essay on les vacances

Complete Guide to French Vacation ⛱

Learn the French vacation vocabulary + French to describe your holidays in France + Vacation dates and zones in France + tips form a French native.

Vacation, in French “les vacances” (always plural), is at the heart of the French culture.

With 5 weeks paid vacation for French employees, and a total of 16 weeks of vacation for French school students, France sure values her holidays.

1 – French Holiday Vocabulary

• bonnes vacances! = have a good holiday!
• bon voyage! = have a good trip!
• bonne route! = have a safe journey!
• les grandes vacances = school summer break
• partir en vacances = to go on holiday/vacation
• aller au soleil = to go under the sun
• aller à la mer = to go by the beach
• aller à la montagne = to go to the mountains (usually to ski, but maybe to hike)
• Faire ses valises = to pack
• Défaire ses valises = to unpack
• On est allés… We went… à l’hôtel – in a hotel dans un club de vacances – in a resort dans un camping – in a camping dans une auberge de jeunesse – in a youth hostel dans un gîte / une chambre d’hôte – in a B&B chez des amis – at some friend’s house.
• le départ – departure
• l’arrivée – arrival
• le trajet – the trip
• le voyage – the trip
• la douane – customs
• l’immigration – immigration
• la frontière – the border
• un passeport – passport
• un billet d’avion – plane ticket
• un ticket de train – train ticket
• une réservation – booking

2 – Expressing What Went Well or Poorly During Your Vacation in French

• On a vu… = we saw
• Le voyage/tout… s’est bien / mal passé = the trip/everything… went well / poorly
• La circulation était fluide / dense = traffic was fluid / dense
• L’avion/ le train était à l’heure / en retard = the plane / the train was on time / late
• La chambre (n’) était (pas) très confortable = the room was very comfortable (or not)
• La vue était superbe / moche (slang) = the view was great / ugly
• La nourriture était délicieuse / dégueulasse (slang) = the food was delicious / awful
• Il a fait beau / mauvais = the weather was nice / bad
• Il a fait (trop) chaud / froid = the temperature was (too) hot / cold
• Le musée était ouvert / fermé = the museum was open / close
• On a perdu nos valises = we (or someone else) lost our suitcases
• On a été volé = we were robbed
• J’ai été malade = I was sick
• Il y avait des grèves = there were strikes
• Le vol a été annulé = the flight was canceled

3 – Paid Vacation in France

The French are known to take a lot of vacations, especially if you compare them to the Americans! But is this “five weeks of paid vacation” myth really true?

Yes it is. According to Le Journal du Net, French employees take even more vacation time than that, with an average of 37 days per year, or 5.2 weeks (in 2012). There is quite a difference between French workers: a public office manager takes an average 7.4 weeks of paid vacation, versus a farm worker/ artisan who takes 4.6 weeks.

So who doesn’t take this much vacation in France? Self employed people… Shop owners, small businesses and startups – believe me, not everybody takes 5 weeks vacation in France!

However, it’s true that in general, the French really enjoy a lot of vacation time: don’t go to France in August and expect to do a lot of shopping! A lot of stores close in August – and actually in January as well, especially in smaller countryside towns.

An audio novel for all levels. Explore Paris with modern, lively and realistic dialogues

More Details & Audio Samples

4 – School Vacation and School Breaks Dates in France

French kids enjoy 16 weeks of vacation (+ all the long weekends and official holidays…)

The French school vacation is divided as follows:

• France’s Summer break: “les grandes vacances”, July and August, so 8 weeks total.
• France’s Fall vacation: “les vacances de la Toussaint”, mid October, 2 weeks.
• France’s Christmas break: “les vacances de Noël”, mid December, 2 weeks.
• France’s Winter vacation: “les vacances d’hiver”, zone dependant*, February, 2 weeks.
• France’s Spring break: “les vacances de printemps”, zone dependant*, April, 2 weeks.

5 – What is the French Vacation “Zone” System?

Since 1964, France is divided into “zones” to facilitate the departure of students for vacation : France is cut into three zones (A, B, C) and the vacation time spread over one month so that there is enough room for everybody in the ski stations! I am NOT kidding…

So now, every single French household with kids has to check out this map to know which zone they now belong to, and when the vacation for their kid is going to be. And forget about meeting your Parisians cousins for the vacation if you live in Brittany… you are not in the same zone, which means you won’t have the same vacation date.

So practical!

For more info and exact French vacation dates, go to the French School Vacation Government Site .

6 – Watch Out For Ticket Prices and Driving in France During School Vacation

Of course, as soon as you hit the vacation starting / ending dates, France is in a gridlock. We call them: “les journées noires” (black days) and you should not plan on driving during these days if you don’t want to be stuck in endless traffic-jams (“les embouteillages”, “les bouchons”).

Train and plane tickets, room prices, all goes up as well.

So it’s a good thing to know about the French school vacation dates before you plan your next trip to France!

7 – French Speaking Vacation Tip – Think Club Med!

Lots of French students want to practice their French during their vacation. It’s a good idea, however:

• you have to pick your location carefully (read my article about vacationing in France )
• you need to make sure you get people to talk to – it’s not always easy to strike up a French conversation with perfect strangers… This is why I recommend you check out my immersion at French Teacher’s house programs .

However, your family may not speak French, or share your enthusiasm to visit France over and over again… Or going to France maybe too far, too complicated… So why not try “Club Med”?

As a French organization, many people speak French there, and you’ll be surrounded by a lot of French guests. Even in Florida, or the Caribbeans…

Club med now has “family” clubs, which are kid friendly – although not everybody may agree on what is PC around kids! The evening shows may be viewed as “too risqué” for very conservative families, so be aware that with French speaking people, you’ll also get a bit of French culture, humor, attitude…

8 – How do You Say “How Was Your Vacation” in French?

This is more tricky than it sounds. First, you have to memorize that the French word for vacation is always plural: les vacances, mes vacances, des vacances… The verb and adjectives will also have to be plural to match “les vacances”.

Then, to ask “how was your vacation” (or rather how were your vacations in French…) we don’t use the same construction.

