Why is "Using avoir with aller (writing 'j'ai allé' instead of 'je suis allé')" a common mistake in Tourism at home and abroad?

Why it happens: Beginners apply the most common pattern — *avoir* + participle — to every verb, not realising *aller* belongs to the small être group. How to avoid it: Learn the être verbs as a set (aller, venir, partir, arriver, rester, rentrer, etc.). For *aller* always say **je suis allé(e)**, and remember the agreement: add -e for a female speaker. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), tense accuracy

Why is "Using à with a country (saying 'à France' or 'à Portugal')" a common mistake in Tourism at home and abroad?

Why it happens: English uses 'to' for everywhere, so learners reach for the single word *à*. How to avoid it: For countries, switch to *en* (feminine), *au* (masculine) or *aux* (plural): *en France*, *au Portugal*, *aux États-Unis*. Keep *à* only for towns (*à Paris*). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 2 & 4

Why is "Using en instead of à for on-foot and by-bike travel ('en pied', 'en vélo')" a common mistake in Tourism at home and abroad?

Why it happens: Most transport uses *en*, so learners over-apply it to walking and cycling. How to avoid it: Memorise the two exceptions: **à pied** (on foot) and **à vélo** (by bike). Everything you sit inside keeps *en* (en train, en voiture, en avion). Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)

Why is "Putting a conjugated verb after 'je vais' (saying 'je vais je voyage')" a common mistake in Tourism at home and abroad?

Why it happens: Learners forget that the near future needs the infinitive and conjugate the second verb too. How to avoid it: After *je vais*, use the plain infinitive: **je vais voyager** (I am going to travel), **je vais prendre** (I am going to take). Only the *aller* part is conjugated. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)

Why is "Giving undeveloped, one-word answers without an opinion or reason" a common mistake in Tourism at home and abroad?

Why it happens: Beginners answer the literal question (*la mer*) without extending it. How to avoid it: Always extend: add an opinion + *parce que* + a reason, and ideally a *mais* + a downside. Aim for a full sentence: *Je préfère la mer parce que j'adore nager, mais c'est cher.* Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication

Why is "Dropping accents on common travel words (hotel for hôtel, prefere for préfère)" a common mistake in Tourism at home and abroad?

Why it happens: English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional. How to avoid it: Treat the accent as part of the spelling. Learn high-frequency accented travel words by heart: *hôtel*, *l'été*, *préfère*, *à l'étranger*, *États-Unis*. Source: Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy

Topic Area 5 - The International WorldCambridge IGCSE French (0520)

Tourism at home and abroad

Work through the notes, try the practice questions, then take the quiz. The report tells you exactly what to revise next.

PreviousNext

Learn this Topic

Start with the slides for the quick version, then go deeper with the full study notes.

Detailed Notes

Full prose, callouts and a recap — built for A* mastery, not just a quick scan.

Take these study notes with you

Download a branded PDF — full prose, callouts, recap and memorise list for Tourism at home and abroad, ready to print or save offline.

Tourism at home and abroad — French travel, holidays and transport vocabulary — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

Everything you need to talk about holidays, travel, transport and accommodation in French: themed vocabulary tables with pronunciation, the key verbs, ready-made opinion frames and question→answer patterns you can reuse across Speaking and Writing. Beginner-friendly, with every French word glossed in English.

At a glance

This is the International World travel theme: holidays (les vacances — the holidays), transport (les transports — transport), accommodation (le logement — accommodation) and what you do on a trip.
Two verbs power the whole topic: aller (to go) for transport and destinations, and prendre (to take) for catching a train, bus or plane.
To go to a country, the preposition changes with gender: en France (to/in France, feminine), au Portugal (to/in Portugal, masculine), aux États-Unis (to/in the USA, plural).
Past holidays use the passé composé (perfect tense): j'ai visité (I visited), je suis allé(e) (I went) — note aller takes être and agrees with the subject.
Future or planned holidays use aller + infinitive: je vais voyager (I am going to travel), on va rester (we are going to stay).
Opinions + a reason + a connective are where the marks are: J'adore la plage parce que c'est relaxant (I love the beach because it's relaxing).
Useful holiday types: à la mer (to the seaside), à la montagne (to the mountains), à la campagne (in the countryside), en ville (in town), à l'étranger (abroad).
Accents and gender matter: à l'hôtel (at the hotel), une auberge de jeunesse (a youth hostel), séjour (stay) — drop an accent and you lose accuracy marks in Paper 4.

