B2 FIRST · VOCABULARY · TOPIC VOCABULARY
Travel and holidays
Words like go sightseeing, book a room, a delay and off the beaten track.
Finn says
Travel is a favourite topic in Speaking (holidays, places you've visited) and in Listening (journeys, problems, tourist information). Learn the words in groups, with the words they go with, and try to use two or three of them next time you practise Speaking or Writing.
Planning and going
book a flight / a room
reserve in advance
I booked a room near the beach.
go sightseeing
visit famous places
We went sightseeing in Rome.
a trip / a journey
a short visit / travelling from A to B
The journey took six hours.
set off
start a journey
We set off early in the morning.
a package holiday
flight and hotel sold together
We went on a package holiday to Crete.
off the beaten track
far from tourist places
I prefer places off the beaten track.
Problems
a delay / be delayed
when something is late
Our flight was delayed by two hours.
miss a train / a flight
arrive too late for it
We missed the last train.
get lost
not know where you are
We got lost in the old town.
luggage
bags and suitcases (uncountable)
My luggage didn't arrive.
crowded
full of people
The beach was very crowded.
cancel
decide something won't happen
They cancelled our flight.
Make it better
The same idea, first in basic English, then in the kind of language that gets a higher mark.
- Basic: We visited the famous places.Better: We went sightseeing.The natural expression.
- Basic: The plane was late.Better: Our flight was delayed.More precise.
- Basic: I like places with no tourists.Better: I like places off the beaten track.An idiom that shows range.
- Basic: There were a lot of people on the beach.Better: The beach was really crowded.One exact adjective.
Finn's exam tip
Luggage and baggage are uncountable: say 'my luggage' or 'two pieces of luggage', never 'two luggages'. And travel is usually a verb – for a single visit, use trip or journey: 'How was your trip?'
Quick check
Choose the best answer.
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