Live-English.net

Live-English.net

Learn English Online with real teachers

40 Basic Vocabulary Words and Common Phrases for Travel in English

Travel in English

Embarking on a journey to a foreign country can be both exciting and a bit daunting, especially when language barriers come into play. But fear not, we’ve got you covered! This page is dedicated to all the globetrotters out there who are keen on enhancing their English language skills specifically for travel.

We’ve curated a list of 40 essential English words and phrases that will prove to be your best companions on your travels.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first overseas trip, mastering these words and phrases will not only boost your confidence but also enrich your travel experiences. So, let’s dive in and start preparing for your next adventure with our comprehensive travel vocabulary guide. Happy learning and safe travels!

40 essential English words and phrases for travel

  • Passport – “Don’t forget to bring your passport to the airport.”
  • Luggage – “Please make sure your luggage is not left unattended.”
  • Reservation – “I have a reservation under the name Smith.”
  • Itinerary – “Our itinerary includes stops in Rome, Paris, and London.”
  • Destination – “Our final destination is Sydney.”
  • Accommodation – “I’ve booked accommodation for three nights in the city center.”
  • Sightseeing – “We’re going sightseeing in the old town tomorrow.”
  • Currency – “What’s the local currency in Japan?”
  • Boarding Pass – “Please have your boarding pass and identification ready.”
  • Departure – “Our departure time is 6:00 PM.”
  • Arrival – “Our estimated arrival time is 8:00 PM.”
  • Customs – “You’ll need to declare any items at customs.”
  • Visa – “Do I need a visa to travel to the United States?”
  • Tourist – “As a tourist, I love exploring new places.”
  • Landmark – “The Eiffel Tower is a famous landmark in Paris.”
  • Guidebook – “I bought a guidebook to learn more about the city’s history.”
  • Souvenir – “I bought a souvenir from each city we visited.”
  • Jet Lag – “I’m feeling a bit of jet lag after the long flight.”
  • Travel Agency – “The travel agency arranged all of our accommodations.”
  • Backpack – “I prefer to travel with a backpack instead of a suitcase.”
  • Could you help me, please? – When you need assistance.
  • How much does this cost? – When you want to know the price of something.
  • Where is the nearest…? – When you’re looking for something specific, like a bathroom or a subway station.
  • I would like to book… – When you want to make a reservation.
  • Do you speak English? – When you need to find someone who speaks English.
  • I’m lost. Can you help me? – When you need directions.
  • Can I have the menu, please? – When you’re at a restaurant and want to see the menu.
  • I’m allergic to… – When you need to inform someone of your allergies.
  • Can I have the bill, please? – When you’re ready to pay at a restaurant.
  • What time does it open/close? – When you want to know the operating hours of a place.
  • Can I have a ticket to…, please? – When you’re buying a ticket.
  • Where can I catch the bus/train? – When you need to find the bus or train station.
  • Is it far from here? – When you want to know the distance to a place.
  • Can you recommend a good…? – When you’re looking for recommendations.
  • Do you accept credit cards? – When you want to know if you can pay with a credit card.
  • What’s the Wi-Fi password? – When you need to connect to the internet.
  • I’d like to go to… – When you’re telling a taxi driver your destination.
  • Is there a pharmacy nearby? – When you need to find a pharmacy.
  • Can I try this on? – When you’re shopping for clothes and want to try something on.
  • Could you take a picture of us, please? – When you want someone to take a photo of you and your group.

Wrapping Up Our English Travel Vocabulary Journey

And there you have it! We’ve journeyed through 40 essential English words and phrases that will help make your travels smoother and more enjoyable. Remember, language is a powerful tool that can open doors to understanding new cultures, making new friends, and creating unforgettable experiences.

Don’t worry if you can’t memorize all the words and phrases at once. The beauty of language learning is that it’s a continuous process. Keep practicing, and soon these words will become second nature to you.

But why stop at 40? If you’re eager to expand your travel vocabulary even further, we have an exciting offer for you. Follow us on Instagram and send us a direct message to get your hands on our comprehensive eBook (write “Travel eBook”), which features 200 essential English words and phrases for travel, plus 2 special bonuses!

We hope this guide will be a valuable resource for your travel adventures. Whether you’re exploring bustling cities, tranquil countryside, or exotic beaches, these phrases will help you navigate your way with confidence.

Thank you for joining us on this linguistic journey. We wish you all the best in your English learning and your future travels. Remember, every journey begins with a single step, or in this case, a single word. Happy travels and happy learning!

>> Learn more English vocabulary

vocab in travel writing

Privacy Overview

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.

FluentU Logo

90 English Tourism Vocabulary Words and Phrases [With Sample Dialogues]

English is the most common language used in the international tourism industry.

People who work in the tourism industry use it to communicate with tourists from all over the world.

If you work in tourism or hope to find a job in the industry, it helps to know the right words and phrases for this type of work.

Interacting with Customers

Greeting customers, asking customers questions , responding to questions, checking for understanding, common scenarios in tourism english, giving recommendations, giving directions , making friendly small talk, jobs in hospitality and tourism, jobs at hotels and resorts, bar and restaurant staff, jobs at travel and tourism companies, more tourism vocabulary in english, how to learn english tourism vocabulary, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

travel-agent-giving-tickets-to-customers

You always want to welcome customers or guests with a friendly, professional greeting :

  • Good morning (before 12 p.m.)
  • Good afternoon (between 12 p.m. and 5 p.m.)
  • Good evening (after 5 p.m.)
  • Welcome to… [company name] . My name is… [your name] .

Be sure to always use a respectful term to refer to your customers:

  • Miss — Young women (under age 30)
  • Ma’am — Mature women (over age 30)
  • Sir — Men of all ages

For example, using these terms you can now greet customers in a very respectful way:

  • Good morning, miss .
  • Good afternoon, sir .

If you are working at a hotel, restaurant or tour agency, you can greet a customer and then ask them this question:

Do you have a reservation with us?

To answer the phone, you only need one simple phrase:

Hello, you’ve reached [company name]. This is [your name]. How may I help you?

If you are working with customers in a hotel, before they go to their rooms you can say one of these phrases:

  • We hope you enjoy your stay!
  • Please let us know if you have any questions or comments during your stay.

You will want to make sure your customers are safe and happy while they are with you. You can do this by asking friendly and polite questions, such as:

  • How are you doing this morning? (or afternoon/evening)
  • Have you been having a good time?
  • Is there anything else we can do to make your experience more enjoyable?

Customers will have many questions, and sometimes you will not know the answer. You may need to ask a coworker or supervisor. When this happens, you can use the following phrases:

  • I will get that information for you right away.
  • That’s a great question! I will check with my supervisor and let you know.

As a guide, host or receptionist, you will need to double-check for understanding. These phrases are simple and quick ways to make sure you have understood the guest or customer:

  • I heard you ask (about flights) . Is that correct?
  • So, you said (you wanted to visit the ruins) , right?
  • Okay, I understand that (your flight leaves at 3 PM) . Is that correct?

To ask for clarification

Your guest may use vocabulary that you are unfamiliar with. Likewise, they might have an accent that is difficult for you to understand. Here are some polite ways to ask them to repeat or clarify what they said:

  • I’m sorry, I didn’t quite understand that. Can you say that again?
  • Pardon my English, but I didn’t understand that. Can you say that again?
  • I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Can you describe what you mean?

To invite your guests to ask questions

You can make all of your guests feel welcome by encouraging them to ask questions:

  • Does anyone have any questions?
  • Yes, sir? / Yes, ma’am? Do you have a question?
  • Please feel free to raise your hand any time if you have a question.
  • So, any questions?

FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

FluentU Ad

Try FluentU for FREE!

Tourist-asking-for-location-from-local-people

When working in tourism, you might need to give directions to tourists, share recommendations for a good restaurant or attraction or make friendly conversation.

In these scenarios, you will play the part of the “guide,” but it could be any job where you interact with tourists. Practice these dialogues so you feel confident using these words and phrases in your interactions.

  • For (authentic cuisine, family activities, etc.), I recommend…
  • My favorite place is…
  • Personally, I suggest…

Tourist: Excuse me, do you know a good place for ice cream?

Guide: Oh, yes. For really good ice cream, I recommend Maria’s. It’s located about six blocks from here, and it’s my favorite place. Personally, I suggest the chocolate cherry flavor. I think your family will like it.

Tourist: Great, thanks!

If you work in tourism, you will need to give directions to visitors. Here are some key phrases you might use to explain how to get somewhere: 

  • Go straight
  • Stop at the…
  • Continue until…
  • Take the subway (or bus, train, etc.)
  • Follow the signs for…
  • At the traffic light
  • At the next street (or light, block, etc.)
  • In five blocks
  • Near the hotel (or beach, station, etc.)
  • On the main plaza

See this post for more words and phrases for giving directions: 

Asking for and giving directions in English is a helpful skill, and this guide will show you the important vocabulary you need to know, with audio pronunciation included!…

Tourist: Can you tell me how to get to the theater?

Guide: Sure! The theater is near the train station. You need to go straight down this street for one block. At the next street, turn left. Continue until you see a sign for the theater, in about five blocks. If you’re lost, you can follow the signs for the train station. Does that make sense?

Tourist: Yes, thank you!

Here’s a helpful video to practice basic phrases for giving directions:

Here are some phrases that you can use when you want to make friendly conversation with a guest or visitor:

  • So, are you enjoying your time in (Paris) so far?
  • Tell me, what is your favorite part of the city so far?
  • What do you think of the (architecture, food, beach, festival, etc.) ?

airport-shuttle-driver-and-passengers

This vocabulary will help you a lot when you are working in the tourism industry or searching for jobs. 

  • Bellhop / baggage handler — the person who will open the front door for guests and carry their bags to their rooms
  • Concierge / receptionist — the person at the front desk who welcomes the guests, gives out room keys, helps guests make reservations and takes payments for reservations
  • Maid / housekeeper — the person who cleans the hotel rooms ( see English vocabulary for housekeeping here ) 
  • Janitor — the person responsible for cleaning everything outside of hotel rooms, such as the lobby and other common areas 
  • Groundskeeper — the person who takes care of all the plants outside the hotel
  • Maintenance worker — the person who fixes anything that stops working in the hotel 
  • Manager / supervisor — the person who makes sure everything goes well at the hotel, hires employees, teaches new employees how to do their jobs and makes sure that guests are happy
  • Event planner — the person who makes sure the hotel is ready for big events such as business conventions (meetings) or weddings 

Here are a couple of vocabulary guides for working in hotels:

Practicing English for receptionists can help you greet and assist hotel guests with ease. By studying the right phrases, you can prepare yourself to handle common…

Knowing hotel vocabulary in English is essential if you want to work in the hospitality industry. Check out our list of 100+ vocabulary words and phrases on everything…

These jobs might exist at a hotel if it has a bar and/or restaurant. 

  • Bartender — the person who makes and serves drinks at the bar 
  • Host / hostess — the person who stands at the entrance to the restaurant and welcomes guests, brings them to a table and takes reservations on the phone and in person
  • Server / waiter / waitress — the person who serves customers who are eating at the restaurant (“waiter” refers to a male, “waitress” refers to a female and “server” can refer to any gender)
  • Busboy / busser — the person who makes sure that tables are clean and ready for customers
  • Chef / cook — the person who prepares food at the restaurant

If you work or want to work in a bar or restaurant, check out this vocabulary guide next:

Click here to learn English for restaurant staff! Here, we have information about six essential restaurant positions, the common phrases used by each one and study…

There are entire companies that exist just to help travelers book their trips. If you work for one of these companies, you will either work in an office or outside the office helping travelers enjoy their time in your city or country.

  • Secretary / administrative assistant — someone who takes care of the whole office by organizing paperwork, making and receiving phone calls, organizing the office schedule and taking reservations for tours and trips
  • Travel agent — someone who helps people find the most affordable flights, hotels, etc. and helps them buy tickets and make reservations before they travel
  • Tour guide — someone who goes out with tourists and takes them on adventures to explore towns, cities, farms, mountains, jungles and more
  • Taxi driver / private driver — someone who drives tourists in a taxi or private car between different places, and sometimes on a tour around the area
  • Shuttle driver — someone who drives a large vehicle (usually a small bus or large van) to transport groups of people between places, such as from the hotel to some popular tourist destinations or between the hotel and the airport
  • Airline agent — someone who works at the desk of an airline (a company that owns airplanes and provides transportation services with them)
  • Flight attendant — someone who takes care of passengers on airplanes by serving food and drinks and giving safety instructions ( see English vocabulary for flight attendants here )
  • Cruise attendant — someone who takes care of people on boats and ships by doing the same things as flight attendants, providing services like food and drinks and giving safety instructions
  • Translator — someone who translates between different languages in writing, such as for tourism guides or flyers 
  • Interpreter — someone who translates between two languages by listening and speaking, often to help tourists and visitors understand and speak with local people
  • Recreational guide — someone who goes with tourists to do activities like yoga, surfing, cycling, running, hiking and climbing mountains

Here is a list of common tourism-related English words. You might be asked questions with these words or you might need to use them yourself. Make sure you’re familiar with them and can use them in full sentences.

