gute Reise
The German phrase for "safe travels" is gute Reise.
gute Reise is used to wish someone a bon voyage or a safe journey. While it can be used generally, it is most common when someone is embarking on a longer trip or a vacation.
Meaning: bon voyage (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "good journey", where gute means "good" and Reise means "journey".
Which one should you use?
gute Reise is typically reserved for longer trips or vacations. For shorter commutes or simply wishing someone a safe arrival, you would use the phrase Komm gut an!
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase gute Reise, the word gute uses the feminine singular nominative/accusative adjective ending for the noun Reise.
Did you know?
- The word Reise shares an ancient root with the English word 'rise', which originally referred to a 'moving' or 'to stir up'.
- In some German dialects, instead of wishing a good journey, people might say Macht's gut!, which literally means 'make it good' but acts as a way to say 'take care' during a departure.
- While gute Reise is perfectly fine, many Germans prefer the phrase Gute Fahrt, which specifically wishes someone a good 'drive' or 'ride' if they are traveling by vehicle.
Examples in context
- Gute Reise und mach's gut!Safe travels and take care!This sentence is useful for wishing someone safe travels and to take care using gute Reise.Tatoeba #13931091 by Ioan_Cristian, translation #13931094 by Ioan_Cristian
- Ich wünsche dir eine gute Reise.I wish you a good journey.
- Gute Reise, komm bald wieder!Safe travels, come back soon!
Example conversation
Julian is seeing Julia off at the train station.
- JulianDein Zug fährt gleich ab.Your train is leaving soon.
- JuliaJa, ich muss jetzt gehen.Yes, I have to go now.
- JulianGute Reise, Julia!Safe travels, Julia!
- JuliaDanke, Julian!Thanks, Julian!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “safe travels” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Reise, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
