Useful Phrases for IELTS Topic Travel and Transport

Subtopic Travel

“Travel” is one of the common topics that often appear in the IELTS exam. Let’s immediately learn the following phrases provided by azVocab.

PHRASE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
To make advance reservations	to make a booking before you arrive at a destination	The destination is so popular that you should make an advance reservation.
To cancel a reservation	to notify staff at a destination that you no longer wish to stay there or use the service there	Depending on your policies, a guest may be able to *cancel their reservation* using a link in their confirmation email.
To travel abroad	to travel to a foreign country	Mason traveled abroad* to experience exotic flora and fauna.*
To travel alone	to travel on your own	I always travel alone* with my paddle board.*
To travel light	to travel with a minimum load or minimum luggage	I like to carry my bags onto the plane, so I try to travel light.
To travel on business	to travel undertaken for work or business purposes	As a sales representative, I have to travel on business* from time to time.*
To travel the world	to go to many places in the world, but not necessarily in one trip, and not necessarily circumnavigate the globe	I wish I could travel the world.
To travel around/across/through somewhere	to move or travel to another place or region	We travelled through* Portugal and into Spain.*
To go on/have/take a holiday	to experience a time away from home, school, or business usually in order to relax or travel	I haven’t taken a holiday* since I started my own business.*
To holiday in somewhere	to spend a holiday somewhere	We are holidaying in* Mexico this year.*
To go backpacking	to go on a form of low-cost, independent travel, which often includes staying in inexpensive lodgings and carrying all necessary possessions in a backpack	When I was a student at university, I and my homies often go backpacking once every 2 months to a trekking place for new experiences.
To have a thirst for adventure	to have an intense desire to travel, explore new places and have new experiences	Having a thirst for adventure, I would like to explore new places, which haven’t been known before.
To set off on one’s travels	to leave on a trip or start going somewhere	We should go to sleep early tonight because we must set off on our travels* earlier than planned.*
To enjoy local specialty	to eat a product that is extremely good in a particular place	At the suggestion of the driver, we arrived at Út Cưng restaurant, one of the most famous places in the city to *enjoy this local specialty*.
To try/sample the local food	to eat the food that is produced within a short distance of where it is consumed	It is really wonderful to try the local food* when we have a holiday in Hoi An.*
To promote tourism image	to encourage the actual and potential customers to travel a destination through the spreading of information	To promote tourism image* for foreigners, the government should enhance the advertisement system.*
To discover new cultures and cuisine	to learn about different cultures, customs, traditions, and cuisine	Thailand is reputed for its unique culture and custom. Once you have time to visit here, you should discover new culture and cuisine, try everything and make it your own memory.
Low/peak season	the time of year when a place is least/most busy or popular	Camping is allowed, though both huts and camping spaces must be booked in advance during *peak season.*
Holiday of a lifetime	a vacation or trip that someone takes, which they consider to be exceptional and unforgettable	Rachel and Dan arrive on a beautiful island for the holiday of a lifetime* – newlywed, and newly pregnant*.
Leisure travel	a trip made to outside the usual environment for the main purpose of entertainment, holiday, recreation, relaxation, hobby, etc.	Leisure travel from cities across the state is still pretty good.
Package tour	a vacation organized by a travel agent, with arrangements for transportation, accommodations, etc., made at an inclusive price	I was trying to have a package tour* to save time.*
Guided tour	a visit to a place such as a museum with a guide who explains facts about the place	The guided tour* is recommended for visitors visiting for the first time.*
Retail travel agency	companies that provide their customers, people who want to travel, with services (such as these examples of tourism products) at their destination	This is the only retail travel agency* in Britain specializing in passenger journeys on board cargo ships.*
To get away from it all	to go somewhere to escape from your usual daily routine	We’ve decided to go hiking in the mountains to *get away from it all.*
To laze around on the sandy beach	to relax and enjoy yourself on the beach full of sand	After my friends and I go shopping in Nha Trang, I will spend all afternoon *lazing around on the sandy beach.*
To put one’s feet up = to let one’s hair down	to sit down and relax	I’m exhausted so I’m going to the beach this week to put my feet up.
To be an eye-opener	to be something that surprises you and teaches you new facts about life, people, etc.	That journey to the most far off the beaten track is an eye-opener* to me, I have learned a lot from this experience.*
To embark on the journey	to begin a journey	They embarked on their journey* to America with high hopes.*
To have a stopover	to have a short stay in a place that you make while you are on a longer journey to somewhere else	I had a stopover* in China on the way to Thailand, had a bit of a rest, and did the sights there before travelling on.*
Travel itinerary	a schedule of events relating to planned travel, generally including destinations to be visited at specified times and means of transportation to move between those destinations	You enter your *travel itinerary* in our booking engine and run a search.
Travel document	a document issued by a government or international treaty organisation which is acceptable proof of identity for the purpose of entering another country	All persons traveling abroad are expected to have a valid travel document* satisfactorily establishing identity and nationality.*
Travel arrangements/plans	all the necessary preparations which are to be done in advance before a trip	Making travel arrangements requires thorough planning: choosing travel dates, making reservations and planning activities.
Budget travel	travel that is cost-conscious and price-aware	Budget travel is all about getting the most value for your money while you’re on the road.
a go-to destination	a destination that you must go to because it’s pretty, attractive etc.	Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum is an important historical site and one of the go-to destinations* when you come to Hanoi.*
Far-off destination	a long distance away destination	Australia is a far-off destination, nonetheless I want to visit it.
Tourist trap	a crowded place that provides entertainment and things to buy for tourists, often at high prices	The street market is a tourist trap that mostly sells cheap souvenirs.
Exotic destinations	unusual and exciting destinations	Holidays are often taken at a second home in Spain, interspersed with more exotic destinations* like South Africa.*
Self-catering accommodation	a type of vacation rental where the guests are responsible for preparing their meals and are provided with the necessary kitchen and cooking facilities	We prefer self-catering accommodation* to hotels, and hotels to campsites.*
Arduous journey	difficult and tiring journey	His most arduous journey* was one of 15,000 miles through Siberia, ending in the Gulag archipelago.*
The first leg of the journey	the first stage or portion of a trip	The first leg of the journey got me to the UK but it just gave me very little indication of what lay ahead.
A spontaneous trip	a trip that is not planned in advance	As part of a spontaneous trip* to Bolivia, I started with a day of solo travel in Puno before crossing over to Bolivia by land.*