  • Tourist – someone who travels to different places for enjoyment or to see new things
  • Attractions — places of interest that are often visited by tourists, such as museums or amusement parks
  • Landmark – a special or famous place that people can easily recognize, often used for giving directions
  • Destination – a place to which people travel for leisure, business or other purposes
  • Guide – a person who helps tourists by showing them around and giving them information about a place
  • Guidebook – a book that provides information for travelers about a particular destination, including attractions, hotels and restaurants
  • Souvenir – a small item that people buy to remember a place they visited, like a keychain or a postcard
  • Itinerary – a plan or schedule that shows the activities or places someone will visit during their trip
  • Accommodation – a place where travelers can stay overnight, such as a hotel, hostel or campground 
  • Transportation – the way people travel from one place to another, such as by car, bus, train or airplane
  • Passport – a document issued by a government that proves a person’s identity and nationality, allowing them to travel internationally
  • Visa – a stamp or document given by a country’s government that allows someone to enter or stay in that country for a certain period of time, usually for tourism, work, or study
  • Business district — also called the financial district, this is the center of the city where many offices, banks and companies are located
  • Entertainment district — a part of a city where there are lots of restaurants, bars, theaters and other fun places
  • Dining district — an area within a city with a lot of restaurants 
  • Custom — a traditional way of doing something that is common in a particular culture or society
  • Highlight — the most interesting or exciting part of something, often the main attraction 
  • Scenery — the natural features of an area, such as mountains, rivers or forests, that people find beautiful to look at
  • Surroundings — the area or environment around a particular place, including nearby buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods
  • Depart — to leave from a place, especially when traveling
  • Arrive — to reach or get to a place or destination, especially when traveling
  • Recommend — to suggest or advise someone to do something because you think they will enjoy it
  • Read the “English for International Tourism” textbooks. They are available in low-intermediate ,  intermediate  and  high-intermediate levels. As long as you have a foundation in English, this series is perfect for learning how to communicate with coworkers and tourists in different tourism-related scenarios. Here are some more English for Tourism books we recommend.  
  • Take an English for Tourism course. You can find some great courses on Udemy, such as this English for Business and Tourism course aimed at low-intermediate to intermediate students. Or take lessons with a tutor who specializes in tourism on Preply .
  • Complete tourism English courses on Memrise. Focus on Memrise English courses for tourism. These lessons feature English vocabulary words and phrases that anyone in the tourism industry would use in their daily activities. Try spending at least 30 minutes a day using Memrise to brush up on your tourism vocabulary—you’ll notice a difference!
  • Follow travel vloggers on YouTube. Look for channels or specific videos about the place where you will be working. Engage in discussions in the comments as well! Not only will that make using YouTube more fun , but it will also require you to learn and use new words during your chats back and forth with others.
  • Participate in discussions on travel forums. Travel forums allow you to use your new tourism vocabulary with native speakers and practice written English . On TripAdvisor , you can talk with English speakers about traveling, hotels, restaurants, transportation and more. The /r/travel subreddit is a great place to talk about everything related to tourism. 
  • Give yourself daily homework. A great place to start is  the tourism section of ESL Conversation Questions . You’ll find a variety of tourism-related topics that you can discuss with your friends and coworkers. If you’re a hospitality professional, check out Oxford University Press’ free online workbook series, English for Careers . 

Bookmark this page so you can come back and view this tourism vocabulary whenever you have some free time.

Soon you will be able to communicate with any tourist who crosses your path!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

learn-english-with-videos

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

learn-english-with-subtitled-television-show-clips

FluentU lets you learn engaging content with world famous celebrities.

For example, when you tap on the word "searching," you see this:

learn-conversational-english-with-interactive-captioned-dialogue

FluentU lets you tap to look up any word.

Learn all the vocabulary in any video with quizzes. Swipe left or right to see more examples for the word you’re learning.

practice-english-with-adaptive-quizzes

FluentU helps you learn fast with useful questions and multiple examples. Learn more.

The best part? FluentU remembers the vocabulary that you’re learning. It gives you extra practice with difficult words—and reminds you when it’s time to review what you’ve learned. You have a truly personalized experience.

Start using the FluentU website on your computer or tablet or, better yet, download the FluentU app from the iTunes or Google Play store. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)

Enter your e-mail address to get your free PDF!

We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe

vocab in travel writing

  • Student Login:

Speak Confident English

Travel Vocabulary in English with Travel Stories

Apr 27, 2016 | Advanced Vocabulary

vocab in travel writing

I know you love to travel as much as do. So today I want to share some of my favorite advanced travel vocabulary in English so you can tell your own travel stories more easily. 

I have 3 different travel stories for you today. In each, I’ve highlighted useful vocabulary and groups of words that often go together or collocations.

Here’s what I want you to do:

  • Read the stories.
  • Note the highlighted vocabulary and groups of words – can you identify the meaning from the context? (If you need help, you can use the definitions I’ve provided to help you.)
  • Write your own travel story using some of the new vocabulary and expressions. You can write about a past travel experience, a business trip, a future vacation or any other travel opportunity. Then share your story in the comments.

The goal is for you to use the same keywords in your own sentences.

This is the best way for you to truly learn and remember new vocabulary. And this means the next time you talk or write about travel, you’ll have all these words available to you in your mind!

Advanced Travel Vocabulary in English with Real-Life Stories

Sharon’s travel story: a staycation on a tight budget.

When I was younger, I had a real  sense of adventure . I loved backpacking, camping in the woods, sleeping in tents and spending the evening next to the campfire. As a child, I remember trying to build a fire  from scratch  by rubbing two sticks together. I think my entire family laughed while I worked at it for an hour. Unfortunately, I never succeeded.

But I do have such good memories of camping and hiking with my family. Every summer my parents would  pack up  the kids and the dog into the car, pack all our  outdoor gear  on the roof of the car and fill coolers full of food.

My mom would pack all the usual stuff:  trail mix , fruit, marshmallows to  roast over the fire , stuff to make sandwiches, etc. We’d take a road trip to the mountains in Colorado, find our spot to  set up camp  and pitch our tents near the river. I loved listening to the sound of the river at night!

I haven’t camped for years! Neither David nor I can take that much time off of work. It makes me a little sad that Sophie, our daughter, won’t have those same memories.

But last year we did do something a little fun, a little different: we had a  staycation . The two of us could only get 4 days off of work and we were  on a tight budget . We hadn’t enjoyed everything the city has to offer for ages so we decided to just pretend to be on vacation here at home. We visited the museums, went to the theater, we even took a day trip to the coast a few hours away for a day of sun, sand, and surf.

We have some wonderful photos (and memories) of our picnic dinner watching the sunset on the beach.

sense of adventure

The desire to explore and to take advantage of adventurous opportunities.

outdoor gear

Generally used to describe items or equipment needed for outdoor recreation: tents, skis, bicycles, snowboards, etc.

set up camp

To prepare and position everything in a campsite.

from scratch

To make (or create) from the beginning with the basic ingredients.

A snack mix with a combination with dried fruit, grains, and/or nuts.

The combination of stay-at-home and vacation. A vacation where you stay at home and enjoy local sites.

pack up (the kids/the car)

To prepare one’s belongings; to gather one’s things together and prepare to depart. With “the kids” this refers to prepare the kids and their belongings for departure.

roast over the fire

To cook over the fire.

on a (tight) budget

To be on a budget means to not have a lot of extra money. A “tight” budget means very little extra money.

Lara’s Travel Story: Anything All-Inclusive

Ugh! I hate planning vacations. I mean, I do love traveling but I don’t want to think about it. All those little details – I  can’t be bothered !

I prefer those  all-inclusive  kinds of vacations for a  little R&R . You know, those places where  all you do is show up  and that’s it.

You have breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Activities, the beach, the pools, dancing. Sure, they usually cost a little more but if I don’t have to plan everything then it’s worth it. The only thing is you have to be careful of those  hidden extras ! I’ve definitely been surprised by the final bill a few times.

My fiancé and I are talking about an all-inclusive cruise for our honeymoon. It sounds amazing but I’ve never been on a ship for that long.

can't be bothered

Don’t want to waste time doing something.

all you do is show up

Show up = to arrive for an appointment or gathering. “All you have to do is …” means that there is nothing else expected of you.

An exaggerated way to say, “a lot of.”

all-inclusive

(Almost) all activities and food are included in the total cost.

hidden extras

Expenses that are not included (or unexpected) in the final cost.

The services or perks that a hotel provides with the reserved room.

a little R&R

A little r est and r elaxation.

island-hopping

To visit one island after another.

To pack too much.

Jean-Luc’s Travel Story: Exotic Adventure

I’m always dreaming of my next  far-off, exotic destination . I’ll go anywhere as long as it’s adventurous.

Last year I  chartered a boat  with a friend to sail around the Greek Islands. In the afternoons, we’d  pull into ports , dive into the water, enjoy dinner on the beach and then  head back  to the boat for the night. On really warm nights we actually sleep right on the deck  under the stars .

What’s next? I don’t know. Maybe Colombia, Peru, or Chile? I’ve never been to South America and I love the idea of spending time in the Andes Mountains. Hiking in the  middle of nowhere , you know what I mean?

Those kinds of places give you such a better  perspective on life . It’s easy to forget we’re all just a tiny piece of this earth.

Or maybe Thailand? That’s another of my  bucket list  destinations.

far-off destination

A destination remote (in time or space).

To return to a place.

perspective on life

A particular attitude toward or belief about something; a point of view.

charter a boat

The reservation of a plane, boat, or bus for private use.

under the stars

To be outside with no covering.

bucket list

The achievements or experiences a person hopes to have or accomplish in their life.

pull into port

The place where a vehicle or driver stops into. In this case, a boat stops in a port.

middle of nowhere

A remote place far from any city, town, or village.

Now I’d love to hear your travel story!

Practice and build your vocabulary by sharing your own travel story in the comments below!

Using the vocabulary from the stories above, describe your favorite travel experience or tell me about a trip you’d like to take in the future.

Don’t forget to read and comment on stories from other Confident English readers. You might learn something new or have an interesting question to ask.

Happy travels!

~ Annemarie

Get the Confidence to Say What You Want in English

Follow my 3-step solution to speak English with clarity, fluency, and freedom so you can say what you want with confidence.

You'll also get my Confident English lessons delivered by email every Wednesday and occasional information about available courses. You can unsubscribe any time.

More Like This

#309: How to Go Off Topic in English | English Conversation Skills

#309: How to Go Off Topic in English | English Conversation Skills

Learn how to gracefully go off topic in English without losing your audience. Whether you’re in a meeting or chatting with friends, in this lesson we dive deep into the art of smoothly navigating tangents while enhancing your English conversation skills.

#308: How to Use ‘Though’ in English [+ FREE Worksheet]

#308: How to Use ‘Though’ in English [+ FREE Worksheet]

Learn and practice how to correctly use though, although, even though, and as thought in your English conversations.

#307: How to Use English Abbreviations in Emails, Texts, and Conversations

#307: How to Use English Abbreviations in Emails, Texts, and Conversations

Follow this comprehensive guide to learn how to use English abbreviations for emails, texts, and conversations.

How to Describe Your Personality in English

How to Describe Your Personality in English

Did you know it’s common in daily conversation & in job interviews to hear this question: “So, how would you describe yourself?” — How would you answer the question? Use this lesson to learn real-life English vocabulary for describing personalities in English.

#306: Friendly Ways to Invite Someone in English

#306: Friendly Ways to Invite Someone in English

Extend invitations in English with phrases that strike the perfect balance between formality, friendliness, and warmth to make your invitations feel genuine and welcoming.

#305: Discover Effective Ways to Talk about Hope in English

#305: Discover Effective Ways to Talk about Hope in English

Dive deep into the heart of English tenses—past, present, and future—highlighting how ‘hope’ evolves with each so you can talk about your hope in English.

© Copyright 2014-2024 Speak Confident English  |   Privacy Policy  |   Terms & Disclaimer  | Online Class Policies

guest

Thank you for this lesson ,Annemarie ,

Very useful to me and as complete as possible

harsha

There is a typo. The last line should be a bucket list for not of.

Annemarie

Good eyes, Harsha, and thank you. We’ve corrected the sentence.

neetha

Dear Annemarie, Am new to this site and blog .AM very thank ful to you for sharing all these good phrases and vocabularies which helped a lot . looking forward for great lessons .Your videos are so good which helped me alot to get the correct pronunciation and also i have seen you are reading all the comments and giving a positive feedback which is so appreciated am looking forward for your comment. I have read and seen lot of english leaning sites but they usually wont reply to the comments . thanks Neetha

I’m very happy to hear you’re enjoying the Speak Confident English website and the lessons we have here. We definitely work hard to create lessons that will truly help you advance your English skills. And yes, my team and I definitely read all the comments and respond. 🙂

Andrea del Pino

Hi Annamarie,

Thanks so much for this lesson. I have an advanced student and new vocabulary is always helpful.

I live in Chile, so if you need any tips or recommendations, plesase let me know, I would be happy to help you out if you are still planning to visit South America,

Awesome! I’m so glad this lesson was helpful to use with your student. And I’d LOVE to visit Chile one day. I’ll definitely ask you for recommendations if I get the opportunity. 🙂

Ammy

Wow, Your have shared here such an amazing and best post which is useful for all of us. I like it and wanna say that your travel story is really fantastic and know I want to bookbus for visiting NY after reading your post.

Hi Ammy, thanks so much. I’m glad to know enjoyed and felt inspired by the lesson.

Davide

Dear Annemarie I’ve been to Iceland two years ago and I had a wonderful vacation! As Sharon, I had a real sense of adventure so I convinced my best friend to come with me, we packed up our backpacks and then we departed. We chartered a car and we traveled all over the country for 11 days. We saw amazing landscapes, waterfalls, geyser, volcanos, glaciers, and we did whale watching. We had nothing but our backpack, our tent and a burning desire to explore. Iceland is a great place. I look forward to come back there and have one more …  Read more »

Sounds like an amazing opportunity and adventure, Davide! Thanks for sharing. I’ve always wanted to visit Iceland. I really liked your use of “a burning desire to explore.” What a great expression!

Valentina

Hi Annamarie, my last trip was in the city of Madrid. A wonderful city. At the time I was always without money because of I was unemployed but in the same time I craved traveling. So my sense of adventure took me to packed up my stuff buying an airline one-way ticket for Madrid. After few days in Madrid I found a job just in the week ends. I didn’t waste my time because there’s no time like present and every day I walked through the parks , visited museums and, I always looked around the city, the square, I …  Read more »

Jane

Hello Annemarie I’m from Thailand. I just learned your lesson. It was very useful. I have to say that I really like your blog, especially this topic because I love traveling. So today I have my travel story to share with you. Last month, I went to Phuket, which is an island in Thailand. I’ve already been there two or three times actually but I couldn’t get enough of it. Somebody even calls me an “island queen” and yes I truly am. I got a chance to do some diving and island hopping with one-meter-high waves. And of course, I …  Read more »

Mohamed Islam Grade 8

Dear Annemarie , I love these adventaures and I love going and having a trips with my friends and my family,Ande mountains I love pack packing that is my adore and I did it before with my family in sinai we climbed the mountains of sinia I loved it because the sunset seen was wonderful and we took exactly 6 hours with the tour guide and we had a rest so I wish to make a trip like me in sinia with your family or you friends Egypt is wondeful Thank you

Rana Ali

Dear Annemarie , I really enjoyed reading Sharon’s Travel Story” A Staycation on a Tight Budget ” , it has little details which helped me in imagining the story , I felt every line in the story and how enjoyable was the trip . In addition I’ve learned many expressions like : – sense of adventure – outdoor gear – set up camp – from scratch – trail mix – stay cation – pack up – roast over the fire – on a tight budget Waiting for more ….. 🙂

Hello Rana,

Thank you for your comments. I’m so glad to know that you enjoyed this lesson and found some useful vocabulary. I hope you have the opportunity to use that vocabulary soon.

