Why is "Using the wrong word for 'to' a country (*à France* instead of *en France*)" a common mistake in Holidays and tourist destinations?

Why it happens: English uses one word, 'to', for every place, so learners copy *à* everywhere. How to avoid it: Sort the place first: town → à, feminine country (mostly -e) → en, masculine country → au, plural country → aux. Learn *en France*, *au Portugal*, *aux États-Unis* as fixed chunks. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Saying *par voiture* or *avec le train* for 'by car/train'" a common mistake in Holidays and tourist destinations?

Why it happens: Learners translate English 'by'/'with' word for word. How to avoid it: Use *en* for vehicles you ride inside (*en voiture*, *en train*, *en avion*) and *à* only for *à pied* and *à vélo*. Drill these as set phrases. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Why is "Writing *la vacance* (singular) for 'the holiday'" a common mistake in Holidays and tourist destinations?

Why it happens: English 'holiday' is singular, so beginners drop the plural -s. How to avoid it: Always use *les vacances* (plural, feminine). Say it as a single chunk: *en vacances*, *les grandes vacances*, *partir en vacances*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Forgetting the past-participle agreement: *je suis allé* written by a female candidate" a common mistake in Holidays and tourist destinations?

Why it happens: Learners forget that être-verbs agree with the subject in the passé composé. How to avoid it: With être-verbs (aller, rester, partir, arriver), add -e if you are female: *je suis allée*. Decide on être or avoir first, then check the agreement. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Why is "Giving bare one-word answers with no opinion or reason" a common mistake in Holidays and tourist destinations?

Why it happens: Beginners answer literally and stop, instead of developing the response. How to avoid it: Always extend: add who with, how you travel and an opinion + *parce que* + reason. Aim for at least two clauses joined by a connective in every answer. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication

Why is "Confusing *je vais* (I go / I'm going to) with *j'ai* (I have)" a common mistake in Holidays and tourist destinations?

Why it happens: Both are short, common verbs and learners mix up aller and avoir. How to avoid it: *je vais* = from *aller* (going somewhere or near future); *j'ai* = from *avoir* (I have / used to build the past *j'ai visité*). Practise the two side by side. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4

Cambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Holidays and tourist destinations

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Detailed Study Notes

Detailed notes on Topic Area 3 - The World Around Us for Cambridge IGCSE French, covering key concepts, explanations, examples, and exam-focused revision points.

Holidays and tourist destinations in French — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

A beginner-friendly toolkit of holiday vocabulary, key travel verbs, opinions with reasons and reusable question-and-answer frames so you can talk and write about where you go, how you travel and what you do on holiday. Everything you need to score on the 'World around us' theme across Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing.

At a glance

Holidays in French is les vacances (lay va-KONSS) — it is always plural and feminine: les grandes vacances (the summer holidays).
To say where you go, use aller à / en / au / aux (to go to): je vais en France (I go to France), au Portugal (to Portugal), aux États-Unis (to the USA).
Country gender controls the word for 'to/in': en + feminine country (en Espagne), au + masculine country (au Maroc), aux + plural country (aux Pays-Bas).
Talk about transport with en (in/by) for vehicles you sit inside and à for ones you sit on: en voiture (by car), en train (by train), à pied (on foot), à vélo (by bike).
The big three holiday types: à la mer (at the seaside), à la montagne (in the mountains), à la campagne (in the countryside).
Give an opinion + reason: j'aime les vacances à la plage parce que c'est relaxant (I like beach holidays because it's relaxing).
Past holidays use the passé composé with avoir or être: j'ai visité (I visited), je suis allé(e) (I went), c'était (it was).
Future holidays use aller + infinitive (the near future): je vais voyager (I am going to travel), je vais rester (I am going to stay).

What you’ll learn

Mapped to the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 syllabus (2025-2027).