What you’ll learn

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

Use a core bank of holiday, travel, transport and accommodation vocabulary with correct gender and spelling.
Say where you are going using aller and the correct preposition for towns, countries and types of place.
Describe transport using prendre and en / à (en train, à pied).
Talk about a past holiday in the passé composé, including aller with être and agreement.
Talk about a future or dream holiday using aller + infinitive and the simple future.
Give opinions about holidays with a reason and a connective (parce que, car, mais).
Reuse question→answer frames to handle holiday topics in the Speaking and Writing papers.
Show cultural awareness of French-speaking holiday destinations and travel customs.

Core holiday and travel vocabulary

The essential nouns for holidays, places and accommodation — with gender and pronunciation.

Vocabulary is the engine of this topic. Learn each word with its article (le, la, un, une) so you also learn its gender — the gender controls later spelling and agreement.

Holidays and types of trip.

French	Pronunciation	English
les vacances (f, pl)	lay va-KONSS	the holidays
un voyage	uhn vwa-YAZH	a journey / trip
un séjour	uhn say-ZHOOR	a stay
le tourisme	luh too-REESM	tourism
un touriste	uhn too-REEST	a tourist
à la mer	a la mair	to/at the seaside
à la montagne	a la mon-TA-nyuh	to/in the mountains
à la campagne	a la kom-PA-nyuh	in the countryside
en ville	on veel	in town
à l'étranger	a lay-tron-ZHAY	abroad

Accommodation — le logement (accommodation).

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
une chambre	ün SHONBR	a room
une tente	ün TONT	a tent
un gîte	uhn ZHEET	a holiday cottage

At the destination.

French	Pronunciation	English
la plage	la PLAZH	the beach
le soleil	luh so-LAY	the sun
la valise	la va-LEEZ	the suitcase
le passeport	luh pass-POR	the passport
l'office de tourisme (m)	lo-FEESS duh too-REESM	the tourist office
une carte	ün kart	a map / card

Worked mini-example. To say "I am going on holiday to the seaside" you build it from blocks: Je vais (I am going) + en vacances (on holiday) + à la mer (to the seaside) → Je vais en vacances à la mer. Notice vacances is always plural and feminine, so it is les vacances, never la vacance in this sense.

Always learn a noun with its article so you learn the gender: un hôtel, une chambre.
les vacances (holidays) is feminine and always plural.
Holiday types use à la / en: à la mer, à la montagne, en ville.
à l'étranger = abroad (note the elision: à + le étranger → à l'étranger).

Going places — aller and the country prepositions

Use aller (to go), then pick en / au / aux for the country and à for towns.

Pick the preposition after aller: à for towns, en/au/aux for countries by gender and number.

The verb aller (to go) is irregular and you must know it cold:

French	Pronunciation	English
je vais	zhuh vay	I go / I am going
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

Once you have the verb, you pick the little linking word for the destination:

A town → à: Je vais à Paris (I am going to Paris), à Londres (to London).
A feminine country → en: en France (to/in France), en Espagne (to Spain), en Italie (to Italy). Most countries ending in -e are feminine.
A masculine country → au: au Portugal (to Portugal), au Canada (to Canada), au Maroc (to Morocco).
A plural country → aux: aux États-Unis (to the USA), aux Pays-Bas (to the Netherlands).

Worked mini-example. "We are going to Spain" → Spain (l'Espagne) ends in -e, so it is feminine → use en → Nous allons en Espagne. "They are going to Canada" → le Canada is masculine → use au → Ils vont au Canada.

Memorise aller: je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont.
Town → à (à Paris); feminine country → en (en France).
Masculine country → au (au Portugal); plural country → aux (aux États-Unis).
Rule of thumb: countries ending in -e are usually feminine (use en).

Transport — prendre, en and à

Say how you travel with prendre (to take) and the right preposition: en train, à pied.

Talking about how you travel uses two patterns. The default preposition is en (by, when you are inside the vehicle), but two on-your-own-body modes use à.

French	Pronunciation	English
en train	on tran	by train
en avion	on-na-VYON	by plane
en voiture	on vwa-TÜR	by car
en bus	on büss	by bus
en bateau	on ba-TOH	by boat
en métro	on may-TROH	by underground
à pied	a pyay	on foot
à vélo	a vay-LOH	by bike

The verb prendre (to take) is used for catching a service:

French	Pronunciation	English
je prends	zhuh pron	I take
tu prends	tü pron	you take
il / elle prend	eel / el pron	he/she takes
nous prenons	noo pruh-NON	we take
vous prenez	voo pruh-NAY	you take
ils / elles prennent	eel / el pren	they take

So you can say it two ways:

With the preposition: Je voyage en train. (I travel by train.)
With the verb: Je prends le train. (I take the train.)

