Travel Vocabulary
Here is some travel vocabulary that will make the delights of travelling even more enjoyable for those who are learning English.
Airport Vocabulary
duty-free shops |
shops in the airport where you are not charged any tax |
departure lounge |
the area where you wait before boarding the plane |
runway |
the 'road' where the planes land and take-off |
control tower |
the building where the air traffic controllers work |
air traffic controller |
the person who directs the planes, to make sure there are no accidents |
immigration officer |
the person who checks the passports and visas |
customs officer |
the person who checks that people are not bringing guns, drugs or illegal items into the country |
Airplane Vocabulary
cabin crew |
the people who look after, help and serve the passengers during the flight |
cockpit |
the front of the plane where the pilot sits and flies the plane |
galley |
the part of the plane where the cabin crew keep and prepare the food, and keep the duty free goods |
overhead locker |
the storage area above the passengers where they can store their hand luggage |
hand luggage |
small bags that the passengers can carry onto the plane with them |
checked luggage |
large bags that the passengers do not carry onto the plane with them. They are kept in the hold during the flight. |
aisle seat |
a seat that is located next to the long corridor (aisle) that runs down the centre of the plane |
window seat |
a seat next to the window |
cabin pressure |
the air pressure inside the aircraft when it is flying |
boarding pass |
the ticket that you need in order to get onto the plane |
Travel Vocabulary - Idioms
to talk a mile a minute |
to talk very rapidly and quickly |
to drive somebody round the bend |
if something drives you around the bend, it irritates you and drives you crazy |
to be in the same boat |
to be in the same situation or predicament |
that ship has sailed |
a particular opportunity has passed |
ship has come in |
something very good has happened |
to be taken for a ride |
to be cheated, misled or deceived by someone |
to go to great lengths |
to make a great effort, to try very hard |
wheeling and dealing |
to try and make a profit or get an advantage through complicated and sometime deceitful means |
to fly off the handle |
to become very angry |
to let things ride |
to allow a situation to continue, to not take action or change something that is wrong |
Phrasal Verbs
to fall apart |
to break into pieces e.g. My suitcase is falling apart, I need to buy a new one. |
to fall back on |
to be able to use in an emergency e.g. It was good that we had some spare cash to fall back on. |
to fall into (conversation) |
to start a conversation with someone you have just met e.g. Do you ever fall into conversation with the people next to you on the plane? |
to get around |
to travel to different places e.g. How do you plan to get around Italy? |
to get away |
to go somewhere different from where you live e.g. I need to get away for awhile, is there any place you would recommend? |
to get on |
to leave e.g. I need to be getting on, or my bus will leave without me |
to get a move on |
to do something quickly, to hurry e.g. I wish you would get a move on, or we will be late! |
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