Renad Mohamed

Hi Ms Annemarie! I loved this story about travel it have lots of adventures, i also loved your interesting language, and i`ve learned more vocabulary from you. I wish you more success on your project.

Hello Renad,

Thank you. I’m happy you enjoyed this lesson and I hope you’ll have the opportunity to use the vocabulary you learned. Learning + immediately practicing is the best way to improve your vocabulary knowledge.

Arwa grade 8

Dear Annemarie thanks for this beautiful stories , it’s very useful and i have loved them so much. the most beautiful one is the “Jean-Luc’s Travel Story: Exotic Adventure” it’s really simple , understandable, meaningful and exciting . the most expression i had loved it in this story is “under the stars”. i hope you can do more than this , by the way you can make this stories like in an audio track or on a cd , it will be more helpful and skillful to the students who are get bored from reading stories. great job hope to …  Read more »

Hello Arwa,

Thank you for your comments and suggestions. I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson and learned some useful vocabulary.

ahmed adnan

Hi Annemarie , I really enjoyed getting to read your story about jean ,also i liked your language so much it was so helpful , although i love reading adventurous stories. I wish you every success on your projects, I will continue following and sharing them on social networks. yours, ahmed

Thank you for the kind comments, Ahmed. I’m glad you enjoyed the lesson.

Bishoy Sameh Gr8

Dear Ms Annemarie, I’ve read your story “Lara’s Travel Story: Anything All-Inclusive”. And I learned so much new vocabulary expressions such as; – can’t be bothered -all you do is show up -a ton of -all-inclusive -hidden extras -amenities -a little R&R -island-hopping -over pack I liked the idea of it, it is creative and simple. And I’m waiting for another one, and looking forward to reading your next stories. Every good story you get here in this website and upload it gives you a push froward to reach your goal, so I advice you to complete uploading stories alike …  Read more »

Thank for sharing your thoughts, Bishoy. I appreciate them and I’m glad you learned so much useful vocabulary.

abdallah mohamed gr8

Dear Annemarie My name is Abdullah, i am a student in the 8th grade. I am from Egypt. It’s the first time to read stories with this exciting an I would be so glade to read more for your stories. At first, my teacher in the school told us to read it as a homework and Summarizes, but now I would to read more from you. best wishes , abdullah

Hello Abdullah,

Wonderful. I’m glad this lesson was interesting for you and I hope you’ll continue to find useful lessons on this website.

Ahmed Abbady

Hi , I like this type of stories , I’ve learned new vocabulary and new phrases . This type of stories make me excited to continue reading and choosing another one.

Hello Ahmed,

I’m so glad you enjoyed this lesson and that it makes you want to continue reading. Thank you.

Antar Hassan

I’m really very thankful to you because travel stories helped me so much in teaching my students new vocabulary about journeys . Hope to find more and more in future lessons

Hello Antar,

Thank you for the comment. I’m very happy to know this has been helpful to you in your classroom and with your students.

Sakuta

Hi Annemarie , Thanks a lot for sharing this post on travel stories. Actually my English not well but I can understand at all, I really like that it help me improve my English as well. Thanks again 🙂

Thanks for your comment, Sakuta. I’m happy that you enjoyed this lesson and have learned some new vocabulary!

Hari Krishna

Hi Annemarie, First of all, thank you very much for sharing this post on travel stories. I have been following your weekly posts since a couple of weeks, I like this post a lot, it is always exciting listening and talking of travel stories. Sharon’s staycation story resonates well with me as I like going out with family even if it is not such a significant or a popular place to go visit. The feel of going out together and experience the joy of spending time with family outside is worth experiencing and treasure the memories. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go …  Read more »

Hello Hari,

Thank you so much for your comments. I’m thrilled to have you following my Confident English lessons.

Very impressive vocabulary with your sentence, “Sharon’s staycation story resonates well with me…” Nicely said.

This was very well written and you did a great job using vocabulary from the lesson.

Alami

Hey AnneMarie to be honest the traveling now is the most important thing in my life, I sounds good when i travel abroad and discouvir a new places, traditions, cultures, countries. I love that !! when I’m thinking of my next trip I be happy for searching for a cheap fly and think in all little details (hotels, food , bus from airoprot to the city centre then to hotel, mesuems, things to do in that city) so for the me the word of cant be bothered doesnt exist in this kind of things. and i dont like all inclusive …  Read more »

Hello Alami,

Thank you for sharing about your travel preferences. Your love of travel is like many of us here. 🙂 As you described, I think planning a vacation can be fun, almost as fun as the vacation.

Do you have a favorite country or place that you like to visit? Best, Annemarie

Abu Omar Mahmoud

Mahmoud on May 06.05.2016 Hi Annmarie As this is my first challenge I hope that you like it and that it’s good. On Last May and during a party I won a two hotel full board nights pouch for two in Aqaba_Jordan. Me and my wife were very existed and started to plan for when,how and what kind of activities we can do in Aqaba while staying there, off course budget wise it was affordable due to the pouch, First of all we picked the right weekend to do so, and then I rented a car. Meanwhile, using the net …  Read more »

Hello Mahmoud,

Welcome and thank you for sharing your story!

How wonderful to win an all-inclusive two-day trip to Aqaba! It sounds wonderful. And Petra! I have always wanted to visit Petra! And was this the first time you or your wife scuba dived? How was it?

A few small corrections: “… I won a [full-board two-night hotel stay …]” “My wife and [I] were very [excited] …”

It sounds like the perfect two-day quick trip to get away! Thanks again for sharing. ~ annemarie

Alexandra

Hello Annemarie! Fortunately, I have some free time to accomplish the task and to tell about my vacations. A new trip always means that I will open something new. I always have a sense of adventure when taking some journey, so I always look forward to my holidays and therefore to travelling. It doesn’t matter what kind of holidays I’m going to take, the main thing is what emotions I will have. It may be a camping where I can spend wonderful time roasting meat over the fire, singing campfire songs, eating some trail mix and chatting with my friends …  Read more »

Hello Alexandra – I loved this! You used so many of the key words and expressions! Fantastic work. And I really like the expression: “… if I’m squeezed like a lemon …” I assume that means to feel really stressed, is that correct? What a perfect description for feeling stressed and needing a break! One question, when you say “the main thing is what emotions I will have” do you mean emotions or experiences? When I see emotions, I think of happy, sad, angry, frustrated, joyful, etc. If that is what you mean, that is okay but I wanted to …  Read more »

Alexandra

Thanks a lot for your comments, Annemarie! I appreciate them greatly!!! Frankly speaking I’ve thought that the expression “to be squeezed like a lemon” (that really means “to be very tired and stressed” as you have said) really exists in English, because I leart it at university, but now I doubt… Do native speakers use it in their speech? As for the phrase “the main thing is what emotions I will have”, I’ve meant here that I always get some positive emotions after having travelled, because travelling enriches me, gives the opportunity to meet new people, to get to know …  Read more »

Hello Alexandra,

You are so welcome.

As for “to be squeezed like a lemon” it is possible that it is an idiomatic expression. Idioms can be regional, so it is possible that it is used in another country or a specific region. For me it was new, but I understood what you meant. It was easy to understand from the context. I’ll have to do some research to see if I can find where they use it. 🙂

Best, Annemarie

Thank you, Annemarie!

Yulia

Hello Annemarie! I miss our challenge and such short stories :)) I will tell you about my nearest travel just in a few days – from Saint-Petersburg to Helsinki by bus. If my budget not so tight, I would prefer the train because it is faster and more comfortable, but I am going to spend two nights in a bus… awesome! It is a business trip just for one day and I will have a lot of free time in the city. So, I hope weather will be well and I have pleasure of the walking and sitting near the …  Read more »

Hello Yulia, I miss our daily challenges too!! It makes me excited for the June challenge. And how fun to go to Helsinki for work! It sounds like you have some good plans for your free time there – the idea of coffee and a sandwich by the sea sounds perfect. A few things: “If my budget [wasn’t] so tight …” — we need to have a verb. ” …spend two nights [on] a bus.” Prepositions are so tricky. We can say “in a car” or “in a truck” but for larger vehicles we say “on a bus,” “on a …  Read more »

Hello Annemarie! I missed your reply on my travel story. Thank you very much for your comments and correction of my text. As you already know, my trip was success and also I had extra practice in English. And weather was really amazing! The local people jocked that we have a chance to get very unusual gift from Helsinki – a sunburn!

A sunburn in Helsinki! That is the first time I’ve ever heard about that! 🙂

I’m so glad it was a successful trip, Yulia. It really made me happy to hear about your experience! ~ annemarie

Olga

Everybody loves traveling and I’m not an exception! There is no point in choosing the best way of traveling, all of them are good to get new impressions, to relax and to reload your mind. As a rule it’s me who arranges family vacation from scratch. The choice of vacation depends on a budjet, on a season and its length. Especially I love short holidays for 3-4 days because they are so dynamic, full of events; it’s really a great short break in a busy life. We usually stay at small private hotels without many amenities but with picturesque views …  Read more »

This sounds like the perfect long weekend, Olga! Especially now that spring is starting, I’m dreaming of an easy 3-4 day trip on the countryside. Do you enjoy the planning for vacations or is it stressful for you?

Perfect use of: from scratch, without many amenities, not any hidden extras.

A few changes for articles: “…it’s me who arranges [the] family vacation” “…on [the] season and its length.” “… [a] friendly atmosphere.”

I hope you get to go on a vacation like this soon! 🙂 ~ Annemarie

Rafif Daoud

Hello, I am Rafif Last summer I travelled to Turkey with my family ; my husband and my four daughters, my father and mother, my sisters and brother and their own families . We were 21 persons which means different ages, different needs and expectations about vactions, and I can’t be bothered by all those details. For that I have chosen All_inclusive kind of vactions. Our choice settled on Kartepe (green park ) for a littlr R&R. They also offer breakfast, dinner and afternoon snack time and a lot of amenities like Turkish bath, ( sauna and Jacuzzi), paint ball …  Read more »

Hello Rafif – great travel story! And wow, 21 people! I can imagine that packing was a problem and I love that you watched a Mr. Bean video to help. Great use of: I [couldn’t] be bothered, I [chose an] all-inclusive kind of vacation, all we [had to do was] show up, hidden extras and several more. Two corrections: There were 21 of us (instead of We were 21 persons). The final bill was acceptable [,it wasn’t that much] or [, it wasn’t that big.] I really enjoyed this and you did a great job using some of the more …  Read more »

Thank you Anne marie for your comment and the correction

Maria

I love traveling, I do believe that traveling gives you a better perspective on life, it changes you. When you come back home you are a bit different! You have tons of new ideas, stories to tell! I think it is a good way to reboot all your system and we all need a little R and R after all! I remember when a child we would go to the seaside like every year. Our parents would pack up a car and all our belongings and our trip would begin. You know Ukraine is the biggest country in Europe, so …  Read more »

Tatyana

Excellent!!!! You described your memories in that way I felt I was there!!! It’s wonderful that you love traveling and can go anywhere easily without a doubt! I think you are really interesting person to have among friends!

Thank you so much! You are adorable!:) It is always fun to travel with a great company!:)

What wonderful details, Maria! I can imagine getting up early and into the car to start a 10-hour road trip! And I love your 3 must-haves (don’t forget the ‘s’ on ‘haves’ since it’s 3). Like you, I love the idea of the seaside, the sunset, and grilling over the fire! Great use of: sense of adventure, perspective on life, a little R&R, tons of, on a tight budget and several more! A couple things: I remember when [I was] a child or I remember [as] a child, stroll [on] the beach Thanks so much for sharing this! I enjoyed …  Read more »

Thank you! I do have a quick question (this is your phrase, I know:)): stroll on – is it always with “on”? Or it depends? Could you help me with this one, please? I like this word and want to use it correctly! Thank you!

Great question. Actually, it isn’t the verb (stroll) that is important. It is the noun that follows: on the beach. We can use any verb with this: jog on the beach, run on the beach, stroll on the beach, etc. Other examples: along the river, around the city. So you could say: stroll along the river, stroll around the city.

Frankly speaking, I love travelling a lot. I love spending my free time or vacation with my family and my friends! By the way, I can have a great vacation even if I’m on a tight budget. The alternative variant is to have a staycation. My city is so amazing and beautiful! There are a lot of places of interest here. I also like to go out of the city, to go to the country, for example. Love that feeling when you pack up the kids, friends, dogs into the car, pack all outdoor gear. And It goes without saying …  Read more »

And here we go – well marinated meat is a must-have thing!;)

We have something in common- we both love shashlik))

Tatyana, you’ve done such a great job creating your own story and sharing your memories! Great use of: on a tight budget, staycation, pack up the kids, outdoor gear, all-inclusive. I was quite impressed with your use of prepositions and articles. There are just a couple missing: [the] outdoor gear, [an] all-inclusive. Really impressive! And I agree with you completely, with some inspiration and desire, any vacation can be magical! Thank you so much for sharing your story! ~ Annemarie

Tanja Kuzmanoska

Dear Rachel, I am Tanja Kuzmanoska from Macedonia. I follow your posts and videos, but I resonate with this post the most, it came just in time. I love traveling, I have traveled places and been on interesting vacations. Recently I started a blog on traveling , the first post I wrote was in Macedonian, but few days ago I translated it in English. It is written in a different style, rather a blend of travel guide and prosaic, emotional text. I would love if you read it and give me a feedback. I send you the link below. Thank …  Read more »

Thank you for your comment. How exciting that you have started a blog on traveling! I’d be happy to read it.

I do have a quick question – I wasn’t sure who Rachel was?

Thanks again for the comment. I’ll be sure to email you with any feedback on your English travel story! ~ Annemarie

Hi again Annemarie, I am so sorry I have mistaken your name for Rachel, I hope you will forgive me! Regards, Tanja

🙂 Hi Tanja, No problem. It happens. I just wasn’t sure who you meant. I’ll look forward to reading your blog later today! ~ Annemarie

Dear Tanja,

I really enjoyed getting to read your story about your hometown or where your ancestors are from. You have a gift with words. I could really get a feeling for the area. How interesting that there are only two families there now!!