• In formal French, we say: “comment se sont passées tes/vos vacances”?

Or you can use a statement and turn it into an informal question:

• “Vos/tes vacances se sont bien passées?”
• Another way is to switch it around: “vous avez / tu as passé de bonnes vacances ?”

I suggest you pick one and learn it by heart to use it yourself, but you need to know the three formulas because they are very, very common in French.

Of course, one can get creative and say: “tes/vos vacances, c’était bien ?”. It’s much simpler, but less used in French!

9 – How do You Answer “My Vacation was…” in French?

Here again, you have to watch out to keep your answer in the plural.

Your answer usually “matches” the formality of the question, but it’s not set in stones.

• Mes vacances se sont (très) bien/mal passées – My vacation was (very) good/bad.
• J’ai passé de (très) bonnes / mauvaises vacances – I had a (very) good / bad vacation.

or, much easier:

• C’était super / nul – It was great / really bad.

10 – How to say Where You Went / Are Going on Vacation in French?

[ftimmersion_ad]

You’ll start by using “aller” or “partir”.

In the past, both form their passé-composé with “être” :

• Je suis allé(e), je suis parti(e) – I went, I left
• Nous sommes allé(e)s, nous sommes parti(e)s – we went, we left

In the future, we tend to use the near future construction:

• Je vais aller, je vais partir – I’m going to go, I’m going to leave
• Nous allons aller, nous allons partir – we’re going to go, we’re going to leave

Then, what follows get complicated… I’ll sum it up here, but read my articles to know more about the French prepositions of place and how to say the date in French .

• Use à + city, en + feminine country, au + masculine country, aux + plural country. Je suis allée à Paris, en France, au Japon, aux Bahamas.
• Use en + month Je vais aller en France en juillet.

Voilà, I hope this is helpful. To learn more about French vacation vocabulary, the best is to learn in context: I suggest you check out my “ Une Semaine à Paris ” and “ Une Semaine à Paimpol ” downloadable French audiobooks, featuring:

• A fun and reachable French story, full of useful everyday vocabulary and situations, and its English translation.
• A story recorded at 2 speeds: a bit slower than normal and street French (normal for the French and featuring modern pronunciation and glidings).
• A Q&A section to practice your French out loud and check your understanding of the story.

I post new articles every week, so make sure you subscribe to the French Today newsletter – or follow me on  Facebook , Twitter  and  Pinterest .

Camille Chevalier-Karfis

Born and raised in Paris, I have been teaching today's French to adults for 25+ years in the US and France. Based on my students' goals and needs, I've created unique downloadable French audiobooks focussing on French like it's spoken today, for all levels. Come to Paimpol and enjoy an exclusive French immersion homestay with me in Brittany .

More Articles from Camille Chevalier-Karfis

You Might Also Enjoy...

More free lessons

• How to say I love you in French 20 ways to say I love you in French and 14 softer alternatives
• Talking about the weather Always a useful conversation icebreaker
• French food guide French food is brie-ond belief!
• French Numbers Made Easy The correct French number pronunciation from zero to one billion
• 30 ways to say yes in French In French it’s just a oui-bit different
• French clothes 150 French clothes names, English translation, audio recordings
• Ultimate French Time Guide How to ask and give the time in French
• Describing the body 100+ French body part names and fun videos featuring the Sims
• French jokes Bring a bit of laughter in your French studies
• French Conversation Starters For when you are feeling a bit shy in French
• A to Z French Vocabulary 150 really useful French vocabulary lists with English translations

I publish posts every week. Want to keep up to date with the new content? ✉️ Subscribe to my weekly newsletter

Recorded at 3 different speeds + Study Guide + Q&A + Full Transcript

Copyright - French Today 2024

• Privacy Policy
• Mentions Légales
• Affiliate Program

Can You Understand Today’s Spoken French?

It’s not just slang. The French everybody speaks in France today is NOT the overly enunciated, extremely formal French usually taught to foreigners.

TAKE YOUR FREE AUDIO TEST NOW

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

50+ French Vacation Words and Phrases (With Audio)

Whether you enjoy the feel of seawater and hot sand or the crisp mountain air, there’s nothing like a relaxing vacation.

However you choose to vacation, wouldn’t you love to do it all in French?

Here are 50+ useful French vacation vocabulary words and phrases , with example sentences so you can use them correctly in context.

So grab that passport and let’s get started!

French Vacation Vocabulary for a Smooth Trip

Talking about vacation plans, vacation accommodation, modes of transport, vacation activities, tips to learn vacation vocabulary, drill flashcards before your trip, visualize the vocabulary, watch authentic french videos, start using the words in your own sentences, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

This topic will require you to get comfortable with some basic interrogatives in French .

Common questions and answers

• où ? (where?)
• quand ? (when?)
• avec qui ? (with whom?)
• Comment voyages-tu ? (How are you traveling?)
• Je vais au / à la…  (I’m going to…)
• pendant (during)

Vacation seasons

• les vacances de Noël ( Christmas vacation )
• les vacances d’été ( summer vacation , also known as les grandes vacances )
• les vacances d’hiver ( winter vacation )
• les vacances de printemps ( spring vacation )
• les vacances de la Toussaint ( fall vacation ; All Saints)

Example sentences

Où vas-tu en vacances ? (Where are you going on vacation?)

Je vais à la plage / à la montagne / à l’étranger. (I’m going to the beach/to the mountains/overseas.)

Quand iras-tu en vacances ? (When will you go on vacation?)

Je voyagerai pendant les vacances d’été. (I will travel during the summer vacation.)

Avec qui allez-vous voyager / vas-tu voyager ? (Who are you going to travel with?)

Places people stay on vacation

• un hôtel (a hotel)
• une auberge de jeunesse (a youth hostel)
• un club de vacances (a resort)
• un camping (a camping ground)
• un appartement (an apartment)
• un gîte (a holiday home/cottage)
• une chambre d’hôtes (a bed and breakfast)

Phrases for making a reservation

• Je voudrais une chambre (I would like a room…)
• salle de bains (bathroom)
• pour une / deux / trois / quatre personnes   (for one/two/three/four people)
• du… au… (from [date] to [date])

Je voudrais une chambre pour deux personnes avec salle de bains du 5 août au 12 août. (I would like a room for two with a bathroom from August 5 to August 12.)

