50+ Basic French Travel Phrases To Use While Abroad

Ling Learn Languages
4 min readApr 25, 2023

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Original blog post: https://ling-app.com/fr/basic-french-travel-phrases/ (with audio🔊)

Bienvenue en France! While traveling through this beautiful country, knowing basic French travel phrases is essential to help you get around. Many French people do not speak English, so it’s actually quite necessary to know a bit of French to help make your travels as smooth as possible.

It can be frustrating to travel to a place that does not speak your native language. Still, one part of exploring new places is navigating these difficulties. If you prepare yourself beforehand by learning a few French phrases, you can turn these frustrations into meaningful interactions with local people.

Whether you need to order food from a restaurant, tell your cab driver where you’re headed, or ask French locals general questions, these 30+ travel phrases will help you navigate easily and cement memories to last a lifetime.

Essential French Phrases For Travelers

Basic French Phrases For Conversations

These basic words and phrases are the first level of interactions while traveling and probably the words you will use the most in everyday conversations. So pay special attention to them!

These basic words and phrases are the first level of interactions while traveling, and probably the words you will use the most in everyday conversations. So pay special attention to them!

Basic French Phrases For Directions

Are you lost in a big city with no phone service? Whip out these basic phrases for directions to get someone to point you in the right direction and save yourself a headache.

Basic French Phrases For Money & Shopping

France is known for its opulent, high-end clothes and style. You’ll definitely be tempted to shop in all the beautiful boutiques, so learn basic phrases for money and shopping. Want to learn more about this topic? Check out Shopping Vocabulary In French: 20+ Useful Phrases & Expressions.

Basic French Phrases For Transportation

France has an excellent public transport system, so you’ll most likely be taking trains and buses while traveling through. These are some phrases to help you get by.

Basic French Phrases For Instruction

These French phrases will help you find the bathroom, the nearest grocery store, or wherever else you need to go. These are easy to pop out while walking or sightseeing, so keep them in mind!

Basic French Phrases For Dining

Food is a huge part of French culture, so when you’re fine dining, you’ll definitely want to know some basic phrases to fit in and avoid any awkward situations.

Final Thoughts

Whew! I know that is a lot of information, but take it one category at a time to learn these basic French words and phrases for travelers. Trust me, when you’re in France, you’ll want to speak French! Not only is it a beautiful language, but French speakers find it extra respectful when you speak French to them.

Interested in learning more French but need specific, targeted resources? Download the Ling App! It is a user-friendly language-learning app with games, quizzes, and interactive features proven to help you learn a new language.

You can download it for free on the App Store and Play Store. What are you waiting for? If you start today, you’re one step closer to being prepared for your traverse through France.

Want even more resources? Check out #1 Best Guide: French Vocabulary To Use At The Airport & French.

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Ling Learn Languages
Ling Learn Languages

Written by Ling Learn Languages

Ling is a game-like language learning app with a pack of 60+ languages. You will learn languages in fun ways!