"Voyage" is a common way to say "trip" in French, but it's far from the only one. Depending on the context, you might need a different word entirely!

Whether you're planning a quick getaway, a long journey, or just reminiscing about an adventure, knowing the right French word for "trip" will make your conversations much more natural and precise.

Let's dive into 9 different ways to express "trip" in French, covering various situations and nuances!

The 'journey' or 'travel' – voyage

The standard 'journey' or 'travel' – voyage

Voyage is the most common and versatile French word for 'journey', 'trip', or 'travel'.

This word is a masculine noun. So, you'll always use masculine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., un voyage, le voyage, mon voyage). Its plural form is voyages.

It can describe any kind of trip, from a short excursion to a long, epic journey, making it your go-to word for 'travel' in French.

Don't confuse the noun voyage with its related verb, voyager, which means 'to travel'.

When referring to a specific trip, you'll typically use un voyage (a trip). For the general concept of travel, it can be le voyage or les voyages.

For instance, J'ai fait un beau voyage (I had a beautiful trip) uses voyage as a noun. You'd say Nous allons voyager en France (We are going to travel in France) for the verb form.

While voyage is broadly applicable, other words exist for more specific types of trips, such as une excursion (an outing) or un séjour (a stay, often for a specific duration).

Context usually makes it clear what kind of voyage is being discussed, so you can use it confidently in most situations.

The French have a strong appreciation for travel and discovery, so discussing vos voyages (your travels) is a common and engaging topic.

💡 * J'ai réservé un voyage à Rome. (I booked a trip to Rome.)

• Notre voyage en Afrique était incroyable. (Our journey in Africa was incredible.)
• Le voyage en train est plus relaxant. (Train travel is more relaxing.)
• Elle rêve de faire le tour du monde en un grand voyage. (She dreams of traveling the world in one big journey.)
• Bon voyage ! (Have a good trip!)

The 'excursion' or 'outing' – excursion

The 'excursion' or 'outing' – excursion

While 'excursion' exists in English, the French word une excursion is very common and typically refers to a short trip or outing, often for pleasure, education, or exploration.

It's frequently used for organized trips like school outings (excursions scolaires), tourist day trips, or short recreational journeys to a specific destination.

Unlike a longer voyage (journey/travel) or vacances (vacation), une excursion implies a return to the starting point within a relatively short timeframe, often the same day or weekend.

You might hear it when planning a trip to the countryside, a historical site, or a nearby city for a day. It emphasizes the idea of a focused outing with a specific purpose or destination.

While similar to une balade (a stroll/walk) or une promenade (a walk/ride), une excursion often suggests a more planned and slightly more distant trip, involving transportation beyond just walking.

French tour operators and travel guides commonly use excursion to describe organized day trips or short tours, making it a very practical word to know for travelers.

💡 * Nous avons fait une excursion à la montagne. (We went on an excursion to the mountains.)

• L'école organise une excursion à Paris. (The school is organizing a trip to Paris.)
• C'est une excellente idée pour une excursion d'une journée. (That's an excellent idea for a day trip.)
• Le guide nous a proposé plusieurs excursions. (The guide offered us several excursions.)
• Après le déjeuner, nous avons fait une petite excursion en bateau. (After lunch, we took a short boat trip.)

The 'stay' or 'visit' – séjour

When you want to talk about a 'stay' or a 'visit' in French, the noun you'll most commonly encounter is séjour.

Séjour is a masculine noun meaning 'stay,' 'visit,' or 'sojourn.' It refers to the period of time spent in a particular place.

You'll frequently hear séjour in contexts related to travel, vacations, or any period spent away from home, such as 'a short stay' (un court séjour) or 'a business trip' (un séjour d'affaires).

It's important to remember that séjour is a noun, not a verb. While verbs like rester (to stay) describe the action of staying, séjour refers to the duration or instance of the stay itself.

Beyond referring to a trip or visit, séjour also forms part of common phrases like salle de séjour (living room, literally 'room of stay'). It often implies a more deliberate or extended period than a simple visite (visit, which can be very brief).

The plural form is séjours, used when referring to multiple stays or visits.

💡 * J'ai passé un excellent séjour à Paris. (I had an excellent stay in Paris.)

• Nous avons réservé un séjour d'une semaine. (We booked a one-week stay.)
• Comment était votre séjour en France ? (How was your stay in France?)
• Le séjour linguistique était très enrichissant. (The language stay was very enriching.)
• La salle de séjour est spacieuse. (The living room is spacious.)

The 'long journey' or 'expedition' – périple

In French, périple refers to a long, often arduous, or adventurous journey or expedition. It suggests a significant voyage, typically with multiple stages or challenges.

Unlike a simple voyage (trip) or déplacement (movement), périple carries a stronger connotation of duration, difficulty, or a grand scale. Think of an epic quest or a challenging itinerary.

Périple is a masculine noun in French. You will always use it with masculine articles, such as un périple or le périple.

While often literal, périple can also be used figuratively to describe a long and complex process or experience, like 'a bureaucratic périple'.

💡 * Leur périple à travers le désert a duré des semaines. (Their journey across the desert lasted weeks.)

• Ce fut un long et dangereux périple pour atteindre le sommet. (It was a long and dangerous expedition to reach the summit.)
• Après un périple de dix ans, il est enfin rentré chez lui. (After a ten-year journey, he finally returned home.)
• Le périple administratif pour obtenir ce permis était épuisant. (The administrative journey to get this permit was exhausting.)

The 'movement' or 'commute' – déplacement

The 'movement' or 'commute' – déplacement

Déplacement is a versatile French noun that refers to the act of moving or being moved from one place to another. It encompasses a broad range of meanings, from a simple shift in position to a longer journey.

One of its most common uses is to describe a 'commute' or 'travel' for work or other purposes. For example, your daily journey to the office would be a déplacement.

Beyond commuting, déplacement also signifies general 'movement' or 'displacement.' This could apply to a chess piece moving, a natural phenomenon, or even the movement of troops.

It's important to remember that déplacement is a masculine noun. You'll often see it with articles like le or un (e.g., le déplacement, un déplacement).

Its flexibility makes it a key word in French for discussing any form of motion, from personal travel to broader shifts in position or location.

💡 * Le déplacement quotidien en ville peut être long. (The daily commute in the city can be long.)

• J'ai un déplacement professionnel la semaine prochaine. (I have a business trip next week.)
• Le déplacement de la table a été difficile. (Moving the table was difficult.)
• Les frais de déplacement sont remboursés. (Travel expenses are reimbursed.)
• On observe un léger déplacement des plaques tectoniques. (We observe a slight movement of the tectonic plates.)

The 'route' or 'course' – trajet

The 'route' or 'course' – trajet

In French, the word trajet refers to the route, path, or course taken to go from one point to another. It emphasizes the physical distance covered and the act of moving along that path, often including the duration of this movement.

Unlike voyage (which means 'trip' or 'journey' as an event or experience) or chemin ('road' or 'way' as a physical infrastructure), trajet specifically focuses on the act of covering the distance and the path itself. Think of it as 'the journey segment' or 'the travel segment'.

You'll frequently encounter trajet when discussing commutes, travel times, or specific routes. For instance, 'faire le trajet' means 'to do the journey' or 'to make the trip', referring to the act of traveling a particular route. It's often used for daily travel or planned routes.

Whether you're asking about the quickest way to get somewhere, the time it takes to commute, or describing a specific route you took, trajet is the go-to word. It encapsulates the 'how' and 'where' of moving from point A to point B.

💡 *Le trajet dure environ 30 minutes. (The journey/route takes about 30 minutes.)
*Quel est le trajet le plus court pour aller à la gare ? (What's the shortest route to get to the station?)
*J'ai fait le trajet en voiture hier. (I did the journey by car yesterday.)
*Son trajet quotidien pour le travail est très long. (His daily commute to work is very long.)
*Nous avons planifié un trajet à travers les montagnes. (We planned a route through the mountains.)

The 'getaway' or 'break' – escapade

The French word escapade refers to a getaway, a break, or a short adventure. It comes from the verb échapper, meaning 'to escape'.