Other travel words worth knowing: la gare (the train station), l'aéroport (m) (the airport), l'arrêt de bus (m) (the bus stop), un billet (a ticket), un aller-retour (a return ticket), partir (to leave), arriver (to arrive).

Worked mini-example. "I go to school by bike" → mode on your own body → use à → à vélo → Je vais à l'école à vélo. "We take the plane to go to Italy" → Nous prenons l'avion pour aller en Italie. (pour + infinitive = in order to.)

Inside a vehicle → en: en train, en voiture, en avion, en bus, en bateau.
On your own body → à: à pied (on foot), à vélo (by bike).
prendre (to take) catches a service: je prends le train.
pour + infinitive = 'in order to': pour aller en Italie (to go to Italy).

Talking about a past holiday — the passé composé

Use avoir or être + past participle: j'ai visité, je suis allé(e).

To describe a holiday you already had, use the passé composé (perfect tense). It has two parts: a helper verb (avoir — to have, or être — to be) in the present, plus the past participle of the main verb.

Most verbs take avoir.

French	Pronunciation	English
j'ai visité	zhay vee-zee-TAY	I visited
j'ai mangé	zhay mon-ZHAY	I ate
j'ai pris	zhay pree	I took
j'ai fait	zhay feh	I did / made
nous avons nagé	noo-za-VON na-ZHAY	we swam

So: J'ai visité un musée et j'ai mangé une glace. (I visited a museum and I ate an ice cream.)

A small group of movement verbs takes être — and the participle agrees with the subject.

French	English
je suis allé(e)	I went
je suis parti(e)	I left
je suis resté(e)	I stayed
nous sommes arrivé(e)s	we arrived

The (e) is added for a female speaker (je suis allée) and (s) for plural. A girl writes je suis allée; a boy writes je suis allé — both sound the same, but the spelling is marked in Writing.

Worked mini-example. A girl describing last summer: L'été dernier, je suis allée en France. J'ai visité Paris et j'ai pris le train. C'était génial ! (Last summer, I went to France. I visited Paris and I took the train. It was great!) Note allée (être verb, feminine -e), visité / pris (avoir verbs, no agreement with the subject), and c'était (it was) — your go-to past opinion.

Passé composé = helper (avoir/être) in the present + past participle.
Most verbs use avoir: j'ai visité, j'ai pris, j'ai fait.
Movement verbs like aller, partir, rester, arriver use être and agree: je suis allé(e).
c'était... (it was...) is the easiest way to give a past opinion (c'était génial — it was great).

Future and dream holidays — aller + infinitive

Use aller + infinitive for plans (je vais voyager) and the simple future for dreams.

For a holiday you are going to take, the easiest tense is the near future (futur proche): the verb aller (to go) in the present, plus an infinitive (the basic 'to ...' form of a verb).

aller (present) + infinitive

French	English
je vais voyager	I am going to travel
on va rester à l'hôtel	we are going to stay at the hotel
nous allons visiter	we are going to visit
tu vas prendre l'avion	you are going to take the plane

So: Cet été, je vais voyager en Espagne et je vais nager dans la mer. (This summer, I am going to travel to Spain and I am going to swim in the sea.) on (one / we) + va is a friendly, very common way to say "we".

The simple future (for "I will...") adds endings to the infinitive and is great for a dream holiday:

French	English
je voyagerai	I will travel
je visiterai	I will visit
j'irai (irregular, from aller)	I will go

So: Un jour, j'irai aux États-Unis et je visiterai New York. (One day, I will go to the USA and I will visit New York.)

Worked mini-example. Build a plan: L'année prochaine (next year) + je vais (I am going to) + aller à la montagne (go to the mountains) → L'année prochaine, je vais aller à la montagne pour faire du ski. (Next year I am going to go to the mountains to ski.) The double aller (going-to + go) is correct and natural.

Near future = aller (present) + infinitive: je vais voyager (I am going to travel).
on va... is a common, friendly 'we are going to...'.
Simple future ('I will') for dreams: je visiterai, and irregular j'irai (I will go).
Time markers: cet été (this summer), l'année prochaine (next year), un jour (one day).

Opinions, reasons and reusable question→answer frames

Combine an opinion + reason + connective, and learn frames you can drop into any holiday question.

The biggest, easiest marks come from giving an opinion, adding a reason, and joining them with a connective. Examiners reward this everywhere.

Opinion starters.

French	English
j'aime / j'adore	I like / I love
je préfère	I prefer
je n'aime pas	I don't like
à mon avis	in my opinion
je pense que	I think that

Connectives.

