Travel and holidays

A2 Talking about the future Vocabulary

Talk about holidays, transport, accommodation, travel problems and simple experiences.

1. Overview

Travelling gives us opportunities to discover new places, meet different people and experience things outside our everyday routines. A holiday might involve a long journey to another country, a weekend in a nearby city or a few peaceful days in the countryside. Whatever the destination, travelling involves many familiar situations: choosing where to go, preparing your luggage, finding accommodation, using public transport and asking for information.

In this unit, you will learn how to talk about travel plans, describe different kinds of holidays and deal with common situations during a trip. You will practise expressions for booking a room, buying tickets, asking about prices and finding your way around an unfamiliar place. You will also learn how to describe past holidays, talk about places you visited and explain what you enjoyed or disliked. The aim is to communicate naturally, whether you are planning your next journey or telling someone about an unforgettable experience.

2. Types of holidays

Different holidays offer different kinds of experiences. Some people prefer relaxing by the sea, while others enjoy exploring cities, walking in the mountains or discovering unfamiliar cultures.

Expression	Meaning	Example
beach holiday	a holiday by the sea	We spent a week on the coast.
city break	a short holiday in a city	We’re going on a city break to Prague.
camping holiday	a holiday in a tent or campsite	They went camping near a lake.
sightseeing trip	a trip to visit interesting places	We visited several famous monuments.
road trip	a journey with several stops by car	They went on a road trip across France.
package holiday	transport and accommodation sold together	They booked a package holiday to Greece.
staycation	a holiday at home or nearby	We explored our own region during our staycation.

Useful expressions:

I prefer quiet places.
I love exploring old towns.
I’d rather stay in a small village.
We enjoy visiting museums and historical places.

3. Planning a trip

Word or expression	Example
destination	Paris is our final destination.
book	We booked our flights online.
reservation	I have a hotel reservation.
ticket	I bought a return ticket.
passport	Don’t forget your passport.
luggage	Our luggage is very heavy.
suitcase	She packed two suitcases.
backpack	He carries everything in a backpack.
itinerary	We planned our itinerary before leaving.
travel insurance	We bought travel insurance.

Useful expressions:

We’re going to spend five days in Lisbon.
I’ve booked a room for three nights.
How much is a return ticket?
What time does the train leave?
Do I need to change trains?

Preparing for a journey

Preparing for a holiday usually begins long before the journey itself. First, you need to choose a destination and decide how much money you want to spend. Then you can compare flights, train tickets or other transport options. Once you know how you are going to travel, you can look for accommodation and make a reservation.

Packing is another important part of the preparation. Some travellers prefer to take a large suitcase, while others travel with only a backpack. Remember to check the weather, bring comfortable clothes and keep important documents somewhere safe. A little planning can make your journey easier, although unexpected things are often part of the adventure.

4. Transport

People travel by plane, train, coach, car, ferry or bicycle. Each form of transport has its own vocabulary.

Transport	Useful vocabulary
plane	catch a flight, board a plane, check in
train	platform, carriage, single ticket, return ticket
bus or coach	bus stop, coach station, timetable
car	rent a car, drive, motorway, petrol station
ferry	port, ferry terminal, passenger

Important travel verbs

Catch and miss are used with trains, buses and flights:

We caught the last train to London.
I missed my flight because I arrived late.

Use get on and get off with a bus, train or plane: We got off the train at Oxford. Use get in and get out of with a car or taxi: She got into the taxi outside the hotel.

Use arrive at for a specific place and arrive in for a city or country: We arrived at the station at nine. We arrived in Italy on Monday.

5. At the airport or station

Expression	Example
check-in desk	Where is the check-in desk?
boarding pass	May I see your boarding pass?
departure gate	Our flight leaves from gate twelve.
security check	We went through security.
hand luggage	Is this allowed in my hand luggage?
delayed flight	Our flight is delayed.
cancelled flight	The flight has been cancelled.
baggage reclaim	Where is baggage reclaim?

Which platform does the train to Edinburgh leave from?
Is this the train to York?
How long does the journey take?
Do I need to change trains?
Is this seat free?

6. Accommodation

Type	Meaning
hotel	accommodation with private rooms and guest services
hostel	budget accommodation, often with shared rooms
guesthouse	small accommodation, often family-run
bed and breakfast	accommodation that includes breakfast
holiday apartment	a self-contained place with its own facilities
campsite	a place where people stay in tents or caravans

Common expression	Meaning
single room	a room for one person
double room	a room with one double bed
twin room	a room with two separate beds
reception	the place where guests check in
check-in	registering when you arrive
check-out	leaving and returning the room
included	part of the price
available	ready to be booked or used
fully booked	with no rooms available

7. Checking into a hotel

Making a reservation

I’d like to book a double room.
Do you have any rooms available?
How much is it per night?
Is breakfast included?
Does the room have a private bathroom?

At reception

I have a reservation under the name Smith.
I’d like to check in, please.
What time is breakfast?
Could I have another towel, please?
What time do we have to check out?

Reporting a problem

The shower isn’t working.
There’s no hot water.
The room is too noisy.
The air conditioning doesn’t work.
Could you help me, please?

