Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about travel and holidays.
Example: We stayed at a nice _____ near the beach. (hotel / airport / ticket)
Answer: We stayed at a nice hotel near the beach.
Travel and Holidays: Essential Vocabulary for A2 Learners
Do you love going on holiday? Whether you travel by plane, train, or car, knowing the right vocabulary makes your journey much easier and more enjoyable. In this lesson, you will learn key words and phrases for travel and holidays — from booking a trip to arriving at your destination.
Imagine this situation: Sarah and her friend Tom are planning a holiday. They want to book a flight, find a hotel, and visit some interesting places. Let's follow their journey and learn some useful travel vocabulary along the way!
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Planning Your Trip
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| holiday | noun — a period of time when you travel or relax away from home or work | We are going on holiday to Spain next month. | go on holiday, summer holiday, package holiday |
| trip | noun — a short journey to a place and back again | We are planning a day trip to the countryside. | day trip, business trip, school trip |
| book | verb — to arrange and pay for something in advance | She booked a hotel room online last night. | book a flight, book a hotel, book a table |
| reservation | noun — an arrangement to keep something (e.g. a seat or room) for you | I have a reservation at the hotel for three nights. | make a reservation, hotel reservation, cancel a reservation |
| passport | noun — an official document you need to travel to another country | Don't forget to bring your passport to the airport. | valid passport, check your passport, show your passport |
| visa | noun — an official stamp in your passport that allows you to enter a country | You need a visa to visit some countries outside Europe. | apply for a visa, tourist visa, work visa |
| luggage | noun (uncountable) — bags and suitcases you take on a trip | Please put your luggage in the overhead compartment. | hand luggage, carry-on luggage, check in luggage |
| suitcase | noun — a large rectangular bag with a handle, used for travelling | I packed my suitcase the night before the flight. | pack a suitcase, unpack a suitcase, heavy suitcase |
| itinerary | noun — a plan or list of places you will visit during a trip | Our travel agent gave us an itinerary for the whole week. | travel itinerary, plan an itinerary, follow an itinerary |
2. Getting There — Transport & the Airport
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| flight | noun — a journey made by aeroplane | Our flight to Rome takes about two and a half hours. | catch a flight, miss a flight, direct flight, return flight |
| airport | noun — a place where aeroplanes take off and land, and passengers arrive and depart | We arrived at the airport two hours before the flight. | arrive at the airport, international airport, departure lounge |
| check in | phrasal verb — to register at an airport desk or hotel when you arrive | You must check in at least one hour before your flight. | check-in desk, check-in time, online check-in |
| departure | noun — the time or act of leaving a place | The departure time for our flight is 9:45 in the morning. | departure gate, departure lounge, departure time |
| arrival | noun — the time or act of reaching a place | Our arrival in Paris is scheduled for midday. | arrival time, arrival hall, on arrival |
| board | verb — to get on a plane, train, ship, or bus | Passengers are now boarding the plane at Gate 12. | board a plane, boarding pass, boarding time |
| delay | noun / verb — when something happens later than expected | There was a two-hour delay because of bad weather. | flight delay, long delay, cause a delay |
| customs | noun (plural) — the place at an airport or border where officials check what you are bringing into the country | We had to go through customs when we arrived in the USA. | go through customs, customs officer, customs declaration |
| platform | noun — the area at a train station where you wait and board the train | The train to Edinburgh leaves from platform 3. | train platform, waiting on the platform |
| catch | verb — to get on a train, bus, or plane just in time | We ran to the station to catch the last train home. | catch a train, catch a bus, catch a flight |
3. Accommodation & Things to Do on Holiday
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| accommodation | noun (uncountable) — a place where you stay, such as a hotel or hostel | We found cheap accommodation near the city centre. | book accommodation, find accommodation, hotel accommodation |
| hotel | noun — a building where you pay to sleep and have meals | We stayed in a lovely hotel right on the beach. | five-star hotel, budget hotel, hotel room, check into a hotel |
| hostel | noun — a cheap place to stay where you often share a room with other travellers | Young travellers often stay in hostels to save money. | youth hostel, stay in a hostel, book a hostel |
| check out | phrasal verb — to pay your bill and leave a hotel | We need to check out of the hotel by 11 o'clock. | check-out time, late check-out |
| sightseeing | noun — visiting famous or interesting places as a tourist | We spent the morning sightseeing in the old part of the city. | go sightseeing, sightseeing tour, sightseeing bus |
| tourist | noun — a person who visits a place for pleasure and interest | The city centre was full of tourists in the summer. | tourist attraction, tourist information, tourist guide |
| souvenir | noun — an object you buy to remember a place you visited | I bought a small souvenir magnet from the gift shop. | buy a souvenir, souvenir shop, local souvenir |
| exchange rate | noun — the value of one country's money compared to another's | We checked the exchange rate before changing our money. | check the exchange rate, good/bad exchange rate |
| local | adjective / noun — belonging to or typical of a particular area; a person who lives there | We asked a local for directions to the market. | local food, local people, local transport, a local area |
| destination | noun — the place where you are going or travelling to | Paris is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. | travel destination, final destination, holiday destination |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Collocations are words that naturally go together in English. Learning these common travel and holiday expressions will help you sound more natural.
