Foreign Travel Vocabulary and Expressions in English | B2–C1

foreign travel vocabulary and expressionsHello English learners, and welcome to a new lesson. Today, we are going to learn useful foreign travel vocabulary and expressions in English.

Travelling abroad can be exciting, stressful, confusing and unforgettable — sometimes all before you even find your gate at the airport. Whether you are going on holiday, travelling for work, studying abroad or visiting family in another country, English is often the language you need at airports, hotels, train stations, tourist attractions and restaurants.

In this lesson, you will learn useful words and expressions for foreign travel, including:

• airport vocabulary
• hotel vocabulary
• useful travel collocations
• phrasal verbs for travel
• common expressions for travellers
• travel idioms
• practice exercises

By the end of this lesson, you will feel more confident talking about travel in English and dealing with common situations abroad.

Why learn foreign travel vocabulary and expressions?

Travel vocabulary is useful because it helps you manage real-life situations. You may need English when you:

• check in at the airport
• ask about your flight
• go through customs
• book into a hotel
• ask for directions
• buy tickets
• explain a problem
• talk about your travel experiences

It is also very useful for B2 First and C1 Advanced speaking and writing tasks, especially when discussing holidays, tourism, culture, transport and international experiences.

Good travel vocabulary is like a passport for communication. You may still get lost, of course, but at least you can ask for help politely.

Essential foreign travel vocabulary and expressions

Here are some common words and phrases you need when talking about foreign travel.

itinerary	a detailed plan of a journey	Our travel agent prepared a three-day itinerary for Rome.
destination	the place you are travelling to	Spain is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe.
visa	official permission to enter or stay in a country	You may need a visa if you want to study abroad.
passport	an official document used for international travel	Make sure your passport is valid before you book your flight.
boarding pass	a document that allows you to get on a plane	You must show your boarding pass before entering the aircraft.
customs	the place where officials check your luggage	We went through customs quickly because we had nothing to declare.
immigration	the place where officials check your passport and right to enter a country	We had to wait in a long queue at immigration.
layover	a short stop between two flights	We had a five-hour layover in Dubai before flying to Sydney.
jet lag	tiredness caused by travelling across time zones	I had terrible jet lag after flying from London to Tokyo.
baggage claim	the area where you collect your luggage after a flight	Meet me at baggage claim after we land.
departure lounge	the waiting area before your flight	We spent two hours in the departure lounge because our flight was delayed.
overhead compartment	the storage space above your seat on a plane	Please place small bags in the overhead compartment.
turbulence	sudden movement of a plane caused by air or weather conditions	The flight was smooth except for some turbulence over the mountains.
currency exchange	a place where you change money into local currency	We went to a currency exchange before leaving the airport.
travel insurance	protection against problems such as illness, theft or cancelled flights	It is sensible to buy travel insurance before an international trip.

Airport vocabulary and expressions

Airports can be stressful, especially if you are travelling in a foreign country. Here are some useful words and expressions.

Situation	Useful expression
Asking where to go	Where is the check-in desk?
Asking about your flight	Is this the right gate for Flight 247?
Asking about your seat	Could I have an aisle seat, please?
Asking about time	What time does boarding start?
Asking about luggage	Where can I collect my luggage?
Asking about delay	Has the flight been delayed?
Asking for help	Could you help me find my gate, please?
At customs	I have nothing to declare.

On the plane

Once you are on the plane, you may need to ask for help or understand announcements.

Useful vocabulary

Word or phrase	Meaning	Example
aisle seat	a seat next to the passage	I prefer an aisle seat because I can stretch my legs.
window seat	a seat next to the window	She asked for a window seat so she could enjoy the view.
seatbelt	a safety belt used during the flight	Please fasten your seatbelt.
cabin crew	the people who look after passengers on the plane	The cabin crew were very helpful.
take-off	when the plane leaves the ground	The take-off was very smooth.
landing	when the plane arrives on the ground	The landing was a little bumpy.
hand luggage	small bags you take onto the plane	You can take one piece of hand luggage on board.

Useful expressions

• Could I have a blanket, please?
• Could I have some water, please?
• Is there a meal on this flight?
• Could you help me put this bag in the overhead compartment?
• How long is the flight?

