How to Say “The Person in Charge Is Not Available” on the Phone｜French for Business Calls
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Leaving Your Luggage at the Hotel｜French Travel Phrases
Izumi
When traveling, it is common to leave your luggage at the hotel before check-in or after check-out.
By remembering useful French phrases such as “May I leave my luggage here?” or “Until what time can I collect it?”, you can enjoy sightseeing more comfortably without carrying heavy bags.
In this lesson, I will introduce practical French expressions for leaving your luggage at the hotel and explain key grammar points.
Contents
Dialogue
Bonjour, est-ce que je peux laisser ma valise ici ?
（Hello, may I leave my suitcase here?）
Oui, bien sûr. Nous avons une consigne à bagages.
（Of course. We have a luggage storage service.）
Jusqu’à quelle heure puis-je la récupérer ?
（Until what time can I collect it?）
Jusqu’à 20 heures. Après cela, la réception sera fermée.
（Until 8 p.m. After that, the reception will be closed.）
Très bien, merci beaucoup !
（All right, thank you very much!）
Grammar and Expression Points
1. The verb laisser (to leave, to leave behind)
The verb laisser is used when leaving luggage at the hotel.
It literally means “to leave” or “to let remain,” and in this context it conveys “to leave something here = to deposit.”
- Est-ce que je peux laisser ma valise ici ?
(May I leave my suitcase here?)
Here, je peux (I can) makes the phrase a polite request: “May I…?”
2. consigne à bagages (luggage storage)
At hotels or train stations, the phrase consigne à bagages is commonly used.
- Nous avons une consigne à bagages.
(We have a luggage storage service.)
consigne = storage / locker, bagages = luggage (plural form is standard in French).
- un bagage → one piece of luggage
- des bagages / les bagages → luggage in general
When hotel staff mention consigne à bagages, it indicates a place where your belongings can be stored safely.
3. Using récupérer (to retrieve, to pick up)
After leaving your luggage, it is essential to ask when you can collect it. The verb récupérer expresses “to retrieve” or “to get back.”
- Jusqu’à quelle heure puis-je la récupérer ?
(Until what time can I pick it up?)
This verb suggests regaining possession of something, similar to English “to collect / to pick up.”
4. Asking About Time Limits
The standard phrase for asking “Until what time … ?” is: “Jusqu’à quelle heure … ?”
- Jusqu’à quelle heure puis-je laisser mes bagages ?
(Until what time can I leave my luggage?)
jusqu’à is a preposition meaning “until,” used with both time and place.
Summary
- laisser → “to leave/deposit”; used when leaving luggage.
- consigne à bagages
→ “luggage storage”; bagages is usually plural. - récupérer → “to retrieve/pick up”; used when collecting luggage.
- Jusqu’à quelle heure … ?
→ essential phrase to ask “Until what time … ?”
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