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

Reasons (adjectives). relaxant (relaxing), intéressant (interesting), fatigant (tiring), cher (expensive), ennuyeux (boring), amusant (fun).

Put them together:

J'adore la plage parce que c'est relaxant. (I love the beach because it's relaxing.)
Je préfère la montagne, mais c'est fatigant. (I prefer the mountains, but it's tiring.)

Reusable question→answer frames. Memorise the question and a model answer you can adapt:

Question	Model answer
Où vas-tu en vacances ? (Where do you go on holiday?)	Je vais en vacances en Espagne avec ma famille. (I go on holiday to Spain with my family.)
Comment voyages-tu ? (How do you travel?)	Je voyage en avion, c'est rapide. (I travel by plane, it's fast.)
Où as-tu logé ? (Where did you stay?)	J'ai logé dans un hôtel près de la plage. (I stayed in a hotel near the beach.)
Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ? (What did you do?)	J'ai nagé et j'ai visité un musée. (I swam and I visited a museum.)
Préfères-tu la mer ou la montagne ? (Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?)	Je préfère la mer parce que j'aime nager. (I prefer the sea because I like swimming.)

Worked mini-example. Asked Où vas-tu en vacances et pourquoi ? (Where do you go on holiday and why?), answer in one rich sentence: Je vais à la mer avec ma famille parce que j'adore le soleil, mais c'est cher. (I go to the seaside with my family because I love the sun, but it's expensive.) That single sentence shows a destination, who with, an opinion, a reason and a contrast — a full-marks shape.

Formula for marks: opinion + connective + reason (j'adore la plage parce que c'est relaxant).
Learn connectives: parce que / car (because), mais (but), aussi (also).
Keep a few reason-adjectives ready: relaxant, intéressant, fatigant, cher.
Memorise question→answer frames so a Speaking question never catches you out.

Quick recap

Learn holiday vocabulary with its article: les vacances (always plural, feminine), un hôtel, une chambre, à la mer, à l'étranger.
aller (to go) is the key verb; the destination word changes: à a town, en a feminine country, au a masculine country, aux a plural country.
Transport: en for vehicles you sit in (en train, en voiture), à for à pied (on foot) and à vélo (by bike); use prendre (to take) for services.
Past holidays use the passé composé: avoir for most verbs (j'ai visité), être with agreement for movement verbs (je suis allé(e)).
Future/dream holidays use aller + infinitive (je vais voyager) or the simple future (j'irai).
Marks come from opinion + reason + connective: J'adore la plage parce que c'est relaxant, mais c'est cher.
Reuse question→answer frames (Où vas-tu en vacances ? — Je vais en Espagne...) so Speaking and Writing tasks feel familiar.

Memorise this

Verbatim phrases and definitions Cambridge mark schemes credit.

les vacances (f, pl) = the holidays; un voyage = a trip; un séjour = a stay.
Places: à la mer (seaside), à la montagne (mountains), à la campagne (countryside), en ville (in town), à l'étranger (abroad).
aller: je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont.
Country prepositions: à Paris (town), en France (f), au Portugal (m), aux États-Unis (pl).
Transport: en train / en avion / en voiture / en bus; à pied (on foot), à vélo (by bike).
prendre: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent.
Past: j'ai visité (avoir) but je suis allé(e) (être, agrees).
Future: je vais voyager (going to) / j'irai (I will go).
Opinion: J'adore... parce que c'est relaxant ; connectives parce que, car, mais, aussi.
Accommodation: un hôtel, une auberge de jeunesse, un camping, une chambre.

How it’s examined

The travel and holidays theme appears across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Announcements at a station or airport, holiday plans and recorded opinions. Listen for transport words (en train, à pied), destinations (en Espagne, au Canada) and tense markers that tell you whether the holiday is past or future.
Paper 2 (Reading): Brochures, holiday adverts, hotel descriptions and travel blogs. Cognates help (l'hôtel → hotel, le passeport → passport), but watch gender and the en/au/aux country prepositions in gap-fill tasks.
Paper 3 (Speaking): A role-play (e.g. booking a hotel room, buying a ticket) and conversation about holidays you have taken and plan to take. The question→answer frames here are exactly the shapes examiners ask. Develop every answer with an opinion + reason.
Paper 4 (Writing): Describe a past holiday (passé composé, with je suis allé(e) agreement) and future plans (je vais...). Accuracy marks depend on correct verb tenses, en/au/aux, and accents (hôtel, l'été dernier, préfère).

