Useful phrases in French for transportation:

It's not always easy to take public transportation in a country you don't know and where you don't speak the language. Here are some useful phrases in French for public transportation:
 

"Excusez-moi, c'est bien le train pour Paris ?"
= "Excuse me, is this the train to Paris?"
 

When you're not sure you're in the right mode of transportation, you can ask the driver or a passenger if you're on the right train, bus, metro, etc.

 

"Où puis-je acheter un ticket ?"
= "Where can I buy a ticket?”
 

Sometimes, you can buy your bus ticket directly from the driver, but sometimes, you need to find a vending machine, and if you can't find it, you can ask:
 

"Où puis-je acheter un ticket de bus / de métro / de tramway ?"
= "Where can I buy a bus / metro / streetcar ticket?"
 

Be careful, for the train, we talk about a ticket. A ticket is often a small rectangle and the ticket is often a little bigger.
 

 

 

Useful phrases in French when you rent a car:
 

Perhaps you will rent a car in France, and here are some useful phrases in this context:
 

“Est-ce que la voiture est bien assurée ?”
= "Is the car properly insured?”
 

“Est-ce que c’est une voiture manuelle ou automatique ?”
= "Is it a manual or automatic car?”

“Où est-ce que je peux ramener la voiture ?”
= "Where can I return the car?"
 

“Comment puis-je régler la caution de la voiture ?”
= "How can I pay the car deposit?”
 

“Quel numéro appeler en cas de problème ?”
= "What number should I call if I have a problem?"

 

 

Useful phrases in French at a restaurant:
 

If you come to France, you should taste French cuisine and go to some French restaurants, here are some useful phrases in French at a restaurant:
 

First, it's important to know some polite expressions for asking for something:
 

“Je voudrais …” / “On voudrait …”
= "I would like ..." / "We would like ...”
 

“Je souhaiterais …” / “On souhaiterait …”
= "I would like ..." / "We would like ...”
 

“Je vais prendre …” / “On va prendre …”
= "I'll take ..." / "We'll take ..."
 

“Est-ce que c’est possible de …”
= "Is it possible to ..."
 

If you're missing an item at the table, you can ask by posing this question:
 

“Je n’ai pas de fourchette / couteau / cuillère / de verre. Est-ce possible d’en avoir un(e) ?”
= "I don't have a fork / knife / spoon / glass. Is it possible to get one?"
 

Very important, if you have allergies or intolerances, you can ask:
 

“Pouvez-vous me dire s’il y a des arachides / du lactose / etc dans ce plat ? Je suis allergique / intolérant.”
= "Can you tell me if there are peanuts / lactose / etc in this dish? I'm allergic / intolerant."
 

If you are following a diet, you can ask:
 

“Est-ce que ce plat est végétarien / végétalien ?”
= "Is this dish vegetarian/vegan?"
 

And if you haven't finished your dish and want to eat it later, you can ask:
 

“Est-ce que je peux avoir un doggy bag pour le reste de mon plat, s’il vous plait ?”
= "Can I have a doggy bag for the rest of my dish, please?"

 

 

Useful phrases in French in a museum:
 

In France, there are magnificent museums, and here are some useful phrases to use in a museum in France:
 

In certain people, it may be possible to have a reduced rate in museums, here's how you can ask for it:
 

“Est-ce qu’il y a une réduction pour les enfants / les étudiants / les personnes âgées / les personnes au chômage / etc”
= "Is there a discount for children/students/seniors/unemployed / etc?"
 

To make your visit complete, you can ask for a museum map or also an audioguide, a small device that provides explanations during your visit.
 

“Est-ce que je pourrais avoir un audioguide / un plan du musée, s’il vous plait ?”
= "Could I have an audio guide/map of the museum, please?"
 

Maybe you want to see something specific in a museum, for example, the Louvre Museum is HUGE and only a few works interest you. You can then ask:
 

"Où se trouve la Joconde, s’il vous plait? "
= "Where is the Mona Lisa, please?"
 

Please note, in France, la Joconde is the name given to the famous work of Leonardo da Vinci. La Joconde is the Mona Lisa.
 

Sometimes, you might arrive a bit late in a museum, be sure to ask for the duration of the visit to verify that you will have enough time to see everything. You can say:
 

"Quelle est la durée moyenne d’une visite dans ce musée ?"
= "What is the average length of a visit to this museum?"
 

 

 

Useful phrases in French in a public place:

Okay, you might get lost. In this case, you can ask a passerby for directions to a particular place. You can say:
 

"Bonjour, excusez-moi, je suis perdu(e). Pourriez-vous m'aider à trouver cette adresse?"
= "Hello, excuse me, I'm lost. Could you help me find this address?"
 

Or also:
 

“Bonjour, excusez-moi, comment faire pour se rendre à la place de la Concorde ?”
= "Hello, excuse me, how do I get to the Place de la Concorde?"
 

Here are some other useful phrases that you can ask a French passerby if needed:
 

“Où est-ce que je peux trouver des toilettes, s’il vous plaît ?”
= "Where can I find a toilet, please?"
 

“Pourriez-vous me prendre en photo, s’il vous plaît ?”
= "Could you take a picture of me, please?"
 

 

 

Useful phrases in French in an Airbnb or a vacation rental:
 

If you come to France, you may be staying in an Airbnb or a vacation rental. Here are some useful phrases in this context:
 

“Où se trouve le nécessaire pour faire le ménage ?”
= "Where can I find everything I need for cleaning?"
 

“Comment fonctionne la climatisation / le chauffage ?”
= "How does air conditioning/heating work?"
 

“ À quelle heure devons-nous quitter les lieux ?”
= "What time do we have to leave the premises?"
 

“Comment ça se passe pour la remise des clés ?”
"What's the procedure for handing over the keys?”
 

“Où est le supermarché le plus proche ?”
= "Where's the nearest supermarket?"
 

 

See you soon for new adventures in French, of course! 🇫🇷