Pour mes vacances, je vais loger dans un hôtel. (For my vacation I am going to stay in a hotel.)

Je logerai dans une auberge de jeunesse. (I will stay in a youth hostel.)

L’année dernière, j’ai logé dans un camping. (Last year, I stayed in a camping ground.)

Getting to your destination

• en avion (by plane)
• l’aéroport (airport)
• en bateau (by boat)
• en train (by train)
• la gare (the station)
• le billet (the ticket)
• aller-retour (round trip)

Getting around your vacation spot

• en métro (by subway)
• en bus (by bus) 
• en taxi (by taxi)
• à pied (on foot)

Comment vas-tu en Belgique ? En avion ou en train ? (How are you going to Belgium? By plane or by train ?)

Où est l’aéroport, s’il vous plaît ? (Where is the airport, please?)

Je cherche la gare. (I am looking for the train station .)

À quelle heure est le départ de l’avion ? (What time does the plane leave?)

Combien coûte le billet pour Nice ? (How much does the ticket to Nice cost?)

Je voudrais un aller-retour pour le train qui va à Marseille. (I would like a return ticket on the train going to Marseille.)

This topic is a great opportunity to pick up common French nouns and verbs . There are hundreds of activities that you can add to your vocabulary list. Some common ones include:

• faire de la planche à voile (to windsurf)
• faire du lèche-vitrine (to go window-shopping )
• bronzer (to suntan)
• aller au restaurant (to go to the restaurant)
• nager (to swim)
• faire du ski (to ski)
• faire une randonnée (to go hiking)
• faire du vélo (to cycle)
• visiter des monuments / des musées (to visit monuments/museums)
• participer à une visite guidée (to join a guided tour)

Try to use this vocabulary with different tenses!

Aujourd’hui, je voudrais aller à la plage pour bronzer. (Today, I would like to go to the beach to suntan.)

Hier, je suis allé(e) faire du vélo en montagne. (Yesterday, I went cycling in the mountains.)

Demain, j’irai au restaurant avec mes amis. (Tomorrow, I will go to the restaurant with my friends.)

One of the best parts of going on a holiday in France is getting to eat out and sample food. So, food vocabulary should be in the cards. We’ll give you the basics for a vacation— for an in-depth guide to restaurant vocabulary in French, check out this article.

• le repas (the meal)
• le petit déjeuner (breakfast)
• le déjeuner (lunch)
• le dîner (dinner)
• la salle à manger (the dining room)
• le restaurant (restaurant)
• Qu’est-ce que vous recommandez aujourd’hui ? (What do you recommend today?)
• le plat du jour (today’s special)
• Je voudrais… (I would like…)
• L’addition, s’il vous plaît. (The check, please.)

À quelle heure est le petit déjeuner ? (What time is breakfast ?)

Comme dessert, je voudrais la crème caramel. (For dessert, I would like the crème caramel.)

Recommandez-vous le plat du jour ? (Do you recommend today’s special?)

Je voudrais des escargots. (I would like some snails.)

Make flashcards for the words above and go through them periodically before your trip. You don’t even need to carry around a stack of index cards—there are apps like Quizlet for creating flashcards online and even playing games to test yourself.

French vacation words tend to be highly visual, so consider  making mind maps , or visual diagrams that represent the words you want to learn. There are many examples of mind map templates online.

You can also create a memory palace . The idea of this memorization device is to visualize a location—say, your childhood home—and populate it with the relevant vocabulary. For example, you could visualize a building and each hallway, room or object would be associated with a word you wish to remember.

It’s a great technique for visual learners to create context for seemingly isolated terms.

The best way to remember any new French vocabulary is to learn it in context. And one of the best ways to do that is to watch videos in French from French sources. You can easily find French TV shows and movies on streaming services like Netflix. If you prefer shorter videos, you can find French videos about all sorts of topics on YouTube.

FluentU is another way to hear French how it’s spoken in actual French-speaking regions. It’s a language learning program that uses authentic videos with interactive subtitles as the core of its lessons, along with active learning features like flashcards and quizzes.

The videos on FluentU are sorted by topic, so you can easily find media that’s related to travel, such as news clips about French vacation habits or video tours of French open-air hotels.

You’ll be using the words and phrases below with real French speakers throughout your vacation. So, why not start practicing now?

For example, don’t just learn the word nager (to swim). Start creating sentences, like:

Où est la plage ? J’aimerais nager cet après-midi. (Where is the beach? I would like to swim this afternoon.)

Savez-vous nager ? (Do you know how to swim?)

To ensure your own sentences actually make sense, you can use a grammar checker like Bon Patron . 

Now that you’ve used all the tools and resources at your fingertips and you’ve prepared everything for your vacation, you’re ready to go.

Use your new vocabulary as often as you can and you’ll become good at communicating and recognizing repeated words.

Bonnes vacances ! (Have a good vacation!)

FluentU has a wide variety of great content, like interviews, documentary excerpts and web series, as you can see here:

FluentU brings native French videos with reach. With interactive captions, you can tap on any word to see an image, definition and useful examples.

For example, if you tap on the word "crois," you'll see this:

Practice and reinforce all the vocabulary you've learned in a given video with learn mode. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning, and play the mini-games found in our dynamic flashcards, like "fill in the blank."

All throughout, FluentU tracks the vocabulary that you’re learning and uses this information to give you a totally personalized experience. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

[email protected]

REQUEST A QUOTE

Telling your holidays in French

Drrriiiiiiing !!!

It is the start of the new school year, students and learners of French are back to lessons! 

How to restart the brain gently? Telling your holidays in French is an excellent back to school exercise to keep your mind on vacation a little longer.

Vacances Actives gives you the right tips to make the start of the new school year a pleasant one that refreshes your French as a Foreign Language (FFL) skills and stimulates exchanges!

