Talking about transportation in French involves a small but precise grammar with three competing patterns. You take the metro (prendre le métro), but you go by car (aller en voiture), and you go on foot (aller à pied). The choice between prendre, aller en, and aller à depends on what you're saying, not just on the mode of transport — and getting it wrong is one of the most reliable English-speaker tells.
Then there's the lexical split between un billet (a ticket for trains, planes, theaters, lottery — anything substantial) and un ticket (a ticket for the metro, bus, parking, restaurant — anything small and quick). And the tense distinction between partir (depart, focus on leaving) and quitter (leave, focus on what's being left behind). This page covers all of it: ticket-buying, station vocabulary, the wishes you exchange before someone leaves, and the idioms that pop up around travel.
The three patterns: prendre, aller en, aller à
prendre + definite article + transport = take (a means of transport). Used when the focus is on the act of using that mode — typically catching a specific bus or train.
Je prends le métro tous les matins pour aller au travail.
I take the metro every morning to get to work.
On prend le train de huit heures vingt.
We're taking the eight-twenty train.
Tu peux prendre un taxi à la gare.
You can take a taxi from the station.
Mes parents prennent rarement l'avion.
My parents rarely take the plane.
aller en + transport (no article) = travel by (a mode of transport). Used when describing how you get somewhere generally — focus on the means.
On y va en voiture ou en train ?
Shall we go there by car or by train?
Je vais au bureau en métro.
I go to the office by metro.
Elle voyage souvent en avion pour son travail.
She often travels by plane for work.
aller à + foot/animal/two-wheeler = go on foot / by (animal or two-wheeled vehicle). The exception pattern. Used for à pied, à vélo, à cheval, à moto (though en moto is also common).
Je vais au marché à pied, c'est tout près.
I'm going to the market on foot, it's just nearby.
On y va à vélo, il fait beau aujourd'hui.
Let's go by bike, it's nice out today.
Mon grand-père allait toujours à cheval dans son village.
My grandfather always rode horseback in his village.
A complete inventory of transport modes
For prendre (with definite article):
Je prends le métro.
I'm taking the metro.
On prend le bus.
We're taking the bus.
Elle prend le train demain matin.
She's taking the train tomorrow morning.
Je vais prendre l'avion pour Marseille.
I'm going to take the plane to Marseille.
Tu peux prendre le tram, c'est plus rapide.
You can take the tram, it's faster.
On prend le RER pour aller à Versailles.
We're taking the RER (regional express) to go to Versailles.
For aller en (no article):
J'y vais en bus.
I go there by bus.
On part en voiture demain.
We're leaving by car tomorrow.
Ils sont venus en train depuis Lyon.
They came by train from Lyon.
For aller à (the foot/bike pattern):
On y va à pied ?
Shall we go on foot?
Je préfère aller à vélo quand il fait beau.
I prefer to go by bike when the weather is nice.
Tickets: un billet vs un ticket
Both words exist in French, and they're not interchangeable. Un billet is for substantial tickets — long-distance train, plane, theater, lottery. Un ticket is for small tickets — metro, bus, parking, restaurant receipt. The split is largely lexical (you have to learn it), but the rule of thumb is "size of the journey."
Je voudrais un billet pour Lyon, s'il vous plaît.
I'd like a ticket to Lyon, please. (train — billet)
J'ai acheté mes billets d'avion en ligne.
I bought my plane tickets online. (plane — billet)
Un carnet de dix tickets de métro, s'il vous plaît.
A book of ten metro tickets, please. (metro — ticket)
Garde le ticket de caisse au cas où on voudrait le rendre.
Keep the receipt in case we want to return it.
Reservations and cancellations
réserver = to reserve / to book.
J'ai réservé deux places dans le TGV pour Marseille.
I've booked two seats on the TGV to Marseille.
Tu as réservé l'hôtel pour le week-end ?
Have you booked the hotel for the weekend?
annuler = to cancel.
J'ai dû annuler mon vol à cause de la grève.
I had to cancel my flight because of the strike.
Le train de huit heures a été annulé.
The eight-o'clock train has been cancelled.
Arriving on time, missing the train
être à l'heure / en retard / en avance = to be on time / late / early. The fixed prepositional phrases.
Le train est à l'heure.
The train is on time.
Désolé, je suis en retard de dix minutes.
Sorry, I'm ten minutes late.
On est en avance, on a le temps de prendre un café.
We're early, we have time for a coffee.
manquer / rater = to miss (a train, bus, plane). Rater is more colloquial, manquer slightly more standard. Both are used.
J'ai manqué mon train de cinq minutes.
I missed my train by five minutes.
On va rater le bus si on ne court pas !
We're going to miss the bus if we don't run!
J'ai raté ma correspondance à Lyon.
I missed my connection in Lyon.
Getting on and off
The pair monter dans / descendre de covers boarding and disembarking from anything you go inside. Note the prepositions: dans (in) for boarding, de (from) for disembarking.
Monte dans le bus, il va partir !
Get on the bus, it's about to leave!
On descend du train à la prochaine station.
We get off the train at the next station.
Il est monté dans le mauvais train.
He got on the wrong train.
For two-wheelers and horses (the à category), use monter à / descendre de:
Je monte à vélo et je vous rejoins.
I'll get on my bike and meet you there.