Thank you for sharing your site. I hope you will continue to write! ~ Annemarie

Tanja Kuzmanoska

Dear Annemarie

Thank you so much for your time to read my story, your comments mean a lot to me. I am happy that you enjoyed reading it, and I appreciate your support very much. I will certainly continue to share my stories in words and photos and you are welcome to visit my site 🙂

I wish you every success on your projects, I will continue following and sharing them on social networks!

Many thanks and all the best, Tanja

Pin It on Pinterest

  • Facebook Profile

Learning English with Oxford

The latest language learning tips, resources, and content from oxford university press., essential english travel vocabulary | part 1.

  • by Oxford University Press ELT
  • Posted on August 1, 2023 August 1, 2023

vocab in travel writing

Planning to travel

  • You might choose to have a staycation . This means you choose to stay at home rather than travel somewhere. This can be a cheap, relaxed, and enjoyable way to enjoy your break.

Instead of going abroad, Joana is having a staycation and exploring local parks.

  • If you like exploring busy cities, you might decide to take a city break , which is a short holiday in a city, usually for a few days. City breaks are a great way to experience the culture of somewhere by visiting museums, art galleries and local parks. 

Mazciek took a city break to London and saw Big Ben.

  • Glamping/camping is when you stay outdoors, usually in tents. Glamping (glamorous camping) offers more luxurious facilities, such as a bed in your tent, electricity, and sometimes a bathroom. 

Our family went glamping at the music festival – I can’t believe I slept in a proper bed in a tent! 

  • You might decide to take an eco-holiday . This is a trip focused on environmentally-friendly activities and sustainable tourism.

On their eco-holiday, JiaYi and Thibault learned about coral reef conservation.

  • A fun and action-packed holiday that gets your heart racing is an adventure holiday. This is where you participate in exciting and often physically challenging activities.

Liesel’s adventure holiday included rock climbing and white-water rafting.

  • If you like all your food, drink, and activities included in the price of your trip, you might enjoy an all-Inclusive holiday .

At the all-inclusive resort, Csilla didn’t have to worry about any extra costs.

Activities to do on your travels

Here are some ideas for some activities you can do whilst on your break. 

  • Maybe you want to take some rest and relaxation, also known as R&R . This means you want to take time to relax and take it easy. You could do this at the beach, at home, or in a park – wherever you like to chill out. 

After a hectic school year, all I want is some R&R by the beach.

  • The opposite of R&R is sightseeing . This is where you visit and view attractions or places of interest in a particular location. Often, you can take sightseeing buses around a town or city, or simply walk and explore. Part of the fun of being somewhere new is getting lost, right!?

During our trip to Mexico, we went sightseeing and saw the Frida Kahlo museum. 

  • Maybe you prefer to get some information about the place you are visiting from an expert, or the history of a specific attraction. In that case, you might like to book a guided tour.  

The guided tour of Edinburgh castle was both educational and fun.

  • If you’ve always wanted to give your time for free to help others or to benefit a community, you might like to volunteer . 

Radha spent her holiday volunteering at a wildlife sanctuary in Tanzania.

  • Cultural activities are when you engage in activities that reflect the culture of a place, like visiting museums, art shows, and galleries.

Tokyo offers a lot of different cultural activities; we loved the art galleries and traditional tea ceremonies.

Now, it’s time for your holiday! Whether you’re chilling at home, exploring a busy city, or diving into a unique cultural experience, there’s a world of opportunities waiting for you on your summer break. But before you pack your bags, don’t forget to come back for part 2 of this blog post on travel words in English. We’ll dive deeper into useful vocabulary for discussing your travel experiences, sharing the highlights and even the not-so-great moments of your adventures. After all, every trip has a story, and we’ll help you tell yours! 

Do you know any other types of holidays we’ve missed? Comment below! For more vocabulary on travel and transport, check out this blog post !

Match the English travel vocabulary to their definitions. 

  • Sightseeing
  • Guided tour 
  • Eco-holiday 
  • All-inclusive
  • When all your food, drink, and facilities are included in the cost
  • Rest and relaxation
  • When you give your time for free
  • Where you have a holiday at home or in your home country
  • Sleeping in a luxury tent
  • When you visit and look at attractions or places of interest
  • A holiday with environmentally-friendly activities and sustainable tourism
  • When an expert gives you information about a place on an organised tour

Billie Jago  is an ELT writer and teacher trainer, specialising in digital & assessments. She is the founder of the professional development podcast ELTcpd and co-founder of the digital ELT content agency,  otterelt .

Share this:

' data-src=

Author: Oxford University Press ELT

Every year we help millions of people around the world to learn English. As a department of the University of Oxford, we further the University’s objective of excellence in education by publishing proven and tested language learning books, eBooks, learning materials, and educational technologies. View all posts by Oxford University Press ELT

Thank you very much for the travel vocabulary review and the activity. I always do these tasks before I ask my students to do them. I made six correct guesses. But as for travel vocabulary additions, here are some: to travel solo, to go off the beaten track; to visit a museum (this item may be problematic to some learners: years ago, some authors commented that foreigners should be forewarned not to say “to make an excursion to a museum’, which some of them do,; it must be ‘a visit to a museum’ instead). Thank you.

I can think of holidays where you volunteer to work for free with children from unfavourable backgrounds or help with renaturalisation projects, etc. Mostly, accommodation and food are free but you have to fork out your own travel expenses. Did this kind of thing a few time in my youth.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Discover more from learning english with oxford.

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

vocab in travel writing

What You Should Know About Travel Writing

  • An Introduction to Punctuation
  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

Travel writing is a form of creative nonfiction in which the narrator's encounters with foreign places serve as the dominant subject. Also called  travel literature .

"All travel writing—because it is writing—is made in the sense of being constructed, says Peter Hulme, "but travel writing cannot be made up without losing its designation" (quoted by Tim Youngs in  The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing , 2013).

Notable contemporary travel writers in English include Paul Theroux, Susan Orlean, Bill Bryson , Pico Iyer, Rory MacLean, Mary Morris, Dennison Berwick, Jan Morris, Tony Horwitz, Jeffrey Tayler, and Tom Miller, among countless others.

Examples of Travel Writing

  • "By the Railway Side" by Alice Meynell
  • Lists and Anaphora in Bill Bryson's "Neither Here Nor There"
  • Lists in William Least Heat-Moon's Place Description
  • "London From a Distance" by Ford Madox Ford
  • "Niagara Falls" by Rupert Brooke
  • "Nights in London" by Thomas Burke
  • "Of Trave," by Francis Bacon
  • "Of Travel" by Owen Felltham
  • "Rochester" by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Observations About Travel Writing

Authors, journalists, and others have attempted to describe travel writing, which is more difficult to do than you might think. However, these excerpts explain that travel writing—at a minimum—requires a sense of curiosity, awareness, and fun.

Thomas Swick

  • "The best writers in the field [of travel writing] bring to it an indefatigable curiosity, a fierce intelligence that enables them to interpret, and a generous heart that allows them to connect. Without resorting to invention , they make ample use of their imaginations. . . . "The travel book itself has a similar grab bag quality. It incorporates the characters and plot line of a novel, the descriptive power of poetry, the substance of a history lesson, the discursiveness of an essay , and the—often inadvertent—self-revelation of a memoir . It revels in the particular while occasionally illuminating the universal. It colors and shapes and fills in gaps. Because it results from displacement, it is frequently funny. It takes readers for a spin (and shows them, usually, how lucky they are). It humanizes the alien. More often than not it celebrates the unsung. It uncovers truths that are stranger than fiction. It gives eyewitness proof of life’s infinite possibilities." ("Not a Tourist." The Wilson Quarterly , Winter 2010)

Casey Blanton

  • "There exists at the center of travel books like [Graham] Greene's Journey Without Maps or [V.S.] Naipaul's An Area of Darkness a mediating consciousness that monitors the journey, judges, thinks, confesses, changes, and even grows. This narrator , so central to what we have come to expect in modern travel writing , is a relatively new ingredient in travel literature, but it is one that irrevocably changed the genre . . . . "Freed from strictly chronological , fact-driven narratives , nearly all contemporary travel writers include their own dreams and memories of childhood as well as chunks of historical data and synopses of other travel books. Self reflexivity and instability, both as theme and style , offer the writer a way to show the effects of his or her own presence in a foreign country and to expose the arbitrariness of truth and the absence of norms." ( Travel Writing: The Self and the World . Routledge, 2002)

Frances Mayes

  • "Some travel writers can become serious to the point of lapsing into good ol' American puritanism. . . . What nonsense! I have traveled much in Concord. Good travel writing can be as much about having a good time as about eating grubs and chasing drug lords. . . . [T]ravel is for learning, for fun, for escape, for personal quests, for challenge, for exploration, for opening the imagination to other lives and languages." (Introduction to The Best American Travel Writing 2002 . Houghton, 2002)

Travel Writers on Travel Writing

In the past, travel writing was considered to be nothing more than the detailing of specific routes to various destinations. Today, however, travel writing has become much more. Read on to find out what famous travel writers such as V.S. Naipaul and Paul Theroux say about the profession.

V.S. Naipaul

  • "My books have to be called ' travel writing ,' but that can be misleading because in the old days travel writing was essentially done by men describing the routes they were taking. . . . What I do is quite different. I travel on a theme . I travel to make an inquiry. I am not a journalist. I am taking with me the gifts of sympathy, observation, and curiosity that I developed as an imaginative writer. The books I write now, these inquiries, are really constructed narratives." (Interview with Ahmed Rashid, "Death of the Novel." The Observer , Feb. 25, 1996)

Paul Theroux

  • - "Most travel narratives—perhaps all of them, the classics anyway—describe the miseries and splendors of going from one remote place to another. The quest, the getting there, the difficulty of the road is the story; the journey, not the arrival, matters, and most of the time the traveler—the traveler’s mood, especially—is the subject of the whole business. I have made a career out of this sort of slogging and self-portraiture, travel writing as diffused autobiography ; and so have many others in the old, laborious look-at-me way that informs travel writing ." (Paul Theroux, "The Soul of the South." Smithsonian Magazine , July-August 2014) - "Most visitors to coastal Maine know it in the summer. In the nature of visitation, people show up in the season. The snow and ice are a bleak memory now on the long warm days of early summer, but it seems to me that to understand a place best, the visitor needs to see figures in a landscape in all seasons. Maine is a joy in the summer. But the soul of Maine is more apparent in the winter. You see that the population is actually quite small, the roads are empty, some of the restaurants are closed, the houses of the summer people are dark, their driveways unplowed. But Maine out of season is unmistakably a great destination: hospitable, good-humored, plenty of elbow room, short days, dark nights of crackling ice crystals. "Winter is a season of recovery and preparation. Boats are repaired, traps fixed, nets mended. “I need the winter to rest my body,” my friend the lobsterman told me, speaking of how he suspended his lobstering in December and did not resume until April. . . ." ("The Wicked Coast." The Atlantic , June 2011)

Susan Orlean

  • - "To be honest, I view all stories as journeys. Journeys are the essential text of the human experience—the journey from birth to death, from innocence to wisdom, from ignorance to knowledge, from where we start to where we end. There is almost no piece of important writing—the Bible, the Odyssey , Chaucer, Ulysses —that isn't explicitly or implicitly the story of a journey. Even when I don't actually go anywhere for a particular story, the way I report is to immerse myself in something I usually know very little about, and what I experience is the journey toward a grasp of what I've seen." (Susan Orlean, Introduction to My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who's Been Everywhere . Random House, 2004) - "When I went to Scotland for a friend's wedding last summer, I didn't plan on firing a gun. Getting into a fistfight, maybe; hurling insults about badly dressed bridesmaids, of course; but I didn't expect to shoot or get shot at. The wedding was taking place in a medieval castle in a speck of a village called Biggar. There was not a lot to do in Biggar, but the caretaker of the castle had skeet-shooting gear, and the male guests announced that before the rehearsal dinner they were going to give it a go. The women were advised to knit or shop or something. I don't know if any of us women actually wanted to join them, but we didn't want to be left out, so we insisted on coming along. . . ." (Opening paragraph of "Shooting Party." The New Yorker , September 29, 1999)

Jonathan Raban

  • - "As a literary form, travel writing is a notoriously raffish open house where different genres are likely to end up in the bed. It accommodates the private diary , the essay , the short story, the prose poem, the rough note and polished table talk with indiscriminate hospitality. It freely mixes narrative and discursive writing." ( For Love & Money: Writing - Reading - Travelling 1968-1987 . Picador, 1988)
  • - "Travel in its purest form requires no certain destination, no fixed itinerary, no advance reservation and no return ticket, for you are trying to launch yourself onto the haphazard drift of things, and put yourself in the way of whatever changes the journey may throw up. It's when you miss the one flight of the week, when the expected friend fails to show, when the pre-booked hotel reveals itself as a collection of steel joists stuck into a ravaged hillside, when a stranger asks you to share the cost of a hired car to a town whose name you've never heard, that you begin to travel in earnest." ("Why Travel?" Driving Home: An American Journey . Pantheon, 2011)
  • 100 Major Works of Modern Creative Nonfiction
  • What is Nature Writing?
  • Defining Nonfiction Writing
  • Creative Nonfiction
  • First-Person Point of View
  • Sports Writing as a Form of Creative Nonfiction
  • Point of View in Grammar and Composition
  • Tips on Great Writing: Setting the Scene
  • An Introduction to Literary Nonfiction
  • John McPhee: His Life and Work
  • Definition and Examples of Humorous Essays
  • 11 Things You Should Know About Trees
  • The Life and Travels of Ibn Battuta, World Explorer and Writer
  • How to Summarize a Plot

TRY OUR FREE APP

Write your book in Reedsy Studio. Try the beloved writing app for free today.

Craft your masterpiece in Reedsy Studio

Plan, write, edit, and format your book in our free app made for authors.

Reedsy Community

Blog • Perfecting your Craft

Last updated on Jul 12, 2023

How to Become a Travel Writer in 5 Steps: A Guide for Travel Bugs

For most people, trekking through the mountains or sampling French cuisine is a rare treat. For travel writers, it might just be another day on the job. As their job title suggests, travel writers create content about anything and everything related to exploring the world. 

Whether they’re writing to help readers plan a trip or to transport them — through words — to places they may never visit, no two travel writers share the same journey through their careers. But if you intend to walk down this road and become a travel writer, here are five steps to help you on your professional adventure.

Learn to be a descriptive writer and a thorough researcher

If there’s a single skill-set that almost all great travel writers share, it would be in research and descriptive writing. While people in this profession often have degrees in English or journalism, this is not a strict requirement. People come to travel writing from all walks of life, and publications tend to be concerned with your ability to deliver a great piece over any advanced degree. 

