Phrasal Verbs for Holidays and Travel

Phrasal Verbs for Holidays & Travel (12 Useful Examples with Meanings)

Sooner or later, everyone needs a holiday.

Whether you’re already packing your suitcase, lying on a beach somewhere, or just daydreaming at your desk, holidays have one wonderful side effect: you suddenly start using a lot more everyday English — at airports, in hotels, in cafés, and while talking to other travellers.

And in everyday English, phrasal verbs are everywhere.

If you want to sound natural, relaxed, and confident, you need them.

In this lesson, you’ll learn 12 very common and useful phrasal verbs connected with holidays and travel, all with clear meanings and real examples. They are perfect for B1–C1 learners, real-life situations, and Cambridge speaking exams.

So let’s imagine your holiday and learn the language for it.

Before and during the journey

Check in / Check out

Meaning:

check in = register when you arrive (at a hotel or airport)

check out = leave and pay the bill

• We’re checking in tomorrow morning. I’m so excited!
• Hotel guests must check out by noon.

Stop over

Meaning: to stay for a short time somewhere before continuing your journey.

• We stopped over in Venice on our way to Spain.
• The flight to New Zealand stops over in Singapore.

Take off

Meaning: when a plane leaves the ground and starts flying.

• The plane took off ten minutes late.
• We watched the plane take off and disappear into the clouds.

Go through

Meaning: to examine something carefully (for example, luggage).

• The security officer went through our bags at the airport.
• Customs went through his suitcase because they suspected something.

Relaxing and enjoying yourself

Chill out

Meaning: to relax and stop worrying.

• I just want to chill out with a book by the pool.
• After such a stressful year, I really need to chill out.

Kick back

Meaning: to relax and enjoy yourself (informal).

• We kicked back at a small bar near the beach.
• Let’s just kick back by the swimming pool this afternoon.

Laze about / Laze around

Meaning: to do very little and relax in a lazy, pleasant way.

• On holiday, I love just lazing about and doing nothing.
• We spent the whole afternoon lazing around and drinking iced coffee.

Wind down

Meaning: to slowly relax after a period of stress or hard work.

• It always takes me a few days to wind down properly.
• I can’t wait to wind down in the mountains after this busy month.

Cool off / Cool down

Meaning: to make yourself less hot.

• Let’s have a swim and cool off.
• He sat in the shade to cool down after the walk.

Little holiday actions

Put on

Meaning: to apply something (clothes, sunscreen, make-up, etc.).

• I’ll put on some sunscreen before we go out.
• It’s too hot to put make-up on today.

 Show someone around

Meaning: to take someone to different places and explain or show them.

• When you come to Scotland, I’ll show you around.
• The guide showed us around the old town.

The best part: thinking about it

Look forward to

Meaning: to feel excited about something in the future.

• I’m really looking forward to my holiday.
• She’s looking forward to doing absolutely nothing for a week.

How to learn these phrasal verbs well

Don’t just memorise the list. Imagine your own holiday:

• Where will you check in?
• Where will you stop over?
• How will you wind down?
• What will you look forward to the most?

That’s how phrasal verbs move from your notebook into your real English.

Holidays are for resting — but they’re also perfect for practising real, natural English.

And if you can use phrasal verbs comfortably, you won’t just sound correct…

You’ll sound relaxed, confident, and very natural — just like someone who’s already in holiday mode. 😄

Download phrasal verbs for holidays and travel practice worksheet here

 Learn 100 everyday phrasal verbs and download the PDF here