# Bon Voyage



## Grefsen

One of my Russian friends is leaving tomorrow on a trip to the former Soviet Republic of Moldova and I thought it would be nice to send her an SMS wishing her "bon voyage" in Russian. There is an equivalent to "bon voyage" that I am familiar with in Norwegian (god tur) and so I was wondering if there was also a more elegant way to express "have a good trip" in Russian? 

After doing a quick google search I came across the Russian expression "schastlivogo puti" and woule like to know if this is commonly used by Russian speaking people or is there another expression that might even be more appropriate to use? 

"Spasibo" in advance.


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## Setwale_Charm

Счастливого пути - "schastlivogo puti" is just fine. It is the most commonly used one in Russia. You can also say : Удачной поездки!- "udachnoy poyezdki" - literally, "have a successful trip".


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## Grefsen

Setwale_Charm said:


> Счастливого пути - "schastlivogo puti" is just fine. It is the most commonly used one in Russia. You can also say : Удачной поездки!- "udachnoy poyezdki" - literally, "have a successful trip".



"Spasibo" for the quick reply.   I really appreciate your help.


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## Crescent

Yes, I completely agree with Setwale.  We always say ''счаливого пути'' to each other just before one of our friends or family members is about to depart on holiday or somewhere abroad.  Sometimes, although not so often, it is shortened to just ''_счастливо_!'' but this is more like saying goodbye to someone, who you don't know very well. 
So, in your case, I think Setwale's suggestion is definately the best and the most appropriate one. 
I'm not sure if there are other ways of saying it... There must be some variations on this, but I'm afraid I can't think of anything right this very minute!


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## Maroseika

Crescent said:


> Sometimes, although not so often, it is shortened to just ''_счастливо_!'' but this is more like saying goodbye to someone, who you don't know very well.


Really? I always though in contrary - *счастливо* one may address only to a close friend, while *счастливого пути* - is quite formal and universal.


Crescent said:


> I'm not sure if there are other ways of saying it... There must be some variations on this, but I'm afraid I can't think of anything right this very minute!


Sure they are:
Счастливый путь! (obsolete)
Три фута под килем! (for marine traveller)
Мягкой посадки! (for air traveller)
Счастливо доехать (долететь, доплыть)
Скатертью дорожка
Катись колбаской по Малой Спасской.
But the later two are quite witty ones and do not fit the case, of course. 
Handle them with care, or better don't use them at all, Grefsen! You never know...


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## Crescent

Maroseika said:


> Really? I always though in contrary - *счастливо* one may address only to a close friend, while *счастливого пути* - is quite formal and universal.


Really?  Oh, well, to be honest with you I'm not too sure what I said was right, so please don't just take my word for it! I only thought so, because once a person who I met on holiday and didn't know very well said ''счастливо'' to me, when we parted. So I assumed it was something you normally say to a stranger..  But to be honest, I'm sure you're right on this, as on ..most things... 




Maroseika said:


> Sure they are:
> Три фута под килем! (for marine traveller)-- I've never heard of that one before, but it's quite funny!
> Мягкой посадки! (for air traveller)
> 
> Скатертью дорожка-- I always thought that this was a bit, rude, and usually what the ex-wife or ex-girlfriend says to her es-husband/boyfriend after they have broken up and he is leaving her, no?
> Катись колбаской по Малой Спасской. -- This is also quite comical! I've always wondered where it originates from?



Спасибо, Маросейка! Мне тоже было интересно узнать столько нового!  Вы у нас прямо как...живая, человеческая энциклопедия.


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## Maroseika

Crescent said:


> I only thought so, because once a person who I met on holiday and didn't know very well said ''счастливо'' to me, when we parted. So I assumed it was something you normally say to a stranger..


I'd rather say this is the difference between polite/formal and colloquial styles.
Счастливо is absolutely right if you address to a person *ты*, but sounds rather odd, if you address him *вы*. 
Anyway, *счастливо вам* (Single) sounds a bit vernacular, while *счастливо тебе* - much better.


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## Maroseika

Crescent said:


> Три фута под килем! (for marine traveller)-- I've never heard of that one before, but it's quite funny!
> Мягкой посадки! (for air traveller)


I guess this is loaned saying, maybe from English? By the way, now it seems to me correct version *семь футов под килем*...
Anyway, doesn't matter.


Crescent said:


> Катись колбаской по Малой Спасской. -- This is also quite comical! I've always wondered where it originates from?


Nothing special - this is just a street in Moscow, so just a convinient rhyme.


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## Crescent

Maroseika said:


> I guess this is loaned saying, maybe from English? By the way, now it seems to me correct version *семь футов под килем*...
> Anyway, doesn't matter.
> 
> Nothing special - this is just a street in Moscow, so just a conv*e*nient rhyme.


Just a tiny correction, Maroseika.  I hope you don't mind. 

As for the семь футов под килькей - to be honest, I've never even heard of it even in English! 
Well, I've never really been to Moscow (always wanted to go) so no wonder I don't know any streets there! Even: Малая Спасска 

P.S. How is it we always manage to go off the subject in all threads?