Recounting  one’s holidays: a complete linguistic exercise

Holidays, a good subject to create an exchange and integrate.

At the start of the school year, the first lessons of the year can impress students and it is important to facilitate dialogue between them . Whether a learner is shy or not, speaking is never an easy exercise in a new group whose members you don’t know. And the task falls to the teacher to stimulate the pupils and to encourage them to speak. Recounting your holidays in French is an excellent “ice breaker” : in turn, or as part of a two-person dialogue, the pupils share their experience and describe their holiday destination. Travel, sport, leisure, geography: so many subjects that allow students and teachers to find common points and perfect topics of conversation to facilitate their integration.

A story that mobilizes a lot of knowledge in French

“En juillet, je partis à Nice et j’ai allé à la mer”. ( = with mistakes :“In July, I left for Nice and I went to the sea”. )

Coming back from vacation can be hard for the learner’s brain. We will not hold it against him, these mistakes are very common!

First of all, recounting one’s vacation requires using the concordance of times from the past. Here is an opportunity to work on the conjugation and use of the past tense, simple and imperfect past. This exercise is not suitable for all language levels, but it can be adapted with a simplified version, using only the past tense. Here is a good introduction to discover this grammatical tense, if it is on the program for the year.  

Also, recounting one’s holidays is an opportunity to express one’s preferences, feelings and emotions . ‘I liked, I preferred, I loved, I regretted, I hated…” : so many personal formulas to testify to a moment or a pleasant or not pleasant activity. This exercise opens up many possibilities for discussion. And for those who have not had the chance to go on a trip, the exchange can be oriented towards the wish, the future desire to discover a destination, or to do a particular activity. 

Describing one’s holidays: a wide range of vocabulary

The description exercise is an effective way to mobilize a lot of French vocabulary words . Many lexical fields can be used, depending on the activities and the destination in question. It is a good idea to provide students with vocabulary sheets to help them describe their vacation. The sea, the mountains, the countryside, sport, leisure, transport, accommodation, weather, geography, etc. are among the main themes that can be used for this exercise. 

In particular, very dense vocabulary supports can be found on the site: https://www.lepointdufle.net/pseigner/lexique_vacances-fiches-pedagogiques.htm#h

Exercise materials to tell about one’s holidays in French

Orally: a set of questions relating to the holidays.

In pairs or in the form of a group forum, the exercise which consists of recounting one’s holidays can be easily set up with a set of questions . It is true that at the resumption of lessons, learners generally have difficulty finding their words and developing a speech in front of others. It is up to the teacher to guide them through a framework of dialogue:

• Did you go on vacation this summer? 
• Where did you go? 
• At what period? How long ? 
• With whom did you go)? 
• How did you spend your time? What activities? What visits have you made? 
• Have you had any meetings? (a question open to several interpretations!)
• Did you speak French during the holidays? 
• What do you plan to do for the next vacation?

If the speaking is still too timid and the students are not very verbose on the subject, then an ultimate exercise can help them. The idea is to ask them to identify which student in the group has had a vacation most like theirs ! As a result, the pupils question the others in the form of a game and discover a maximum of common points. A good way to untie tongues.

In writing: essay or travel diary

For higher French as a foreign Language (FFL) levels, it is interesting to work on written expression on this question. In writing, an essay for example, the story of the holidays can be developed further but the exercise will lose its interactive and playful side. 

On the other hand, to tell their vacation, students can rely on their travel diary. This can be used as “summer homework”. The travel journal is a very effective activity for working on students’ written expression and creativity. We have devoted a generous article to it with tips and suggestions: Create your linguistic travel diary. Some teachers go so far as to organize contests within the class!

The postcard exercise

Writing a postcard is a tradition that is being lost… It is an opportunity to revive it and to suggest that the pupils tell their holidays in French in a reduced format. It only takes a few minutes for learners to address the postcard to the person of their choice.   This approach is well suited to the first levels of FLE: it allows students to give a synthetic account of their adventures. Borrowing in the telegraphic style or with a more literary tone, they use a few well-chosen words to quickly describe the destination and give their impressions. 

The teacher can play the game to the end by printing a nice photo in the appropriate format to illustrate the vacation destinations of his students, or provide a set of ready-to-use postcards!

Tell your holiday stories on Instagram !

Why not do this exercise on social media? Teachers, you can create an Instagram account dedicated to your class, and start the exercise. Students should choose and post a photo and then write a clear description. Destination, anecdotes, exciting visits… The end result: an aesthetic and complete picture illustrating the holidays for the whole FFL class, to show and share!

Summer peregrinations are an excellent topic of conversation and story to mobilize knowledge and develop French vocabulary. 

The exercise can very well be applied when returning from a language study trip, where each of the learners will share an anecdote or an opinion on the trip made. 

So many good ideas to encourage travel and learning French!

How to visit Paris during the 2024 Olympic Games

Learn french language wit french cuisine, the perfect match, anniversary: our top 7 language stay memories, privacy overview.

• French in France
• DALF C1 & C2
• TCF for Quebec
• Online Exercises
• DELF Scolaire/Junior

DELF A1: Writing a Postcard or letter in french about your vacation

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

How do you write a postcard or letter in french telling someone, such as a friend, about your vacation? This is a common question to be found on many french exam or test paper. Well this article a step by step guide on how to write a postcard or letter telling someone about your vacation.  

In the Production Ecrite section of your french exam such as the DELF A1 exam, you will be required to write a message, email or letter consisting of 40 to 50 words.  So lets begin!

How to plan your postcard or letter in french

It is possible to plan and practice various response to the possible exercises before the date of your exam.  In general, when you are writing a postcard there are certain information you may include, such as:

• How You went
• Where you went (montagne, plage, campagne, ville…)
• When / with whom you went
• Where or with whom are you staying? (à l’hôtel, chez l’habitant, dans un camping, dans un gîte…) Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
• What you saw or visit/did or are doing, etc
• Are you enjoying yourself?
• What is the weather and or the place like
• When are you coming back?
• Sign your name

While it is not necessary to provide all of the above information, It is important to note that DELF exam instructions, sometimes select from the list above and specifically ask you to include such information. As a result, it is important to practice different response which will include different combination of the suggestions above. The ones highlighted in red are the basics and should almost always be included in your postcard.

