Travel & Holiday

Travel Vocabulary List with Definitions

This section has a list of travel vocabulary with definitions that you should try to learn. There is also a recording to help you learn how to pronounce the words and expressions in each section.

Section 1

Airplane: A vehicle that flies and holds a lot of people. (noun)
Airport: A building for use by people who use an airplane for transport. (noun)
Annual pass: A ticket which has validity of one year. (noun)
Automatic doors: Doors which open by sensor without the need to open them manually.  (noun)
Baggage: The items which a person takes with them on a journey. (noun)
Bicycle: A metal frame with a seat and wheels used for transport. (noun)
Bike chain: An object used to secure a bicycle and prevent theft.
Bus: A large vehicle for carrying many people. (noun)
Bus lane: A portion of the road specifically for buses. (noun)
Bus station: A building for use by people who use a bus for transport. (noun)

Section 2

Captain: The person that controls a ship or airplane. (noun)
Car: A small vehicle with four wheels that many people own. (noun)
Check-in: An area which deals with customer documents prior to travelling. (noun)
Child seat: A seat designed for children for the purpose of safety and for use in a car or on a bicycle. (noun)
Coach: A large vehicle for carrying many people, like a bus but for long journeys. (noun)
Commute: The act of travelling from a fixed location to another destination regularly. (verb)
Crew: The people who work on board a plane or ship. (noun)
Cruise: A journey taken on a ship to many different countries within a certain period of time. (noun)
Customs: An area which carries out security checks in an airport or on a border. (noun)
Customs officer: A person who carries out security checks in an airport or border. (noun)

Section 3

Cycle lane: A portion of the road which is only for the use of cyclists.  (noun)
Cycle path: A concrete surface used specifically by bicycles. (noun)
Declare: An act of informing customs of the items being carried. (noun)
Delay: When a method of transport is not running to the time originally anticipated.  (noun)
Depart: To move from a place where a person is currently situated. (verb)
Departure gate: An exit which enables travellers to enter an airplane. (noun)
Direct: To travel to a destination without making any stops. (adjective)
Disembark: To get off a ship. (verb)
Dock: A place where ships arrive to and leave from. (noun)
Domestic: A journey which takes place in the same country. (adjective)

Section 4

Driver: A person who operates a vehicle. (noun)
Emergency exit: A door which when opened allows a person to leave an enclosed space safely.  (noun)
E-ticket: A piece of paper containing pertinent details regarding a journey.
Fare: The total cost of a journey. (noun)
Ferry: A small boat used to carry people or vehicles short distances. (noun)
Flight: The act of an airplane making its way to its destination. (noun)
Helicopter: A vehicle that flies and does not hold a lot of people. (noun)
Helmet: A piece of hard shaped material placed on the head for protection. (noun)
Hire/rent: The act of borrowing a vehicle for a certain period of time. (verb)
Immigration: An area of the airport or border which requires documents to be checked. (noun)

Section 5

Indirect: A journey which requires a stop prior to arrival at the destination. (adjective)
Insurance: A policy which protects the finances of the traveler for health and other purposes. (noun)
International: A journey which goes beyond the travellers’ home country. (adjective)
Lorry: A vehicle for carrying a large amount of goods (US – Truck). (noun)
Meter: An electronic display which calculates the total distance travelled as a cost. (noun)
Motor-bike: A two wheeled vehicle that has an engine. (noun)
One-way: A ticket that allows for the traveler to reach the destination but not to return. (adjective)
Passengers: The people who use a mode of transport controlled by another person. (noun)
Passport: An important document necessary for travel. (noun)
Pick-up truck: A small vehicle with space to carry goods at the back. (noun)

Section 6

Pilot: The person who controls an airplane. (noun)
Platform: An area for people to wait for a train. (noun)
Priority seating: An area reserved for disabled people or those with small children. (noun)
Railway: The system of tracks that trains use to get from one place to another.  (noun)
Round-trip: A journey going from and returning to the same place. (noun)
Runway: A long strip of concrete used by airplanes when taking off and landing. (noun)
Safety belt: A long piece of strong thin material used to secure people in a vehicle. (noun)
Sidecar: A small hollow cart attached to the side of a motorcycle for transporting people. (noun)
Sky train: A train that is driven above ground level on a suspended track. (noun)
Take-off: When an airplane leaves the ground to begin flying through the sky. (verb)

Section 7

Tandem: A bike that can carry two people at the same time. (noun)
Tariff: An amount of money to be paid for the transport service. (noun)
Taxi stand: An area for people to book and wait for a taxi. (noun)
Ticket: A piece of paper or card used as documentation to allow travel. (noun)
Ticket counter: A service desk which sell tickets or deals with ticket enquiries. (noun)
Ticket inspector: A person who checks passenger’s tickets for validity. (noun)
Ticket machine: An electronic device which enables customers to purchase tickets. (noun)
Tracks: The metal runners that direct a train. (noun)
Train: A vehicle that travels on a railway tracks. (noun)
Train station: A building used to receive people who travel by train. (noun)

Section 8

Tram: A vehicle that follows tracks and travels within a city, usually along the roads. (noun)
Transfer: An act of changing transportation before arriving at the destination. (verb)
Transit: An act of waiting at another location for the next leg of the journey. (verb)
Traveller: A person who moves from one place to another in a short space of time (US – Traveler). (noun)
Truck: A vehicle for carrying a large amount of goods (UK – Lorry). (noun)
Underground: A train that travels under the ground through tunnels.  (noun)
Unicycle: A bicycle that only has one wheel. (noun)
Van: A vehicle for carrying a small amount of goods. (noun)
Vehicle: A form of transport for carrying people or goods. (noun)

Difference Between TRAVEL, TRIP, And JOURNEY

Travel (V.)

Going to another place (in general):
I really like to travel.
He travels frequently for work.
My sister is currently traveling through South America.

Travel (N.)

“Travel”, as a noun, can be used to describe the act of traveling in general:
Travel in that region of the country is dangerous.
World travel gives you a new perspective.

Trip (N.)

The act of going to another place (often for a short period of time) and returning:
We took a five-day trip to the Amazon.
You’re back from vacation! How was your trip?
I went on a business trip to Switzerland last month.

Journey (N.)

One piece of travel (going from one place to another) – usually a long distance:
The journey takes 3 hours by plane or 28 hours by bus.
He made the 200-mile journey by bike.