Changing trains and connections
changer (à station) = change / transfer (at a station).
Vous devez changer à Châtelet pour aller à La Défense.
You need to change at Châtelet to go to La Défense.
On change de ligne ici, c'est plus rapide.
We change lines here, it's faster.
la correspondance = the connection / the transfer. The piece of vocabulary every Paris metro user learns first.
Il y a une correspondance directe entre la ligne 4 et la ligne 14.
There's a direct connection between line 4 and line 14.
J'ai raté ma correspondance à cause d'un retard.
I missed my connection because of a delay.
Round-trip vs one-way
aller-retour = round-trip (literally "go-return").
aller simple = one-way (literally "simple go").
Un aller-retour pour Bordeaux, s'il vous plaît.
A round-trip to Bordeaux, please.
Je voudrais un aller simple, je rentre par la route.
I'd like a one-way ticket, I'm coming back by road.
Vous voulez un aller simple ou un aller-retour ?
Would you like a one-way or a round-trip?
At the airport
The flight vocabulary breaks into three verbs: décoller (take off), atterrir (land), embarquer (board). All three are used both literally and figuratively.
L'avion décolle à dix-huit heures trente.
The plane takes off at six-thirty PM.
On a atterri avec deux heures de retard à cause du brouillard.
We landed two hours late because of fog.
L'embarquement commence à dix-sept heures.
Boarding begins at five PM.
Veuillez vous présenter à la porte numéro douze pour l'embarquement.
Please proceed to gate twelve for boarding.
passer la douane = go through customs.
Il faut passer la douane après avoir récupéré les bagages.
We have to go through customs after picking up the luggage.
J'ai rien à déclarer à la douane.
I have nothing to declare at customs.
Mon vol est en provenance de Tokyo, je dois passer le contrôle des passeports.
My flight is from Tokyo, I have to go through passport control.
Going on vacation: partir
The verb of choice for leaving on a trip is partir (depart). Note the fixed prepositions: partir en vacances, partir en voyage, partir à l'étranger.
On part en vacances la semaine prochaine, en Italie.
We're going on vacation next week, in Italy.
Mes parents partent en voyage tous les ans en septembre.
My parents go traveling every year in September.
Je pars à l'étranger pour mes études.
I'm going abroad for my studies.
Tu pars quand ? — Demain matin, par le train de sept heures.
When are you leaving? — Tomorrow morning, on the seven-o'clock train.
Wishes and farewells
French has a specific wish for almost every kind of departure:
Bonnes vacances !
Have a good vacation! (used when someone is leaving for a trip)
Bon voyage !
Have a good trip! (general — for any kind of journey)
Bonne route !
Have a good drive! (specifically when someone is leaving by road)
Bon retour !
Have a good trip back! (when someone is returning home)
Bon vol !
Have a good flight! (when someone is flying)
Asking for travel information
To ask about times and platforms:
Le prochain train pour Lille est à quelle heure ?
What time is the next train to Lille?
Sur quel quai part le train pour Bordeaux ?
Which platform does the train to Bordeaux leave from?
Combien de temps dure le voyage ?
How long is the trip?
Le train est direct ou il y a une correspondance ?
Is the train direct or is there a connection?
To ask about prices and availability:
Combien coûte un aller-retour pour Lyon ?
How much is a round-trip to Lyon?
Il reste des places pour le train de quatorze heures ?
Are there seats left for the two-PM train?
Common Mistakes
❌ Je vais au travail par métro.
Incorrect preposition — for transport modes, use 'en' (or 'à' for foot/bike), never 'par'
✅ Je vais au travail en métro.
I go to work by metro.
❌ J'ai acheté un ticket pour le train Paris-Marseille.
Wrong word — for trains and planes, use 'un billet'; 'un ticket' is for metro/bus/small items
✅ J'ai acheté un billet pour le train Paris-Marseille.
I bought a ticket for the Paris-Marseille train.
❌ Je pars Paris demain.
Missing preposition — 'partir' needs 'de' for the place left behind, or use 'quitter' with a direct object
✅ Je pars de Paris demain.
I'm leaving Paris tomorrow.
❌ On va en pied au marché.
Incorrect — for foot/bike, use 'à', not 'en'
✅ On va à pied au marché.
We're going on foot to the market.
❌ J'ai monté dans le train et puis j'ai descendu à Lyon.
Wrong auxiliary — 'monter' and 'descendre' use 'être', not 'avoir', when intransitive
✅ Je suis monté dans le train et puis je suis descendu à Lyon.
I got on the train and then got off at Lyon.
❌ Le prochain train pour Paris est en quelle heure ?
Wrong preposition — for clock times, use 'à', not 'en'
✅ Le prochain train pour Paris est à quelle heure ?
What time is the next train to Paris?
Key Takeaways
The transport-mode grammar runs on three patterns: prendre + le/la/l' + transport (focus on catching it), aller en + transport (general by-car/by-train), aller à + foot/bike/horse (the on-foot pattern). Tickets split lexically: un billet for trains, planes, theater, lottery; un ticket for metro, bus, parking, receipts. Partir leaves toward a destination (focus on the going); quitter leaves a place behind (needs a direct object). And every kind of departure has its conventional wish: bonnes vacances, bon voyage, bonne route, bon vol, bon retour. Get those defaults right and you'll move through French train stations and airports like a local.
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