bon voyage
/bɔ̃ vwa.jaʒ/
The English phrase 'happy travels' can be translated into French as bon voyage.
bon voyage is used to wish someone a pleasant journey. If you specifically want to wish someone an enjoyable vacation, you should use bonnes vacances.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase bon voyage is composed of the adjective bon (good) and the noun voyage (journey or trip).
How does it change in a sentence?
While bon voyage is the standard singular idiom, you can use the plural form bons voyages if you wish to refer to multiple distinct trips.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of bon voyage is /bɔ̃ vwa.jaʒ/. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In French, if you are wishing someone a good trip specifically by car, it is more common to say bonne route than to use bon voyage.
- In French culture, bon voyage is typically said as the person is actually departing, rather than days or weeks before the trip begins.
- The word voyage is a 'doublet' of the French word viatique, meaning they both share the same Latin ancestor viāticum, which originally referred to the supplies or money carried by a traveler.
Examples in context
- Je vous souhaite un bon voyage !I wish you a good trip!
- Nous vous souhaitons un bon séjour en France !We wish you a pleasant stay in France!
- Bonne route ! Prenez soin de vous en conduisant.Safe travels! Take care while driving.
- Bonne route ! On se voit à ton retour.Have a safe trip! See you when you get back.
- Bon voyage !Happy travels!
- Je vous souhaite un bon voyage.I wish you a pleasant journey.
- Bon voyage à toute la famille.Happy travels to the whole family.
Example conversation
Léa is at the airport leaving for a vacation.
- GabrielTu pars enfin en vacances ?Are you finally leaving on vacation?
- LéaOui, mon avion décolle bientôt.Yes, my plane is taking off soon.
- GabrielD'accord, bon voyage, Léa !Okay, happy travels, Léa!
- LéaMerci beaucoup, Gabriel.Thank you very much, Gabriel.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry bon voyage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bon, voyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
