Affordable destinations – Places within a reasonable price range
Craft markets – Stalls where goods made by the local people are sold
Do as the locals do – Enjoy the activities as the local people do
Efficient public transport – A functioning transport system intended for the use of residents and visitors
Exotic destinations – Unusual or strange holiday destinations
Guided tours – Walking, hiking or driving visits led by a guide who knows the area
Holiday brochures – Pamphlets advertising holiday destinations
Long-haul flights – Long distance flights
Lush rainforests – Luxuriant equatorial forests
Magnificent landscapes – Impressive scenery
Make advance reservations – Booking ahead of time
Memorable experiences – Activities that you will remember for years
Off the beaten track – A place that is not on the main thoroughfare
Out of season – Outside the most popular holiday period
Packaged deals – Travel deals that are put together by an agency and sold as a package
Quaint villages – Old-fashioned or charming small towns
Scenic views – Lovely scenes
Self-catering accommodation – A Place to stay where you see to your own food
Spectacular beaches – Impressive sandy shorelines
Stunning architecture – Magnificent buildings
Swarming with tourists – Full of holidaymakers
Time on their hands – Available time to do as you choose
To get away from it all – To get away from everyday routines
To go sightseeing – Take a trip around an area to see what it has to offer
Travel abroad – Travel to overseas destinations
Travelling light – Travelling with little luggage
Value for money – A good return on investment
Visa regulations – Laws that relate to entry into a country
Wildlife safari – A guided tour through a game park
Talking about Cities
add to (its) attraction - make it more attractive
thriving - lively and successful
hustle and bustle - full of movement and noise
a craze - an activity that suddenly becomes very popular
a (holiday) resort - a popular destination for holidays
a fascinating mix - different elements that go together really well
steeped in history - full of history
ultra-modern - very recent and new
know like the back of (your) hand - be very familiar with, know everything about
a home from home - a place where you feel very happy and comfortable
tourist hot spots - places very popular with tourists
soak up the atmosphere - observe and enjoy what’s happening around you
a bit pricey - quite expensive
easy going - relaxed, without pressure
blend in - easily fit in with other people
Travel Vocabulary
Attraction – A place that entices visitors because it is interesting
Backpacking – To travel, often to more than one destination, with your belongings in a backpack
Camping – A holiday spent in a tent or camper van
Cruise – A sea-based trip taking a pre-planned route that involves visiting several ports
Excursion – A short trip usually taken whilst on holiday
Flights – Journeys that are taken through the air on an aeroplane or helicopter
Footfall – The number of people who enter an area/shop
Frugal – To be economical and sparing with money
Heritage – Objects and characteristics that are valued because of their cultural or historical significance
Holiday/Vacation – An extended period of recreation/leisure spent away from home
Homeland – The country you were born/brought up in
Hostel – Similar to a hotel but cheaper and often caters for young people, travellers, and students rather than the typical tourist
Hotel – An establishment that provides rooms and food to paying guests
Itinerary – A detailed plan of a route or journey. It usually includes times, dates, prices etc…
Luggage – The collective name for the suitcases/bags that you take on a trip
Luxurious – Of high quality
Safari – A type of holiday/trip to observe or hunt animals. Most common in Africa.
Seasonal – Only occurring at certain times of the year
Scenery – The natural features of a landscape
Sightseeing – The act of visiting different attractions or sights
Souvenir – Something you keep as a reminder of a place
Storey/Floor – A part of a building with all the rooms are on one level
Suitcase – A case with a handle used for carrying clothes or possessions on a trip
To travel by… / OR – on a plane/bus/boat/train/bike/the metro – To move from one place to another in a car/taxi
Traditional/Quaint – Old-fashioned and attractive
Travel agent/agency – The person who helps reserve you a holiday/The place where you reserve the holiday
Travel arrangements – The plans/preparations that go into making a trip/journey
Travel Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations
All-inclusive – A trip where all food, drink, and accommodation are provided
Around the world – A large proportion of the world. Many destinations/continents.