Writing your postcard or letter in french

Sample exercise: writing  a postcard or letter in french about your vacation.

Exercise 1                                                                                                   15 points  

Vous êtes en vacances à Nice. Vous envoyez une petite carte postale a un ami à Paris. Vous lui parlez de temps, de vous activités et vous lui donnez votre date de retour. (40 à 50 mots).

Sample letter in french about your vacation :

Bonjour Jean,

  (Word count = 49)

Sample Exercise for You!

Salut______________,

Je suis en vacances à _____________ pour _________________. C’est une ville très ______________. je visite_________________. c’est________________. Il fait______________ . Je rentrerai chez-moi _____________________.

________________

Evaluation:

• Greetings : Bonjour Jean ( We could also use: “Salut Jean Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 ”  “ Cher Jean” . Use “Chère” only if it is a female)
• Where you are and for how long: Je suis en vacances à Nice pour cinq jours
• What you did or are doing: Hier, j’ai jou é au volley sur la plage . Maintenant, je prends le déjeuner dans un petit café.
• Are you enjoying yourself? Super!
• What is the weather and or the place like: Il fait très beau, avec beaucoup de soleil.
• When are you coming back?:  Je rentrerai chez-moi samedi prochain.
• Farewells: Bises ( We could also use: “ Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 A bientôt” “or “a samedi !” or “a la semaine prochaine !” or “au revoir”)
• Sign your name: Janet

There is agreement of adjective and verb: un petit café. Plus I have used three tenses:

• Le présent: je prends, Il fait ,
• le passé composé: j’ai jou é
• le futur: Je rentrerai .

I have included the specific information that they had asked for. I have also stayed within the word limit. 

Remember to stick to the word limit and follow the instructions that are given. If they want you to provide any specific information such as when you are coming back, the weather, what you visited etc this must be included in your postcard. You will lose points if this is not done.

Check for Errors

Remember to read carefully through your text. Check to ensure that plural words have a plural ending. Make sure that there is agreement between adjectives and the nouns they describe (such as une belle église , un beau chateau ). Check all to ensure that all verbs are in the right tense and that the endings match the subject (such as Je vais for the present but Je suis allé for the past ). Check to make sure you have followed the instructions and fully used all the structures that you have learnt during your study.

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Simplifying Language Learning | KS3, GCSE, iGCSE, A-Level, Conversational, Business & Pleasure | German, French, Spanish, Italian & Arabic Language Resources & Tuition

• French GCSE
• French GCSE Listening Skills
• MFL GCSE Listening Skills
• Uncategorized

Les Vacances – Free French Listening Practice for A2 and GCSE

• Read Time: 3minutes
• Leave a comment

Want to practise your French listening skills on the topic of ‘les vacances’/’holidays’ at CEFR A2/B1 or GCSE/iGCSE French level with activities and a copy of the transcript? Read on!

Below, you will find a link to our ‘les vacances’ video with an introduction from me (Sabina) and an interview type set up of questions with Enrika. Enrika is a native French speaker. This A2/B1, iGCSE and GCSE French listening practice video is perfect for French teachers to assign to their class as additional homework. It can be used in lessons, as the questions are at a level these students should understand to a degree. I have created this authentic French listening practice materials to help students practise their French listening skills, develop their vocabulary base, as well as practise their communication skills.

Having taught French in secondary schools, I have noticed a distinct lack of useful, targeted French listening practice materials. So, I have developed a selection of audio-visual clips for students and teachers to use, with or without the video. There are accompanying worksheets and transcripts available for download below too. Whilst they are free, I have paid for the content to be created and it has taken time to edit the video and write this post. If you find it useful, please do consider 

Who is this French listening practice aimed at? 

It is an ideal French listening practice resource for advanced beginner / pre-intermediate French students looking for extra listening materials for their GCSE, iGCSE, CEFR A2 and B1 studies. Although I have created it with my GCSE French students as listening practice, you can use it with adaptation for French students at KS3 or KS4, Scottish National 4, as well as CEFR A2. 

What does this ‘les vacances’ French listening practice audio-video clip include? 

This blog post and authentic audio-visual French listening clip is covers the topic of ‘les vacances’ / ‘holidays’ with references to present, past and future time frames. You will hear all about the topic of holidays from Enrika, a native French speaker who hails from Paris. She is in her friend’s (Amina) apartment and is being posed ten questions which she replies to.

INTRODUCTION: In this video, there is a 4.20 minute introduction from Sabina (me). I am an experienced and qualified secondary French teacher and tutor with excellent results. I give a brief summary of the video content and suggest some useful activities which French students can do whilst listening to/watching the audio clip. 

MAIN CLIP: Includes Enrika answering ten questions on the topic of les vacances.

This video not only offers a great opportunity to learn more about the topic of holidays through listening practice for CEFR A2/B1 students and French GCSE/iGCSE students. In addition, it enables advanced beginners, pre-intermediate French students to discover new verbs, nouns and adjectives too. Check it out here:

Additional Listening Practice Material for This Audio-Visual Clip

To support your listening skills, why not listen to the audio/ watch the clip whilst trying the accompanying activities below? I have created the listening practice for GCSE French students, advanced beginner/pre-intermediate French learners, as well as CEFR A2/B1 level French students. However, all French learners are welcome to use this original material on the topic of holidays.

Les Vacances Listening Practice Worksheets 

If you’ve found the video or the activities useful, please do consider buying me a coffee . I don’t have expensive taste so enough for an espresso or an Americano would be so appreciated. 

Download your FREE copy of the PDF Worksheet To Accompany Les Vacances in French Listening Practice Video above by clicking the yellow image below:

Download your FREE copy of the PDF Les Vacances in French Listening Practice Transcript by clicking the pink image below:

Want more FREE French listening practice for GCSE? Check out my other French content on the website. It is packed with vocabulary activities and listening practise on various GCSE / iGCSE topics for French learners at CEFR A2 level.