Although there isn’t any specific travel writing degree, if you want to learn all you can in one centralized place, there are many travel writing courses that train everyone from experienced journalists to new writers. 

Immerse readers with your descriptive writing

A landscape of the Azore Islands

Readers want you to take them on a journey with you. If you can’t pay for them to join you on a sea voyage to the Azores, you’ll have to settle for evoking the five senses and other descriptive writing techniques. 

Take for example, Paul Theroux. A prolific travel writer with a career spanning five decades, he’s treasured for his ability to pull readers into his adventures with simple yet evocative language, as he does in his essay, “ Taking the Great American Roadtrip ”: 

What made Barstow's billboards a peculiar blight was the contrast with everything that lay around them—the landscape that was so stark and dramatic as a brooding expanse of withered shrubs and fat cactuses, the stony roads that seemed to lead nowhere, the bleak and beautiful backdrop that seemed as though no one had laid a hand on it, with lively colorations at a distance and up close so dry, like a valley of bones looking as though they could not support life. I had seen deserts in Patagonia and Turkmenistan, northern Kenya and Xinjiang in western China; but I had never seen anything like this. The revelation of the Mojave Desert was (peering past the billboards) not just its illusion of emptiness but its assertive power of exclusion, the low bald hills and far-off mountains looking toasted and forbidding under the darkening sky.

Theroux invites the reader on the road with him and describes the desert landscape in crisp detail. The use of simile (“like a valley of bones”) and strong language (“stark, dramatic”) brings the piece to life and gives us a view from Theroux’s window so it feels like we’re traveling along with him. 

How do you remember and keep track of all these details while you’re on the go? Keeping a journal while you’re traveling — even if it’s just to another part of the town you live in — is a great method to have all the information you need to write your story when you finally get to sit down and reflect on your journey. 

Cherry-pick the details that will tell the best story

Though you may have recorded many interesting details, you can’t include everything. Travel writing may feature a lot of exposition to set the scene, but it isn’t the same thing as keeping a journal. To make a stronger piece, you need to focus on the right stories and details, which means knowing what to add and what you can leave out.

At the same time, being concise is important. Unless you’re running your own blog or website, most digital or physical publications will have word limits to adhere to. Identifying what’s most important and most interesting to your audience as you write makes for more compelling writing. 

Preparation is key

For travel writers, research skills go hand-in-hand with writing skills. You might be asked to write about a topic you aren’t familiar with or you might need to learn more about a place’s history or background to give your piece greater context. Research will allow you to create an accurate and well-informed story and help fill in the gaps in your own knowledge. And who knows, you might stumble on something that will inspire your next trip or story. 

Before you begin planning your next trip to the most popular destination of the year, you need to research where everyone has already gone. If you find a lot of articles about solo travel in Brazil, that might mean you need to find a new angle or pick a different place entirely, and down another research rabbit hole you’ll go. 

The arch in Washington Square Park, New York City

Learning as much as you can about the culture and history of the place you’re visiting will undoubtedly deepen your understanding and experience of it. A monument or a park might be pretty and fun to hang out in, but knowing that New York City’s Washington Square Park was built over the graves of 20,000 people makes for both an interesting angle and a more emotionally impactful piece.

Even if you want to write from the perspective of someone going into an experience blind, you still need to do research to travel anywhere — or you’ll end up writing a travelog where you barely find your way out of the airport parking lot. 

While these are the main two skills you should focus on, there are a few more that can give you and your writing a boost. 

Interviewing

A subset of research, learning how to interview effectively will broaden the scope of your knowledge and your writing. Sometimes, you need a perspective other than your own, and who better to tell you about all the hidden secrets of Barcelona than a local? It’s an invaluable skill — especially for a travel writer — to be able to go into a place and speak to people, to get their stories and perspectives so you can go beyond just being a tourist. It’s a way to pull back the curtain and really connect yourself and your reader with the wider world. 

Anthony Bourdain in Parts Unknown

Travel writers do this quite often, and a great example can be seen in Anthony Bourdain’s TV show, Parts Unknown . On the surface, this food travel show showcases the cuisines of the world. But Bourdain’s interests, and thus the show’s, were much more focused on the lives of the people he’d meet along the way. 

If you also want to write in a way that exceeds the usual ‘visit-here-and-eat-that’ humdrum of most so-called travel writing and really start to understand the people you’ll encounter, you’ll need to become a passable interviewer.

Finding people to interview, asking the right questions, and making your interviewee comfortable are the main things that go into conducting a successful interview. Before you go out into the wider world, you can practice with friends, but really, the best way to learn is by doing. Record your interviews or take notes to ensure you don’t forget anything and have quotes to use for when you write your story. And, of course, ask permission before you conduct the interview or use the material.

With your notes and quotes in order, you then need to do the hard part: figure out what’s relevant. You may have dozens of poignant quotes and conversations, but it’s inevitable that you’ll have more raw material than you’ll be able to use. There’s no one right way to make this judgment. It takes time, experimentation, and experience to figure which ones are the best and order them together into one coherent whole. 

Stay up to date with the travel industry

While not necessarily a skill, part of being a good travel writer is being in the know about what’s happening in the travel industry. After all, the larger trends of people’s travel habits, popular destinations, and the state of major airlines and hotels influences the kind of information people are looking for. And it can always serve as inspiration for your next story. There are dozens of industry newsletters you can subscribe to that will keep you apprised of any new developments (including job openings and calls for pitches) in the world of travel, such as Lottie Gross’s Talking Travel Writing . Use them wisely. 

Staying up to date is also knowing where the opportunities to monetize your writing lie. The travel industry is full of affiliate programs and content partnerships, where you can get paid for your work without having to sell it to a publisher or outlet. Your chances of landing these types of deals significantly increase if you have your own blog or social media accounts with a good amount of subscribers, but there may be other opportunities out there as well if you’re savvy.

Even travel writers who don’t consider themselves “influencers” can learn a lot from people creating video content relating to travel topics, especially when it comes to how to make a profit off their content.  If you’re interested in running and making money off your own blog, knowing about programs like these and where to find them is incredibly important. 

Whether you’re looking to get a brand partnership, pitch an online publication, or a guest post on a travel blog, learning the basics of search engine optimization (SEO) and applying it to your writing will help you as you search for opportunities. Essentially, SEO is about optimizing a web page — in this case, your article — to be read by a search engine and draw users to it. It’s no surprise, then, that many publications value writers who have SEO skills and can optimize their articles to bring more traffic to their website.

Learn to take good photos

Besides being a competent and compelling writer, there's another skill that you should look to hone: photography. As much as people enjoy reading about places they’ve never been to, descriptive writing and imagination can only go so far. When it comes to travel, a picture can truly speak more than a thousand words. And a video might be even better. Visual media adds extra color and context to your piece while complementing your writing. 

A man holding up a camera and taking a photo

Depending on whether you’re freelancing or working full-time for a publication, you won’t always have a photographer following you on your journey. Learning the basics of photography can be helpful in those instances and make you a more well-rounded travel writer. In some cases, it might even be attractive to publications if you can provide your own photos. Consider posting what you capture on your personal blog, Instagram, or TikTok as well. Any way of building a following is great.

This doesn’t mean you must invest in a quality DSLR camera (though you certainly can). These days, many smartphones have top-of-the-line cameras that can take the kinds of stunning pictures of white sand beaches and ancient castles that readers are looking for. A beginner’s photography course can help you learn all the basics about lighting, color, and composition and have you snapping great shots in no time. 

📸 Taking plenty of photos can also help you ace your descriptive writing, for those moments when you’re struggling to recall specific details about a place you visited. 

Build a portfolio of work

Once you have a solid foundation of skills, you can begin creating your portfolio. While you might dream of being a staff writer at a travel publication, or make a living as a freelance travel writer, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to jump straight into that role. 

Find a niche you love

Unsurprisingly, travel writing is a popular choice for aspiring writers. Who doesn’t want to galavant around the world and make a living writing about your adventures? But, of course, that also means it’s a very competitive field, and standing out can be difficult. Finding a way to differentiate yourself will give you a leg up and provide a focus for your articles. 

The great thing about travel writing is that there is a nearly never-ending number of niches you could devote yourself to. You can write exclusively about a certain country or area of the world or gear your work towards a specific audience, such as budget travelers, people traveling with family, or digital nomads. If you have a unique perspective, it’s likely that people will want to read about it. 

That isn’t to say you can’t write outside your chosen subfield. Plenty of writers find success publishing in their niche and then expanding their reach to become a sort of jack of all trades. Having a focus will simply allow you to stand out from the crowd. 

Collect some quality clips

A person writing in a notebook, surrounded by books, a laptop, Polaroids, and a cup of coffee

First, you need to build up a reputation and a solid amount of quality clips — a journalistic term for published articles. They will serve as your resume, showing off your writing and research skills, as well as the topics you’re familiar with and your general style. As you start looking for ways to build your portfolio, internships, freelance opportunities, and blogging can all be great ways to start out. 

💡If you’re curious about the many kinds of work travel writers can do, check out this post about the different types of travel writing . 

📕And if you already have a travel writing blog, you might want to turn your blog into a book that you can pitch to publishers or self-publish.

Look for internships

Internships are a common way writers gain experience and clips. Magazines and online publications may allow aspiring travel writers to flex their skills and learn about what goes into professional travel writing. However, while there are paid internships in this field, many are likely unpaid. Whether you want to pursue an unpaid internship remains up to you, but we recommend valuing your time and pursuing paid internships when you can. 

Consider freelance writing

Another option to consider is freelance writing . Pitching articles to travel publications will not only be a way to gain jobs and clippings but allows you to practice ideation and build up a personal brand, as you are entirely in charge of the topics you’re writing about. It also expands your network of contacts in the industry, which will help you as you continue to pitch magazines and might lead to a job somewhere down the road. 

FREE RESOURCE

FREE RESOURCE

Writing Submissions Checklist

Make sure your magazine and contest submissions are prepped to impress.

And if you want to take complete control of your career, a subset of freelancing is blogging. Dozens of freelance travel writers supplement (or make a career out of) running their own personal blog. Having one will give you a ready-made portfolio of clips showing off your skills. This is where having a niche can be especially helpful, as it’s a way to set you apart from all the other travel blogs on the Internet. 

Search for jobs and writing opportunities

With a solid portfolio of clips, it’s time to go out into the world and fully devote yourself to a career in travel writing. There are two main tracks you could take: finding a staff writer position at a magazine or becoming a freelance travel writer. 

Finding full-time travel writer jobs

A man sitting in front of a laptop and thinking

For many writers, the dream is to work full-time as a travel writer for a publication. It offers stability while letting you travel to different destinations to write and explore. 

Although there are many travel-focused magazines like Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure that might have staff writer positions, don’t discount other publications. Some magazines and newspapers with completely different focuses have travel sections that need staff writers to keep them running. 

For positions like this, a portfolio is especially important. Magazines want to see that writers have a background in journalism and are reliable writers who can deliver good-quality pieces on time. Previously being published is often proof of that. But part of building a portfolio is also building connections with people in the industry. Knowing someone at a magazine who is familiar with your work and can vouch for you can help you get your foot in the door and be hired as a staff writer. 

Freelancing

Another option is to continue down the freelance path, pitching and writing your own stories. This route gives you a lot more freedom. You can decide which places to visit and which activities you want to do, and you’re always in charge of your own itinerary. Overall, you’re much less likely to work on a story you’re not interested in because an editor told you you must. 

This is where picking a niche and having a blog can be especially helpful. Establishing yourself as an authority on a subject will draw people to your articles and give you credibility as you pitch publications. A website dedicated to your niche, with all your expertise located in one place, elevates your credibility and provides a useful resource for your readers — especially if you get a handle on SEO. Eventually, you can even turn your blog into a book and create another revenue stream. 

FREE RESOURCE

The Full-Time Freelancer's Checklist

Get our guide to financial and logistical planning. Then, claim your independence.

Travel writing allows you to indulge in and subsidize your wanderlust and make a living off of it. More than that though, travel writing is a way to connect people across cultures and great distances, and build an appreciation for the uniqueness and diversity around us.

Continue reading

Recommended posts from the Reedsy Blog

vocab in travel writing

Man vs Nature: The Most Compelling Conflict in Writing

What is man vs nature? Learn all about this timeless conflict with examples of man vs nature in books, television, and film.

vocab in travel writing

The Redemption Arc: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

Learn what it takes to redeem a character with these examples and writing tips.

vocab in travel writing

How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph?

From fiction to nonfiction works, the length of a paragraph varies depending on its purpose. Here's everything you need to know.

vocab in travel writing

Narrative Structure: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

What's the difference between story structure and narrative structure? And how do you choose the right narrative structure for you novel?

vocab in travel writing

What is the Proust Questionnaire? 22 Questions to Write Better Characters

Inspired by Marcel Proust, check out the questionnaire that will help your characters remember things past.

vocab in travel writing

What is Pathos? Definition and Examples in Literature

Pathos is a literary device that uses language to evoke an emotional response, typically to connect readers with the characters in a story.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

RBE | Illustration — We made a writing app for you | 2023-02

We made a writing app for you

Yes, you! Write. Format. Export for ebook and print. 100% free, always.

Reedsy Marketplace UI

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

engVid - Free English Video Lessons

  • All Lessons
  • business english
  • comprehension
  • culture & tips
  • expressions
  • pronunciation

Adam's English lessons

English Travel Vocabulary: Planning a trip

' src=

about engVid

Learn English for free with 2053 video lessons by experienced teachers. Classes cover English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, IELTS, TOEFL, and more. Join millions of English learners worldwide who are improving every day with engVid.

  • 2-Intermediate
  • Uncategorized

' src=

  • Privacy Policy

© 2024 LearnVid Inc.

My English Language

English language resources for efl students and teachers.

My English Language

Travel and Transport

Travel vocabulary: using english for travel.

Travel vocabulary is one of the most useful areas of language learning today, as more people than ever are travelling far and wide for business and pleasure. There are many useful words and phrases we use when travelling and dealing with transport.

Although our travel plans have been put on hold for a while due to the Coronavirus pandemic , the world is slowly starting to open up again. This means we need to be ready with our travel language and vocabulary for when we can get a flight, a bus or a train!

For non-native speakers , travel vocabulary is a particularly useful topic of study and always a popular subject, allowing you to enjoy organising your travels without worrying about language issues.

