un médecin – zhay buh-ZWAHn dun med-SAN
- Pharmacy – Pharmacie – fahr-mah-SEE
- Hospital – Hôpital – oh-pee-TAL
- I lost my passport – J’ai perdu mon passeport – zhay pair-DOO mohn pass-PORT (we really, really hope you don’t need this one)
France is a fairly safe country, but make sure to take common sense precautions, especially when you’re in crowded tourist areas. Wear a purse with a zipper, don’t keep your phone in your back pocket, and leave your passport locked in the safe at your hotel room.
Bonus: Colloquial Phrases
Want to really blend in with the locals? Learn some of these common colloquial phrases to sling around. These common French words aren’t so common for tourists, so you’re sure to stand above the rest!
- Exactly – Exactement – eg-ZAK-tuh-mohn
- Like that – Comme ça – kum sah
- Whatever – Bof – bohf (shrug vibes)
- And so on – Et tout ça – ay too sah
- Totally – Carrément – kah-ray-MOHn
- So – Alors – ah-LOHR (classic filler word)
- Well – Eh bien – eh BYAHn
- Basically – En gros – ohn GROH
- Right? / Isn’t it? – N’est-ce pas? – ness pah?
- I don’t know – Je sais pas – zhuh seh pah (casual)
- I mean… – Enfin… – ohn-FAn
- No way! – Sans blague?! – sohn BLAHG?
- No worries – Pas de souci – pah duh soo-SEE
- It’s okay / No problem – Ça va / Pas de problème – sah vah / pah duh proh-BLEM
- That’s life – C’est la vie – seh lah vee
- Let’s go! – On y va! – ohn ee VAH!
- OMG! – Oh là là! – oh lah LAH! (surprise, delight, or mild horror)
- So good! – Trop bon! – troh bohn!
- It’s beautiful – C’est beau – seh boh
- I love France! – J’adore la France! – zha-DOHR lah FRAHNS!
FAQs - Other France Travel Tips
When Is the Best Time to Visit France?
France is a year-round destination, with pleasant summers and snowy winters for skiing and other outdoor sports. Peak season is from June to August, but we recommend a visit during the shoulder seasons of April to May or September to October. The weather is still nice, and you’ll have fewer crowds and save some money to boot. This is especially true if you are planning to visit some of France’s sunnier destinations in August, as they’ll be full of not just foreign tourists but French ones too!
Which Destinations Should I Visit in France?
There are seemingly endless incredible destinations to visit in France.
Of course, you shouldn’t miss its incredible capital city, Paris. We’ve got a curated Paris itinerary and travel guide you can use to plan your trip there, plus our recommendations for the city’s best bars and restaurants in our France travel guides.
Additionally, we highly recommend a visit to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. Offering incredible hiking and adventure sports in the summer and top notch skiing and snowboarding in the winter, it’s a thrilling destination any time of the year! Check out our guide to visiting Chamonix in the summer here.
Other top destinations in France include Lyon, boasting food that’s somehow even better than Paris’s, Nice for sun-soaked coastal vibes, and Bordeaux for incredible wine tasting.
Do I Need a Visa to Visit France?
Visitors from many countries can travel to France (and the rest of the EU) visa-free for up to 90 days. Check if France requires a visa for visitors from your home country here.
Are There Helpful Apps I Should Download Before I Visit France?
Absolutely! These are the top apps we recommend you download before your trip to France:
- Airalo – having full use of your phone while traveling is incredibly important! eSIM apps like Airalo make getting cell service anywhere you travel easy and affordable. If you haven’t used it before, you can use this Airalo code to get a discount on your first purchase.
- Citymapper – if you’re visiting Paris, Citymapper is a great tool to help you navigate public transit. The metro can be confusing and Google Maps isn’t always the best resource here.
- Bolt – while France does have Uber, we generally found competitor Bolt to be much more affordable, all with the same ease of use.
- The Fork – this app offers big discounts at some of the city’s most popular restaurants, a great way to save a few bucks if you plan ahead!
- TooGoodToGo – perfect for budget-concious and sustainability-driven travelers, this app sells surplus food from restaurants and bakeries at a fraction of the cost, saving your budget and the planet from excess food waste.
- Google Translate – we recommend downloading the French language for offline use on Google Translate, so you can always communicate even if you lose cell service. While our language guide is helpful, we don’t expect you to memorize all the basic French words and phrases for travel you may need to know while visiting!
- Google Maps – for the same reason, we also recommend downloading the offline map of the city you’re visiting on Google Maps.
Which Travel Resources Should I Use to Plan My Trip to France?
For starters, use our site! Check out all of our France travel guides to help you decide where to go, what to do, and where to stay. We’ve got detailed itineraries and travel guides, plus recommendations on all our favorite bars, restaurants, and more.
Once you’re ready to plan your trip, we recommend the following resources:
- Flights – we use Google Flights and Skyscanner to book our flights. These resources help you compare all the airlines at once, plus give you tips on the best times to purchase. I use their price tracking features religiously to make sure we get the best deal. If you’re ready to book, head to Skyscanner now to get started:
- Hotels – we always use Booking.com for choosing hotel stays. We think they have the best prices, their star ratings are super reliable, and we love the perks we get with their rewards system.
- Transit – if you’re traveling throughout Sweden on anything other than planes – like trains and buses – we recommend Omio. Omio lets you find and compare and buy bus, train, flight, and ferry routes across Europe in one easy-to-use platform.
- Trip Planning – the most frequently opened app on our phone, regardless of our destination, is Wanderlog. This app makes travel planning SO easy. You can import all your flights, hotels, and transit information, add top sites to your itinerary, and even track and split your budget amongst your travel buddies. It also provides recommendations on where to visit and a map of all the attractions you plan to see, with transit time between each.
Do I Need Travel Insurance to Visit France?
While it’s not required, we highly recommend it. You never know when something might go wrong, and it’s best to be prepared. We use and recommend SafetyWing, which is an especially good option for those traveling for a month or more. For as little as $56, it covers everything from lost luggage to hospital stays – a heck of a deal if you encounter any emergencies while abroad.
Final Thoughts on Basic French Words and Phrases for Travel and Tourists
Alors – that’s all we’ve got for our list of basic French words for travel! We hope these common French words and key French phrases for tourists make your vacation go a little smoother. Showing your respect for the country you’re visiting by speaking the native tongue can lead to special encounters that may become some of your fondest memories. Share your favorite memory from visiting France with us below!
Don’t forget, we’ve got guides on the top things to do in Chamonix and a premade itinerary for Paris that have everything you need to know to plan your vacation – where to stay, what to eat, and all the top sites and activities you have to see during your visit. We’ve also got a slew of other helpful posts in our France travel guides here, including top bars and restaurants, tour reviews, and more.
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