AIR TRAVEL

A     Departures

This is the usual sequence of activities when you get to the airport.

First you go to the check-in desk where they weigh your luggage. Usually you are permitted 20 kilos, but if your bags weigh more, you may have to pay excess baggage (= you pay extra). The airline representative checks your ticket and gives you a boarding card for the plane with your seat number on it. Then you go through passport control where an official checks [not controls] your passport, and into the departure lounge. Here, you can also buy things in the duty-free, e.g. perfume, alcohol and cigarettes. About half an hour or forty minutes before take-off, you are told to go to agate number, e.g. gate 14, where you wait before you get on the plane. When you board (= get on) the plane, you find your seat. If you have hand luggage, you can put it under your seat or in the overhead locker above your seat.

The plane then taxis (= moves slowly) towards the runway, and when it has permission to take off, it accelerates along the runway and takes off.

Note: The verb to taxi is generally only used in this context.

В     The flight   

You may want or need to understand certain announcements; these come from the captain (= the pilot) or from an air steward or stewardess / cabin crew / flight attendants (= people who look after the passengers):

Please fasten your seat belt and put your seat in the upright position.

We are now cruising (= flying comfortably) at an altitude (= height) of 10,000 metres.

 May we remind passengers (= ask passengers to remember) that there is no smoking until you are inside the terminal building (= where passengers arrive and depart).

 The cabin crew (= air stewards) are now coming round with landing cards. (These are cards you sometimes have to fill in when you enter certain countries.)

С     Arrival

When the plane lands (= arrives on the ground), you have to wait for it to stop / come to a halt. When the doors are open, you get off the plane and walk through the terminal building and go to the baggage reclaim where you collect your luggage. You then pass through customs (green = nothing to declare; red = goods to declare; blue = European Union citizens). If you are lucky, you can then get a bus, taxi or train to the centre of town without waiting too long. You can also hire a car (= rent a car) at most airports.

Note: In British English you normally hire something for a short period, e.g. hire a room for a party, and rent something for a long period, e.g. a flat; for a car, you can use both words.

HOTELS

A    Types of hotel

Hotels in Britain are graded with stars from one-star to five-star (five-star hotels are the best and most expensive). You can also stay in a Bed & Breakfast (B&B) (also called Guest Houses) where you pay for a bedroom, possibly an ensuite (= room with private bathroom) and breakfast.

В     Types of hotel accommodation

a single room: for one person with a single bed                                                         

a double room: for two people with one large double bed

a twin room: for two people with two single beds

full board: includes breakfast, lunch and dinner

half board: includes breakfast and dinner

B&B: just the room and breakfast

С     A visit to a hotel

We stayed in the Carlton Hotel for three nights in July, but I booked (= reserved) our room three months in advance (= before; in other words, in April) because it was the middle of the tourist season. When we arrived we checked in at reception, then the porter carried our suitcases up to our room. I gave him a small tip (n, v) - about 50p, I think. The staff were very friendly - we had a very nice chambermaid (= the woman who cleans the room) - and the room was very comfortable. The only problem we had, in fact, was with the shower which didn't work (= function) very well. (You could also say 'There was something wrong with the shower'.)

D     Useful words and expressions

Could I book (= reserve) a room for next Thursday?

Could I have an early morning call at 7 a.m. please? (= Could you wake me at 7 a.m.?)

Could you put it on my bill, please? (= add the cost to the bill, e.g. for a drink you have in the hotel bar)

Could I pay my bill, please? (= pay for everything)

 Could you order (= call) a taxi for me to go to the airport?

 Are you fully booked (= completely full) next week?

 Is breakfast/dinner included? (= Does the price include breakfast/dinner?)

Where's the lift? (= the machine which takes you up or down a floor) [AmEng = elevator]

Excuse me. How do I get to the underground station from here?

A SIGHTSEEING HOLIDAY

A     Sightseeing

You may do a bit of sightseeing on holiday, or you may do a lot of sightseeing, but you will probably go to a museum or art gallery, and see or visit some of these things:

                        temple                                         statue                                    cathedral

                        museum                                       cathedral                                       tower

Many people go on a sightseeing tour of a town (usually in a bus); they can also go on a tour of the castle / the cathedral / the art gallery, etc. When you are sightseeing, it helps to buy a guidebook (= a book of information for tourists) and a map of the town you are in.

В     Things that tourists often do on holiday

look round the shops / have a look round the shops

take photographs

spend a lot of / lots of money

buy souvenirs (= typical products from the country)

get lost (= lose their way)

go out most evenings (= go to different places for social reasons, e.g. restaurant or disco)

have a good/great time (= enjoy themselves)

С     Describing 'places'

The word place is very common and can describe a building, an area, a town, or country:

Bruges is a lovely place (= town) and we found a really nice place (= hotel) to stay. The town is full of interesting places (= areas/buildings).

These words are often used when we describe places:

Venice is beautiful but it's always packed (= very crowded/full) with tourists in the summer. New York is very cosmopolitan. (= full of people from different countries and cultures) Vienna has lots of historical monuments. (= places, e.g. castles, built a long time ago) Many beautiful cities have become very touristy. (= a negative word: 'too much tourism') Sao Paolo is a really lively place (= full of life and activity) and the night-life is fantastic.

Note: If you want to ask if it is 'a good idea' to visit a place, you can use worth + -ing:

A: If I go to Scotland, is it worth spending a few days in Glasgow?

B: Yes definitely. And if you want to travel round a bit, it's worth renting a car.

ON THE BEACH AND IN THE COUNTRY

A     Places to stay

When people go on holiday they stay in various places (= a number of different places): some go to hotels; others rent an apartment (a 'holiday' flat) or villa (= a house by the sea or in the countryside; often in the Mediterranean / southern Europe); some prefer sleeping in a tent at a campsite.

В     At the beach            

Many people spend their holiday in seaside resorts (= towns by the sea for tourists, e.g. Malaga, St. Tropez, Okinawa) where they can spend most of their time on the beach. Some people enjoy swimming, others love sunbathing (= lying on the beach in order to get a suntan). If you like sunbathing, you should use suntan lotion to help you get a tan and protect your skin. If you don't have any protection, you may get sunburn, which is painful and can be dangerous. And if you want total protection you should use sunblock, or sit under a beach umbrella.

Swimming can also be dangerous if there are rocks under the water or if the sea is rough, e.g. with big waves.

С     In the country               

People who live in large towns often like to get away (= leave the place where they live) at weekends or in the summer, and enjoy the peace and quiet (= calm and tranquillity) of the country (also called the countryside). Some people just like to put their feet up (= relax and do nothing) and occasionally go for a stroll (= a slow casual walk); while others enjoy hiking (= long walks, often hill walking) across hills and valleys. And the countryside is a great place to have a picnic (= eating a prepared meal of cold food outside).

Note: Learners sometimes say 'I love to be in the nature'. This is usually a translation from their first language and it is not correct in English. The nearest we can say is probably 'I love being in the countryside'.