French phrases for a ferry crossing with a car

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated 12 October 2026 · About the library

Board a French car ferry: the boarding lane, vehicle height, returning to the car deck and asking about cabins and the restaurant. Real phrases with practice.

A2
10 phrases
4 situations
Learn this in the A2 notebook →

In short

At the port, follow la file d'embarquement (boarding lane) for your booking. Staff may ask your vehicle's hauteur (height). On board, the car deck is le garage or le pont garage, closed during the crossing: L'accès au garage est interdit pendant la traversée.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A simple compact car slowly boards a white unlettered car ferry on a harbour ramp, guided by a distant crew member, with no hull lettering or numbers. — The car joins la file d’embarquement. Illustration: Atelier

At check-in

Port / ship staffBonjour, votre réservation, s'il vous plaît. Votre véhicule fait plus de deux mètres de haut ?Hello, your booking, please. Is your vehicle more than two metres high?

YouNon, c'est une voiture normale, sans coffre de toit.No, it's an ordinary car, no roof box.

Port / ship staffTrès bien. File numéro six. Mettez ce ticket sur le rétroviseur.Fine. Lane number six. Put this ticket on the mirror.

Boarding

Port / ship staffAvancez doucement… stop ! Serrez le frein à main et passez la première.Move forward slowly… stop! Put the handbrake on and leave it in first gear.

YouJe laisse les clés dans la voiture ?Do I leave the keys in the car?

Port / ship staffNon, gardez-les. Et notez le numéro de l'escalier.No, keep them. And note the stairway number.

On board

You can't go back to the car during the crossing.

YouExcusez-moi, j'ai oublié mon sac dans la voiture. Je peux descendre au garage ?Excuse me, I left my bag in the car. Can I go down to the car deck?

Port / ship staffDésolé, c'est interdit pendant la traversée. Je peux vous accompagner, si c'est urgent.Sorry, it's not allowed during the crossing. I can go with you if it's urgent.

Arrival

Port / ship staffLes passagers avec véhicule sont invités à rejoindre le garage.Passengers with vehicles are asked to return to the car deck.

YouC'est notre annonce, on descend !That's our announcement, let's go down!

Ferry words

French	English
la gare maritime	ferry terminal
la file d'embarquement	boarding lane
le pont garage	car deck
la cabine	cabin
le pont supérieur	upper deck
la traversée	crossing

On longer crossings (to Corsica or across the Channel at night) you can book une cabine or un fauteuil (reclining seat). Announcements often come in French first, then English; listen for véhicule, garage and débarquement (disembarking).