Why not check out The Ideal Teacher Language School’s YouTube Channel (and subscribe, of course!) for more French listening practice for beginner and intermediate students?

You May Also Be Interested In...

GCSE French Photo Card – How To Prepare for the Speaking Exam

• by theidealteacher

New GCSE French Resources for Teachers and Students by Topic and Skill

Useful French Listening Practice On Music With Native Speaker

New French Listening Practice VLOG on Me & My Friends

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

It takes me 5 hours on average to make and upload my resources. If I charged for them, this would cost a lot!

I f you download my worksheets and find them useful, please leave a donation.

THANK YOU! Every penny helps me share more language teaching materials to save you time!  - Sabina

• £1 - This Will Save Me Time!
• £2 - This Will Save Me LOADS of Time!
• This Is USEFUL and I Would Like To Leave My Own Donation

First Name *

Email Address *

Make this an anonymous donation.

Donation Total: £2.00

One of the most exciting things to do in life is take a trip. Here you’ll find a complete French conversation lesson with questions all about different trips you’ve taken. Click here for the downloadable PDF and contact me to try this lesson via Skype!

• As‐tu déjà voyagé dans ton pays de naissance? Quels endroits est‐ce que tu as visité? Have you traveled in the country where you were born? Which places have you visited?
• As‐tu déjà voyagé à l’étranger? Quels pays est‐ce que tu as visité? Have you traveled abroad? Which countries have you visited?
• Combien de pays as‐tu visité? Combien d’états ou provinces (au Canada)? How many countries have you visited? How many states and Canadian provinces have you visited?
• As-tu deja voyagé dans un pays francophone ou tu as pu utiliser ton francais? Have you ever traveled to a French speaking country where you could use your French?
• Apprends-tu le francais avec l’objectif de faire des voyages? Are you learning French with the goal to travel?
• As‐tu récemment voyagé? Où es‐tu allé(e)? Have you taken a trip recently? Where did you go?
• Où est‐ce que tu iras pendant tes prochaines vacances? Avec qui est‐ce que tu voyageras et combien de temps vas‐tu passer dans l’endroit? Where will you go for your next vacation? Who
• will you travel with and how long will you spend there?
• As‐tu fait des voyages quand tu étais un(e) enfant? Où es‐tu allé(e)? Did you travel when you were a child? Where did you go?
• As‐tu déjà voyagé dans ta propre région? Connais‐tu bien la région où tu habites? Have you traveled in the region where you live? Do you know the region well?
• Quand as‐tu fait ton premier voyage à l’étranger? As‐tu eu peur de quitter ton pays la première fois? When did you take your first trip overseas? Were you afraid to leave your country for the first time?
• As‐tu déjà fait un voyage tout(e) seul(e)? Où es‐tu allé(e) et as‐tu eu peur de voyager seul(e)? Have you ever taken a trip alone? Where did you go and were you afraid to travel alone?
• Aimerais‐tu passer le reste de ta vie à l’étranger? Would you like to spend the rest of your life abroad?
• Peux‐tu te rappeler d’un voyage que tu as vraiment aimé? Où es‐tu allé(e)? Can you remember a trip that you really liked? Where did you go?
• Peux‐tu te rappeler d’un voyage que tu n’as pas aimé? Ou est‐tu allé(e)? Can you remember a trip that you didn’t like? Where did you go?
• Préfères‐tu voyager seul(e) où dans un groupe avec un guide? Pourquoi? Do you prefer to travel alone or in a group with a guide?
• As‐tu déjà fait un voyage en train? Où es-tu allé? As‐tu aimé le train? Have you ever traveled by train? Where did you go? Did you like the train?
• Aimes‐tu prendre l’avion ou as-tu en a peur? Do you like to take airplane or are you afraid?
• T’es-tu déjà perdu(e) au voyage? Raconte l’histoire! Have you ever gotten lost on a trip? Tell the story!
• As‐tu déjà fait de l’auto‐stop? Raconte l’aventure! Have you ever done hitch-hiking? Tell the adventure!
• Préfères‐tu voyager avec peu ou beaucoup de baggages? Do you prefer to travel with little or a lot of luggage?
• Aimes‐tu faire du camping et faire de la randonnée? Où as tu fait un tel voyage? Do you like camping or hiking? Where have you taken such a trip?
• Quels pays rêves‐tu encore de visiter dans ta vie? Quels pays est‐ce que tu n’aimerais pas visiter? Which countries do you still dream of visiting in your lifetime? Which countries do you not want to visit?
• Que dois-tu apporter quand tu visites un pays étranger? What do you have to bring with you when you visit a foreign country?
• Quelle est ta ville préférée? Quand as‐tu visité cette ville? Aimerais‐tu vivre là‐bas? What is your favorite city? When did you visit this city? Would you like to live there?
• Aimes‐tu acheter des souvenirs quand tu voyages? Qu’aimes-tu acheter? Do you like to buy souvenirs when you travel? What do you like to buy?
• Quel est l’endroit le plus beau que tu aies visité? What’s the most beautiful country that you’ve visited?
• As‐tu déjà fait une croisière? Où es‐tu allé(e)? Have you ever taken a cruise? Where did you go?
• Aimes‐tu revisiter les mêmes endroits? Do you like to travel back to the same places?
• As‐tu déjà voyagé en première classe? Have you ever traveled in first class?
• En général où vont les gens de ton pays vont en vacances? In general, where do people from your country go for vacation?
• Habites‐tu dans une région touristique? D’où viennent les touristes qui visitent ta région? Do you live in a touristic region? Where do the people come from who visit your area?
• Si tu avais $100,000 et tu pouvais aller n’importe où, où est‐ce que tu irais? If you had $100,00 and you could go anywhere, where would you go?

Main Topics Page

Sharing is caring!

David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language learner and speaks over seven languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private lessons. When not teaching or writing his French Word of the Day lessons, David enjoys his time skiing, hiking and mountain biking in Victor, Idaho.

