#110 Using a Dry Cleaning Service｜French Daily-Life Phrases
Izumi French Garden
#144 Planning a Trip｜French Travel Phrases
Izumi
To make a trip more fulfilling, it is important to plan in advance.
When talking about travel plans in French, expressions related to sharing interests and preferences, adjusting schedules, and setting priorities are commonly used.
In this article, I introduce useful French expressions for discussing and planning a trip through a conversation example, along with key points to help your planning go smoothly.
Contents
Dialogue
Pour organiser notre voyage, j’aimerais d’abord savoir ce qui t’intéresse le plus.
（To organize our trip, I would first like to know what interests you the most.）
J’aimerais surtout découvrir la culture locale et goûter la cuisine du pays.
（I would especially like to discover the local culture and try the local cuisine.）
D’accord. Combien de jours avons-nous sur place ?
（I see. How many days will we have there?）
Nous avons environ cinq jours, mais le premier jour sera assez court.
（We will have about five days, but the first day will be rather short.）
Dans ce cas, on pourrait consacrer les deux premiers jours à la ville, puis partir à la campagne.
（In that case, we could spend the first two days in the city and then head to the countryside.）
Bonne idée. Y a-t-il des sites incontournables que tu aimerais absolument voir ?
（Good idea. Are there any must-see places that you absolutely want to visit?）
Oui, je voudrais absolument visiter le musée.
（Yes, I definitely want to visit the museum.）
On peut alors construire l’itinéraire autour de ces priorités.
（Then we can build the itinerary around those priorities.）
1. Clarifying the Purpose of the Discussion
When discussing a travel plan, it is helpful to clearly state what you want to decide first. This makes the conversation smoother.
Example
- Pour organiser notre voyage, j’aimerais d’abord savoir ce qui t’intéresse le plus.
（To organize our trip, I would first like to know what interests you the most.）
Here, “pour + verb” is used to express purpose, meaning “in order to …”.
Related Expressions
- Pour préparer notre itinéraire, parlons de ce qu’on veut vraiment faire.
（To plan our itinerary, let’s talk about what we really want to do.） - Avant de réserver, j’aimerais qu’on soit sur la même longueur d’onde.
（Before making reservations, I would like us to be on the same page.）
2. Deciding What Matters Most During the Trip
The core of any travel plan is deciding what you want to prioritize.
Example
- J’aimerais surtout découvrir la culture locale et goûter la cuisine du pays.
（I would especially like to experience the local culture and try the country’s cuisine.）
The expression “J’aimerais surtout …” politely conveys your top priority.
The phrase “goûter la cuisine du pays” means “to taste the local cuisine” and is useful for expressing interest in food and dining.
Related Expressions
- J’aimerais surtout profiter de l’ambiance locale.
（I would especially like to enjoy the local atmosphere.） - Ce qui m’intéresse le plus, c’est la gastronomie et la vie locale.
（What interests me most is the food culture and local life.） - J’ai surtout envie de découvrir le mode de vie des habitants.
（I am particularly interested in discovering the local way of life.）
By expressing your preferences in this way, you can clarify whether you want a museum-focused trip, sightseeing in the city, or a food-centered experience.
3. Confirming the Schedule and Conditions
Once your interests are clear, the next step is to confirm practical conditions. The length of stay is especially important, as it affects the entire plan.
Example
- Combien de jours avons-nous sur place ?
（How many days will we be staying there?）
In addition to the number of days, it is helpful to check details such as arrival times.
Related Expressions
- Le premier jour, on arrive assez tard, non ?
（We arrive fairly late on the first day, don’t we?） - On arrive tôt ou plutôt le soir ?
（Do we arrive early, or more toward the evening?）
4. Making Suggestions While Considering Priorities
With limited time, it is important not to try to do everything, but to set priorities.
Example
- On pourrait consacrer les deux premiers jours à la ville, puis partir à la campagne.
（We could spend the first two days in the city and then go to the countryside.）
The expression “on pourrait …” is used to make suggestions in a friendly, collaborative way and works well in informal discussions.
Example
- Y a-t-il des sites incontournables que tu aimerais absolument voir?
（Are there any must-see places that you absolutely want to visit?）
The adjective “incontournable” means “unmissable” or “must-see.” Adding “absolument” emphasizes strong desire, meaning “absolutely” or “definitely.”
Summary
今回のフランス語フレーズ
- Pour organiser notre voyage, j’aimerais savoir …
→ A useful way to begin a conversation while clarifying the purpose of the discussion. - J’aimerais surtout …
→ A polite expression for stating what you value most. - Combien de jours avons-nous sur place ?
→ Used to confirm the schedule and plan realistically. - On pourrait …
→ Convenient for making itinerary suggestions.
