Basic French Phrases for Travel: A Tourist's Pocket Guide
The basic French phrases you actually use as a traveller - airports, hotels, restaurants, transport, and the polite words that change how locals treat you.
You can travel through France on English in Paris and the big tourist towns, and most service-industry staff will understand you. But here is the secret most tourists miss: a traveller who can say "bonjour" and "merci" gets warmer service, better recommendations, and the local respect that English-only tourists never see. This guide is the short list of basic French phrases that actually pay off in a one-week trip - not a beginner's textbook, but the exact words you will reach for at the airport, the boulangerie, and the taxi rank.
The five phrases that change every interaction
Before any list, five phrases. If you only learn five things in French before your trip, learn these, and learn them well enough to say without thinking:
- Bonjour - "Hello." Use this entering any shop, restaurant, hotel, or office before any other word. Skipping it is considered actively rude in France in a way that surprises most foreigners.
- Merci - "Thank you." Say it constantly. French service culture values politeness highly and "merci" with a smile is the cheapest possible upgrade to your trip.
- S'il vous plaît - "Please." The formal "please." Pair it with every request, every order, every direction question.
- Excusez-moi - "Excuse me." Use it to get attention before asking a question. Saying "bonjour, excusez-moi" before asking for help is the magic combination that opens doors.
- Pardon - "Sorry / Pardon me." Use it to squeeze past someone in a crowd, or as a quick apology.
These five phrases will not get you fluent. They will, however, change the temperature of every interaction you have in France. That is a remarkable return on twenty minutes of practice.
At the airport and on arrival
- Bagages - Luggage
- Récupération des bagages - Baggage claim
- Où sont les taxis? - Where are the taxis?
- Combien jusqu'au centre-ville? - How much to the city centre?
- Pouvez-vous allumer le compteur? - Could you turn on the meter?
- Carte - Card (for paying)
- Espèces - Cash
- Je peux payer par carte? - Can I pay by card?
- La monnaie - The change
- Gardez la monnaie - Keep the change
At the hotel
- J'ai une réservation - I have a reservation
- Une chambre simple - A single room
- Une chambre double - A double room
- Le petit-déjeuner est inclus? - Is breakfast included?
- À quelle heure est le petit-déjeuner? - What time is breakfast?
- La clé, s'il vous plaît - The key, please
- Le wifi ne marche pas - The wi-fi isn't working
- Une serviette supplémentaire, s'il vous plaît - An extra towel, please
- À quelle heure dois-je libérer la chambre? - What time is check-out?
- Pouvez-vous appeler un taxi? - Could you call a taxi?
In restaurants, cafés, and boulangeries
French restaurant phrases are some of the most useful because food is where you will spend the most time interacting with locals. Two things to remember: always say "bonjour" when entering and "au revoir, merci, bonne journée" when leaving - even from a tiny boulangerie. And the standard tip is service compris (already included), so a small extra euro or two is appreciated but never expected.
- Une table pour deux, s'il vous plaît - A table for two, please
- On peut s'asseoir en terrasse? - Can we sit on the terrace?
- La carte, s'il vous plaît - The menu, please
- Vous avez une carte en anglais? - Do you have an English menu?
- Qu'est-ce que vous recommandez? - What do you recommend?
- C'est épicé? - Is it spicy?
- Je suis végétarien / végétarienne - I'm vegetarian (m/f)
- Sans gluten - Gluten-free
- Une carafe d'eau, s'il vous plaît - A jug of (tap) water, please
- L'eau gazeuse - Sparkling water
- Délicieux - Delicious
- L'addition, s'il vous plaît - The bill, please
- On peut payer séparément? - Can we pay separately?
- Un café, s'il vous plaît - A coffee, please
Getting around: trains, métro, and taxis
- La gare - The train station
- Le quai - The platform
- Un billet pour... - A ticket to...
- Aller simple - One-way
- Aller-retour - Return
- À quelle heure part le prochain train? - What time does the next train leave?
- Ce train va à...? - Does this train go to...?
- Le métro - The metro
- Le bus - The bus
- L'arrêt - The stop
- Je descends où? - Where do I get off?
- Le prochain arrêt - The next stop
- Pouvez-vous m'emmener à cette adresse? - Can you take me to this address?
Shopping and sightseeing
- Combien ça coûte? - How much is this?
- Vous avez ça en plus grand? - Do you have this in a bigger size?
- Je peux essayer? - Can I try this on?
- Je regarde, merci - I'm just looking, thanks
- Je le prends - I'll take it
- Ouvert - Open
- Fermé - Closed
- La caisse - The till / checkout
- À quelle heure vous fermez? - What time do you close?
- Un billet d'entrée - An admission ticket
- Tarif réduit - Reduced price (students, seniors)
- On peut prendre des photos? - Is it OK to take photos?
- Où sont les toilettes? - Where are the toilets?
Emergencies and getting help
- Au secours! - Help!
- J'ai besoin d'un médecin - I need a doctor
- J'ai mal à... - I have pain in...
- Une pharmacie - A pharmacy
- Un hôpital - A hospital
- Appelez la police - Call the police
- Appelez une ambulance - Call an ambulance
- Je suis perdu / perdue - I'm lost (m/f)
- J'ai perdu mon portefeuille - I lost my wallet
- Je peux utiliser votre téléphone? - Could I use your phone?
- Vous parlez anglais? - Do you speak English?
How to learn these in time for your trip
You do not need months. A week of focused, daily practice with spaced repetition will lock in the core eighty phrases above with enough fluency to use them under pressure - in a noisy bistrot, at a taxi window, in front of a customs officer. The trick is daily practice, not long practice. Twenty minutes a day for seven days beats two hours on the plane. Vocabingo schedules each phrase for review at the moment your memory is about to fade, which is the only way to make this stick before you actually need it.
A note on formality
French uses formal address (vous) by default with strangers - including waiters, taxi drivers, hotel staff, and anyone older than you. Using the informal "tu" with strangers can come across as patronising or rude. When in doubt, default to formal: "Pouvez-vous...?" rather than "Tu peux...?". You will rarely offend anyone by being too polite.
“A few words in the local language are worth more than a guidebook full of facts. They tell people you came for them, not just for the sights.”