A small hotel in the mountains

When Clara arrived at the small mountain hotel, it was already getting dark. She had booked a single room for three nights, but she wasn’t sure whether breakfast was included. At reception, she gave her name and asked about the room. The receptionist explained that breakfast was served between seven and ten and that the restaurant closed at nine in the evening.

Clara’s room was on the second floor, opposite the stairs. It was small but comfortable, with a large window overlooking the mountains. Unfortunately, the heating wasn’t working properly. Clara returned to reception and explained the problem. A few minutes later, someone came to repair it, and she was finally able to relax after her long journey.

8. Sightseeing and directions

Verb or expression	Example
visit	We visited an ancient castle.
explore	They explored the old town.
go sightseeing	We went sightseeing in the morning.
take photographs	I took lots of photographs.
go hiking	We went hiking in the mountains.
try local food	We tried some traditional food.
buy souvenirs	He bought souvenirs for his family.

Excuse me, where is the nearest bus stop?
How do I get to the city centre?
Is it far from here?
Could you show me on the map?
Go straight ahead and turn left at the traffic lights.
It’s opposite the museum, next to the railway station.

9. Talking about past holidays

Useful questions include:

Where did you go?
When did you go?
Who did you go with?
How did you get there?
Where did you stay?
What did you do?
Did you enjoy it?

Useful answers:

I went to Scotland last summer.
I travelled with two friends.
We flew to Edinburgh and rented a car.
We stayed in a small guesthouse.
The weather was cold and rainy.
I really enjoyed the trip. I’d love to go back.

Positive	Negative
It was amazing.	It was disappointing.
We had a wonderful time.	We had a terrible time.
The hotel was comfortable.	The room was dirty.
Everything went well.	Everything went wrong.

10. Problems while travelling

Not every journey goes according to plan. Common problems include delayed flights, lost luggage, missed connections, bad weather and accommodation that does not meet expectations.

We missed the last train.
Our flight was delayed for three hours.
I’ve lost my passport.
My suitcase hasn’t arrived.
We got lost in the old town.
The hotel was fully booked.
Can you help me find my luggage?

Exercises

1. Choose the correct word

Answers

We stayed in a small ___ near the station. (guesthouse / platform / boarding pass)
Our flight was ___ because of bad weather. (delayed / included / available)
Which ___ does the train leave from? (platform / reception / destination)
I’d like to ___ a double room. (book / miss / arrive)
We got ___ because we didn’t have a map. (lost / booked / included)
We bought a ___ ticket because we were coming back on Sunday. (return / single / departure)

2. Complete the travel conversation

Answers

Good morning. I have a ___ under the name García.
I’d like to ___ in, please.
Is breakfast ___?
What time do we have to ___ out?
Excuse me, how do I ___ to the city centre?

3. Listen and answer

Last summer, Maria travelled to Ireland with a friend. They flew to Dublin, rented a car and stayed in a small guesthouse. They visited castles and explored several villages. One afternoon, they got lost on a narrow road, but they discovered a beautiful village and had lunch in a traditional pub. Maria thought the journey was fantastic and would like to go back.

Answers

Where did Maya go?
Who did she travel with?
How did they travel around the country?
What problem did they have?
Did Maya enjoy the journey?

4. Vocabulary review

Complete each sentence by choosing the correct word.

Answers

We stayed in a small ___ near the railway station. (guesthouse / boarding pass / platform)
Our flight was ___ because of bad weather. (delayed / included / available)
I forgot to ___ my suitcase before leaving. (pack / board / catch)
Which ___ does the train to York leave from? (platform / reception / destination)
We spent the afternoon ___ the old town. (exploring / checking in / departing)
I’d like to ___ a double room for two nights. (book / miss / arrive)
We got ___ because we didn’t have a map. (lost / booked / included)
We bought a ___ ticket because we were coming back on Sunday. (return / single / departure)

5. Listening: The wrong island

Listen to the story and answer the questions. It describes a simple travel problem with an unexpected result.

Last summer, I went on holiday to Greece with my cousin. We planned to spend four days on a small island, so we booked a hotel and bought ferry tickets. Everything seemed simple until we arrived at the port.

We were tired, and there were hundreds of people waiting for different boats. We heard an announcement, picked up our suitcases and quickly boarded a ferry. Two hours later, we arrived at a beautiful island with white houses and a small harbour. But when we looked for our hotel, nobody knew its name.

We soon discovered our mistake. We had taken the wrong ferry! Our hotel was on another island, nearly fifty kilometres away. Unfortunately, there were no more ferries that afternoon.

In the end, we found a little guesthouse near the beach. The owner was very friendly and recommended a restaurant overlooking the sea. We had a wonderful dinner and spent the next morning exploring the village before catching the correct ferry.

It wasn’t the holiday we planned, but that unexpected evening became one of our favourite memories.

Answers

Where did the narrator go on holiday?
Who travelled with the narrator?
How long were they planning to stay on the island?
What mistake did they make?
Why couldn’t they leave that afternoon?
Where did they spend the night?
What did the owner recommend?
What did they do the next morning?