{"id":119121,"date":"2023-10-15T11:53:59","date_gmt":"2023-10-15T15:53:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/french-transport-vocabulary\/"},"modified":"2025-01-27T04:08:56","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T09:08:56","slug":"french-transport-vocabulary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/french\/french-transport-vocabulary\/","title":{"rendered":"French Transport Vocabulary: 106 Words and Phrases"},"content":{"rendered":"

Planning on traveling within a French-speaking country?\u00a0Whether you’re about to travel and need to learn particular words or phrases<\/a> before you go, or you just want to brush up on the language, French transportation vocabulary is essential.<\/p>\n

In this post, you’ll find 106 French transport words and phrases<\/strong>, plus some ways you can practice this vocabulary.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Essentials for All Types of Travel in French<\/h2>\n

Whether you’re on your morning metro commute or taking a taxi to meet a friend for dinner, there are just certain words that you’ll almost always need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Un moyen de transport \/ Les transports <\/em><\/td>Transportation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voyager<\/em><\/td>To travel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Aller<\/em><\/td>To go<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Venir<\/em><\/td>To come<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prendre<\/em><\/td>To take<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Directions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Les directions<\/em><\/td>The directions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
O\u00f9 est... s'il vous pla\u00eet ?<\/em><\/td>Where is... please?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Au nord<\/em><\/td>To the north<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Au sud<\/em><\/td>To the south<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c0 l'est<\/em><\/td>To the east<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c0 l'ouest<\/em><\/td>To the west<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tournez \u00e0 droite.<\/em><\/td>Turn right.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tournez \u00e0 gauche.<\/em><\/td>Turn left.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Tout droit<\/em><\/td>Straight ahead<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Loin de<\/em><\/td>Far from<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Pr\u00e8s de<\/em><\/td>Close to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de<\/em><\/td>Next to<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Devant<\/em><\/td>In front of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Derri\u00e8re<\/em><\/td>Behind<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Au coin de<\/em><\/td>At the corner of<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Au centre<\/em><\/td>At the center<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L\u00e0-bas<\/em><\/td>Over there<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Getting Your Ticket<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Un billet\/un ticket<\/em>*<\/td>A ticket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un billet simple<\/em><\/td>A one-way ticket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un billet aller-retour<\/em><\/td>A return ticket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Quel est le prix d'un billet ?<\/em><\/td>What is the price of a ticket?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le guichet<\/em><\/td>The ticket booth<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*In French, you use un ticket\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>for bus and metro tickets and\u00a0un billet\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>for train and plane tickets.<\/p>\n

Travel Time<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
En avance<\/em><\/td>Early<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c0 l'heure<\/em><\/td>On time<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
En retard<\/em><\/td>Late\/delayed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Supprim\u00e9<\/em><\/td>Canceled<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Getting Around the Metro<\/h2>\n

In this section, there are both general metro words you’ll need to know and some terms that are specific to the metro system in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Le m\u00e9tro<\/em><\/td>The metro<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une carte de m\u00e9tro<\/em><\/td>A metro map<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
En service<\/em><\/td>In service<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
En raison de travaux de maintenance, le trafic est interrompu.<\/em><\/td>Traffic is interrupted because of maintenance work.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bus de remplacement<\/em><\/td>Replacement bus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une perturbation est actuellement en cours.<\/em><\/td>A disruption is underway.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'\u00e9cran<\/em><\/td>A screen (for information about the metro)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un carnet<\/em><\/td>A pack of 10 metro tickets<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Les places prioritaires<\/em><\/td>Reserved seats<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le contr\u00f4le des tickets<\/em><\/td>Ticket verification<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Comment aller \u00e0 la station ... , s'il vous pla\u00eet ?<\/em><\/td>How do I get to ... station, please?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Passage interdit.<\/em><\/td>Do not enter.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La correspondance<\/em><\/td>The connection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La sortie<\/em><\/td>The exit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Travel by Car<\/h2>\n