Examiner reports note that candidates lose marks by using avoir with aller (j'ai allé instead of je suis allé), by using à with countries (à France), and by giving undeveloped one-word answers without opinions or reasons.

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.

Master this Topic

Worked examples, formulae, definitions and the mistakes examiners flag — everything you need to push from a pass to an A*.

Take this whole topic with you

Download a branded revision sheet — worked examples, formulae, definitions and common mistakes for Tourism at home and abroad, ready to print or save as PDF.

Step-by-step worked examples — Tourism at home and abroad

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

1Choose the right preposition: à, en, au or aux
Getting started
Question
Complete each sentence with the correct word for 'to/in': Je vais ___ France. Tu vas ___ Portugal. Nous allons ___ Paris. Ils vont ___ États-Unis. (I'm going to France / to Portugal / to Paris / to the USA.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  France is a feminine country (it ends in -e), so use en: en France.
2. Step 2
  le Portugal is masculine, so use au: au Portugal.
3. Step 3
  Paris is a town, not a country, so use à: à Paris.
4. Step 4
  les États-Unis is plural, so use aux: aux États-Unis.
Answer
Je vais en France. Tu vas au Portugal. Nous allons à Paris. Ils vont aux États-Unis.
Examiner tip
The en/au/aux choice is a favourite Paper 2 gap-fill. Rule of thumb: town → à; feminine country (usually ends in -e) → en; masculine country → au; plural country → aux. Using à with a country (à France) is a flagged accuracy error.
2Say how you travel with en or à
Getting started
Question
Fill the gaps with en or à: Je vais à l'école ___ vélo. Pour aller en France, je voyage ___ train. Le matin, je vais au parc ___ pied. (I go to school by bike / I travel by train / I go to the park on foot.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  vélo (bike) is something you ride on your own body, so it takes à: à vélo.
2. Step 2
  train is a vehicle you sit inside, so it takes en: en train.
3. Step 3
  pied (foot) is on your own body — walking — so it takes à: à pied.
Answer
Je vais à l'école à vélo. Pour aller en France, je voyage en train. Le matin, je vais au parc à pied.
Examiner tip
Remember the two exceptions: à pied (on foot) and à vélo (by bike). Everything you sit inside — train, car, plane, bus, boat — uses en. Saying en pied is a common beginner slip in Speaking.
3Describe a past holiday in the passé composé
Building confidence
Question
Put the verbs into the passé composé for a female speaker: L'été dernier, je (aller) en Italie. Je (visiter) Rome et je (manger) une pizza. C'(être) super. (Last summer I went to Italy. I visited Rome and ate a pizza. It was great.)
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  aller is an être verb, and the speaker is female, so the participle adds -e: je suis allée.
2. Step 2
  visiter takes avoir, and avoir verbs do not agree with the subject: j'ai visité.
3. Step 3
  manger also takes avoir: j'ai mangé.
4. Step 4
  For 'it was', use the imperfect of être: c'était (it was) — the natural past opinion phrase.
Answer
L'été dernier, je suis allée en Italie. J'ai visité Rome et j'ai mangé une pizza. C'était super.
Examiner tip
Two things win marks here: choosing être for aller (never j'ai allé) and adding the feminine -e agreement (allée) for a female writer. Mixing in c'était (it was) for the opinion lifts the answer above a plain narration.
4Talk about a future holiday with aller + infinitive
Building confidence
Question
Turn these notes into a near-future sentence: (this summer) / (I am going to travel) / (to Spain) / (and I am going to swim) / (in the sea).
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Start with the time marker: Cet été (this summer).
2. Step 2
  Near future = aller (present) + infinitive: je vais voyager (I am going to travel). Keep voyager in its plain 'to' form.
3. Step 3
  Spain is feminine, so 'to Spain' = en Espagne.
4. Step 4
  Add the second action the same way: je vais nager (I am going to swim) + dans la mer (in the sea).
Answer
Cet été, je vais voyager en Espagne et je vais nager dans la mer. (This summer, I am going to travel to Spain and I am going to swim in the sea.)
Examiner tip
The verb after je vais must be an infinitive (voyager, nager), not a conjugated form. Pairing a near-future answer with a past-tense answer shows the range of tenses Paper 4 rewards.
5Build a developed opinion answer
Stretch
Question
Answer the Speaking question Préfères-tu la mer ou la montagne ? Pourquoi ? (Do you prefer the sea or the mountains? Why?) in one rich sentence with an opinion, a reason and a contrast.
Step-by-step solution
1. Step 1
  Choose and state a preference: Je préfère la mer (I prefer the sea).
2. Step 2
  Add a reason with a connective: parce que j'adore nager (because I love swimming).
3. Step 3
  Add a contrast with mais (but) to show range: mais c'est cher (but it's expensive).
4. Step 4
  Check accents and agreement: préfère has two accents (è), adore needs none.
Answer
Je préfère la mer parce que j'adore nager, mais c'est cher. (I prefer the sea because I love swimming, but it's expensive.)
Examiner tip
A one-word answer (la mer) scores poorly. The mark scheme rewards a developed answer: opinion + parce que + reason + mais + a downside. This single sentence shows all of that. Watch the accents on préfère.