Recognise and use core holiday, travel and accommodation vocabulary on the theme 'The world around us'.
Say where you go on holiday using aller with à, en, au and aux, choosing the correct preposition by country gender.
Describe how you travel using transport phrases with en and à.
Express opinions about holidays with a reason, using parce que and a range of connectives.
Talk about a past holiday using the passé composé and c'était.
Talk about a future or ideal holiday using the near future (aller + infinitive) and the conditional je voudrais.
Build and answer reusable question-and-answer frames for the Speaking and Writing papers.

Core holiday vocabulary — places, accommodation, activities

The themed word banks you will reuse in every holiday question.

Let's start by building a reliable bank of holiday words (le vocabulaire des vacances). Notice the gender (le/la) every time — it decides which words around the noun must change.

Where you go (les destinations).

French	Pronunciation	English
les vacances (f, pl)	lay va-KONSS	the holidays
la mer / la plage	la mair / la plazh	the sea / the beach
la montagne	la mon-TA-nyuh	the mountain(s)
la campagne	la kom-PA-nyuh	the countryside
la ville	la veel	the town/city
l'étranger (m)	lay-tron-ZHAY	abroad
le pays	luh pay-EE	the country

Where you stay (le logement / l'hébergement).

French	Pronunciation	English
un hôtel	uhn o-TEL	a hotel
une auberge de jeunesse	ün o-BAIRZH duh zhuh-NESS	a youth hostel
un camping	uhn kom-PEENG	a campsite
un gîte	uhn zheet	a holiday cottage
une tente	ün tont	a tent
une chambre	ün SHONBR	a (bed)room

What you do (les activités).

French	Pronunciation	English
nager / se baigner	na-ZHAY / suh bay-NYAY	to swim / to bathe
bronzer	bron-ZAY	to sunbathe
visiter un musée	vee-zee-TAY uhn mü-ZAY	to visit a museum
faire du shopping	fair dü SHO-peeng	to go shopping
se reposer	suh ruh-po-ZAY	to rest/relax
prendre des photos	prondr day fo-TO	to take photos

Worked mini-example. Put three banks together into one sentence: Pendant les vacances, je vais à la mer et je loge dans un hôtel. (During the holidays, I go to the seaside and I stay in a hotel.) One destination word, one verb, one accommodation word — and you already have a full, examinable sentence.

Les vacances is always plural and feminine.
Destinations: la mer (sea), la montagne (mountains), la campagne (countryside), l'étranger (abroad).
Accommodation: un hôtel, une auberge de jeunesse (youth hostel), un camping, un gîte.
Activities are verbs: nager (swim), bronzer (sunbathe), visiter (visit), se reposer (relax).

Saying where you go — aller with à, en, au, aux

The preposition for 'to' depends on whether the place is a town, a feminine country, a masculine country or plural.

Decision chart for choosing à, en, au or aux before a place name.

The verb aller (to go) is your engine for holiday sentences. First, learn it in the present — it is irregular but essential:

French	Pronunciation	English
je vais	zhuh vay	I go
tu vas	tü va	you go (informal)
il / elle va	eel / el va	he / she goes
nous allons	noo-za-LON	we go
vous allez	voo-za-LAY	you go (formal/plural)
ils / elles vont	eel / el von	they go

Now the tricky part for English speakers: French has four different words for "to" a place, chosen by the type of place.

à + a town or city: je vais à Paris (I go to Paris), à Nice, à Londres (to London).
en + a feminine country (most end in -e): en France, en Espagne (Spain), en Italie (Italy), en Allemagne (Germany).
au + a masculine country: au Portugal, au Maroc (Morocco), au Canada, au Japon (Japan).
aux + a plural country: aux États-Unis (to the USA), aux Pays-Bas (to the Netherlands).

The same words mean "in" when you have arrived: je suis en France (I am in France).

Worked mini-example. "I go to Spain but my brother goes to Portugal." Spain is feminine → en Espagne; Portugal is masculine → au Portugal. Result: Je vais en Espagne mais mon frère va au Portugal.

aller (to go): je vais, tu vas, il va, nous allons, vous allez, ils vont.
à + town (à Paris), en + feminine country (en France).
au + masculine country (au Portugal), aux + plural country (aux États-Unis).
Most countries ending in -e are feminine; le Mexique is the famous exception.

How you travel — transport with en and à

Use en for vehicles you sit inside and à for ones you sit on.

To say how you travel, French uses two little words: en (by/in) and à (by/on). The rule of thumb is delightfully physical:

en = you travel inside the vehicle.
à = you travel on/astride it.

French	Pronunciation	English
en voiture	on vwa-TÜR	by car
en train	on tran	by train
en avion	on-a-VYON	by plane
en bus / en car	on büss / on kar	by bus / by coach
en bateau	on ba-TO	by boat
en métro	on may-TRO	by underground
à pied	a pyay	on foot
à vélo / à bicyclette	a vay-LO	by bike

Pair these with aller to make a complete sentence: Je vais à l'école en bus. (I go to school by bus.) For holidays: Nous voyageons en avion. (We travel by plane.)

Useful travel nouns and verbs.

French	Pronunciation	English
voyager	vwa-ya-ZHAY	to travel
partir (en vacances)	par-TEER	to leave / set off
arriver	a-ree-VAY	to arrive
réserver	ray-zair-VAY	to book/reserve
le billet	luh bee-YAY	the ticket
l'aéroport (m)	la-ay-ro-POR	the airport
la gare	la gar	the (train) station
la valise	la va-LEEZ	the suitcase

Worked mini-example. "We go to Italy by plane and then we travel by train." Italy is feminine → en Italie. Result: Nous allons en Italie en avion, puis nous voyageons en train. (Note puis = then — a handy connective.)

en for vehicles you sit inside: en voiture, en train, en avion, en bus.
à for ones you sit on: à pied (on foot), à vélo (by bike).
Travel verbs: voyager, partir, arriver, réserver.
Travel nouns: le billet (ticket), la gare (station), l'aéroport, la valise (suitcase).

Opinions with reasons and connectives

Top marks come from opinion + reason, joined with connectives.

Examiners reward you for going beyond bare facts. The formula is simple: opinion verb + noun/activity + parce que (because) + reason.

Opinion starters.

French	Pronunciation	English
j'aime	zhem	I like
j'adore	zha-DOR	I love
je préfère	zhuh pray-FAIR	I prefer
je n'aime pas	zhuh nem pa	I don't like
je déteste	zhuh day-TEST	I hate
à mon avis	a mon-a-VEE	in my opinion

Reason words (adjectives — note c'est = it is).

French	Pronunciation	English
c'est relaxant	say ruh-la-KSON	it's relaxing
c'est intéressant	say an-tay-ress-ON	it's interesting
c'est ennuyeux	say on-nwee-YUH	it's boring
c'est cher	say shair	it's expensive
c'est amusant	say a-mü-ZON	it's fun
c'est fatigant	say fa-tee-GON	it's tiring

Connectives (joining words) lift your level.

French	English
parce que	because
car	because/for
mais	but
et	and
aussi	also
par contre	on the other hand

Worked mini-example. Build a high-scoring sentence step by step. Opinion: j'adore (I love). Activity: les vacances à la montagne (mountain holidays). Connective + reason: parce que c'est magnifique mais c'est fatigant (because it's wonderful but it's tiring). Full sentence: J'adore les vacances à la montagne parce que c'est magnifique, mais c'est aussi fatigant. (I love mountain holidays because it's wonderful, but it's also tiring.) Two opinions, two connectives — that is Speaking-paper gold.

Formula: opinion + activity + parce que + reason.
Opinions: j'aime, j'adore, je préfère, je n'aime pas, je déteste.
Reasons use c'est + adjective: c'est relaxant / intéressant / cher / ennuyeux.
Connectives lift your mark: parce que, mais, aussi, par contre.

Past and future holidays — passé composé and the near future

Use the passé composé for last holiday and aller + infinitive for the next one.

Holiday questions love time travel: examiners ask what you did last year and what you will do next year. You need two simple tenses.

Talking about a PAST holiday — the passé composé. Most verbs form the past with avoir (to have) + a past participle:

French	Pronunciation	English
j'ai visité	zhay vee-zee-TAY	I visited
j'ai mangé	zhay mon-ZHAY	I ate
j'ai nagé	zhay na-ZHAY	I swam
j'ai acheté	zhay ash-TAY	I bought

A small group of movement verbs use être (to be) instead, and the participle then agrees (add -e if you are female):

French	English
je suis allé(e)	I went
je suis resté(e)	I stayed
je suis parti(e)	I left/set off

To describe what it was like, use c'était (it was): c'était génial (it was great), c'était nul (it was rubbish).

L'année dernière, je suis allé en Espagne et j'ai visité Barcelone. C'était magnifique ! (Last year I went to Spain and visited Barcelona. It was wonderful!)

Talking about a FUTURE holiday — the near future (aller + infinitive). This is the easiest future: take aller (to go) + a verb in the infinitive.

French	English
je vais voyager	I am going to travel
je vais rester	I am going to stay
je vais visiter	I am going to visit

L'année prochaine, je vais aller en Italie et je vais visiter Rome. (Next year I'm going to go to Italy and visit Rome.)

To say what you would like to do (ideal holiday), use je voudrais (I would like) + infinitive: je voudrais aller au Japon (I would like to go to Japan).

Worked mini-example. Answer "Where did you go last year and where will you go next year?" in one breath: L'année dernière, je suis allé(e) à la mer, mais l'année prochaine, je vais aller à la montagne. (Last year I went to the seaside, but next year I'm going to go to the mountains.) Past + future + a connective = a top-band answer.

Past (passé composé): avoir + participle — j'ai visité, j'ai mangé.
Movement verbs use être and agree: je suis allé(e), je suis resté(e).
Describe the past with c'était (it was): c'était génial / nul.
Near future: aller + infinitive — je vais voyager, je vais visiter.
Ideal holiday: je voudrais (I would like) + infinitive.

Reusable question-and-answer frames for Speaking and Writing

Memorise these question shapes and slot your own words in.

The Speaking and Writing papers on this theme recycle the same handful of questions. Learn the question, and prepare one strong answer you can adapt.

Question (French)	English	Your answer frame
Où vas-tu en vacances ?	Where do you go on holiday?	Je vais ... (à / en / au / aux) ...
Avec qui ?	Who with?	Je pars avec ma famille / mes amis.
Comment voyages-tu ?	How do you travel?	Je voyage en ... (avion / train / voiture).
Où loges-tu ?	Where do you stay?	Je loge dans un hôtel / un camping.
Qu'est-ce que tu fais ?	What do you do?	Je nage, je visite ... et je me repose.
Quel temps fait-il ?	What's the weather like?	Il fait beau / chaud / mauvais.
Qu'est-ce que tu préfères ?	What do you prefer?	Je préfère ... parce que c'est ...
Qu'as-tu fait l'année dernière ?	What did you do last year?	Je suis allé(e) ... et j'ai visité ...

A full model paragraph (Writing). Normalement, je vais en vacances à la mer avec ma famille. Nous voyageons en voiture et nous logeons dans un hôtel près de la plage. J'adore nager et bronzer parce que c'est relaxant. L'année dernière, je suis allé(e) en Espagne et c'était magnifique. L'année prochaine, je voudrais visiter l'Italie.

(Normally, I go on holiday to the seaside with my family. We travel by car and stay in a hotel near the beach. I love swimming and sunbathing because it's relaxing. Last year I went to Spain and it was wonderful. Next year I would like to visit Italy.)

Notice this single paragraph hits present, past and future, includes opinions with reasons, and answers five of the eight frame questions at once.

Worked mini-example. Take the frame Comment voyages-tu ? and personalise it: Je voyage en train parce que c'est rapide et confortable. (I travel by train because it's fast and comfortable.) Always add a reason — never answer in just two words.

The same questions repeat: where, who with, how, where you stay, what you do, weather, preference, past.
Prepare ONE adaptable answer per frame and rehearse it aloud.
A strong paragraph weaves present + past + future together.
Always extend a short answer with a reason (parce que c'est ...).

Quick recap

Les vacances (holidays) is plural and feminine; key destinations are la mer, la montagne, la campagne and l'étranger (abroad).
Use aller + à (town), en (feminine country), au (masculine country), aux (plural country) to say where you go.
Travel with en inside a vehicle (en train, en avion) and à on one (à pied, à vélo).
Give opinions with j'aime / je préfère / je déteste + activity + parce que + reason (c'est relaxant).
Lift your level with connectives: parce que, mais, aussi, par contre.
Past holidays = passé composé (j'ai visité, je suis allé(e)) plus c'était; future = je vais + infinitive and je voudrais.
Learn the recurring Q&A frames (where, how, who with, what you do) and prepare one strong, extendable answer each.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

les vacances (lay va-KONSS) = the holidays (plural, feminine).
je vais à Paris / en France / au Portugal / aux États-Unis = I go to a town / fem. country / masc. country / plural country.
en voiture, en train, en avion = by car / train / plane; à pied, à vélo = on foot / by bike.
Destinations: à la mer (seaside), à la montagne (mountains), à la campagne (countryside).
Accommodation: un hôtel, une auberge de jeunesse, un camping, un gîte.
j'aime / je préfère / je déteste ... parce que c'est relaxant / cher / ennuyeux.
Past: je suis allé(e) (I went), j'ai visité (I visited), c'était génial (it was great).
Future: je vais voyager (I'm going to travel), je voudrais aller au Japon (I'd like to go to Japan).
Frames: Où vas-tu en vacances ? · Comment voyages-tu ? · Où loges-tu ?

How it’s examined

Holidays and tourist destinations is a core 'world around us' theme and appears across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Short dialogues and announcements about travel plans, train/plane times, accommodation and opinions. Listen for the destination preposition (en / au / aux), transport (en train vs en avion) and opinion words that flip an answer (j'aime vs je n'aime pas).
Paper 2 (Reading): Holiday brochures, blogs and emails. You match opinions to people, identify where someone went and how, and decode accommodation vocabulary. Cognates help (hôtel, camping, réserver).
Paper 3 (Speaking): The role-play and conversation regularly cover holidays. Expect Où vas-tu en vacances ?, Comment voyages-tu ? and Qu'as-tu fait l'année dernière ?. Marks come from communication, range (present + past + future) and giving opinions with reasons.
Paper 4 (Writing): A typical task asks for a message or short text about a holiday, requiring you to describe, give opinions and refer to past and future. Accurate prepositions (en France), tenses (je suis allé(e)) and accents score the accuracy marks.

Examiner reports note that stronger candidates develop answers (adding who with, how and why) and handle three time frames, while weaker ones give bare one-word destinations and forget opinions.

Sources: Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 Syllabus 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Paper 3 (Speaking) & Paper 4 (Writing) Specimen 2025-2027; Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports 2022-2024. Last reviewed 2026-06-02.

Take this whole topic with you

Step-by-step worked examples — Holidays and tourist destinations

Step-by-step solutions to past-paper-style questions on holidays and tourist destinations, written exactly the way a tutor would explain them at the board.

