How to Ask Opening Hours and Last Entry in French
Learn to ask when a French site opens and closes, say 'What are the opening hours?', and understand last entry before you buy tickets.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
When you visit a museum, château or ticket office in France, the first practical question is often about timing: when does it open, when does it close, and until what time can you still go in? This lesson gives you the exact French phrases for asking opening hours, closing time and last entry, so you can plan your visit and buy the right ticket with confidence.
By the end, you can…
- ask what the opening hours are
- ask what time a site opens and closes
- understand and ask about last entry
- check whether a site is open today
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?
What are the opening hours?
kel son lay zorɛʁ doo-vehr-TUHR
Standard, polite question. Use it at a ticket desk, tourist office or information point. 'Horaires' is plural in French even when you mean one schedule.
À quelle heure ça ouvre ?
What time does it open?
ah kel UHR sah OO-vruh
Very common in speech. 'Ça' refers to the site or place you are already talking about. Slightly informal but perfectly polite in everyday situations.
À quelle heure ça ferme ?
What time does it close?
ah kel UHR sah FEHRM
The natural partner to the previous question. Use 'fermer' for closing; do not confuse it with 'ouvrir' (to open).
C'est ouvert aujourd'hui ?
Is it open today?
say too-VEHR oh-zhoor-DWEE
Useful before you travel to a site. 'Ouvert' is the adjective; it agrees with the subject: 'la boutique est ouverte' (feminine).
C'est jusqu'à quelle heure ?
Until what time is it?
say zhoos-kah kel UHR
A flexible question. At a ticket office it usually means 'until what time can I enter or buy tickets?' Context makes the meaning clear.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The key pattern is 'À quelle heure... ?' (At what time...?). Add a verb in the present tense: 'À quelle heure ça ouvre ?' (What time does it open?), 'À quelle heure ça ferme ?' (What time does it close?). For a full schedule, use 'Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?' The answer often comes as 'De 9 h à 18 h' (from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.). In French, times use 'h': '9 h 30' means 9:30.
When to use it
Use 'Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?' when you want the whole schedule, for example at a tourist office. Use 'À quelle heure ça ferme ?' when you already know the place and only need the closing time. For last entry, ask 'C'est jusqu'à quelle heure ?' or 'La dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?' (What time is last entry?). If the answer is 'La dernière entrée est à 17 h', it means you cannot enter after 5 p.m., even if the site closes at 6 p.m.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Bonjour, quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?
Hello, what are the opening hours?bon-ZHOOR, kel son lay zorɛʁ doo-vehr-TUHRLe musée est ouvert de 9 h à 18 h.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.luh mew-ZAY ay too-VEHR duh nuhf UHR ah deez-weet UHREt la dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?
And what time is last entry?ay lah dehr-YEHR ahn-TRAY, say tah kel UHRLa dernière entrée est à 17 h 15.
Last entry is at 5:15 p.m.lah dehr-YEHR ahn-TRAY ay tah deez-set UHR kenzA little context goes a long way
In France, many museums and monuments close one day a week, often Monday or Tuesday, and some close between noon and 2 p.m. 'Nocturne' means a late opening, usually one evening a week. Ticket desks may stop selling before closing time, so always ask about 'la dernière entrée' as well as the closing time.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'À quelle heure est-il ouvert ?' for every situation and expecting it to mean both opening and closing time.
Try this instead: This question is ambiguous. For opening, say 'À quelle heure ça ouvre ?' For closing, say 'À quelle heure ça ferme ?' If you want the full schedule, use 'Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Ask a ticket agent what the opening hours are.
Show a sample answer
Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?
This is the standard polite question for a full schedule. 'Quels sont les horaires, s'il vous plaît ?' is also correct and slightly shorter.
2You know the museum closes at 6 p.m. but you want to know the last entry time. What do you ask?
Show a sample answer
La dernière entrée, c'est à quelle heure ?
This asks specifically about last entry. 'C'est jusqu'à quelle heure ?' can also work in context, but the first question is clearer.
3Translate: 'It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.'
Show a sample answer
C'est ouvert de 10 h à 17 h.
French uses 'de ... à ...' for time ranges and the 24-hour clock in writing. 'C'est ouvert de 10 h à 17 h' is standard; 'de 10 h à 17 h' alone is also fine.
Ask 'Quels sont les horaires d'ouverture ?' for the full schedule, 'À quelle heure ça ferme ?' for closing time, and always check 'la dernière entrée' before buying your ticket.
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