What 'travel & holidays' covers: Travel and holidays is part of the theme Experiences. You need vocabulary to talk about types of trip, transport, accommodation, planning a holiday and what you do there — and to give your opinion about them.
The words below are common English B vocabulary. Treat the list as a glossary: learn each term with its meaning and a synonym, then reuse them in the reading and writing sections.
- trip / journey
- the act of travelling from one place to another
- holiday(s) / vacation
- time off spent travelling or relaxing away from work or study
- destination
- the place you are travelling to
- accommodation — hostel
- a place to stay — a cheap, simple place to sleep, often shared
- to book (a hotel / a ticket)
- to reserve something in advance
- to pack — luggage
- to put your things in a bag for a trip — the bags you take
- means of transport
- the way you travel (train, bus, plane, bike…)
- mass tourism
- tourism in very large numbers, often harming a place
- package trip / organised trip
- a holiday where travel and hotels are arranged for you
- to travel independently
- to plan and travel on your own, not on a package trip
- to go sightseeing — tourist
- to visit the interesting places of an area — a person who does this
- landscape / scenery
- the natural features of an area you can see
- (school) exchange
- a visit where students stay with a family abroad and host them in return
| Useful expression | What it means |
|---|---|
| I'd rather travel independently than take a package trip. | I prefer planning my own trip to a pre-arranged one. |
| We stayed in a cheap hostel. | We slept in a simple, low-cost place. |
| Mass tourism damages the most beautiful places. | Too many visitors harm the nicest spots. |
| What I like most is discovering the scenery. | My favourite part is seeing the landscape. |
| I'm going to do an exchange with a host family. | I'll stay with a family abroad to practise the language. |
Why this matters: This vocabulary turns up in every skill — a reading text about a trip, a listening interview about a holiday, a Paper 1 blog or postcard, or your oral. Reusing the right topic words is how you score Criterion A (Language).
Have something to say: Examiners reward developed ideas, not just vocabulary. Around travel, the common debates are: package holidays vs travelling independently, the impact of mass tourism on places and monuments, and what we really gain from travelling. Take a position and back it up.
Opinion phrases (use these to introduce a view)
- In my opinion… / From my point of view… — to introduce what you think
- It seems to me that… / I think that… — a slightly softer way to give a view
- The most important thing is… — to highlight your main point
- On the one hand… on the other hand… — to weigh up two sides
- I (completely) agree that… / I'm not convinced that… — to react to an idea
Drawbacks of mass tourism
- Mass tourism damages monuments and the environment.
- The most beautiful places get overcrowded.
- Prices rise and local residents are pushed out.
Benefits of travelling
- Travelling opens our minds and makes us more tolerant.
- We get to know other cultures and practise languages.
- Responsible tourism supports the local economy.
Link your ideas: Connectors lift your answer from a list into an argument: moreover (to add), however (to contrast), therefore (to conclude), although (to concede). Use at least two or three in any written answer.
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Read like Paper 2: Here is a short blog post — the kind of text Paper 2 (Reading) gives you. Read it once just for the general idea; don't worry about every word. Then we'll work through one exam question together.
A summer without bookings: Last summer I took a train trip around the north of the country with my brother. We didn't book any hotels: we slept in cheap hostels and bought our tickets each morning.
At first it was a bit chaotic. On the first day we missed our train and, exhausted after hours in the station, I thought the whole thing had been a bad idea. However, that freedom turned out to be the best part of the trip: we met other travellers, changed our plans without any stress and discovered beautiful villages that don't appear in the guidebooks. That's why next summer I want to do it all again — but this time by bike. Travelling like that, without rushing, has taught me to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
- hostel
- a cheap, simple place to sleep, often with shared rooms
- ticket
- the document that lets you travel or enter somewhere
- exhausted
- completely tired, worn out
- guidebook
- a book with travel information about a place
- the journey (vs the destination)
- the act of travelling itself, not just the place you reach
IB-style task — one Paper 2 question
One question, step by step
- The question — "According to the text, where did the writer and their brother sleep during the trip?"
- Find it in the text. Look for the word "slept": "We didn't book any hotels: we slept in cheap hostels and bought our tickets each morning."
- The answer — They slept in cheap hostels. The words are right there in the text, so no outside knowledge is needed.
Reading technique: For an "according to the text" question, find the exact line that proves your answer — don't rely on memory or general knowledge.
The task: Your school is running a travel-blog competition. Write a blog post for other students: tell the story of a trip you took and give advice for travelling responsibly.
Use an informal, friendly register. Write 250–400 words.
Blog structure — 5 steps
1
Catchy title
A title, often a question. "A five-star hotel, or a backpack and an adventure?"
2
Greeting + topic
Greet the reader and say what the post is about. "Hi everyone! Today I want to talk about my favourite way to travel…"
3
Your experience
Tell your trip in the past. "Last summer I travelled around the north by train…"
4
Two or three tips
Give advice using imperatives. "Travel light", "talk to the locals", "leave room for the unexpected".
5
Motivating close
Finish with an encouraging line. "Dare to step off the tourist trail — you'll feel like a real traveller!"
Title → Greeting → Experience → Tips → Close
Model: the 5 steps in action
The blog post, step by step
- A five-star hotel, or a backpack and an adventure? I know which one I'd pick.
- Hi everyone! I'm Diego, and today I want to talk about my favourite way to travel: with light luggage and a lot of curiosity.
- Last summer I travelled around the north of the country by train with my brother. We slept in hostels, ate in local markets and chose our destination each morning.
- So here are three tips. First, travel light. Second, talk to the locals. And third, leave room in your plan for the unexpected.
- However, the most important thing is to travel with respect: look after the places you visit and support the local economy. Dare to step off the tourist trail, and you'll feel like a real traveller!
Why it scores: This answer hits all three Paper 1 criteria — here's what earns each one:
A — Language /12
- Range of tenses: past "I travelled", imperatives "travel light"
- Connectors: "so", "however", "first/second/third"
- Topic vocabulary, used accurately
B — Message /12
- Task fully done: tells a trip AND gives advice
- Ideas developed with concrete examples
C — Conceptual /6
- Blog conventions: a catchy title
- Direct address: "Hi everyone", "you'll feel like a real traveller"
- A persuasive, personal tone
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How listening is tested: Paper 2 also tests listening: you hear short clips, each played twice, and you never see the words. Read the questions first, listen for the key idea, then answer.
Here we'll use a transcript so you can practise the technique on the page. Read the questions, then find the answer in the speaker's words.
Transcript — Elena's summer: Hi, I'm Elena. Last summer I went on holiday to the coast with my friends. We didn't take a package trip: we travelled independently by bus and stayed in a hostel. In the mornings we visited monuments, and in the afternoons we went to the beach. For me, the best part of the trip was meeting local people and trying the typical food. That said, we tried to travel responsibly and always respect the places we visited.
IB-style task — two listening questions
Two questions, step by step
- Q1 — How did Elena and her friends travel and stay? Listen just after "We didn't take a package trip": "we travelled independently by bus and stayed in a hostel." That is your answer.
- Q2 — What was the best part of the trip for her? She says it directly: "the best part of the trip was meeting local people and trying the typical food."
Listening technique: Read the questions before the clip plays. Each question usually points to one short part of the recording — listen for the words around it, not the whole thing.