Core travel vocabulary by topic

Planning and booking

• itinerary, destination, route, budget, peak season, off season, travel agency, package tour, reservation, confirmation, reference number, cancellation, refund

Documents and checks

• passport, visa, ID, boarding pass, ticket, luggage, carry on, checked baggage, security check, customs, immigration, declaration form

Air travel

• terminal, gate, boarding time, departure, arrival, layover, stopover, direct flight, connecting flight, aisle seat, window seat, overhead bin, turbulence, baggage claim

Rail and bus

• platform, carriage or coach, compartment, timetable, single ticket, return ticket, season ticket, conductor, validator

Road and ride

• junction, roundabout, toll, speed limit, lane, traffic jam, detour, car hire, insurance, fuel, mileage

City transport

• metro or subway, tram, ferry, shuttle, ride sharing, day pass, contactless card, top up

High value collocations

• book a flight or hotel
• make a reservation
• confirm a booking
• check in online
• go through security
• board the plane
• miss or catch a flight
• claim luggage
• rent a car
• take public transport
• get stuck in traffic
• change trains or transfer
• validate a ticket
• plan a route
• follow the signs

Model sentences

• I booked a direct flight and received a confirmation email.
• We got stuck in traffic, so we missed the train.
• You must validate your ticket before boarding the tram.

Phrasal verbs for travel

• set off or set out: begin a journey. We set off at dawn.
• check in: register at an airport or hotel. I checked in online.
• take off: leave the ground. The plane took off on time.
• touch down: land. We touched down at 7 pm.
• drop off: take someone or something to a place. Please drop me off at Gate B.
• pick up: collect. I will pick up the keys from reception.
• get in or get on: enter a car or get on a bus, train, or plane.
• get off: leave a bus, train, or plane.
• stop over: break a long trip for a short stay. We stopped over in Doha.
• look around: explore. We looked around the old town.

Useful set phrases

• How much is a single to the city center
• Could I have a window seat, please
• What time does the next train leave
• Where is baggage claim
• Is this the queue for security
• Do I need to declare any items
• Could you call me a taxi, please
• Is this seat taken

Grammar micro notes

• Travel vs trip vs journey: travel is uncountable activity, a trip is a visit or tour, a journey is the act of going from A to B.
• Luggage and baggage are uncountable. Say some luggage, a piece of baggage.
• Time prepositions: at 7 pm, on Monday, in July, in the morning.
• Articles with transport: by bus or by train use no article, on the bus uses the.
• Past simple vs present perfect: I lost my ticket yesterday vs I have lost my ticket and I cannot board.

Mini dialogues

A. At the ticket office

• Passenger: A return to Oxford, please.
• Clerk: Off peak or anytime
• Passenger: Off peak, and could I have a window seat if possible

B. At the airport

• Staff: May I see your passport and boarding pass
• Traveler: Here you go. Is the flight on time
• Staff: Yes. Boarding starts at 18:30 at Gate 12.

C. Car hire

• Agent: Do you want full insurance
• Customer: Yes, and I will return the car with a full tank.

Common mistakes and fixes

• ❌ I did a travel to Cox’s Bazar.
  ✅ I took a trip to Cox’s Bazar.
• ❌ Where I can find the taxi stand
  ✅ Where can I find the taxi stand
• ❌ I have many baggages.
  ✅ I have a lot of baggage.
• ❌ I got down from the bus at the mall.
  ✅ I got off the bus at the mall.
• ❌ I reached to the airport at 6.
  ✅ I reached the airport at 6.
• ❌ He missed his flight because of a traffic.
  ✅ He missed his flight because of traffic.

Quick practice with answers

A. Choose the best option

1. We will (set off or set up) at 6 am.
2. The plane (took off or took out) after a short delay.
3. Please (get in or get on) the taxi.
4. I need to (pick up or pick out) my luggage at Belt 4.
5. We will (change or exchange) trains at the next station.

Answers

1. set off
2. took off
3. get in
4. pick up
5. change

B. Complete the collocation
6) make a flight ______ → reservation
7) claim ______ at the carousel → luggage or baggage
8) get ______ in traffic → stuck
9) plan a ______ for the afternoon → route or trip
10) go ______ security → through

C. Fix the sentence
11) I checked into the flight at the counter.
12) We got down the train at the wrong stop.

Suggested answers
11) I checked in for the flight at the counter.
12) We got off the train at the wrong stop.

Writing frames you can reuse

Email to a hotel
Subject: Late arrival and airport pickup
Dear Reception,
I have a reservation for 15 July under the name Arif Khan. My flight arrives at 23:45. Could you arrange airport pickup and keep my room until midnight I will pay the fee on arrival.
Kind regards,
Arif Khan

Trip summary paragraph
Last weekend we visited Sylhet. We set off early and took the express train. After we arrived, we left our bags at the hotel and looked around the tea gardens. In the evening we tried local food and planned our route for the next day.

10 minute drills

• Write 10 collocations with flight or train. Examples: board a flight, miss a connection, catch a morning train.
• Record a 60 second answer about your last trip. Use five phrasal verbs.
• Create 8 flashcards: front word, back definition plus example.

7 day review plan

• Day 1 planning and booking words
• Day 2 documents and checks
• Day 3 air travel
• Day 4 rail and bus
• Day 5 road and city transport
• Day 6 phrasal verbs and collocations
• Day 7 write a 120 word trip report using 12 target items