← See all travel language courses

Learn French for Travel

Build useful French skills for your next trip with the IKARU app. The course combines practical vocabulary, travel phrases, and review.

Where French is useful for travelers

French is useful in France, parts of Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Monaco. Local accents and vocabulary vary, so these cards focus on broadly useful travel wording rather than one regional variety.

  • France
  • Canada
  • Belgium
  • Switzerland
  • Luxembourg
  • Monaco

What you'll find in these travel phrases

Use these French cards as a practical starting point: greet people politely, ask simple questions, and handle common travel moments without relying on a translation screen for every sentence.

  • Start with useful French greetings and polite requests.
  • Handle airport, directions, hotel, and travel-disruption moments.
  • Use short questions to keep a conversation moving.
  • Continue with broader vocabulary and repetition in the IKARU app.

24 essential French travel phrases

This source-checked set is grouped by the moments travelers are most likely to encounter. It is a practical starting point, not a fixed word-count quota or a replacement for the wider course in the app.

Greetings and politeness

Start with a greeting, a polite request, or a simple everyday exchange.

French à bientôt
English see you
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

French Passez une bonne journée.
English Have a good day.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

French de même
English likewise
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these phrases to open a conversation and keep the exchange polite.

Travel basics

Use these when you are explaining the trip or what you need next.

French le voyage
English the trip
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

A few travel basics help you explain the trip and what you need.

French Je dois aller au centre cet après-midi.
English I have to go to the center this afternoon.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

A few travel basics help you explain the trip and what you need.

French Je veux profiter au maximum du voyage.
English I want to make the most of the trip.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

A few travel basics help you explain the trip and what you need.

Airport moments

Useful wording for gates, security, and baggage collection.

French Quelle porte ?
English Which gate?
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these while moving through an airport or collecting your bags.

French Une fois passés les contrôles de sécurité, nous resterons dans la zone d'embarquement jusqu'à ce qu'ils nous appellent.
English Once we go through security, we will stay in the boarding area until they call us.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these while moving through an airport or collecting your bags.

French Votre valise devrait sortir sur ce carrousel.
English Your suitcase should come out on that carousel.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these while moving through an airport or collecting your bags.

Directions

Ask for a station, a street, or the best way to reach a place.

French Où est la gare ?
English Where is the station?
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these when you need a station, street, route, or landmark.

French Continuez tout droit jusqu'au feu tricolore.
English Keep going straight until the traffic light.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these when you need a station, street, route, or landmark.

French Il faut descendre cette rue jusqu'à la place.
English You have to go down this street as far as the square.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these when you need a station, street, route, or landmark.

Hotel and accommodation

Keep these ready for reception, keys, rooms, and luggage.

French La clé, s'il vous plaît.
English The key, please.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these during check-in, at reception, or when handling your room and bags.

French S'ils ne nous accordent pas de départ tardif, nous laisserons la clé à la réception avant midi.
English If they do not give us a late check-out, we will leave the key at reception before twelve.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these during check-in, at reception, or when handling your room and bags.

French Si la chambre n'est pas prête, pouvons-nous entreposer les bagages jusqu'à ce qu'ils nous donnent la clé de la chambre ?
English If the room is not ready, can we store the luggage until they give us the room key?
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these during check-in, at reception, or when handling your room and bags.

Travel disruptions

Use these when a queue, cancellation, or detour changes the plan.

French Il est annulé.
English It is cancelled.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Keep these for cancellations, queues, delays, and other disruptions.

French la file d'attente
English the queue
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Keep these for cancellations, queues, delays, and other disruptions.

French Avec cette perturbation et ce détour, nous allons arriver assez tard.
English With this disruption and the detour, we are going to arrive quite a bit later.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Keep these for cancellations, queues, delays, and other disruptions.

Urgent travel moments

A small set for getting practical help or finding the right service.

French pour partager l'emplacement
English to share the location
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these when you need urgent practical help or the right local service.

French Le consulat ouvre à neuf heures.
English The consulate opens at nine.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these when you need urgent practical help or the right local service.

French le pansement
English the bandage
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these when you need urgent practical help or the right local service.

Health and help

Use these when you need to explain a health need while travelling.

French J'ai besoin d'aide.
English I need help.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these to explain a health need and start a conversation about help.

French aide
English help
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these to explain a health need and start a conversation about help.

French C'est urgent.
English It is urgent.
Pronunciation No pronunciation guide in this set
When to use it

Use these to explain a health need and start a conversation about help.

24 source-checked starting phrases · Pronunciation is an aid, not a replacement for listening practice.

A few French notes for travelers

Small details can make a short phrase more useful. Keep these points in mind as you practice the cards below.

Start with the register

A polite greeting and vous-form wording are good defaults when you meet someone or ask for help.

Travel words can shift

Transport, food, and service vocabulary may sound different in France, Canada, Belgium, or Switzerland.

Listen after you ask

The cards give you a clear opening line; the useful next step is listening for the reply and the local term.

Language notes and sources

The phrase examples below come from the reviewed IKARU travel-language curriculum. Regional notes explain the scope of this page; wording and register can still vary by country and speaker.

Source check: · Source-checked for this pilot; regional usage can vary.

Practice French for real travel moments

Prepare for greetings, directions, transport, food, hotels, and everyday interactions. Continue in the IKARU app when you are ready to practice.

Language learning in the IKARU app