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French · Vocabulary · A2

Travelling in French: trains, hotels and finding your way

A trip through France runs on three conversations: buying a ticket, checking into a room and asking the way. This guide gives you the words for each, the signs you will read on the way, and the small grammar choice every traveller meets first: en or à.

Short answer: you travel en train, car or plane but à pied (on foot) and à vélo (by bike). Buy a billet (ticket), find your voie (platform). At a hotel, say j’ai réservé une chambre. For directions: à gauche (left), à droite (right), tout droit (straight on).

Départs departures HEUREDESTINATIONVOIE 14:10LyonTGV7 à l’heure 14:25DijonTER3 retard 10’ 14:40Marseille11 à l’heure heure time · voie platform · à l’heure on time retard delay · TGV high-speed · TER regional
A cancelled train shows supprimé. Times use the 24-hour clock, read out as in French numbers.

Ways to travel: en or à

To say how you travel, French uses en (“in”) for anything you sit inside, and à (“on”) for anything you sit on or do yourself. The verb is usually aller, to go, or prendre, to take.

enwhen you sit inside
àwhen you sit on it, or walk

At the station

FrenchEnglish
the station
a ticket
a one-way ticket
a return ticket
the platform
the ticket counter
to stamp a paper ticket
the connection
late
the exit
Buying a ticket at the counter
You
Unaaller-retourreturnpourforLyon,Lyons’ilif-itvousyouplaît.pleases
uh(n)-nah-lay ruh-TOOR poor LYOH(N), seel voo PLEH “A return to Lyon, please.” Pour, “for”, before the destination.
Clerk
Pourforquand ?when
poor KAH(N) “For when?”
You
Aujourd’hui,todayversaroundquatorzefourteenheures.hours
oh-zhoor-DWEE, vair kah-tor-ZUR “Today, around 2 p.m.” Vers, “towards”, gives an approximate time.
Clerk
Eninpremièrefirstouoreninseconde ?second
ah(n) pruh-MYAIR oo ah(n) suh-GOH(N)D “First or second class?” Seconde: the c is said like g.
You
Eninseconde.secondC’estit-isdirect ?direct
ah(n) suh-GOH(N)D. seh dee-REKT “Second. Is it direct?” A question by intonation alone.
Signs you will follow

Station signs use short noun phrases, often without an article. Press a sign to hear it.

Understanding an announcement

Announcements follow a fixed pattern, so a few key words carry the meaning: the train, the destination, the platform and any change. Every word has its English meaning underneath.

LetheTGVTGVàtodestinationdestinationdeofLyonLyonpartirawill-leavevoieplatformsept.seven
“The TGV to Lyon will leave from platform 7.”
Listen for: à destination de, “bound for”, then the town; voie plus a number is your platform. Partira is the future of partir.
Lethetraintrainestisannoncéannouncedavecwithunaretarddelaydeofdixtenminutes.minutes
“The train is expected to be ten minutes late.”
Listen for: retard and a number of minutes. Annoncé avec un retard is the standard formula.
Attentionattentionàtolathefermetureclosingdesof-theportes.doors
“Mind the doors, they are closing.”
Listen for: heard just before departure. Do not try to board after it.
On board
When something goes wrong

At the hotel

Check-in follows a predictable script. These phrases cover arriving, asking about the room and leaving. Floors are counted from the rez-de-chaussée (ground floor), so the premier étage is one floor up.

Asking for and following directions

Start politely with Excusez-moi, then ask Où est …? (Where is …?) or Pour aller à …? (How do I get to …?). Directions are given with the imperative, the command form of the verb: prenez (take), tournez (turn), continuez (carry on). Press a step to follow the route on the map.

la gare le feu · lights l’hôtel l’église 123
Vous êtes ici: you are at the station. The red line shows the route up to the step you have selected.

Related guides

Next guideFood and drinkOrdering in a café, bakery and restaurant. Next guideQuestionsOù, quand, combien and the three ways to ask. Next guideFrench numbersTimes, platforms, floors and prices. Course mapFrench hubThe full course map from A1 to C2.