Compare two travel routes in French: times, transfers and price
Compare a direct train with a coach-and-bus route in French. Read the options, ask about the missing connection and explain your choice.
In short
Compare both routes all the way to the same destination. Use plus… que or moins… que for a difference, then ask about the missing detail: Le prix comprend-il le bus ?
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Two ways to reach the training centre
You need to reach the training centre in Valmont by 14:30. The agent gives you these two options. Read the last leg of each journey as carefully as the main service.
| Detail | Option A · train | Option B · coach + bus |
|---|---|---|
| Departure | 12 h 20 | 11 h 40 |
| Main service arrives | Valmont : 14 h 10 | Belcourt : 13 h 30 |
| Onward journey | 10 minutes à pied jusqu’au centre | Bus pour Valmont ; horaire à vérifier |
| Quoted price | 38 euros | 24 euros pour l’autocar ; prix du bus à vérifier |
| Changes | Aucun changement | Un changement à Belcourt |
Name each part of the route
Find:
How do you compare travel options in French?
moins… queless… than
Focus: price
moins cher que
L’autocar coûte moins cher que le train, mais il faut ajouter le prix du bus.
The coach costs less than the train, but you need to add the bus fare.
plus… quemore… than
Focus: ease of the journey
plus simple que
Le trajet direct est plus simple que le trajet avec une correspondance.
The direct journey is simpler than the journey with a connection.
- Vous
Pour la deuxième option, à quelle heure part le bus pour Valmont ?
For the second option, what time does the bus for Valmont leave?
- Agente
Je dois vérifier cet horaire.
I need to check that time.
- Vous
Et les vingt-quatre euros comprennent-ils le bus ?
And do the twenty-four euros include the bus?
- Agente
Non, c’est seulement le prix de l’autocar.
No, that is just the coach fare.
- Vous
Dans ce cas, je préfère le train direct. Je dois arriver au centre avant quatorze heures trente.
In that case, I prefer the direct train. I need to arrive at the centre before half past two.
For A, 14:10 plus the stated ten-minute walk gives 14:20 at the centre. For B, the arrival in Belcourt still leaves a bus journey. Je préfère states your choice; je prendrais means “I would take” and works well when discussing an option.