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## cyanista

Crescent said:


> Just a tiny correction, Maroseika.  I hope you don't mind.
> 
> As for the семь футов под килем  - to be honest, I've never even heard of it even in English!
> Well, I've never really been to Moscow (always wanted to go) so no wonder I don't know any streets there! Even: Малая Спасска




I suppose it's called Малая Спасская.  By the way, there is a street called Маросейка there. 



> P.S. How is it we always manage to go off the subject in all threads?



Absolutely no idea.


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## marina6

Well, I'm trying to imagine what I would feel or think if I were going somewhere and suddenly got an sms with "Катись колбаской ..." in it! It would be better for the author of the sms if I supposed him to be "на 3-7 футах под воблой". The only thing I know is that I would do my best not to see the person any more.

It's a very rude phrase though the words themselves are quite normal. And I wouldn't advise anyone to use it. I believe, even those people, who live in Malaya Spasskay in Moscow, wouldn't use it instead of saying "Пока!/Счастливо!/До свидания!"


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## Grefsen

Setwale_Charm said:


> Счастливого пути - "schastlivogo puti" is just fine. It is the most commonly used one in Russia. You can also say : Удачной поездки!- "udachnoy poyezdki" - literally, "have a successful trip".


"Spasibo" to everyone for your replies.  Unfortunately I haven't learned the cyrillic alphabet yet so the only reply that I fully understood was the first one made by  *Setwale_Charm*.


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## Maroseika

Crescent said:


> Just a tiny correction, Maroseika.  I hope you don't mind.


Surely, not, thanks!


> *Cемь футов под килькей*


(под килькой?) Anyway, sounds splendid, really!
By the way I found out that there are really 7 feet - because safe depth was 1 fathom = 6 feet (1 сажень). Why seven then? Very simply and funny at the same time: 7 is much better than 6 for the popular mind, 7 is a kind of "sacral" round number: семеро одного не ждут, семь раз отмерь - один раз отрежь и т.п. 
And of course it's not English, it's Russian expresson since epoch of Peter I.


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## Grefsen

marina6 said:


> Well, I'm trying to imagine what I would feel or think if I were going somewhere and suddenly got an sms with "Катись колбаской ..." in it! It would be better for the author of the sms if I supposed him to be "на 3-7 футах под воблой". The only thing I know is that I would do my best not to see the person any more.
> 
> It's a very rude phrase though the words themselves are quite normal. And I wouldn't advise anyone to use it. I believe, even those people, who live in Malaya Spasskay in Moscow, wouldn't use it instead of saying "Пока!/Счастливо!/До свидания!"


"Spasibo" for your reply *marina6*.  Unfortunately I haven't learned the cyrillic alphabet yet and was wondering if you could give me the latin alphabet equivalent of what you have written.  

Also, I've never been to Moscow, but I have a very good friend who is from there and am curious to know more about this area called Malaya Spasskay.  "Spasibo!"


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## marina6

The phrase I was talking about in that post is "Kat*i*s' kolb*a*skoy po M*a*loy Sp*a*sskoy." The words it consists of are quite ordinary, except _Kat*i*s'_ if it's used in imperative.

"Пока! (Pok*a*) / Счастливо! (Schastl*i*vo) / До свидания! (Do svidanya)" are the usual words we use to say good-bye in Russian. "Kat*i*s' kolb*a*skoy po M*a*loy Sp*a*sskoy." doesn't belong to them because it has quite another meaning!


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## La_belle_maman

Grefsen said:


> One of my Russian friends is leaving tomorrow on a trip to the former Soviet Republic of Moldova and I thought it would be nice to send her an SMS wishing her "bon voyage" in Russian. There is an equivalent to "bon voyage" that I am familiar with in Norwegian (god tur) and so I was wondering if there was also a more elegant way to express "have a good trip" in Russian?
> 
> After doing a quick google search I came across the Russian expression "schastlivogo puti" and woule like to know if this is commonly used by Russian speaking people or is there another expression that might even be more appropriate to use?
> 
> "Spasibo" in advance.


 
счастливого пути!
счастливой дороги!
желаю удачной поездки!


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## Grefsen

marina6 said:


> The phrase I was talking about in that post is "Kat*i*s' kolb*a*skoy po M*a*loy Sp*a*sskoy." The words it consists of are quite ordinary, except _Kat*i*s'_ if it's used in imperative.
> 
> "Пока! (Pok*a*) / Счастливо! (Schastl*i*vo) / До свидания! (Do svidanya)" are the usual words we use to say good-bye in Russian. "Kat*i*s' kolb*a*skoy po M*a*loy Sp*a*sskoy." doesn't belong to them because it has quite another meaning!


"Spasibo" for your reply *marina6*.  I really appreciate your using both the cyrillic and latin alphabet.


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## marina6

Grefsen said:


> "Spasibo" for your reply *marina6*.



Не за что! (N*e* za chto!) = You're welcome.

To be honest, it's rather difficult for me to write Russian words using Latin alphabet. They appear too strange to me and sometimes I'm afraid I don't spell them correctly. So, I have to check them more carefully.


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