go + on holiday
We go on holiday every August.
book + a flight / a hotel / a trip
She booked a flight to Barcelona for the weekend.
catch + a train / a bus / a flight
We need to leave early to catch the morning train.
miss + a train / a bus / a flight
He missed his flight because of heavy traffic.
pack + a suitcase / your bags
I always pack my bags the night before a trip.
check in / check out
We checked in at the hotel at 3 p.m. and checked out two days later.
go + sightseeing
On our first day in Rome, we went sightseeing around the Colosseum.
take + a photo
She took a photo of the Eiffel Tower at sunset.
change + money
You can change money at the airport or at a local bank.
ask for + directions
We got lost, so we stopped to ask for directions.
get + lost
It's easy to get lost in a big, unfamiliar city.
make + a reservation
I made a reservation at the restaurant for seven o'clock.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Holiday, Trip, Journey, or Travel?
These words are all connected to travelling, but they are used in different ways. Many learners mix them up, so let's look at each one carefully.
| Word | Meaning | Example | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| holiday | A period of time away from work or school, usually for rest or fun | We had a wonderful holiday in Greece. | British English. American English uses "vacation". |
| trip | A short visit to a place, usually with a return journey | It was just a short business trip — I was back in two days. | Use for both short and longer visits. |
| journey | The act of travelling from one place to another (the time spent getting there) | The journey from London to Edinburgh took five hours by train. | Focuses on the time you spend travelling, not the destination. |
| travel | The general activity of going from place to place (usually used as an uncountable noun or verb) | I love travel. / She travels a lot for work. | Do NOT say "a travel". Say "a trip" or "a journey" instead. |
Luggage or Baggage?
Luggage and baggage have the same meaning — they both refer to the bags and suitcases you take when you travel. However, luggage is more common in British English, while baggage is more common in American English. Both words are uncountable — you cannot say "a luggage" or "two luggages".
✅ I have a lot of luggage.
✅ Please collect your baggage at Carousel 4.
❌ I have two luggages.
Arrive in or Arrive at?
Use arrive in for large places such as cities and countries.
Use arrive at for specific locations such as airports, stations, and hotels.
✅ We arrived in Paris at lunchtime.
✅ We arrived at the airport two hours early.
Common Mistakes
❌ I did a trip to Italy last summer.
✅ I went on a trip to Italy last summer. — Use go on a trip, not do a trip.
❌ We missed the plane because we were late at the airport.
✅ We missed the plane because we arrived late at the airport. — Always say arrive at the airport.
❌ She booked two luggages for the flight.
✅ She checked in two bags for the flight. — Luggage is uncountable. Use bag or suitcase to count individual items.
❌ The travel to Paris was very long.
✅ The journey to Paris was very long. — Do not use travel as a countable noun. Use journey or trip.
❌ We arrived in the airport at 7 a.m.
✅ We arrived at the airport at 7 a.m. — Use arrive at for specific places like airports and stations.
❌ I want to go on a sightseeing tomorrow.
✅ I want to go sightseeing tomorrow. — Say go sightseeing (no article needed).
❌ Can I do a reservation for tonight?
✅ Can I make a reservation for tonight? — Always use make a reservation, not do.
Travel and Holidays: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have learnt a wide range of travel and holiday vocabulary that is useful for real-life situations. Here is a quick summary of the key points:
- Use book when you arrange things in advance: book a flight, book a hotel, book a trip.
- Use catch for transport you need to get on in time: catch a train, catch a bus, catch a flight.
- Use make with reservation: make a reservation.
- Remember: luggage is uncountable — say a bag or a suitcase for individual items.
- Use arrive in for cities and countries, and arrive at for specific places like airports and stations.
- Do not confuse holiday, trip, journey, and travel — each word has a different use.
- Common travel collocations include: go on holiday, pack your bags, go sightseeing, check in, check out, and take a photo.
Now practise travel and holidays vocabulary in the exercises below.
📄 Download the Travel and Holidays PDF
Download this Travel and Holidays grammar lesson as a free printable PDF.
It includes grammar rules, examples, and explanations so you can study offline anytime.