Bed and breakfast – A type of accommodation that provides a room and breakfast
Breathtaking view – A view that is extremely beautiful or amazing
Bucket list – The places you want to visit and things you want to do in your lifetime
Get around – To move from place to place
Get away – To go on holiday/vacation/ (n) The holiday/vacation itself
Guided tour – Part of a trip where tourists are taken from place to place and given information by a guide
Head for/towards – To go in a certain direction or the direction of a specific place
Holiday destination – Place where people go on holiday/vacation
Itchy feet/Wanderlust – The desire to travel
Long haul/Short-haul destination – A destination far away from your home/ close to your home
Long haul/Short-haul flight- A flight that takes 6 + hours / A flight that takes -3 hours
Middle of nowhere – A place that is remote and far from civilisation
Off the beaten track – Away from where the tourists normally go
Out of season – The part of the year when it is not very busy
Package holiday – A holiday where the flight and accommodation, and often food, are included
Peak season – The busiest time of the year. For example, school holidays and Christmas
Swarming with tourists – Lots of tourists in a particular place
Tour guide – The person who leads guided tours to visit attractions and sights
Tourist trap – A place that attracts and exploits tourists
Travelling light – To go on a trip with little bags or luggage
When in Rome (do as the Romans do) – When you go to a place you should follow the customs/rules of the local people
General Tourism Vocabulary
Accommodation – The places where tourists/visitors stay. For example, hotels, hostels etc…
Acculturation – The process of incorporating the values of other cultures. For example, a destination may adapt to the culture of visitors.
Backpacking – To travel, often to more than one destination, with your belongings in a backpack
Camping – A holiday spent in a tent or camper van
Cruise – A sea-based trip taking a pre-planned route that involves visiting several ports
Ecotourism – Tourism that does not cause damage to the natural environment
Excursion – A short trip usually taken whilst on holiday
Footfall – The number of people who enter an area/shop
Heritage – Objects and characteristics that are valued because of their cultural or historical significance
Homeland – The country you were born/brought up in
Infrastructure – The basic organisational structures in a place such as roads, transport systems, power supply, water etc…
Itinerary – A detailed plan of a route or journey. It usually includes times, dates, prices etc…
Luggage – The collective name for the suitcases/bags that you take on a trip
Luxurious – Of high quality
Mass tourism – Tourism on a large scale, often with standardised packages
Overseas – In a different country
Picturesque – Something that has an attractive or pretty appearance
Resorts – Places or destinations that are popular with tourists
Safari – A type of holiday/trip to observe or hunt animals. Most common in Africa.
Seasonal – Only occurring at certain times of the year
Sightseeing – The act of visiting different attractions or sights
Skiing holiday – A holiday where the primary purpose is to ski or engage in winter sports
Souvenir – Something you keep as a reminder of a place
To book – To reserve a flight or accommodation
To stroll – To walk, often slowly, with no particular destination in mind
Touristy – Places that are adapted or designed specifically for tourists, or places that have lots of tourists
Traditional/Quaint – Old-fashioned and attractive
Tourism Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations
A sense of adventure – A desire to explore and engage in adventurous activities
A thirst for adventure – A desire to do something adventurous
All-inclusive – A trip where all food, drink, and accommodation are provided
Around the world – A large proportion of the world. Many destinations/continents.