Hotel vocabulary and expressions

When you arrive at your destination, you may need English at the hotel.

Word or phrase	Meaning	Example sentence
reservation	a booking	I have a reservation under the name Petrović.
check in	register when you arrive at a hotel	We checked in at about three o’clock.
check out	leave the hotel officially	What time do we need to check out?
reception	the desk where guests are helped	Ask at reception if you need extra towels.
single room	a room for one person	I booked a single room for two nights.
double room	a room with one large bed for two people	They booked a double room with a sea view.
twin room	a room with two separate beds	We asked for a twin room.
room service	food or drinks brought to your room	We ordered room service after a long journey.
facilities	services or equipment in a hotel	The hotel has excellent facilities, including a gym and pool.
late check-out	permission to leave the room later than usual	Could we have a late check-out, please?

Useful hotel expressions

• I have a reservation under the name…
• Is breakfast included?
• What time is check-out?
• Could I have a late check-out, please?
• Is there Wi-Fi in the room?
• Could you call me a taxi, please?
• There seems to be a problem with the air conditioning.
• Could we have some extra towels, please?

Getting around in a foreign country

You may also need English when using public transport, taking taxis or asking for directions.

Useful expressions

• How much is the fare to the city centre?
• Does this bus go to the airport?
• Where can I buy a ticket?
• Which platform does the train leave from?
• Could you show me on the map?
• How far is it from here?
• Is it within walking distance?
• Could you recommend the best way to get there?

Sightseeing vocabulary and expressions

Sightseeing means visiting interesting places, such as museums, monuments, galleries and famous streets.

Word or phrase	Meaning	Example sentence
tourist attraction	a place tourists visit	The Eiffel Tower is a famous tourist attraction.
landmark	an important or famous building/place	Big Ben is one of London’s best-known landmarks.
guided tour	a tour led by a guide	We joined a guided tour of the old town.
entrance fee	money you pay to enter a place	The entrance fee includes access to the museum and gardens.
souvenir	something you buy to remember a place	She bought a small keyring as a souvenir.
tourist trap	a place that attracts tourists but is often expensive or not authentic	That restaurant near the square was a tourist trap.
local cuisine	traditional food from a place	We wanted to try the local cuisine.
off-season	a quieter period when fewer tourists travel	Hotels are usually cheaper off-season.

Useful expressions while sightseeing

• What time does the museum open?
• What time does it close?
• How much is the entrance fee?
• Are there guided tours available?
• Can we take photos here?
• Is there a discount for students?
• Where is the nearest tourist information centre?
• Can you recommend somewhere local to eat?

Common travel collocations

Collocations are natural word combinations. Learning them helps your English sound more fluent.

Collocation	Meaning	Example sentence
book a flight	reserve a flight	We booked a flight to Athens.
catch a flight	get on a flight	We need to leave early to catch our flight.
miss a flight	arrive too late for a flight	They missed their flight because of traffic.
board a plane	get onto a plane	Passengers began to board the plane at 7.30.
go through customs	pass through customs control	We went through customs without any problems.
travel abroad	travel to another country	Many students dream of travelling abroad.
go on a trip	travel somewhere for a short time	We went on a trip to Vienna.
pack your bags	put your things into luggage	I need to pack my bags tonight.
exchange money	change money into another currency	We exchanged money at the airport.
take out travel insurance	buy travel insurance	You should take out travel insurance before travelling.
suffer from jet lag	feel tired because of time-zone changes	I suffered from jet lag for three days.
explore the local area	look around the place where you are staying	We spent the afternoon exploring the local area.

Phrasal verbs for travel

Phrasal verbs are very common in spoken English, and many of them are useful when talking about travel.

Phrasal verb	Meaning	Example sentence
check in	register at a hotel or airport	We checked in online to save time.
check out	leave a hotel officially	We checked out at 11 a.m.
set off	begin a journey	We set off early to avoid traffic.
take off	when a plane leaves the ground	The plane took off on time.
get away	go somewhere for a holiday or break	We’re hoping to get away for a few days.
pick someone up	collect someone by car	I’ll pick you up from the airport.
drop someone off	take someone somewhere by car and leave them there	He dropped us off outside the hotel.
get around	travel from place to place	It’s easy to get around the city by metro.
look around	explore a place	We looked around the old town in the afternoon.
stop over	stay somewhere briefly during a journey	We stopped over in Istanbul on the way to Bangkok.
see someone off	go to the airport/station to say goodbye	My family came to see me off at the airport.
get back	return	We got back from our trip last night.