Explore travel  vocabulary  here and learn useful  vocabulary related to travelling and using public transport. We have included useful words related to using trains, buses, cars, taxis, planes and boats, so you can have your travel phrases covered, whatever your mode of transport.  

General English Travel Vocabulary:

to arrive , to depart, to leave, to stay,

to cancel, cancellation, cancelled, delay, delayed

to book, to reserve, reservation, to cancel a reservation

holiday, business trip

suitcase, bag, luggage

trip, journey, to travel, map

travel agent, brochure

ticket office, fare, price, single/return ticket

by foot, on foot

travelling by plane, by train, by taxi, by car, by boat

roundabout, road, traffic lights, speed limit, junction, cross roads, road signs

Image source

Transport Vocabulary and Useful Phrases:

Wheels, steering wheel, dash board, indicators, headlights, roof, bonnet, boot, engine, battery, windscreen wipers, garage, car mechanic, petrol station, service (a ‘check up’ for a car)

Double decker, single decker, passengers, bus driver, bus stop, bus station, bus conductor, coach, luggage hold, bus lane

Bus travelling phrases:

the next stop, the last stop, to get on/off the bus, to buy a ticket

Train station, platform, track, level crossing, locomotive, underground, cross-country, local, return, single, ticket, carriage, first/second class, train driver, ticket inspector, waiting room, seat, timetable, guard, season ticket, fare, travel card, buffet car

Train travel phrases:

to catch a train, to check the timetable, on the platform, to travel cross-country

to get on the train, to embark, to set off (on a journey)

to get off the train, to disembark, to alight

ticket machine – a machine where you can buy your train tickets

ticket gate – a mechanical gate blocking access, where you need to insert your ticket to pass through

the buffet car – a carriage on a train where you can buy drinks and snacks

Grand Central Station , New York City – image source

Cab, black cab (official English taxi), fare, taxi rank, taxi driver, tip ( noun and verb )

Taxi travel phrases:

to hail a taxi / to flag down a taxi (when you raise your arm to get a taxi driver’s attention to encourage it to stop in the street)

to pay the fare (the fare is the fee for the journey)

to tip the driver (verb) / to give the driver a tip (noun)

Aeroplane, airport, airline, wing, runway, pilot, gate, passport, excess baggage charge, cabin crew, flight attendant, air steward/stewardess, security, turbulence, seatbelt

take off, landing

turbulence (uncomfortable, sudden movements of a plane due to air pressure/temperature changes)

hand luggage (luggage you take into the cabin with you)

hold luggage/checked luggage (luggage you check in for stowage under the aircraft)

over-head locker (where you can put your hand luggage)

boarding card, customs, departures, arrivals, lounge, aisle seat, window seat, check-in, in-flight movie, in-flight entertainment

terminal 1, terminal 2 / T1, T2 (a terminal is where passengers go to buy tickets, check in luggage, go to their boarding gate etc.)

boarding gate – where passenger go to board the plane (i.e. to get on the plane), located inside the terminal building

A plane takes off – image source

Plane travel phrases:

to put luggage/bags in the hold

to board the plane

prepare for take off, the plane will be taking off in 30 minutes

prepare for landing, the plane will be landing in 20 minutes

to fasten your seatbelt, to buckle up (‘buckle up’ is slang for ‘fasten your seatbelt’)

the flight was quite turbulent, to experience some  turbulence,  there was some light/heavy turbulence

“How was your flight?”

“It was good, thanks, except there was some turbulence during the descent that made me spill my drink!”

“Great – it was a smooth flight and I slept most of the time.”

Ferry, cruise ship, harbour, deck, port, sea, ocean, cabin, captain, sail, sea sickness , crossing, on board, life belt/jacket, foot passenger, buffet, port side, starboard

  • The difference between a boat and a ship: boats are small to mid-sized vessels, often used for pleasure trips. Boat is also a generic term for water vessels. Ships are normally larger and are used to carry cargo, passengers or smaller boats.

Boat travelling phrases:

to embark  (to get on the boat) / to disembark (to get off the boat)

‘choppy’ seas / rough seas / strong waves

Calm waters will provide a peaceful cruise for this ship  –  image source

calm waters / still waters

to sail, to have a good crossing (a ‘crossing’ is when you go from one place to another on a boat/ship) – e.g.  “Did you have a good crossing?”

to go out on deck (to go outside on the ship)

welcome aboard/on board (you might hear this when you embark for the first time)

the captain’s table (where the captain sits at dinner – sometimes passengers might get an invitation to site at the captain’s table at some point during their cruise)

  • ‘Plain sailing’ is an idiom that means an event that goes smoothly: ‘It’s all plain sailing from here’

It’s a great day to be ‘out on deck’ – image source

English at the Train Station

Useful travelling vocabulary for using the train, including phrases you may want to say, phrases you may hear and comments you might want to make about travelling by train:

  • Train times on timetables are always given in the twenty-four hour clock format. So, 5.15 pm would be 17.15 and 9.05 am would be 09.05.

A busy airport – image source

“How was the journey?”

“It was fine, the train arrived on time and I managed to buy a coffee from the buffet car.”

“Terrible, the first two trains were cancelled and then I had to stand up for the entire journey.”

“My train was delayed, so I passed the time by browsing in the station bookshop”

English vocabulary at the airport

Travelling vocabulary for using planes and visiting the airport, including phrases you might hear at the airport and sentences you might need to say when travelling by plane:

Click here to explore more essential English vocabulary and phrases for everyday situations.

When travelling and using transport, you might also need to ask for directions. Check out how to ask for directions in English when travelling around a city with our directions page. Our article includes possible questions you might want to ask and answers you could receive when navigating your way around a new town.

Let us know your thoughts on travel vocabulary

What do you find most difficult about using English when travelling?

Do you find any of these phrases related to travel and transport confusing?

Can you think of other useful English travel vocabulary for using different modes of transport?

TEFL teachers, how do you incorporate travelling vocabulary into your English lessons?

2 thoughts on “ Travel and Transport ”

Thank you for the provided phrases and words. I would also like to see a short dialogue or common phrases when someone got lost in a city or trying to get somewhere, so that there should be various options for speaking about traveling ina city

Hi Tatyana, thanks for your comment. A dialogue like this is a great suggestion. We will looks to add something like this to the travel and transport page soon. In the meantime, you might find our directions page useful, as this contains phrases for asking for directions when travelling in a city.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • TOEFL Writing Correction Topics
  • OET Course & Mock Test
  • Writing Correction
  • Speaking Mock Test
  • Reading Course
  • Listening Practice Tests
  • FREE Practice Tests
  • OET Writing Correction
  • OET Reading Course
  • OET Speaking Mock Test
  • TOEFL Writing Correction
  • PTE Writing Correction
  • OET Listening Practice Tests
  • OET (Occupational English Test)
  • PTE (Pearson Test of English)

IELTS Vocabulary – Travel

  • Finance & Money
  • Communication
  • Climate Change
  • Social Media
  • Entertainment
  • Transportation
  • Environment
  • Crime and Policing
  • IELTS Vocab

travel vocabulary for ielts

Questions about travel and tourist destinations are extremely common on the IELTS examination. This page contains essential words and phrases that will help you answer questions on the topic of IELTS travel vocabulary. There are exercises for you to IELTS practice with real questions.

Table of Contents

  • Travel Vocabulary
  • Travel Vocabulary Activity
  • Travel Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations
  • Travel Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations Activity

1. 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

IELTS writing correction

2. General Travel Vocabulary Activity

3. travel idioms, phrasal verbs, and collocations.

There are many collocations, idioms and phrasal verbs used to discuss travel and destinations. Using them correctly will make your answers sound completer and more natural. Here are some common words and phrases that you can use in the IELTS examination, followed by exercises for you to practice using the words in context.

  • Affordable destinations – Places that are within a person’s financial means. Not expensive/luxury
  • Affordable travel – Trips that are within a person’s financial means
  • 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

4. Travel Idioms, Phrasal Verbs, and Collocations Activity

For more practice, Visit IELTS vocabulary for Transportation .

Vocab articles short lists

Ielts vocabulary themes.

  • Finance and Money
  • Science and Technology

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

OET Writing Correction

  • ielts writing
  • ielts listening
  • ielts speaking
  • ielts reading
  • ielts practice test
  • IELTS Sample Reports
  • IELTS Sample Essays
  • IELTS Sample Letters
  • IELTS Vocabulary
  • 📝 VOCABULARY
  • 🚀 GAMES/ACTIVITIES

logo

Travel Words to Learn in English

travel vocabulary in English

Travelling is going from a place to a distant place. Movement of people is considered as travel. People travel by many vehicles such as car, bus, plane, train or ship. These are called means of transport .

⬤ Pictures of travel vocabulary with pronunciations

Here is a list of travel vocabulary in English with pictures. You can listen to the pronunciation when you click on an image. The browser you are using does not support HTML5 audio playback. Sorry.

⬤ Word list of travel vocabulary in English

  • destination
  • travel agent
  • ticket office
  • information desk
  • flight attendant

⬤ Air travel vocabulary

  • boarding pass
  • business class
  • economy class
  • first-class
  • emergency exits

SIMILAR PAGES: ❯❯ Holiday vocabulary ❯❯ City life vocabulary ❯❯ Transportation vocabulary ❯❯ Business English vocabulary

⬤ Flashcards exercise about travelling

Learn travel vocabulary with flashcards exercise below. There are flashcards about travel vocabulary. Guess it and open the card to see the answer.

 alt=

⬤ Flip the card game about travelling

Click on a card to open it. Then you will see a random word about travelling. Guess the meaning of it in your own language.

 alt=

⬤ Images of travel vocabulary to download

travel vocabulary image

⬤ Picture quiz about travel vocabulary

Let’s check your travel vocabulary with images. Select the correct option according to the given picture. For every correct answer you get 10 points.

⬤ Listening test

This is a free listening test about travelling. First listen to the audio about travel. Then select the corresponding picture from the list.

⬤ Writing test about travel

Below is a vocabulary writing test about travel. Look at the image and write the name of the picture into the input box.

  START

⬤ Spelling test about travel

Below is a vocabulary listening and spelling test about travel. Listen to the audio and then write what you hear into the input box. For every correct answer you get points.

⬤ Worksheets for travel vocabulary to download

Related pages, memory card game for travel, word scramble game for travel related words, word search puzzle for travel, make words game for travel expressions, wetman game for travel, accessories vocabulary 👓 exercises pictures audio, body parts in english 👨 with games and listed images, classroom objects vocabulary in english 📕 with games, clothes vocabulary in english 👕 learn with images and flashcards, colour names in english 🎈 with tests and images, computer parts (hardware) vocabulary: pictures audio, verb to be (am, is, are) – with examples and online exercises, modal “can” – with explanations exercises and activities, present continuous tense – with usage examples and pictures, simple present tense (do-does) – with usage, pictures and example sentences.

© www.english-learn-online.com     All right reserved You can write us any mistakes or read our about page or see our privacy policy .

Welcome Guest!

  • IELTS Listening
  • IELTS Reading
  • IELTS Writing
  • IELTS Writing Task 1
  • IELTS Writing Task 2
  • IELTS Speaking
  • IELTS Speaking Part 1
  • IELTS Speaking Part 2
  • IELTS Speaking Part 3
  • IELTS Practice Tests
  • IELTS Listening Practice Tests
  • IELTS Reading Practice Tests
  • IELTS Writing Practice Tests
  • IELTS Speaking Practice Tests
  • All Courses
  • IELTS Online Classes
  • OET Online Classes
  • PTE Online Classes
  • CELPIP Online Classes
  • Free Live Classes
  • Australia PR
  • Germany Job Seeker Visa
  • Austria Job Seeker Visa
  • Sweden Job Seeker Visa
  • Study Abroad
  • Student Testimonials
  • Our Trainers
  • IELTS Webinar
  • Immigration Webinar

ielts-material

IELTS Travel, Tourism & Adventure Vocabulary : Useful Phrases & Expressions in IELTS Speaking

Zuhana

Updated On Sep 13, 2023

vocab in travel writing

Share on Whatsapp

Share on Email

Share on Linkedin

IELTS Travel, Tourism & Adventure Vocabulary : Useful Phrases & Expressions in IELTS Speaking

Predicted Cue Cards Topics 2024

A good vocabulary is a big part of gaining fluency in a second language. To do so you must familiarize yourself with common phrases, metaphors and sayings in any given niche field or topic that you may have to speak on. Today we will share with you a wide range of travel and tourism vocabulary words for IELTS to help you boost your IELTS score on any  IELTS Speaking or writing question that has to do with travel & adventure.

Useful Collocation and Expressions for IELTS Speaking – Topic:Travel

To get away : To escape, to go somewhere that is not your home. You can also use the noun “a getaway.”

Example: Last week, I had a great chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to visit an ancient village in the countryside.

A thirst for adventure : strong desire for travelling/adventure

Get itchy feet: have a strong desire to travel

Example: I’ve always had a thirst for adventure and often get itchy feet so I decided to set out to a journey from the North to the South of Australia next month.

To find a gem: When you find a place where only locals go and other tourists don’t visit.

Example: Try to find a local guide when you visit a foreign country to successfully find a gem during your trip.

Arduous journey: difficult & tiring journey

Break the journey: stop for a short time during journey

Example: I had a arduous journey to the South of Vietnam last year. I thought I would break the journey somewhere but I finally did it all in one go.

Adventurous explorer:  a traveler who is willing to do or try new and daring things

Have a stopover: Have a brief overnight stay in a place when on a long journey to somewhere else, usually by air

Example: I had a stopover in China on the way to Thailand, had a bit of a rest, and did the sights there before travelling on.

Low-cost airline: discount or budget airline

Put somebody on standby: make me wait to see if a seat become available

Example: Last week I got a flight on a low-cost airline to Paris. I then tried to get a flight to the UK but they were all full, so they put me on standby.

To take a red eye: To take a late night airline flight

Example: I had to take a red eye and now I’m exhausted.

Intrepid explorer: brave, with no fear of dangerous situations

Example: In the course of a long and proud career, an  intrepid   explorer turned herself into a perfect lady.

Off the beaten track:  An unusual route or destination

Example: My best friend is a intrepid traveler who has a real sense of adventure. He always love to set out on a journey off the beaten track

Unexplored wilderness:  not looked into or investigated; something that you have not done or experienced before

Example: I’m thirsty for a journey into unexplored wilderness and getting right off the beaten track.

To take the road less traveled: To do things differently and to think outside of the box.