See all posts by David Issokson

AQA GCSE French: Holidays Essay

Quick reply, related discussions.

• Help with 90 word essay for gcse french
• Triple Science revision
• French GCSE revision help
• french a level
• how much revision needed for year 10
• essay based a levels
• L'Étranger advice
• A level subjects
• How can I achieve 8-9 grades at GCSE?
• english lit a level or history a level
• Need help going into yr11
• GCSE AQA french writing paper revision (higher)
• How big is the jump from GCSE to A level French?
• GCSE French vs A-level French
• OFFICIAL GCSE Year 10 chat 2024-2025:
• summaya’s gcse journey 🎀💪
• Official Year 11 Chat 2023-24
• Aiming for grade 9s need help
• Which gcse is best to pick
• gsce 2025. how are you guys feeling.

Last reply 8 hours ago

Last reply 1 day ago

Last reply 3 days ago

Last reply 5 days ago

Last reply 1 week ago

Last reply 2 weeks ago

Last reply 3 weeks ago

Last reply 1 month ago

Last reply 2 months ago

Articles for you

Students react after GCSE French Writing on 24 May 2024

Making a revision timetable that actually works

Finding a university place in Ucas Clearing 2024: 10 top tips to help you get ready

Top 10 tips for Ucas Clearing 2024

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of use
• Contactez-nous

Lettres et langue française

• Cours de français
• Vocabulaire
• Expressions
• Productions écrites
• +Fiches de lecture
• +Questionnaires

Raconter un souvenir de vacances ou de voyage en français

Phrases pour apprendre à raconter un souvenir de vacances ou de voyages : 

Exemple n°1 de production écrite - souvenir de vacances :.

Un jour, ma famille a décidé de partir en vacances en Italie. C’était une aventure ! D’abord, on a visité Rome et le Vatican. C’était magnifique ! Ensuite, on est partis à Naples pour voir le Vésuve, c’était mon idée, j’adore les volcans. Après la randonnée sur le Vésuve, on voulait manger une bonne pizza. J’ai commandé une « pizza blanche », sans tomate ! Puis on a discuté avec le pizzaïolo, il était français ! Il nous a donné beaucoup de conseils pour découvrir la Naples secrète. Enfin, on a fait une photo tous ensemble. C’est pour moi un excellent souvenir de vacances.

Exemple n°2 de production écrite - Souvenir de vacances :

Pendant les vacances de fin d'année, je suis allé avec ma famille chez mon oncle qui habite dans un petit village dans les Alpes. Nous avons fait de longues promenades de deux à trois heures jusqu'à des lacs montagnards où nous mangions avec le plus grand plaisir. De retour à la maison, pendant que ma petite sœur, faisait la sieste, nous jouions aux échecs et au mille bornes jusqu'au goûter. Ensuite, pendant que Maman faisait de la couture, je jouais avec ma sœur en lui édifiant des montagnes de coussins. Le soir venu, nous allions au restaurant pour ensuite s'endormir dans notre lit superposé...Le lendemain, après un copieux petit-déjeuner, nous allions à la piscine de luxe du village où l'on pouvait faire du toboggan, des longueurs et se prélasser dans le jacuzzi. Bien que j'aurais préféré rester,c'est tout de même avec une joie immense que je retrouvais ma maison après six heures de route à travers la montagne.

Dialogue entre deux amis sur les vacances

Les bases en français pour voyager

Phrases en français pour les vacances d'été

Articles similaires

You are using an outdated browser. Upgrade your browser today or install Google Chrome Frame to better experience this site.

• French »
• Library »
• French reading exercises »

La fin des vacances

Lucie interviews Cynthia at the end of the summer about her recent holiday [US: vacation] and her plans for going back to school... After listening to the audio, click any word for the English translation and links to related grammar lessons.

• Kwiziq interactive readers are great way to practice your reading skills without getting lost. Click on any phrase for the English translation and related French grammar lessons , that you can study now or add to your Notebook." data-tooltip-theme="tooltipster-generic" data-tooltip-interactive="true">What's this?
• More French reading practice

Click any word in the text to see its translation and related grammar lessons.

• Support Sites

French B Support Site

Les vacances.

Être en vacances, à quoi ça sert?

Les vacances, définies  comme une période (plus ou moins longue) d’arrêt de travail, font rêver bon nombre d’entre nous! Mais, au fond, en quoi ce temps non dédié à nos activités habituelles nous est-il nécessaire et bénéfique?

Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé  pourquoi les vacances sont importantes pour vous? 

A quoi vos journées sont-elles destinées durant cette « période hors travail »?

Du point de vue de la simple définition,  les vacances consistent en tout premier lieu à ne pas travailler . C’est donc un moment de break, de « vacuité », dans nos études et/ou notre activité professionnelle.

Est-ce toujours le cas? Débranchons-nous véritablement de notre « travail » lorsque nous sommes en vacances? Il est évident que cette notion de « déconnexion » correspond à la fois à des critères objectifs (exemple : non consultation de ses mails ni réponse aux appels professionnels) et à d’autres critères plus subjectifs et propres à chacun (ex : capacité à détacher ses pensées des préoccupations liées au boulot)…

Du coup, cet espace « vide » (de travail), qu’en « faisons-nous »?  En vacances, de multiples possibilités s’offrent à nous, y compris celle de « ne rien faire »!

• Nous pouvons nous détendre, nous reposer, profiter simplement en prenant le temps de nous ressourcer.
• Nous pouvons également nous activer différemment de nos habitudes quotidiennes et explorer de nouveaux horizons.

En vacances, quel est votre programme?

Les vacances nous permettent de saisir et savourer les instants tels qu’ils se présentent à nous et de faire le plein d’énergie et de motivation, afin d’en revenir dans une forme optimale!