Foreign travel vocabulary and expressions: common travel expressions

Here are useful expressions for real travel situations.

At the airport

• Where is the check-in desk?
• Could I have an aisle seat, please?
• Is this the right gate for Flight 247?
• What time does boarding start?
• Has the flight been delayed?
• Where is baggage claim?

At immigration and customs

• Here is my passport.
• I am here on holiday.
• I am here on business.
• I am visiting family.
• I have nothing to declare.
• How long can I stay on this visa?

At the hotel

• I have a reservation under the name…
• Is breakfast included?
• Could I have a late check-out?
• Could you call me a taxi?
• There is a problem with the shower.
• Could we change rooms, please?

Asking for directions

• Excuse me, how do I get to the train station?
• Is it far from here?
• Could you show me on the map?
• Do I need to change trains?
• Which way is the city centre?

Buying tickets

• How much is a single ticket?
• How much is a return ticket?
• Can I pay by card?
• Is there a discount for students?
• Which platform does the train leave from?

Foreign travel vocabulay and expressions: travel idioms

Idioms can make your English sound more natural and expressive.

Idiom	Meaning	Example sentence
hit the road	begin a journey	We packed the car and hit the road before sunrise.
travel light	take very little luggage	She always travels light, usually with just one small bag.
off the beaten track	away from popular tourist places	We found a beautiful village off the beaten track.
broaden your horizons	increase your knowledge and experience	Studying abroad can really broaden your horizons.
live out of a suitcase	travel so much that you do not feel settled	He travels for work so often that he feels he lives out of a suitcase.
get itchy feet	want to travel or move somewhere new	After a year at home, she started getting itchy feet.

Talking about travel experiences

When you talk about a trip, try to use a variety of vocabulary.

Useful phrases

• The highlight of the trip was…
• The most memorable part was…
• I was impressed by…
• I was disappointed by…
• The journey was exhausting, but worth it.
• The city had a completely different atmosphere from what I expected.
• I would definitely recommend visiting…
• I would love to go back one day.

Common mistakes with foreign travel vocabulary and expressions

1. Travel, journey and trip

These words are similar, but they are not used in exactly the same way.

Word	Meaning	Example
travel	general activity of going from place to place	Travel can teach you a lot about the world.
journey	the movement from one place to another	The journey from Belgrade to Vienna took eight hours.
trip	a visit to a place and back	We went on a short trip to Budapest.

Correct:

• I love travelling.

Correct:

• The journey was long and tiring.

Correct:

• We went on a trip to Greece.

2. Saying “make a travel”

This is incorrect.

Incorrect:

• We made a travel to Italy.

Correct:

• We travelled to Italy.

Correct:

• We went on a trip to Italy.

3. Confusing luggage and baggage

Both words refer to bags and suitcases.

Luggage is more common in everyday British English.

Baggage is often used at airports.

Examples:

• I packed my luggage last night.
• Please collect your baggage from carousel number five.

4. Forgetting “go through customs”

We usually say:

• go through customs

not

• pass customs

Example:

• We went through customs after collecting our luggage.

Download Foreign Travel Vocabulary and Expressions in English Practice Worksheet in PDF here

Final thoughts on foreign travel vocabulary and expressions

Learning foreign travel vocabulary and expressions in English will help you feel more confident when travelling abroad.

You do not need to memorise every word at once. Start with the expressions you are most likely to use: checking in, asking for directions, buying tickets, asking about your flight and dealing with hotels.

The more travel vocabulary you know, the easier it becomes to enjoy the journey, solve problems and talk about your experiences afterwards.

And remember — even if your suitcase gets lost, your English does not have to.

Related posts

Vocabulary Related to Travel and Tourism

Vocabulary Related to Culture Shock

Vocabulary of Multiculturalism

Travel Idioms in English

Phrasal Verbs for Travel

Adjectives to Describe a Holiday

B2 First Speaking Part 1 Questions

B2 First Speaking Part 2

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