It's often used to describe a short, spontaneous trip or a brief period of freedom from daily routines, often implying a sense of fun or lightheartedness.

Escapade carries a slightly adventurous or mischievous connotation, suggesting a departure from the usual, sometimes with a hint of romanticism or daring.

💡 * Nous avons fait une petite escapade à la campagne ce week-end. (We took a small getaway to the countryside this weekend.)

• Son escapade secrète en ville a été découverte. (His secret escapade in the city was discovered.)
• Après des mois de travail, elle méritait bien cette petite escapade. (After months of work, she truly deserved this little break.)
• Ils ont raconté leurs escapades de jeunesse avec nostalgie. (They recounted their youthful escapades with nostalgia.)

The 'stroll' or 'walk' – une balade

The “stroll” or “walk” – une balade

As a noun, une balade refers to a pleasant, leisurely walk or stroll. It often implies enjoyment and a relaxed pace, typically outdoors.

The corresponding verb is se balader, which means “to go for a stroll” or “to walk around for pleasure”. It's a common reflexive verb used to describe the act of taking such a walk.

You'll frequently hear the expression faire une balade, which directly translates to “to take a stroll” or “to go for a walk”. It can also refer to a ride, like une balade à vélo (a bike ride) or une balade en voiture (a car ride).

💡 * Nous avons fait une belle balade le long de la rivière. (We took a nice stroll along the river.)

• J'aime les balades en forêt le dimanche. (I like walks in the forest on Sundays.)
• Après le dîner, nous irons faire une petite balade. (After dinner, we'll go for a short walk.)
• La balade à vélo était très agréable. (The bike ride was very pleasant.)

The 'jaunt' or 'quick trip' – virée

The French word virée (pronounced vee-ray) is a wonderfully expressive and informal term. It translates most closely to a 'jaunt,' 'quick trip,' 'outing,' or even a 'spin' or 'ride,' implying a short, often spontaneous, and usually recreational excursion.

It's important to note that virée is a feminine noun. So, you'll always use it with feminine articles and adjectives, such as une virée (a trip) or la virée (the trip).

The most common way to use virée in conversation is with the verb faire (to do/make). The phrase faire une virée means 'to go on a trip,' 'to take an outing,' or 'to go for a spin,' highlighting the active nature of the short excursion.

What sets virée apart from more formal terms like voyage (journey) or excursion is its strong connotation of spontaneity, casualness, and enjoyment. It suggests a lighthearted escape, often without much prior planning, whether it's a short drive, a visit to a nearby town, or an evening out with friends.

You'll frequently encounter virée when people talk about informal get-togethers, weekend escapes, or even just a quick errand that feels a bit like an adventure. It can describe a car ride, a trip to the beach, a visit to a market, or simply a night out with friends.

💡 *On fait une virée à la plage ce week-end? (Shall we go on a quick trip to the beach this weekend?)
*J'ai fait une petite virée en ville pour acheter des cadeaux. (I made a quick trip to town to buy some gifts.)
*Après le travail, on a décidé de faire une virée au bar. (After work, we decided to go on a quick jaunt to the bar.)
*C'était une super virée entre amis! (It was a great outing/jaunt with friends!)
*Il a pris sa moto pour une virée à la campagne. (He took his motorcycle for a ride in the countryside.)

Are there other ways to say 'trip' in French?

Are there other ways to say “trip” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “trip” in French. But the French language is rich with synonyms and nuances, and there are many other terms, from formal to casual, to describe different kinds of journeys or excursions.

You can also do an online search for “comment dire voyage en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions.

You might find some interesting synonyms for voyage, excursion, or déplacement on this list. Of course, make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different, less common ways to talk about trips, travel, and adventures.

And if you’re looking for more ways to talk about different kinds of trips, or words related to travel in French, the WordReference entry for voyage is an excellent place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful. Here’s what I think is a perfect quote to finish it with, courtesy of Gustave Flaubert: Voyager, c'est ce qui nous apprend le plus sur nous-mêmes. (To travel is what teaches us the most about ourselves.)