Model Answers — Tourism at home and abroad

High-scoring sample answers for tourism at home and abroad 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 with whom?). Give a developed model answer.
Model answer
Normalement, je vais en vacances à la mer avec ma famille. (Normally, I go on holiday to the seaside with my family.)

J'adore la plage parce que c'est relaxant et j'aime nager dans la mer. (I love the beach because it's relaxing and I like swimming in the sea.)

Mais parfois, c'est trop cher ! (But sometimes it's too expensive!)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It answers both parts of the question (where + with whom), then develops with an opinion (j'adore), a reason (parce que c'est relaxant) and a contrast (mais... c'est trop cher). The connectives and justification are exactly what the communication marks reward.
Question 2
Paper 4 (Writing) style. Describe a holiday you took last year (a female speaker). Write 2-3 sentences using the past tense.
Model answer
L'année dernière, je suis allée au Portugal avec mes parents. (Last year, I went to Portugal with my parents.)

Nous avons logé dans un hôtel près de la plage et j'ai visité un château. (We stayed in a hotel near the beach and I visited a castle.)

Il faisait très chaud et c'était génial ! (The weather was very hot and it was great!)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It correctly uses être with aller plus the feminine agreement (je suis allée), avoir for loger and visiter (avons logé, ai visité), and blends a touch of the imperfect for background (il faisait chaud). The accents on château and génial and the preposition au Portugal are all accurate.
Question 3
Paper 3 (Speaking) style. The examiner asks: Comment vas-tu voyager pendant les prochaines vacances ? (How are you going to travel during your next holiday?). Give a model answer.
Model answer
Pendant les prochaines vacances, je vais prendre l'avion pour aller en Espagne. (During my next holiday, I am going to take the plane to go to Spain.)

Je préfère voyager en avion parce que c'est rapide, mais à mon avis le train est plus confortable. (I prefer to travel by plane because it's fast, but in my opinion the train is more comfortable.)
Why this scores
Why this scores. It uses the near future correctly (je vais prendre — aller + infinitive), the right preposition (en avion, en Espagne), and a comparison with opinion (à mon avis... plus confortable). The pour aller (in order to go) construction is a natural, mark-earning extension.

Key Definitions and Keywords — Tourism at home and abroad

Definitions to memorise and the exact keywords mark schemes credit for tourism at home and abroad answers — sharpened from recent examiner reports for the 2026 0520 sitting.

les vacances (f, pl)
Examiner keyword
The holidays / a holiday. Always feminine and plural in this sense — never la vacance.
Example
Je pars en vacances en juillet. (I go on holiday in July.)
aller
Examiner keyword
To go — an irregular verb central to this topic: je vais, tu vas, il/elle va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont.
Example
Je vais à la plage. (I am going to the beach.)
en / au / aux (countries)
Examiner keyword
The word for 'to/in' a country: en for feminine countries, au for masculine, aux for plural. Towns use à.
Example
en France (f), au Portugal (m), aux États-Unis (pl), à Paris (town).
prendre
Examiner keyword
To take — used for catching transport: je prends, tu prends, il prend, nous prenons, vous prenez, ils prennent.
Example
Je prends le train. (I take the train.)
en / à (transport)
Examiner keyword
Say how you travel: en for vehicles you sit inside, à for à pied (on foot) and à vélo (by bike).
Example
en voiture (by car), en avion (by plane), à pied (on foot).
je suis allé(e)
Examiner keyword
I went — the passé composé of aller, which takes être and agrees with the subject (add -e for female, -s for plural).
Example
Je suis allée en Italie. (I (female) went to Italy.)
aller + infinitive
The near future: aller in the present + a plain infinitive, to say what you are going to do.
Example
Je vais voyager. (I am going to travel.)
j'ai visité
I visited — passé composé with avoir (used by most verbs); the participle does not agree with the subject.
Example
J'ai visité un musée. (I visited a museum.)
le logement
Accommodation. Key types: un hôtel (hotel), une auberge de jeunesse (youth hostel), un camping (campsite), un gîte (holiday cottage).
Example
Nous avons logé dans une auberge de jeunesse. (We stayed in a youth hostel.)
parce que / car
Examiner keyword
Because — the connective that turns a bare opinion into a developed, mark-earning answer.
Example
J'adore la plage parce que c'est relaxant. (I love the beach because it's relaxing.)