1Choose à, en, au or aux for a destination
Getting started
Question
Complete each gap with à, en, au or aux: Je vais ___ Paris. Ma sœur va ___ France. Mon ami va ___ Portugal. Mes cousins vont ___ États-Unis.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Paris is a town → use à. Towns and cities always take à: à Paris.
2. Step 2
  France is a feminine country (ends in -e) → use en: en France.
3. Step 3
  Portugal is a masculine country → use au: au Portugal.
4. Step 4
  États-Unis is plural → use aux: aux États-Unis (note the liaison: oh-zay-ta-ZÜ-nee).
Answer
Je vais à Paris. Ma sœur va en France. Mon ami va au Portugal. Mes cousins vont aux États-Unis.
Examiner tip
Preposition choice is a quick, reliable accuracy mark in Papers 2 and 4. The fastest rule: town = à, feminine country (mostly -e) = en, masculine country = au, plural country = aux. Memorise le Mexique as the main -e exception.
2Describe how you travel with en and à
Getting started
Question
Translate into French, choosing en or à correctly: 'I go to school by bus, but on holiday I travel by plane and then by bike.'
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  'by bus' = en bus. A bus is something you sit inside, so use en. 'I go to school' = je vais à l'école.
2. Step 2
  'by plane' = en avion. Also a vehicle you sit inside → en. 'on holiday' = en vacances.
3. Step 3
  'by bike' = à vélo. A bike is one you sit on/astride, so use à, not en. 'then' = puis.
Answer
Je vais à l'école en bus, mais en vacances je voyage en avion, puis à vélo.
Examiner tip
Use en for vehicles you ride inside (en bus, en avion, en train) and à for those you sit on (à pied, à vélo). English-style par or avec is wrong here and is a common Paper 4 error.
3Build an opinion with a reason and a connective
Building confidence
Question
Turn this bare fact into a high-scoring opinion sentence: Je vais à la plage. (I go to the beach.) Add an opinion, a reason and a connective.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Add an opinion verb. Swap the plain je vais for an opinion: j'adore les vacances à la plage (I love beach holidays).
2. Step 2
  Add a reason with parce que. parce que c'est relaxant (because it's relaxing). Use c'est + adjective.
3. Step 3
  Add a connective and a second idea for range: mais c'est parfois cher (but it's sometimes expensive). mais contrasts the two ideas.
Answer
J'adore les vacances à la plage parce que c'est relaxant, mais c'est parfois cher. (I love beach holidays because it's relaxing, but it's sometimes expensive.)
Examiner tip
Examiner reports repeatedly say opinions + reasons separate the mark bands. Never leave a fact bare: opinion + parce que + c'est + adjective + a contrasting connective (mais, par contre) reliably reaches the higher communication bands in Papers 3 and 4.
4Describe a past holiday in the passé composé
Building confidence
Question
Write, in French, what a female student did last summer: she went to Italy, visited Rome, and it was wonderful.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  'she went' uses être. aller is an être-verb, so the participle agrees with a female subject → elle est allée (extra -e).
2. Step 2
  'to Italy' = en Italie. Italy is feminine → en Italie.
3. Step 3
  'visited Rome' uses avoir. visiter takes avoir: elle a visité Rome (no agreement with avoir here).
4. Step 4
  'it was wonderful' = c'était magnifique. Use c'était (it was) for the description, plus a time phrase l'été dernier (last summer).
Answer
L'été dernier, elle est allée en Italie et elle a visité Rome. C'était magnifique !
Examiner tip
Two things score: the être/avoir split (est allée vs a visité) and the agreement -e on allée for a female subject. Adding c'était + adjective gives the past description marks examiners look for in Paper 4.
5Answer across past, present and future in one turn
Stretch
Question
Speaking answer to Parle-moi de tes vacances. (Tell me about your holidays.) Produce a short answer (male candidate) using past, present and future.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Present (what you normally do). Normalement, je vais à la mer avec ma famille. (Normally I go to the seaside with my family.)
2. Step 2
  Past (last year) with être/avoir. L'année dernière, je suis allé en Espagne et j'ai nagé tous les jours. (Last year I went to Spain and swam every day.) Male subject → allé, no extra -e.
3. Step 3
  Future (next year) with aller + infinitive or je voudrais. L'année prochaine, je voudrais visiter le Maroc. (Next year I'd like to visit Morocco — masculine country, but with visiter + le Maroc no preposition issue arises.)
4. Step 4
  Add an opinion + reason to seal the top band: parce que j'adore voyager (because I love travelling).
Answer
Normalement, je vais à la mer avec ma famille. L'année dernière, je suis allé en Espagne et j'ai nagé tous les jours, c'était génial. L'année prochaine, je voudrais visiter le Maroc parce que j'adore voyager.
Examiner tip
Handling three time frames in one turn is the single clearest way to reach the highest band in Paper 3. Note the consistent male agreement (allé), the être/avoir contrast, and the opinion + reason at the end. Female candidates would write allée.

Model Answers — Holidays and tourist destinations

High-scoring sample answers for holidays and tourist destinations on the Cambridge IGCSE 0520 paper, with examiner-style notes mapping each response to the mark scheme and assessment objectives.

Question 1
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. The examiner asks: Où vas-tu en vacances et avec qui ? (Where do you go on holiday and who with?) Give a developed model answer.
Model answer
Normalement, je vais en vacances à la montagne avec mes parents et mon frère. (Normally, I go on holiday to the mountains with my parents and my brother.)

Nous voyageons en voiture parce que c'est pratique, et nous logeons dans un gîte. (We travel by car because it's practical, and we stay in a holiday cottage.)

J'aime beaucoup la montagne car c'est tranquille et magnifique. (I really like the mountains because it's peaceful and wonderful.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It answers the question and then develops without being asked — adding transport (en voiture), accommodation (un gîte) and an opinion with two reasons (tranquille et magnifique). Two connectives (parce que, car) and accurate prepositions (à la montagne, en voiture) push it into the higher communication and range bands.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Write a short message describing your last holiday and your plans for the next one (female candidate).
Model answer
L'année dernière, je suis allée en France avec ma famille. Nous avons voyagé en train et nous avons logé dans un hôtel près de la plage. (Last year I went to France with my family. We travelled by train and stayed in a hotel near the beach.)

J'ai nagé, j'ai bronzé et j'ai visité un musée. C'était relaxant ! (I swam, sunbathed and visited a museum. It was relaxing!)

L'année prochaine, je vais aller en Italie et je voudrais visiter Rome. (Next year I'm going to go to Italy and I'd like to visit Rome.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It covers past (je suis allée, nous avons voyagé) and future (je vais aller, je voudrais visiter), uses correct être/avoir and the female agreement allée, and includes an opinion (c'était relaxant). Accurate accents (musée, près) and prepositions (en France, en Italie) secure the accuracy marks.
Question 3
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. The examiner asks: Comment préfères-tu voyager ? (How do you prefer to travel?) Give a model answer with a reason and a comparison.
Model answer
Je préfère voyager en avion parce que c'est rapide. (I prefer to travel by plane because it's fast.)

Je n'aime pas voyager en voiture car c'est fatigant et long. (I don't like travelling by car because it's tiring and long.)

Par contre, j'aime bien le train : c'est confortable et on peut regarder le paysage. (On the other hand, I quite like the train: it's comfortable and you can watch the scenery.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It gives a clear preference plus a contrast (par contre), uses three transport phrases correctly (en avion, en voiture, le train), and supports each with a reason. The range of connectives (parce que, car, par contre) and the negative je n'aime pas show the structural variety examiners reward.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Holidays and tourist destinations

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for holidays and tourist destinations answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

