Question

Nous sommes montés .............. le train.

Hint:

Use “dans” when entering closed means of transport (car, train, plane). Use “sur” only when mounting open transport (bike, horse).

Answer 1

The verb monter means “to climb” or “to go up,” but in the context of transportation, it means “to get into” a vehicle.
In French, when referring to getting inside a vehicle (car, train, bus, plane), the correct preposition to use is “dans”, which indicates entering a closed space.
It’s different from “sur”, which would be used for open surfaces (like “monter sur une moto” — to get on a motorcycle).
Let’s look at similar examples:
— Il est monté dans l’autobus. (He got into the bus.)
— Elle est montée dans l’avion. (She got into the airplane.)
The noun “le train” (the train) is a closed space, so we must use “dans.”
Incorrect: monter sur le train (This would imply climbing on top of the train!)
Correct: monter dans le train (to board the train normally)
Therefore, the correct sentence is: Nous sommes montés dans le train.