Subtopic Transport

Below, azVocab will provide you with phrases related to the “Transport” topic. You can apply them to your Writing Task 2 or Speaking part.

PHRASE	MEANING	EXAMPLE
Bad driving habits	any driving practice that is inherently unsafe, increases fuel consumption and/or places greater strain on a vehicle’s components leading to greater operational costs	This is among the most common *bad driving habits* of most Indian drivers.
Reckless driving	a serious traffic offence whereby the driver of a vehicle disregards the rules of the road, driving very dangerously, causing accidents or other damage	We propose to send people to prison for the new offence of careless or reckless driving.
To ban cars from city centres	to not allow people to use their own cars in the city centre	Some large cities may have to *ban cars from the city center* to wipe out smoke.
Commuting costs	the cost a taxpayer incurs to get back and forth to work, whether using their own car or public transportation	*Commuting costs* in America have declined substantially over the last decade.
Congestion pricing = congestion charges	a system of surcharging users of public goods that are subject to congestion through excess demand	In London, the day they turned the *congestion pricing* on, there was a 25 percent decrease in congestion overnight.
Daily travel = daily commute	the act of going from one place to another daily	Buy now the perfect bottle for your *daily travels*.
Driving offence	a violation of traffic regulations, such as breaking the speed limit	She was yesterday bailed for three weeks on *driving offences*.
Traffic laws/rules	all applicable laws regarding the usage and operation of vehicles in general, among others, all kinds of traffic regulations and traffic safety regulations	My mother was crossing the road according to the traffic rules.
Transport infastructure	the framework that supports our transport system	The construction of transportation infrastructure* could reduce the travel cost, attract foreign investment and expand trade of shared resources.*
To drive under the influence of	to drive a vehicle after drinking too much alcohol or taking drugs that affect your ability to drive	She was convicted of *driving under the influence of* forging a prescription.
Reliable schedule	schedule has all scope included	Buses usually do not have a reliable schedule* for commuters.*
Dual-carriageway road	a road that has an area of land in the middle, dividing the rows of traffic that are moving in opposite directions	It is a *dual-carriageway* road for its entire length.
To improve road traffic safety	to improve the methods and measures used to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured	The only way to *improve road traffic safety* is to give much stricter punishments on driving offenses.
Licence suspension	to prohibit, for a limited and specified stated period of time, the conduct authorized by the license	A 90-day *licence suspension* for a second conviction.
One-way street	a road in which traffic is only allowed to proceed in one direction	He crossed the one-way street* and entered the front door by the side of the kiosk.*
To run a red light	to continue driving through an intersection having a red traffic light without stopping	The driver of the stolen car *ran a red light* and hit a truck.
Speeding ticket	a piece of paper that a police officer gives to someone who was driving too fast and that indicates a fine that the driver will have to pay	We drive the speed limit because we don’t want a *speeding ticket.*
Toll road	a road that drivers must pay to use	Your journey will be quicker but more expensive if you take the *toll road.*
Traffic-free zone	the specific area where cars (or motobikes perhaps) are not allowed to access	It is largely traffic-free zone* but sections along the route are still being upgraded and improved.*
Efficient public transport system	the system requires accessible, affordable, and low-energy-intensity travel options for all users	The capital city has a highly efficient public transport* system.*
Road maintenance	any road work specifically related to maintaining water control or road safety and visibility	Many councils have abandoned regular road maintenance* but resurface stretches when potholes and gullies start appearing, pushing up costs further.*
High traffic volume	the high number of vehicles per period of time	There is always high traffic volume in urban locations.
To conduct regular vehicle inspections	to conduct a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both	Conducting regular vehicle inspections is one of the solutions that help to decrease the risks on the road.
To ease the traffic congestion	to reduce the number of vehicles on the road	In order to ease the traffic congestion* and air pollution, the government ordered a 40 percent reduction of vehicles and offered 1,000 buses during the Games and Para Games.*

azVocab hopes that these phrases for the topic of Travel and Transport will help you easily approach these two subjects. Wishing you good study and success in your upcoming IELTS exam!

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