Phrasal Verbs for Summer Holidays

Summer holidays give us plenty to talk about: journeys, hotels, sightseeing, restaurants and relaxation. Native speakers often use phrasal verbs when describing these experiences. In this lesson, you will learn 20 useful phrasal verbs for summer holidays, with clear meanings, natural examples and a multiple-choice quiz.

These expressions are useful for everyday conversation and for Cambridge exams such as B2 First and C1 Advanced.

Travel and Transport Phrasal Verbs for Summer Holidays

1. Jet Off

To jet off means to travel somewhere by plane, usually for a holiday or another enjoyable reason.

• We’re jetting off to Spain first thing tomorrow morning.
• Olivia has jetted off to Greece for a two-week holiday.

This phrasal verb often suggests excitement, speed or glamour.

2. Set Off

To set off means to begin a journey.

• We set off at sunrise to avoid the traffic.
• They set off for the coast immediately after breakfast.

You can use set off for + place:

• We set off for Brighton early in the morning.

3. Drop Off

To drop someone off means to take them somewhere, usually by car, and leave them there.

• My brother dropped us off at the airport at five o’clock in the morning.
• Could you drop me off near the station?

Drop off is separable:

• She dropped us off at the airport.
• She dropped off the passengers at the airport.

However, when using a pronoun, it must go in the middle:

• She dropped them off.

4. Pick Up

To pick someone up means to collect them, usually in a car or another vehicle.

• I’ll pick you up from the station when your train arrives.
• The hotel minibus picked us up at the airport.

Like drop off, this phrasal verb is separable:

• I’ll pick Sarah up at eight.
• I’ll pick her up at eight.

5. Head For

To head for a place means to go or move towards it.

• After breakfast, we headed for the beach.
• As soon as we arrived, we headed straight for the swimming pool.

You can also say head back to when returning somewhere:

• We headed back to the apartment before it got dark.

6. Stop Off

To stop off means to make a short visit or stay somewhere during a longer journey.

• We stopped off at a charming village on the way to the coast.
• They stopped off in Vienna for two nights.

Use:

• stop off at a specific place
• stop off in a town, city or country

Phrasal Verbs for Hotels and Accommodation

7. Check In

To check in means to register when you arrive at a hotel or airport.

• We checked in online the night before our flight.
• We arrived early, but the receptionist allowed us to check in immediately.

At an airport, check in may also refer to handing over your luggage and receiving your boarding pass.

8. Check Out

To check out means to leave a hotel after returning your key and paying any remaining charges.

• We checked out at noon and left our luggage at reception.
• The hotel charged us extra because we checked out late.

Do not confuse this with check something out, which can mean to examine or investigate something:

• Check out this lovely little restaurant near the harbour.

9. Get Back

To get back means to return to a place.

• We got back to the hotel just before sunset.
• We didn’t get back from our holiday until Monday morning.

Common patterns include:

• get back to a place
• get back from a trip or holiday

10. Pack Up

To pack up means to collect and pack your belongings, usually because you are preparing to leave.

• We packed up our things before the rain started.
• It’s time to pack up and check out of the hotel.

Phrasal Verbs for Relaxing on Holiday

11. Get Away

To get away means to go somewhere for a holiday or short break, especially to escape work, stress or your usual routine.

• I really need to get away for a few days.
• They got away to the countryside for the weekend.

A short holiday can also be called a getaway:

• We booked a romantic weekend getaway.

12. Chill Out

To chill out means to relax completely.

• We chilled out by the pool all afternoon.
• The beach was the perfect place to chill out after a busy week.

This expression is informal and very common in conversation.

13. Laze Around

To laze around means to relax and do very little.

• We lazed around in the garden with a good book.
• You don’t have to go sightseeing every day. It’s fine to laze around sometimes.

You may also hear laze about, particularly in British English.

14. Wind Down

To wind down means to gradually relax after a period of work, stress or activity.

• Holidays are the perfect time to wind down.
• It took me several days to wind down after finishing the project.

Phrasal Verbs for Sightseeing and Holiday Activities

15. Look Around

To look around means to explore or examine a place.

• We spent the afternoon looking around the old town.
• Would you like to look around the market?

You can also look around for something:

• We looked around for a café with outdoor seating.

16. Take In

To take in means to notice, appreciate or absorb a view, atmosphere or experience.

• We took in the breathtaking views from the cliffs.
• I sat quietly, taking in the beauty of the landscape.

It can also mean visiting several attractions:

• We took in three museums during our stay.

17. Go Out

To go out means to leave your home or accommodation to socialise or enjoy entertainment.

• We went out every evening for dinner and live music.
• Do you feel like going out tonight?

18. Eat Out

To eat out means to have a meal in a restaurant rather than at home or in your accommodation.

• We ate out at a different restaurant each night.
• Eating out can be expensive in popular tourist areas.

Summer Holiday Phrasal Verbs for Spending and Planning

19. Splash Out On

To splash out on something means to spend more money than usual on something special or luxurious.

• We splashed out on a luxury sea-view room.
• I don’t usually stay in expensive hotels, but I splashed out for my birthday.

You can also say:

• We splashed out and booked a five-star hotel.

20. Look Forward To

To look forward to something means to feel pleased and excited because it is going to happen.

• I’m really looking forward to our summer break.
• We’re looking forward to visiting the island.

Common Grammar Mistake

The word to in look forward to is a preposition. It must therefore be followed by:

• a noun: I’m looking forward to the holiday.
• a pronoun: I’m looking forward to it.
• an -ing form: I’m looking forward to travelling.

Not:

• ❌ I’m looking forward to travel.
• ✅ I’m looking forward to travelling.

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Why Learn Phrasal Verbs for Summer Holidays?

These phrasal verbs will help you talk more naturally about:

• journeys and transport
• hotels and accommodation
• sightseeing
• restaurants
• relaxation
• holiday plans and experiences

They are also useful for Cambridge exam tasks, including:

• B2 First Speaking Part 1
• C1 Advanced Speaking
• informal emails and letters
• articles
• reviews
• stories about travel experiences

Compare these sentences:

• We began our journey early.
• We set off early.

Both are correct, but set off sounds more natural in everyday conversation.

Phrasal Verbs for Summer Holidays: Practice Exercise

Do the quiz to check out your knowledge on phrasal verbs for summer holidays:

Final Thoughts on Phrasal Verbs for Summer Holidays

Phrasal verbs are an important part of natural spoken English. Rather than memorising them as isolated words, try to learn them in complete sentences and connect them with situations from your own holidays.

For example:

• We set off early.
• We checked in at the hotel.
• We looked around the old town.
• We chilled out by the sea.
• We got back late in the evening.

Now choose five phrasal verbs from the lesson and use them to describe your ideal summer holiday.

Related posts:

• Phrasal Verbs for Holidays and Travel 
• 20 Phrasal Verbs Related to Flying 
• Separable and Inseparable Phrasal Verbs 
• Phrasal Verbs for Technology and Computers
• Foreign Travel Vocabulary and Expressions 
• B2 First Vocabulary 
• C1 Advanced Vocabulary

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