Booked-up – Fully sold out or full
Bucket list – The places you want to visit and things you want to do in your lifetime
Check-in – Arrive and register at an airport or hotel
City break – A short 2- or 3-day trip to a city destination
Day trip – A trip that only lasts for one day
Get around – To move from place to place
Get away – To go on holiday/vacation/ (n) The holiday/vacation itself
Guided tour – Part of a trip where tourists are taken from place to place and given information by a guide
Head for/towards – To go in a certain direction or the direction of a specific place
Itchy feet – The desire to travel
Long haul/Short-haul destination – A destination far away from your home/ close to your home
Long haul/Short-haul flight- A flight that takes 6 + hours / A flight that takes -3 hours
Low-cost-airline – An airline that offers cheap with a minimal level of on-board service
On a shoestring – With a low amount of money
Out of season – The part of the year when it is not very busy
Package holiday – A holiday where the flight and accommodation, and often food, are included
Peak season – The busiest time of the year. For example, school holidays and Christmas
The road less travelled – The places where not many people have been
Travelling light – To go on a trip with little bags or luggage
Transportation and Vehicle Types Vocabulary
Aeroplane – A flying vehicle with two wings
Bicycle/Bike – A two-wheeled vehicle that is powered by the rider moving pedals
Boat – A small water vessel powered by either an engine, sails, or oars
Bus – A large vehicle that transports paying passengers along fixed routes
Bus lane – A part of the road where only buses are allowed to drive
Car – A four-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine
Coach – (UK) A bus that travels between cities or on long journeys / (USA) – Economy class on a flight
Congestion – An excess of vehicles that causes journey times to increase and a slower average speed
Cycle lane – A part of the road that can only be used by cyclists
Diversion – An alternative route for traffic when the normal route cannot be used
Ferry – A sea vessel that carries paying passengers
Fuel – A substance used to provide power. For example, coal, gas, petrol etc…
Helicopter – A type of aircraft with spinning rotors to provide lift
High-speed rail – A train system that uses trains travelling at extremely high speeds
Junction – The place where two or more roads meet
Lane – A section of the road marked with painted lines that are used to separate traffic
Lorry/Truck – A large vehicle that transports goods
Metro/Underground(UK) – An underground passenger rail system
Motorbike/Motorcycle – A two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine
Motorway/Highway – A wide road for fast-moving traffic
Overcrowded – Too many people for what is comfortable
Pedestrian – A person walking on a road or in a built-up area
Petrol/Gas – A fuel obtained from petroleum used to power vehicles
Punctual – Happening at the correct time
Rail – By train
Road/Street – A route leading from one place to another
Roundabout/Traffic circle – A circular junction where several roads meet
Scooter – A light two-wheeled motor vehicle, similar to a motorbike, but smaller
Ship – A sea vessel that is larger than a boat and used for moving people and goods by sea
Taxi/Cab – A car in which passengers pay the driver to take them to their destination
Timetable/Schedule – A chart that shows the arrival and departure times of buses/flights/trains
Traffic jam – A line of traffic caused by congestion/accidents/roadworks etc…
Traffic lights – The system that controls traffic at junctions
Train – A long vehicle that runs on tracks and carries passengers or goods
Tram – An electric vehicle similar to a bus but that runs on tracks
Vehicle – A thing used for transporting goods or people
Yacht – A medium-sized sailboat used for cruising and recreation
Transportation Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations
At a crossroads – At a junction/At a stage of life where you need to make a decision
Backseat driver – A car passenger that gives advice and comments that are not welcome
Beat the traffic – To leave somewhere early to avoid traffic / To avoid traffic by any means
Bumper to bumper – Heavy traffic
Dead on time – Something that happens at the exact time it is supposed to
Energy-efficient – Something that uses low amounts of energy
Environmentally friendly – Things that do not harm the environment
Get in to – To enter a place or a mode of transport. For example, a car/a taxi
Get off – To exit certain forms of transport. For example, a train/a plane/a bus/a bike/a ferry
Get on to – To enter certain forms of transport. For example, a train/a plane/a bus/a bike/a ferry
Get out of – To exit a place or a form of transport. For example, a car/a taxi
Get to – To arrive or travel to a place
Hit the road – To depart on a journey
Hitch a lift – To get a ride in a passing vehicle / To be driven somewhere by someone else
Hop on my bike – To get on a bike
In the driver’s seat – In control
In the nick of time – Just in time
Noise pollution – Harmful or annoying levels of sound
Road rage – When a person becomes angry or aggressive towards other road users
Self-driving vehicles – Vehicles that use AI instead of a human operator
Set off – To depart on a journey
Zone out – To lose concentration / To daydream or not mentally focus on anything in particular
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