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions — Tourism at home and abroad

The traps other students keep falling into on tourism at home and abroad questions — taken from recent Cambridge IGCSE 0520 examiner reports and mark schemes — and how to avoid them.

✕Using avoir with aller (writing 'j'ai allé' instead of 'je suis allé')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), tense accuracy
Why it happens
Beginners apply the most common pattern — avoir + participle — to every verb, not realising aller belongs to the small être group.
How to avoid it
Learn the être verbs as a set (aller, venir, partir, arriver, rester, rentrer, etc.). For aller always say je suis allé(e), and remember the agreement: add -e for a female speaker.
✕Using à with a country (saying 'à France' or 'à Portugal')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Papers 2 & 4
Why it happens
English uses 'to' for everywhere, so learners reach for the single word à.
How to avoid it
For countries, switch to en (feminine), au (masculine) or aux (plural): en France, au Portugal, aux États-Unis. Keep à only for towns (à Paris).
✕Using en instead of à for on-foot and by-bike travel ('en pied', 'en vélo')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking)
Why it happens
Most transport uses en, so learners over-apply it to walking and cycling.
How to avoid it
Memorise the two exceptions: à pied (on foot) and à vélo (by bike). Everything you sit inside keeps en (en train, en voiture, en avion).
✕Putting a conjugated verb after 'je vais' (saying 'je vais je voyage')
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing)
Why it happens
Learners forget that the near future needs the infinitive and conjugate the second verb too.
How to avoid it
After je vais, use the plain infinitive: je vais voyager (I am going to travel), je vais prendre (I am going to take). Only the aller part is conjugated.
✕Giving undeveloped, one-word answers without an opinion or reason
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 3 (Speaking), communication
Why it happens
Beginners answer the literal question (la mer) without extending it.
How to avoid it
Always extend: add an opinion + parce que + a reason, and ideally a mais + a downside. Aim for a full sentence: Je préfère la mer parce que j'adore nager, mais c'est cher.
✕Dropping accents on common travel words (hotel for hôtel, prefere for préfère)
Cambridge 0520 Examiner Reports — Paper 4 (Writing), accuracy
Why it happens
English has no accents, so learners treat them as optional.
How to avoid it
Treat the accent as part of the spelling. Learn high-frequency accented travel words by heart: hôtel, l'été, préfère, à l'étranger, États-Unis.

Past paper style quiz

Get a report showing which sub-topics you've nailed and which ones still need work.

Tourism at home and abroad — French travel, holidays and transport vocabulary — Cambridge IGCSE French 0520 (2025-2027)

French

Pronunciation

English

les vacances (f, pl)

lay va-KONSS

the holidays

un voyage

uhn vwa-YAZH

a journey / trip

un séjour

uhn say-ZHOOR

a stay

le tourisme

luh too-REESM

tourism

un touriste

uhn too-REEST

a tourist

à la mer

a la mair

to/at the seaside

à la montagne

a la mon-TA-nyuh

to/in the mountains

à la campagne

a la kom-PA-nyuh

in the countryside

en ville

on veel

in town

à l'étranger

a lay-tron-ZHAY

abroad

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

une chambre

ün SHONBR

a room

une tente

ün TONT

a tent

un gîte

uhn ZHEET

a holiday cottage

French

Pronunciation

English

la plage

la PLAZH

the beach

le soleil

luh so-LAY

the sun

la valise

la va-LEEZ

the suitcase

le passeport

luh pass-POR

the passport

l'office de tourisme (m)

lo-FEESS duh too-REESM

the tourist office

une carte

ün kart

a map / card

French

Pronunciation

English

je vais

zhuh vay

I go / I am going

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

French

Pronunciation

English

en train

on tran

by train

en avion

on-na-VYON

by plane

en voiture

on vwa-TÜR

by car

en bus

on büss

by bus

en bateau

on ba-TOH

by boat

en métro

on may-TROH

by underground

à pied

a pyay

on foot

à vélo

a vay-LOH

by bike

French

Pronunciation

English

je prends

zhuh pron

I take

tu prends

tü pron

you take

il / elle prend

eel / el pron

he/she takes

nous prenons

noo pruh-NON

we take

vous prenez

voo pruh-NAY

you take

ils / elles prennent

eel / el pren

they take

French

Pronunciation

English

j'ai visité

zhay vee-zee-TAY

I visited

j'ai mangé

zhay mon-ZHAY

I ate

j'ai pris

zhay pree

I took

j'ai fait

zhay feh

I did / made

nous avons nagé

noo-za-VON na-ZHAY

we swam

French

English

je suis allé(e)

I went

je suis parti(e)

I left

je suis resté(e)

I stayed

nous sommes arrivé(e)s

we arrived

French

English

je vais voyager

I am going to travel

on va rester à l'hôtel

we are going to stay at the hotel

nous allons visiter

we are going to visit

tu vas prendre l'avion

you are going to take the plane

French

English

je voyagerai

I will travel

je visiterai

I will visit

j'irai (irregular, from aller)

I will go

French

English

j'aime / j'adore

I like / I love

je préfère

I prefer

je n'aime pas

I don't like

à mon avis

in my opinion

je pense que

I think that

French

English

parce que / car

because

mais

but

and

aussi

also

par contre

on the other hand

Question

Model answer

Où vas-tu en vacances ? (Where do you go on holiday?)

Je vais en vacances en Espagne avec ma famille. (I go on holiday to Spain with my family.)

Comment voyages-tu ? (How do you travel?)

Je voyage en avion, c'est rapide. (I travel by plane, it's fast.)

Où as-tu logé ? (Where did you stay?)

J'ai logé dans un hôtel près de la plage. (I stayed in a hotel near the beach.)

Qu'est-ce que tu as fait ? (What did you do?)

J'ai nagé et j'ai visité un musée. (I swam and I visited a museum.)

Préfères-tu la mer ou la montagne ? (Do you prefer the sea or the mountains?)

Je préfère la mer parce que j'aime nager. (I prefer the sea because I like swimming.)

The travel and holidays theme appears across all four papers of Cambridge IGCSE French 0520.

Paper 1 (Listening): Announcements at a station or airport, holiday plans and recorded opinions. Listen for transport words (en train, à pied), destinations (en Espagne, au Canada) and tense markers that tell you whether the holiday is past or future.
Paper 2 (Reading): Brochures, holiday adverts, hotel descriptions and travel blogs. Cognates help (l'hôtel → hotel, le passeport → passport), but watch gender and the en/au/aux country prepositions in gap-fill tasks.
Paper 3 (Speaking): A role-play (e.g. booking a hotel room, buying a ticket) and conversation about holidays you have taken and plan to take. The question→answer frames here are exactly the shapes examiners ask. Develop every answer with an opinion + reason.
Paper 4 (Writing): Describe a past holiday (passé composé, with je suis allé(e) agreement) and future plans (je vais...). Accuracy marks depend on correct verb tenses, en/au/aux, and accents (hôtel, l'été dernier, préfère).

Tourism at home and abroad

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the right preposition: à, en, au or aux

2Say how you travel with en or à

3Describe a past holiday in the passé composé

4Talk about a future holiday with aller + infinitive

5Build a developed opinion answer

les vacances (f, pl)

aller

en / au / aux (countries)

prendre

en / à (transport)

je suis allé(e)

aller + infinitive

j'ai visité

le logement

parce que / car

✕Using avoir with aller (writing 'j'ai allé' instead of 'je suis allé')

✕Using à with a country (saying 'à France' or 'à Portugal')

✕Using en instead of à for on-foot and by-bike travel ('en pied', 'en vélo')

✕Putting a conjugated verb after 'je vais' (saying 'je vais je voyage')

✕Giving undeveloped, one-word answers without an opinion or reason

✕Dropping accents on common travel words (hotel for hôtel, prefere for préfère)

Past paper style quiz

Tourism at home and abroad

Detailed Notes

What you’ll learn

How it’s examined

1Choose the right preposition: à, en, au or aux

2Say how you travel with en or à

3Describe a past holiday in the passé composé

4Talk about a future holiday with aller + infinitive

5Build a developed opinion answer

les vacances (f, pl)

aller

en / au / aux (countries)

prendre

en / à (transport)

je suis allé(e)

aller + infinitive

j'ai visité

le logement

parce que / car

✕Using avoir with aller (writing 'j'ai allé' instead of 'je suis allé')

✕Using à with a country (saying 'à France' or 'à Portugal')

✕Using en instead of à for on-foot and by-bike travel ('en pied', 'en vélo')

✕Putting a conjugated verb after 'je vais' (saying 'je vais je voyage')

✕Giving undeveloped, one-word answers without an opinion or reason

✕Dropping accents on common travel words (hotel for hôtel, prefere for préfère)

Past paper style quiz