Travel Vocabulary
This phrasal verb means to start a journey.
set off
You can visit the Colosseum, throw a coin into the Trevi Fountain, and try real Italian gelato here.
Rome
You're writing a hotel review. Which sentence sounds fancy, passive-aggressive, and British all at once?
A) “The room was fine.”
B) “We survived.”
C) “The accommodation did not quite meet our expectations, though the wallpaper was... enthusiastic.”
C
Which type of transport is most eco-friendly for long distances, and why?
Trains – especially electric ones – because they produce fewer emissions per passenger.
In Germany, there’s a highway with no speed limit for cars.
FACT! (It’s called the Autobahn.)
In London, people use an “Oyster card” to pay for what?
Public transport – especially the Underground
In this water sport, you stand on a board and ride waves. It’s especially popular in Hawaii and Australia.
surfing
What does 'to travel light' mean?
This idiom means to travel with very little luggage.
This South American city is known for the Christ the Redeemer statue and a carnival that takes partying to another level.
Rio de Janeiro
It’s a cheap form of accommodation where you might share a room with strangers and hear 4 alarms go off at 6 AM.
a hostel
What is “carpooling” and how does it benefit the environment?
Carpooling is sharing a car ride with others. It reduces fuel use and traffic, lowering carbon emissions.
In the Netherlands, there are more bicycles than people.
FACT! (Over 22 million bikes for 17 million people.)
What is a megacity, and how many people must live there for it to qualify?
A city with over 10 million residents.
What’s a tourist trap and how can you avoid one?
A place that’s popular but overpriced and crowded; avoid by researching local spots or asking locals.
What is 'off the beaten track'?
This phrase means to go somewhere that is not popular with many tourists.
This city is home to the Sagrada Familia, Gaudí’s unique architecture, and a beach just a few metro stops from the Gothic Quarter.
Barcelona
This phrasal verb means to leave a hotel and pay, but also what you wish you could do at 11 PM when your neighbors are doing karaoke next door.
check out
Why do some cities invest in bike-sharing systems? Name at least two reasons.
To reduce traffic, improve health, lower pollution.
Norway built a highway just for reindeer migration.
FACT! (It’s to help preserve migration routes in the Arctic.)
This city’s subway has Wi-Fi and chandeliers, and its stations look more like palaces than tunnels. Welcome to the capital of vodka and icy winters.
Moscow, Russia
What’s the difference between a holiday, a vacation, and a staycation?
Holiday = British English for vacation;
Vacation = American English;
Staycation = time off spent at home.
A place where you go to relax, and spend 3 hours trying to connect to the Wi-Fi.
a hotel
This city straddles two continents, used to be called Byzantium and Constantinople, and you can cross between Europe and Asia in one afternoon.
Istanbul
This is the magical device in every hotel room that only has three settings: Arctic, Sahara, and Off.
air conditioner
What does “commute” mean?
To travel to work and back every day.
There's a bus in England that runs entirely on human waste.
FACT! (The "Bio-Bus" uses biomethane from food and sewage!)
In this European city, you can travel underground and hear "Mind the gap!" every 2 minutes.
London
What do this phrase mean: “Catch some rays”
sunbathe
A person asks for 5 free blankets, who claps when the plane lands, and stands up 0.2 seconds after touchdown.
a crazy tourist
This Southeast Asian country is famous for Angkor Wat, ancient temples hidden in the jungle, and a flag with a building on it.
Cambodia
The shower has two settings: freezing or lava. You call this:
A) A survival test
B) A hotel tradition
C) Morning roulett
C
Invent a new form of transport and give it a name. (It can fly, swim, teleport, or bounce.)
:-)
Some airports have therapy animals like miniature horses and pigs to calm nervous travelers.
FACT! (San Francisco, Cincinnati – even pigs and dogs!)
This city is home to one of the world’s largest metro systems, but locals still often get stuck in traffic on the Periférico highway.
São Paulo, Brazil
Tourists visit this island to see the Blue Lagoon, geysers, and volcanoes – even in July, it might snow.
Iceland
What is jet lag?
This is the condition you often experience after long flights across time zones.
In this country, you can float in the Dead Sea, visit ancient ruins in Petra, and pretend you’re in Indiana Jones.
Jordan
You sleep in a tiny room on a moving train, and the bathroom is… somewhere. Good luck!
a sleeper car
What’s the difference between a layover and a stopover in flight terminology?
Layover: short stop between connecting flights; Stopover: longer stop, often overnight
Paris has a law that all taxis must carry a baguette for emergencies.
FAKE! (But it should be true, right?)
This city is a hub for international diplomacy, chocolate, and punctual trams. People speak French, but it's not in France.
Geneva, Switzerland
What does it mean if someone has “itchy feet”?
They have a strong desire to travel or go somewhere new.