How do you say “Hit the road” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is prendre la route, which literally means “to take the road”. English speakers use hit the road to mean to leave a place or begin a journey. 'Prendre la route' is the standard, everyday phrase native speakers use when leaving or starting a journey. For a more informal or traveler tone, 'tailler la route' is also widely understood. It is neutral, informal and common in everyday French.
Closest natural French
prendre la route
/pʁɑ̃dʁ la ʁut/
- Literal meaning
- “to take the road”
- Register
- neutral, informal
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Near-exact equivalent
90 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
In English, "hit the road" is a punchy, informal staple used either to signal departure on a long drive or simply to announce that it is time to leave somewhere. In French, the most universal equivalent for setting off on a trip is "prendre la route." While slightly more neutral in tone than its colorful English counterpart, it fits into almost all the exact same everyday travel contexts.
To mirror the casual, colloquial flavor of "hit the road," French speakers adapt their phrasing depending on the nuance. For an adventurous or rebellious journey, "tailler la route" provides a close stylistic match. If the focus is simply on leaving a party or social gathering rather than embarking on a physical highway trip, informal verbs like "décoller" (literally to take off) or "lever le camp" (to pack up camp) are far more natural choices.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity3 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
tailler la route
Literally: “to carve the road”
More informal, often used in hitchhiking, backpacking, or counter-culture contexts
décoller
Literally: “to take off”
Very common informal synonym used when leaving a gathering or place
se mettre en route
Literally: “to put oneself on the way”
A neutral alternative focusing on setting off on a journey
Don't translate it literally
frapper la route
A nonsensical word-for-word translation of 'hit the road' that means literally punching the pavement
Word-for-word versions like these are understood as literal statements in French, not as expressions.
In context
English
It's getting late, we should probably hit the road.
French
Il commence à se faire tard, on devrait sans doute prendre la route.
English
Pack your bags, we hit the road at dawn!
French
Fais tes valises, on prend la route à l'aube !
Related expressions
Last reviewed 2026-09-11