Diane Le Berre

Ostéopathe D.O et aroma-olfactothérapeute 

Piste de réflexion:

• Donnez une définition des "vacances".
• Que faut-il faire quand on est en vacances ?
• Ça veut dire quoi "déconnexion" ?
• Quelles sont les activités proposées dans ce texte ?
• Quels sont les avantages de prendre des vacances ?
• Quel est ce type de texte? Justifiez votre réponse
• Pensez-vous que les images utilisées sont appropriées ? Pourquoi?
• Et vous, quelle est votre idée de vacances idéales?
• A votre avis, quelles sont les activités à faire et à ne pas faire quand on est en vacances?

Consultez les ressources suivantes pour en savoir plus sur les vacances et le tourisme:

Les vacances - vocabulaire et activités - niveau A1

Étudiez les fiches pédagogiques suivantes et faites les activités : 

Carnet de vacances

Vive les vacances!!!

Lisez ce texte et répondez aux questions: 

Tourisme : Paris attire toujours les touristes

Regardez ce reportage de France Info et répondez aux questions.

COMPRÉHENSION DE TEXTES ORAUX

Vous allez écouter deux fois un extrait radiophonique du journal de 20h de France info. 

Cliquez  ici  pour avoir accès à la vidéo.

Complétez les phrases comme dans l’exemple 0. Les erreurs d’orthographe ne seront pas sanctionnées. Vous obtenez 1 point par réponse correcte; 0 point par réponse non donnée ou incorrecte. 

TOURISME : PARIS ATTIRE TOUJOURS LES TOURISTES

1. D’après le reportage, malgré les manifestations des gilets jaunes, les touristes sont toujours  (0)  …………………………………… à Paris. 2019 démarre même comme 2018, année record, avec  (1)  …………………………… millions d'arrivées dans les hôtels. 

2. Les croisières en Bateaux-Mouches font le plein. Il y a entre  (2)  ………………………… et  (3)  ………………………… d'augmentation et c’est à la fois la population  (4)  …………………..…… et la population française qui reviennent en force sur Paris. 

3. Les touristes les plus fidèles sont les  (5)  ………………………………. avec plus 0,3% mais il y a une petite  (6)  …………………………….. des touristes étrangers avec moins 0,5%. 

4. La crise des gilets jaunes a eu des effets négatifs chez les professionnels surtout  (7)  ……………………….. de l’année mais il a eu aussi l’effet inverse, par exemple, dans un ……………………….. (8)  du quartier de Montmartre qui a vu augmenter sa fréquentation. 

5. Les institutions officielles proches des Champs-Elysées ont été plus affectées alors que celles qui étaient plus  (9) ………………………. ont récupéré les personnes qui ne pouvaient pas aller aux zones centrales. Le quartier de Montmartre a donc  (10)  …………………….. de la crise des gilets jaunes.

 Source: Le baobab bleu

Lien video :  https://www.francetvinfo.fr/economie/emploi/metiers/restauration-hotellerie-sports-loisirs/tourisme-paris-attire-toujours-les-touristes_3593191.html

Ça bouge à Bruxelles!

2. Production Écrite - Comment écrire courrie?

Production Écrite - Racontez vos vacances!

Comment écrire un courriel 

Source: Le blogspot d'Adrien

Retrouvez la fiche téléchargeable:  Production écrite racontez vos vacances

3. Production Orale

Préparation à l'oral - Lexique niveau A1

Étudiez les fiches de vocabulaire et faites l'exercice "À l'hôtel":

Source: Le Baobab Bleu, Fiche pédagogique, Carolina Mora.

LEXIQUE- LES VOYAGES ET LES VACANCES

Compréhension orale: réserver à l’hôtel

Préparation à l'écrit et l'oral - Les vacances et le tourisme niveau A2+

Étudiez les fiches de vocabulaire et faites les exercices à trou :

Préparation à l'oral - Les vacances niveau B1

Source: Le Cap du FLE.

4. La compréhension écrite et visuelle: Le Sri Lanka - Tourisme solidaire

Compréhension écrite et visuelle - Le Sri Lanka

5. La compréhension orale et visuelle : Des vacances idéales

La compréhension orale et visuelle - Des vacances sprotives

6. La compréhension orale : Le vélotourisme

La compréhension orale - Faire du tourisme à vélo

• Entraînez-vous à l'épreuve de compréhension orale avec cet exercice du site PARTAJON.
• Lisez d'abord les questions. Puis, écoutez une première fois l'extrait de cette entrevue de FranceInfo qui parle du vélotourisme.
• Répondez ensuite aux questions. Écoutez une seconde fois l'enregistrement et prenez 5 minutes pour compléter vos réponses.

7. Oral individuel - stimulus: Camp de vacances

Approche à l'apprentissage

- Créez une brochure pour promouvoir une destination de vacances francophone.

Détails à inclure:

• Description de la destination de vacances
• Les activités qu'on peut faire
• Les sites et monuments qu'on peut visiter
• Les aspects culturels à explorer
• Pour plus d'infos - contact, adresse, numéro de téléphone
• Des images attrayantes
• Texte organisé en colonne ou en forme de brochure.

Enfin vous allez présenter votre brochure à vos amis.

Les compétences requises

• Compétence de recherche : 
• Compétence d'organisation
• Compétences de communication

Profil de l'apprenant

Audacieux et ouvert d’esprit :  L’apprenant développe sa curiosité et son goût du voyage parce-que les voyages forment la jeunesse. Il réfléchit et comprend aussi les dynamiques qui ont radicalement changé notre manière de partir en voyage.

Vocabulaire thématique

• la carte géographique
• le continent
• l’hémisphère
• le tropique
• le toit du monde
• le bord de la mer
• la montagne
• le littoral
• à vol d’oiseau
• à portée de main
• à portée de clic

Le thème du voyage au cinéma.

Retrouvez une liste de film à voir ici

• International
• Education Jobs
• Schools directory
• Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search

Mes vacances de l'année dernière - last years holiday

Subject: French

Age range: 14-16

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

Last updated

12 February 2021

• Share through email
• Share through twitter
• Share through linkedin
• Share through facebook
• Share through pinterest

Model essay on holidays in the past tense Could be used as a translation exercise Find the French for

Creative Commons "Attribution"

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have downloaded this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: