French vocabulary for airports and trains, covering essential terms for booking, boarding, navigating, and traveling in France.
This article covers key French vocabulary related to airports and trains. It includes terms for tickets, schedules, directions, and common travel situations, helping you navigate transportation with confidence.
The airport section introduces essential terms for booking flights, checking in, passing security, and boarding. These words cover everything from luggage to flight status.
| French (Singular/Plural) | English (Singular/Plural) | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le billet / les billets | ticket / tickets | J’ai acheté un billet pour Paris. | I bought a ticket to Paris. |
| la valise / les valises | suitcase / suitcases | Ma valise est très lourde. | My suitcase is very heavy. |
| le passeport / les passeports | passport / passports | N’oublie pas ton passeport ! | Don’t forget your passport! |
| la porte d’embarquement / les portes d’embarquement | boarding gate / gates | Notre porte d’embarquement est la 12. | Our boarding gate is 12. |
| le contrôle de sécurité | security checkpoint | Le contrôle de sécurité est strict aujourd’hui. | The security checkpoint is strict today. |
| l’embarquement (m.) | boarding | L’embarquement commence à 18h. | Boarding begins at 6 PM. |
| le vol / les vols | flight / flights | Notre vol est en retard. | Our flight is delayed. |
| la compagnie aérienne / les compagnies aériennes | airline / airlines | Quelle est ta compagnie aérienne ? | What is your airline? |
| le décollage | takeoff | Le décollage est prévu dans 10 minutes. | Takeoff is scheduled in 10 minutes. |
| l’atterrissage (m.) | landing | L’atterrissage sera à l’heure. | The landing will be on time. |
Notre _____ est en retard. (flight)
What is the French term for 'flight'?
vol
The French word for 'flight' is 'vol'. 'Billet' means ticket, 'porte d’embarquement' means boarding gate, and 'compagnie aérienne' means airline.
The train section covers terms for buying tickets, finding platforms, identifying train types, and understanding schedules. These words are essential for traveling by rail in France.
| French (Singular/Plural) | English (Singular/Plural) | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| le billet / les billets | ticket / tickets | Je prends un billet de train pour Lyon. | I’m taking a train ticket to Lyon. |
| le quai / les quais | platform / platforms | Le train part du quai 5. | The train leaves from platform 5. |
| le contrôle des billets | ticket inspection | Le contrôleur passe pour le contrôle des billets. | The conductor is coming for ticket inspection. |
| la gare / les gares | station / stations | La gare de Lyon est très grande. | Lyon station is very large. |
| le TGV / les TGV | high-speed train | Le TGV est plus rapide que le train régional. | The TGV is faster than the regional train. |
| le train régional / les trains régionaux | regional train / trains | Je prends le train régional ce soir. | I’m taking the regional train tonight. |
| la voiture / les voitures | carriage / carriages | Notre place est dans la voiture 3. | Our seat is in carriage 3. |
| la réservation / les réservations | reservation / reservations | La réservation est obligatoire pour ce train. | Reservation is mandatory for this train. |
| le départ | departure | Le départ est prévu à 20h30. | Departure is scheduled for 8:30 PM. |
| l’arrivée (f.) | arrival | L’arrivée est annoncée dans 10 minutes. | Arrival is announced in 10 minutes. |
This section includes common signs and directional words you’ll see in airports and train stations. Understanding these will help you find your way more easily.
| French (Singular/Plural) | English (Singular/Plural) | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| sortie | exit | La sortie est par là. | The exit is that way. |
| entrée | entrance | L’entrée du terminal est à gauche. | The terminal entrance is to the left. |
| information | information | Le comptoir d’information est au centre. | The information desk is in the center. |
| toilettes | restrooms | Où sont les toilettes ? | Where are the restrooms? |
| ascenseur | elevator | Prenez l’ascenseur au fond du couloir. | Take the elevator at the end of the hallway. |
| escalator | escalator | Montez par l’escalator. | Go up by the escalator. |
| correspondance | connection | J’ai une correspondance à Paris. | I have a connection in Paris. |
| retard | delay | Il y a un retard de 30 minutes. | There is a 30-minute delay. |
| heure | time | À quelle heure part le train ? | At what time does the train leave? |
| voie | track | Le train est sur la voie 7. | The train is on track 7. |
Here are some essential sentences for asking questions and communicating at airports and train stations. These will help you handle common travel situations smoothly.
| French Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Où puis-je acheter un billet ? | Where can I buy a ticket? |
| À quelle heure est le départ ? | What time is the departure? |
| Quel est le numéro de la porte d’embarquement ? | What is the boarding gate number? |
| Où se trouve le quai 3 ? | Where is platform 3? |
| Puis-je avoir une place près de la fenêtre ? | Can I have a window seat? |
| Le train est-il à l’heure ? | Is the train on time? |
| Y a-t-il une correspondance à Marseille ? | Is there a connection in Marseille? |
| Où est le contrôle de sécurité ? | Where is the security checkpoint? |
| Combien de bagages puis-je emporter ? | How many bags can I carry? |
| Puis-je changer mon billet ? | Can I change my ticket? |
Le train est-il à l’_____ ? (time)
How do you ask 'Is the train on time?' in French?
heure
'Heure' means time, so the phrase asks if the train is on time. 'Retard' means delay, 'arrivée' means arrival, and 'départ' means departure.
Mastering this French airport and train vocabulary will make your travel experiences in France much smoother. From booking tickets to finding your platform, these words and phrases cover all the essentials. Bon voyage!
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English (Singular/Plural): ticket / tickets
- English Example: I bought a ticket to Paris.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