les vacances
Examiner keyword
The holidays. Always plural and feminine; there is no everyday singular for 'a holiday' in this sense.
Example
les grandes vacances — the summer holidays; partir en vacances — to go on holiday.
aller (à / en / au / aux)
Examiner keyword
To go. The verb for destinations; the word for 'to' changes with the place: à (town), en (feminine country), au (masculine country), aux (plural country).
Example
je vais à Nice / en France / au Portugal / aux États-Unis.
en (voiture / train / avion)
Examiner keyword
By/in, used for transport you sit inside. Pairs with most vehicles.
Example
en voiture (by car), en train (by train), en avion (by plane).
à pied / à vélo
On foot / by bike. The preposition à is used for transport you sit on or do with your body.
Example
Je vais à l'école à pied. — I walk to school. à vélo — by bike.
loger / le logement
To stay/lodge / accommodation. Use it to say where you sleep on holiday.
Example
Je loge dans un hôtel. — I'm staying in a hotel; une auberge de jeunesse — a youth hostel.
parce que
Examiner keyword
Because — the key connective for giving a reason after an opinion. Followed by c'est + adjective or a full clause.
Example
J'aime la plage parce que c'est relaxant. — I like the beach because it's relaxing.
c'était
Examiner keyword
It was — used to describe what a past holiday was like, with an adjective.
Example
c'était génial (it was great); c'était nul (it was rubbish).
je suis allé(e)
Examiner keyword
I went (passé composé of aller). Uses être, so the participle agrees: add -e for a female subject.
Example
je suis allé (male) / je suis allée (female) — I went; je suis resté(e) — I stayed.
je vais + infinitif
Examiner keyword
The near future: aller in the present + a verb in the infinitive, meaning 'I am going to ...'.
Example
je vais voyager (I'm going to travel); je vais visiter Rome (I'm going to visit Rome).
je voudrais
I would like (conditional of vouloir). Followed by an infinitive; perfect for an ideal or planned holiday.
Example
je voudrais aller au Japon — I would like to go to Japan.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Holidays and tourist destinations

The traps other students keep falling into on holidays and tourist destinations questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using the wrong word for 'to' a country (à France instead of en France)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English uses one word, 'to', for every place, so learners copy à everywhere.
How to avoid it
Sort the place first: town → à, feminine country (mostly -e) → en, masculine country → au, plural country → aux. Learn en France, au Portugal, aux États-Unis as fixed chunks.
✕Saying par voiture or avec le train for 'by car/train'
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
Learners translate English 'by'/'with' word for word.
How to avoid it
Use en for vehicles you ride inside (en voiture, en train, en avion) and à only for à pied and à vélo. Drill these as set phrases.
✕Writing la vacance (singular) for 'the holiday'
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
English 'holiday' is singular, so beginners drop the plural -s.
How to avoid it
Always use les vacances (plural, feminine). Say it as a single chunk: en vacances, les grandes vacances, partir en vacances.
✕Forgetting the past-participle agreement: je suis allé written by a female candidate
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
Learners forget that être-verbs agree with the subject in the passé composé.
How to avoid it
With être-verbs (aller, rester, partir, arriver), add -e if you are female: je suis allée. Decide on être or avoir first, then check the agreement.
✕Giving bare one-word answers with no opinion or reason
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication
Why it happens
Beginners answer literally and stop, instead of developing the response.
How to avoid it
Always extend: add who with, how you travel and an opinion + parce que + reason. Aim for at least two clauses joined by a connective in every answer.
✕Confusing je vais (I go / I'm going to) with j'ai (I have)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 3 & 4
Why it happens
Both are short, common verbs and learners mix up aller and avoir.
How to avoid it
je vais = from aller (going somewhere or near future); j'ai = from avoir (I have / used to build the past j'ai visité). Practise the two side by side.

Holidays and tourist destinations

Detailed Study Notes

At a glance

What you’ll learn

Quick recap

Memorise this

How it’s examined

Take this whole topic with you

1Choose à, en, au or aux for a destination

2Describe how you travel with en and à

3Build an opinion with a reason and a connective

4Describe a past holiday in the passé composé

5Answer across past, present and future in one turn

les vacances

aller (à / en / au / aux)

en (voiture / train / avion)

à pied / à vélo

loger / le logement

parce que

c'était

je suis allé(e)

je vais + infinitif

je voudrais

✕Using the wrong word for 'to' a country (à France instead of en France)

✕Saying par voiture or avec le train for 'by car/train'

✕Writing la vacance (singular) for 'the holiday'

✕Forgetting the past-participle agreement: je suis allé written by a female candidate

✕Giving bare one-word answers with no opinion or reason

✕Confusing je vais (I go / I'm going to) with j'ai (I have)