Example: Adventurous travelers like to take the road less traveled when visiting a new country.

A real sense of adventure: the urge to explore beyond your daily surroundings and open yourself up to the adventure

To have wanderlust: To want to move around and see a lot of things around the world. To not want to stay in one place.

Example: I had a incurable case of wanderlust.

The first leg of the journey:   the first segment of a journey; the first flight of a multi-flight trip.

Example: The first leg of the journey got me to the UK but it just gave me very little indication of what lay ahead.

Off the beaten track (path): in a place where few people go; unusual route/destination

Example: Most young travelers make the effort to get off the tourist trail and look for off the beaten path destinations to experience the raw beauty of the country.

Also check :

  • IELTS Vocabulary
  • IELTS Speaking tips
  • Linking words for IELTS Speaking
  • IELTS Speaking recent actual test
  • Best IELTS Vocabulary books
  • Grammar for IELTS
  • IELTS Listening words
  • Sports Vocabulary IELTS
  • English Pronunciation in use Intermediate pdf
  • Work Vocabulary IELTS
  • Idioms for IELTS Speaking
  • Advanced Vocabulary for IELTS
  • IELTS Pronunciation Guide
  • Common English words in IELTS Speaking

Part 1 Sample Questions

  • Do you like to travel?
  • What kind of places have you visited in your life?
  • Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
  • What’s the best place you’ve ever visited?
  • Which form(s) of transport do you usually use?
  • What is the easiest way to get around your town/city?
  • Do people use public transport where you live?
  • Are there any problems with the public transport system in your town/city?
  • How do you prefer to travel on long journeys?
  • What is the most unusual method of transport you’ve ever used?

Part 2: Cue Card

Describe an interesting journey you have been on./Describe an adventure you had.

You should say :

  • where you went
  • how you traveled there
  • who you went with

and explain what was so memorable about the journey/adventure.

Part 3 Sample Questions

  • How important is it to have adventure in our lives?
  • What do people learn about themselves from having adventures?
  • How do you think people will travel in the future?
  • How easy is it to travel around your country?
  • Which method of travel do you consider safest?
  • Has travel become safer in recent years?
  • What are the pros and cons of low-cost air travel?

Remember, the worst thing you could do on the IELTS is to sound like every other Band 6 student by using typical IELTS vocabulary.

Make sure you are using interesting and native vocabulary throughout the exam like the ones in today’s article.

Check out other IELTS Vocabulary lessons for different topics in the Speaking section (   Environment ,  Accommodation , Education , People (Personality & Appearance) ,  Sports ,  Holiday ,   Relationship  )

If you want to boost your IELTS score by polishing up your vocabulary, figure out the lesson:  How To Boost Your Vocabulary Score In IELTS ?

Explore IELTS Speaking

ielts img

30 + Difficult IELTS Cue Card Topics with Answer pdf

Zuhana

Nafia Zuhana is an experienced content writer and IELTS Trainer. Currently, she is guiding students who are appearing for IELTS General and Academic exams through ieltsmaterial.com. With an 8.5 score herself, she trains and provides test takers with strategies, tips, and nuances on how to crack the IELTS Exam. She holds a degree in Master of Arts – Creative Writing, Oxford Brookes University, UK. She has worked with The Hindu for over a year as an English language trainer.

Explore other Speaking Articles

75+ Common English Words Used in IELTS Speaking Test

Kasturika Samanta

Social Media – IELTS Speaking Part 1 with Sample Answers

Nehasri Ravishenbagam

Reasons For The IELTS Examiner To Interrupt You in IELTS Speaking

Prachi Ramkrishna

View All

Post your Comments

Recent articles.

City and Countryside – IELTS Speaking Part 1, 2 & 3 with Model Answers

Our Offices

Gurgaon city scape, gurgaon bptp.

Step 1 of 3

Great going .

Get a free session from trainer

Have you taken test before?

Please select any option

Get free eBook to excel in test

Please enter Email ID

Get support from an Band 9 trainer

Please enter phone number

Already Registered?

Select a date

Please select a date

Select a time (IST Time Zone)

Please select a time

Mark Your Calendar: Free Session with Expert on

Which exam are you preparing?

Great Going!

  • International
  • Schools directory
  • Resources Jobs Schools directory News Search

Travel Writing Vocabulary

Travel Writing Vocabulary

Subject: English

Age range: 11-14

Resource type: Lesson (complete)

English GCSE and English KS3 resources

Last updated

14 April 2021

  • Share through email
  • Share through twitter
  • Share through linkedin
  • Share through facebook
  • Share through pinterest

vocab in travel writing

Travel Writing vocabulary - in creative writing vocabulary can be quite tricky, but this lesson supports students in improving their use of vocabulary when creating specific genre narrative pieces. Students are provided with detailed lists of synonyms for adjectives, verbs and nouns, all with a Travel Writing focus. Students use these lists to reflect on previous pieces of writing and make changes. A useful lesson for both KS3 and KS4 students, including English Language.

Check out our English Shop for loads more free and inexpensive KS3, KS4, KS5, Literacy and whole school resources.

Or check out some Citizenship GCSE, RE, PSHE + RSE resources at EC Resources

More Popular English Resources:

AQA English Language Paper 1 and Paper 2 Knowledge Organisers AQA English Language Paper 1 Section A package AQA English Language Paper 1 Sections A and B package AQA English Language Paper 1 package AQA English Language Paper 2 Question 5 package AQA English Language Paper 1 Question 5 package AQA English Language Paper 2 Section A package AQA English Language and English Literature revision package

An Inspector Calls whole scheme package An Inspector Calls revision package

Macbeth whole scheme package Macbeth revision package

A Christmas Carol whole scheme package A Christmas Carol revision package

Jekyll and Hyde whole scheme package Jekyll and Hyde revision package

Romeo and Juliet whole scheme package

Power and Conflict poetry comparing poems package Power and Conflict poetry whole scheme package

Love and Relationships poetry whole scheme package

Unseen Poetry whole scheme package

Tes paid licence How can I reuse this?

Get this resource as part of a bundle and save up to 63%

A bundle is a package of resources grouped together to teach a particular topic, or a series of lessons, in one place.

Travel Writing

Travel Writing complete scheme that includes 19 lessons over 18 resource packs AND a full scheme of work document. Covers areas of reading and writing for KS3 English students in preparation for English Language Paper 2. Introduction to Travel Writing Writing to Describe Upgrading Vocabulary Writing to Persuade Writing Persuasive Articles Punctuation Workshop Letter Writing Travel Blogs Travel Blog Editing and Redrafting Skills Review Writing Leaflet Writing lesson with modelled example Letter Writing focusing on Sentence Openers Christmas Writing to Explain Assessment Review lesson Travel Blog Language Analysis lesson Six Week Homework Pack Scheme of Work Document Ideal lessons for KS3 students looking at purpose, audience, form, genre, conventions, different types of nonfiction writing and more.

Your rating is required to reflect your happiness.

It's good to leave some feedback.

Something went wrong, please try again later.

This resource hasn't been reviewed yet

To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have purchased this resource can review it

Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch.

Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource:

TED IELTS

  • A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
  • Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

  • Free IELTS Resources
  • Practice Speaking Test

Select Page

IELTS Topics: Travel and Tourism

Posted by David S. Wills | Oct 12, 2020 | IELTS Tips | 0

IELTS Topics: Travel and Tourism

One of the common IELTS topics that appears in the exam is that of travel and tourism. In today’s lesson, I will help you learn about this topic so that you can do well in your next test.

First we will look at a little vocabulary about travel and tourism , then we will explore some IELTS speaking and writing questions to give you an idea of what to expect.

Vocabulary about Travel and Tourism for IELTS

When you prepare for IELTS, you never need to know any specialist vocabulary, so for questions about travel and tourism you may find that you can give a brilliant answer with just simple language, as long as it is used with grammatical accuracy. Knowing the difference between “I went to London” and “I was going to London” is very important, for example.

Of course, there are other things to know. It helps to know modes of transport and related vocabulary. [You can learn about transport here .] Another interesting aspect is knowing things you might encounter while travelling, such as accommodation.

I made this PPT about travel accommodation many years ago, but I have just uploaded it today. 🙃 I hope you find it useful.

You should also know the necessary language to talk about types of travel or reasons for taking a trip. Sometimes, new words enter the language, such as “staycation,” which is a very recent portmanteau .

vocab in travel writing

You might also find this list of synonyms for “trip” quite useful:

ielts vocabulary - synonyms for trip

Travel and Tourism Questions [IELTS Speaking]

The topic of travel and tourism is really common in IELTS speaking. It could easily occur in any of the three parts of this test, so you should be prepared to answer a wide range of questions. [You can find some examples here .]

These questions will be pretty general and simple. It is entirely possible that the same basic question could be asked in a number of different ways.

Perhaps the most common question would be “do you like travelling?” This is very similar to “have you done much travelling?” Of course, the focus has changed slightly but the overall meaning is similar: it’s about you and travel .

I’ll give two sample answers to these questions so that you can understand better:

Q: Do you like travelling?

A: Yeah, I absolutely love travelling. I have visited many countries over the past few years, but of course this all stopped recently because of the virus.

Q: Have you done much travelling?

A: I have done quite a lot of travelling in my life. Altogether, I’ve visited about 50 countries and I try to spend a few weeks each year seeing new places.

Note: It is unlikely that these questions would be asked together because they are very similar. Also, I pretty much answered the second one in the middle of the first answer. I just included them to show how a “do you like travelling” IELTS answer example.

Vaguely Related: Space Travel

I definitely consider space to be a separate topic from travel, but there is some small degree of overlap here. For example, there is a reported IELTS speaking question that goes something like this:

  • Do you want to travel in outer space?
  • Would you want to travel in outer space?

You might also see this incorrectly reported as “do you want to travel in the outer space?” but this is not correct. We cannot say “the” before “outer space.” It is not a single, definite place. [Read about definite articles here .]

There are numerous possibilities for IELTS cue cards about travel. Here are two of them:

  • Describe a place you have visited.
  • Describe a place you would like to visit.

Of course, these would require basically the same sort of vocabulary to answer them, but the key difference would be the grammar. In the first instance, you are talking about the past, but in the second you are talking about a possible future.

Here is another one:

  • Describe a memorable holiday.

This is pretty similar to the first cue card above, but the word “memorable” must guide our approach. You can see my answer in this video:

In part three of the IELTS speaking test, the questions will become more difficult. These will include abstract topics like age, gender, ethics, and so on. You might encounter questions like this:

Q: Do you think men and women enjoy different types of holiday?

A: I suppose that in general they probably do have different preferences, but of course we should acknowledge the fact that everyone is different and so there are women who enjoy stereotypically male holidays and men that enjoy stereotypically female ones. To give an example, it could be argued that men prefer more active, robust holidays that involve uncertainty, adventure, and even danger. However, I know some women who love this type of thing and so it is not really smart to make assumptions about people.

Q: Do you think that travelling abroad always changes people’s perspective on life?

A: No, not at all. While it certainly is possible that travelling can change people’s perspectives, it is by no means guaranteed. In fact, when you travel to places like Thailand, you see that most tourists have no understanding of the local culture and just hold on to their own original views. The experience may change some people, but I think most people live in a little bubble when they go abroad, and this prevents them from really learning anything.

Notes: I described the sort of travel that men like in interesting terms: “men prefer more active, robust holidays that involve uncertainty, adventure, and even danger.” This is good, descriptive language!

Travel and Tourism Essays for IELTS Writing

Now we shall move on from speaking and instead look at the IELTS writing test. In this section, I will show you some questions about travel and tourism, then show you my sample band 9 answer.

Here is a question that features data about people travelling. I thought that this travel and tourism essay was really interesting, so I have included it here alongside my sample answer.

ielts line graph about travel

The line graph displays the numbers of tourists that visited an unnamed Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017. The tourists are divided into two groups – those staying on cruise ships and those staying on the island itself – and these had a loosely inverse correlation. The total number of visitors, however, rose more or less continuously throughout the eight-year period.

In the first year recorded, which was 2010, there were about twice as many tourists staying on the island as those staying on cruise ships. A year later, the number staying on cruise ships doubled to a half million, but this dropped back to around a quarter million in 2012. When the figures for tourists on cruise ships dropped, the number staying on the island rose quickly and over the coming few years, as this sudden increased levelled off, the number of people who stayed on board their ship continued to grow again.

Between 2012 and 2017, there were more and more visitors staying on cruise ships. From just a quarter million, this rose to two million, while the figures for those on the island levelled off at just one and a half million and then dropped slightly in the penultimate year, before finishing at one and a half. This meant that, for the final two years, more tourists stayed on cruise ships than on the island.

Notes on the Answer

In the introduction, I said “an unnamed Caribbean island.” It can sometimes be difficult to introduce something whose name you don’t know, and this is a really convenient way to do it. I strongly recommend you say “an unnamed ___” when this situation arises.

I have also used very few numbers in this essay. Instead of writing 250,000 or 2,000,000, I have said things like “a quarter million” and “two million.” This is much easier. [You can read more about IELTS and numbers here .]

Here is another travel and tourism essay question:

In future, more people will choose to go on holidays in their own country and not travel abroad on holiday.

Do you agree or disagree?

Sample Band 9 Answer

In recent years, people have coined the word “staycation” to describe the phenomenon of taking a holiday closer to home. This essay will argue that such holidays will become more common in the future.

First of all, it may seem as though international travel will become increasingly common, but in fact it is quite clear that it is an unsustainable trend. The carbon cost of flying to another country is enormous, and so many people have begun to ask whether it is ethical to continue doing this. Beyond just the personal level, it is clear that pretty soon governments will have to impose restrictions to limit the number of flights; otherwise, the world will suffer immensely from the burden of so many journeys.

In many parts of the world, people are probably ready to embrace this situation. Humans have had a terrible impact upon the world and many feel that it is time to undo the damage done. This involves some measure of personal sacrifice, which in this case could be forgoing the sort of international trips that used to be quite common. However, this is not all bad. Although foreign countries and exotic locations are exciting, there are treasures almost everywhere. Countries like the UK have poor weather, which is why so many people travel to warmer climates, but the natural beauty of the landscape and the extraordinary historical and cultural sites present myriad options for curious travellers. There will likely be a resurgence of interest in such trips.

In conclusion, it is quite possible that in the future people will realise how much damage humans have done to the world. Many of them may endeavour to make the sort of sacrifices necessary to counteract this ecological destruction, and one small step is embracing local travel.