Here are the essential French words you need to know about traveling by car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
La voiture<\/em><\/td>The car<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La rue<\/em><\/td>The street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une rue \u00e0 sens unique<\/em><\/td>A one-way street<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Conduire<\/em><\/td>To drive<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le conducteur\/la conductrice<\/em><\/td>The driver (masculine\/feminine)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un passager\/une passag\u00e8re<\/em><\/td>A passenger (masculine\/feminine)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le trafic \/ La circulation <\/em><\/td>The traffic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un feu tricolore<\/em><\/td>A stop light<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un feu rouge<\/em><\/td>A red light<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un panneau\u00a0stop<\/em><\/td>A stop sign<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La limite de vitesse<\/em><\/td>The speed limit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une voiture de location<\/em><\/td>A rental car<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Les freins<\/em><\/td>The brakes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le moteur<\/em><\/td>The engine<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le volant<\/em><\/td>The steering wheel<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La ceinture de s\u00e9curit\u00e9<\/em><\/td>The seatbelt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Les pneus<\/em><\/td>The tires<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un permis de conduire<\/em><\/td>A driver's license<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un taxi<\/em><\/td>A taxi<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le chauffeur de taxi<\/em><\/td>The taxi driver<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Bus Transport<\/h2>\n

Buses are a big part of everyday life in France. Chances are you’ll use them a lot if you’re going abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Le bus<\/em><\/td>The bus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le chauffeur de bus<\/em><\/td>The bus driver<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le si\u00e8ge<\/em><\/td>The seat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un arr\u00eat<\/em><\/td>A bus stop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Valider votre billet<\/em><\/td>To validate your ticket<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le prochain arr\u00eat<\/em><\/td>The next stop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un noctilien<\/em><\/td>Paris-specific night bus<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Complet<\/em><\/td>Full (no room for additional passengers)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le terminus<\/em><\/td>The last stop<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un itin\u00e9raire<\/em><\/td>A route<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'horaire<\/em><\/td>The timetable<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Travel by Boat<\/h2>\n

Though you may think you’ll never travel by boat, chances are you’ll take a cruise on the Seine River if you’re ever in Paris. If so, it’ll help to know the following vocabulary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Le bateau<\/em><\/td>Boat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un bateau touristique<\/em><\/td>A sight-seeing boat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La rivi\u00e8re<\/em><\/td>The river<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Un d\u00eener-croisi\u00e8re<\/em><\/td>A dinner cruise<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00c0 l'int\u00e9rieur<\/em><\/td>Inside<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sur le pont<\/em><\/td>On deck<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le quai<\/em><\/td>The dock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Air Travel<\/h2>\n

Here are the most important words and phrases you need to know when traveling by airplane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
L'avion<\/em><\/td>The airplane<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'a\u00e9roport<\/em><\/td>The airport<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le pilote<\/em><\/td>The pilot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le d\u00e9collage<\/em><\/td>Take-off<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'atterrissage<\/em><\/td>Landing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le retrait des bagages<\/em><\/td>The baggage claim<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'enregistrement<\/em><\/td>The check-in counter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le terminal<\/em><\/td>The terminal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La porte<\/em>*<\/td>The gate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le steward \/ l'h\u00f4tesse<\/em><\/td>The steward\/stewardess<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Voler<\/em><\/td>To fly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
L'embarquement<\/em><\/td>Boarding<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*The French use the same word for “door” to denote an airport gate.<\/p>\n

Train Travel<\/h2>\n

Here are some basic train words and phrases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Le train<\/em><\/td>The train<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La gare<\/em><\/td>The station<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Le quai<\/em>*<\/td>The platform<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
La voie<\/em><\/td>The tracks<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
En premi\u00e8re classe<\/em><\/td>In first class<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
En seconde classe<\/em><\/td>In second class<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*Note that this is the same word to denote a dock in the “Travel by Boat” section.<\/p>\n

Two-wheel Travel<\/h2>\n

Renting a bike is a very popular way to get around in French cities. You’ll see bike shares nearly everywhere you go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
French<\/strong><\/th>English<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Un v\u00e9lo<\/em><\/td>A bike<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Faire du v\u00e9lo<\/em><\/td>To ride a bike<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une location de v\u00e9lo<\/em><\/td>A bike rental<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une mobylette<\/em><\/td>A moped<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Une moto<\/em><\/td>A motorcycle<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

How to Practice French Transport Vocabulary<\/h2>\n

For many language learners, rote memorization is like traveling in circles. Here are some fun ways to fast-track your memorization of French transport vocabulary.<\/p>\n