Notes on the Essay

First of all, you can see that I incorporated the word “staycation” right at the beginning. When you use modern language like this, please don’t just jam it carelessly into your essay. Often, it is very informal, so you can only use it when properly introduced. In this case, I clearly explained its meaning and commented upon it from a sociological perspective.

Here is some more travel and tourism vocabulary from my essay:

  • unsustainable trend
  • carbon cost
  • impose restrictions
  • international trips
  • exotic locations
  • warmer climates
  • myriad options
  • ecological destruction

You can see that a lot of my language related to the environment, and of course that is often tied to the topic of travel and tourism because of the negative impacts these have on our planet.

I hope that you enjoyed my IELTS essays on travel and tourism, as well as the sample speaking answers I provided. Please remember that your own answers should be unique to you . Don’t try to copy others too much. Your vocabulary will depend upon your life experiences and the places you would or wouldn’t like to visit.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

Related Posts

Summary Completion [IELTS Reading]

Summary Completion [IELTS Reading]

May 12, 2018

IELTS Writing Task 1 Practice Activity

IELTS Writing Task 1 Practice Activity

July 6, 2017

How Many Types of IELTS Writing Task 1 Are There?

How Many Types of IELTS Writing Task 1 Are There?

June 7, 2021

Can Vocabulary and Grammar Mistakes Impact Task Response?

Can Vocabulary and Grammar Mistakes Impact Task Response?

September 9, 2022

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Download my IELTS Books

books about ielts writing

Recent Posts

  • How to Improve your IELTS Writing Score
  • Past Simple vs Past Perfect
  • Complex Sentences
  • How to Score Band 9 [Video Lesson]
  • Taxing Fast Food: Model IELTS Essay

ielts writing correction service

Recent Comments

  • Mariam on IELTS Writing Task 2: Two-Part Questions
  • abdelhadi skini on Subordinating Conjunction vs Conjunctive Adverb
  • David S. Wills on How to Describe Tables for IELTS Writing Task 1
  • anonymous on How to Describe Tables for IELTS Writing Task 1
  • David S. Wills on Writing Correction Service
  • Lesson Plans
  • Model Essays
  • TED Video Lessons
  • Weekly Roundup
  • Skip to main content

IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

 IELTS Vocabulary about Travel and Places

Home  »  IELTS speaking  »  IELTS vocabulary about Travel and Places

Passing the  IELTS speaking test  with a good grade will depend on your ability to answer the questions using appropriate vocabulary in the correct context.

Collocations are words that naturally combine to form a phrase.

These words when used in combination make the English speaker sound more fluent and natural. This is why you should be learning collocations under various subject headings to help you do well in the IELTS speaking test.

Answering questions about travel and holidays

It’s always a good idea to start with what you enjoy. What’s your favourite holiday destination or holiday resort? Is there a well-known tourist attraction or popular holiday destination in your country you could talk about? What is the main holiday period in your country or in your region? What tourist attractions are most popular during the national holidays?

These topics are so popular in the IELTS speaking test. They can be used to answer questions on lots of different themes (an interesting day, a terrible experience, your birthday for example).

But what if you’ve never been to a foreign country or on a guided tour? It doesn’t matter at all. Remember that you don’t have to tell the truth in an IELTS exam – you can say anything you like. Perhaps you heard a great story about a wildlife safari or a beach off the beaten track from one of your friends or family members and you get a question asking about YOUR favourite holiday – well, then your IELTS speaking exam should be easy!

Examples of questions about holiday travel

Part 1 questions.

Examiner: Where do you like to travel during the holidays?

Answer: I like to  travel abroad  but international travel can be expensive, so I usually plan  affordable travel . Travelling to  holiday destinations  when it is  out of season  saves a lot of money.  Out-of-season travel  is also the best way to avoid places that are  swarming with tourists.

Examiner: What are your favourite holiday pastimes?

Answer: I like to  get away from it all . I look for  exotic destinations  with  scenic views  that are  off the beaten track . I’d love to go on a wildlife safari! I tend to avoid  guided tours  and  packaged deals  as I prefer  to go sightseeing  on my own.

Examiner: How do you plan and prepare for your holiday?

Answer: I always do my research because I know exactly what I like. I thumb through  holiday brochures  and check travel sites like Airbnb on the Internet. I’m drawn to  spectacular beaches  and  lush forests.  I usually make  advance reservations  for  self-catering accommodation .

Part 2 style questions

Examiner: describe one of your best travel experiences..

This type of question supports a when, where and who reply.

Answer: Last year a friend and I took a  long-haul flight  to Peru. We were  travelling light  so we were able to really  get around . We stayed in  quaint villages  and hiked through  lush rainforests . We were determined to  do as the locals do , rather than go on guided tours, so we stayed with local people for part of the trip.

We visited colourful  craft markets  and brought back souvenirs, to remind us of our trip. One of my most  memorable experiences  was to the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is a little bit  off the beaten track  but it is surrounded by great  scenic beauty  and  magnificent landscapes.

Examiner: Describe a city that you think is interesting.

You should say: 

  • where it is
  • what it is famous for
  • how you knew this city
  • explain why you think it is very interesting

Read and listen to the sample answer here .

Examiner: Describe a tradition in your country.

  • who takes part in it 
  • what activities there are 
  • explain how you feel about it

Part 3 style questions

Examiner: What type of holiday destination do you think attracts most tourists?

Answer: I know that many people are drawn to  wildlife safaris . This is certainly one of the big attractions in Africa. In Europe and Asia, the  stunning architecture , museums and  arts and culture  attract thousands of tourists every year.

Examiner: Do you think that the tourism industry will continue to grow in the next two decades?

Answer: I do. Many European and Asian countries have aging populations who will have  time on their hands  in the future. Many of them are likely to seek  holiday destinations around the world . Today there are many  affordable destinations  that offer  good value for money.

Examiner: What do you think your country could do to attract more tourists?

Answer: My country has stringent  visa regulations . If these were relaxed, I think that more visitors would choose to visit. We have an  efficient public transport , plenty of accommodation and natural and historical places of interest.

IELTS Vocabulary to talk 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

IELTS Vocabulary about Travel

  • Affordable destinations  – Places within a reasonable price range
  • Affordable travel  – Travel which is within your price range
  • Around the world  – In all corners of the globe
  • Arts and culture  – The art, music and other cultural aspects of an area
  • 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
  • Get around  – Get from place to place
  • Guided tours  – Walking, hiking or driving visits led by a guide who knows the area
  • Holiday brochures  – Pamphlets advertising holiday destinations
  • Holiday destination  – Place to which you leave on holiday
  • 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

Click here for a free master list of collocations!

More IELTS Speaking tutorials

More  IELTS vocabulary tutorials to help you enhance your  vocabulary and prepare for your  IELTS exam.

  • Vocabulary about climate change
  • Vocabulary about fashion and shopping
  • Vocabulary about advertising
  • Vocabulary about social media
  • Vocabulary about food and nutrition
  • Vocabulary about family and friends
  • Vocabulary about sport
  • Vocabulary about the Coronavirus
  • IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards about People
  • IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards about Places
  • IELTS Speaking Part 2 Cue Cards about Shopping
  • IELTS Speaking Cue Cards about Accommodation 

vocab in travel writing

IMAGES

  1. Pin on english

    vocab in travel writing

  2. Travel Writing

    vocab in travel writing

  3. Travel Writing Leaflet

    vocab in travel writing

  4. travel vocabulary

    vocab in travel writing

  5. Intermediate English Travel Vocabulary ⬇️

    vocab in travel writing

  6. Travel Writing Vocabulary

    vocab in travel writing

VIDEO

  1. travel vocabulary part -1# travel vocab series

  2. Episode 26: Learn English Vocab with Me

  3. English Word

  4. 👧 English Conversation class on Action Verbs Vocab with N.Mali by T.Kendra Part 2

  5. 👧 English Conversation class on Action Verbs Vocab with N.Mali by T.Kendra

  6. Word meaning (vocab) Learn English Easy)

COMMENTS

  1. 40 Basic Vocabulary Words and Common Phrases for Travel in English

    Wrapping Up Our English Travel Vocabulary Journey. And there you have it! We've journeyed through 40 essential English words and phrases that will help make your travels smoother and more enjoyable. Remember, language is a powerful tool that can open doors to understanding new cultures, making new friends, and creating unforgettable ...

  2. Travel English: Vocabulary, phrases & expressions for traveling

    English vocabulary; February 7, 2024; Mastering the art of essay writing in English. Unlock the art of essay writing in English. Read expert guidance on crafting engaging essays, mastering structure, coherence, and creating impactful introductions.

  3. A Writer's Guide to Great Travel Writing

    Tips for travel writing. Open with a compelling and snappy anecdote or description to hook the reader's interest from the beginning. Give the reader a strong sense of where you are through vivid language. Ground the reader in time, in climate, and in the season. Introduce yourself to help the reader identify with you and explain the reason ...

  4. Introduction (Chapter 1)

    What is travel writing? Travel writing, one may argue, is the most socially important of all literary genres. It records our temporal and spatial progress. It throws light on how we define ourselves and on how we identify others. Its construction of our sense of 'me' and 'you', 'us' and 'them', operates on individual and ...

  5. The Cambridge Introduction to Travel Writing

    Tim Youngs argues in this lucid and detailed Introduction that travel writing redefines the myriad genres it comprises and is best understood on its own terms. To this end, Youngs surveys some of the most celebrated travel literature from the medieval period until the present, exploring themes such as the quest motif, the traveler's inner ...

  6. 90 English Tourism Vocabulary Words and Phrases [With Sample ...

    Jobs at Travel and Tourism Companies. ... Translator — someone who translates between different languages in writing, ... These lessons feature English vocabulary words and phrases that anyone in the tourism industry would use in their daily activities. Try spending at least 30 minutes a day using Memrise to brush up on your tourism ...

  7. Advanced Travel Vocabulary in English with Travel Stories

    Write your own travel story using some of the new vocabulary and expressions. You can write about a past travel experience, a business trip, a future vacation or any other travel opportunity. Then share your story in the comments. The goal is for you to use the same keywords in your own sentences. This is the best way for you to truly learn and ...

  8. Travel Writing Guide: 4 Tips for Travel Writing

    Teaches the Art of the Short Story. Teaches Storytelling and Humor. Teaches Writing for Television. Teaches Screenwriting. Teaches Fiction and Storytelling. Teaches Storytelling and Writing. Teaches Creating Outside the Lines. Teaches Writing for Social Change. Teaches Fiction, Memory, and Imagination.

  9. Essential English travel vocabulary

    But as for travel vocabulary additions, here are some: to travel solo, to go off the beaten track; to visit a museum (this item may be problematic to some learners: years ago, some authors commented that foreigners should be forewarned not to say "to make an excursion to a museum', which some of them do,; it must be 'a visit to a museum ...

  10. 12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know

    Round-ups. You'll recognize a round-up article when you see one, as it'll go, "40 best beaches in West Europe," or, perhaps, "20 of the greatest walks in the world!". It's a classic tool in any magazine or newspaper writer's toolbox, taking a bunch of destinations and grouping them all under one common thread.

  11. Travel Vocabulary for English-Language Learners

    Air Travel Vocabulary and Sample Sentences. Airport: I went to the airport to catch a flight to San Francisco. Check in: Make sure to get to the airport two hours early to check in. Fly: I like to fly on the same airline to get mileage points. Land: The airplane will land in two hours. Landing: The landing took place during a storm.

  12. What You Should Know About Travel Writing

    Casey Blanton "There exists at the center of travel books like [Graham] Greene's Journey Without Maps or [V.S.] Naipaul's An Area of Darkness a mediating consciousness that monitors the journey, judges, thinks, confesses, changes, and even grows. This narrator, so central to what we have come to expect in modern travel writing, is a relatively new ingredient in travel literature, but it is one ...

  13. How to Become a Travel Writer in 5 Steps: A Guide for Travel Bugs

    Record your interviews or take notes to ensure you don't forget anything and have quotes to use for when you write your story. And, of course, ask permission before you conduct the interview or use the material. With your notes and quotes in order, you then need to do the hard part: figure out what's relevant.

  14. What is Travel Writing?

    Besides, travel writing is a form of creative nonfiction in which the narrator's encounters with foreign places serve as the dominant subject. It is also called travel literature or tourism writing. Travel writing has a way of transporting the reader to new places. When done well, it can inspire others to explore, experience new things, and ...

  15. English Travel Vocabulary: Planning a trip · engVid

    In this lesson, I'll teach you the English vocabulary you must know for travel — from preparing your travel itinerary and making reservations, to getting your visas and boarding your flight. It is essential that you know this basic English travel vocabulary, because English is an international language. ESL students who are studying abroad ...

  16. Travel and Transport

    Travel Vocabulary: Using English for Travel Travel vocabulary is one of the most useful areas of language learning today, as more people than ever are travelling far and wide for business and pleasure. There are many useful words and phrases we use when travelling and dealing with transport. Although our travel plans have been put

  17. IELTS Travel and Tourism Vocabulary

    1. 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.

  18. Travel Words to Learn in English

    ⬤ Pictures of travel vocabulary with pronunciations. Here is a list of travel vocabulary in English with pictures. You can listen to the pronunciation when you click on an image. ... ⬤ Writing test about travel. Below is a vocabulary writing test about travel. Look at the image and write the name of the picture into the input box.

  19. IELTS Travel, Tourism & Adventure Vocabulary : Useful Phrases

    Useful Collocation and Expressions for IELTS Speaking - Topic:Travel. To get away : To escape, to go somewhere that is not your home. You can also use the noun "a getaway.". Example: Last week, I had a great chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city to visit an ancient village in the countryside.

  20. Travel Writing Vocabulary

    PNG, 116.23 KB. PNG, 35.1 KB. zip, 3.53 MB. Travel Writing vocabulary - in creative writing vocabulary can be quite tricky, but this lesson supports students in improving their use of vocabulary when creating specific genre narrative pieces. Students are provided with detailed lists of synonyms for adjectives, verbs and nouns, all with a Travel ...

  21. IELTS Topics: Travel and Tourism

    One of the common IELTS topics that appears in the exam is that of travel and tourism. In today's lesson, I will help you learn about this topic so that you can do well in your next test. First we will look at a little vocabulary about travel and tourism, then we will explore some IELTS speaking and writing questions to give you an idea of ...

  22. IELTS Speaking Vocabulary about Travel

    IELTS Vocabulary to talk 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.