IELTS Speaking Vocabulary – Travel & Holidays – Advanced vocabulary

Part 1

Do you like travelling?

Yes, definitely! I think seeing the world, from great historical monuments to white sandy beaches, is what life is all about. It’s a very interesting way to learn about new cultures and explore new places.

What is your favourite type of holiday?

I really like going to the countryside, getting away from it all. Nothing relaxes me as much as wilderness… I am tired of tourist traps and usually go off the beaten track…

What do you do on holidays?

I prefer visiting various museums and places of interest. For instance, on my last vacation I was to Rome and I visited 12 museums. It was fantastic! Of course, sometimes I go shopping with my friends or relatives too… But I don’t find it near as exciting…

Are there many tourists visiting your country?

Probably yes… My country has different tourist attractions in many cities, especially the capital… For example, my country has old-time religious traditions… That’s why we have a lot of ancient cathedrals and churches that are interesting for both tourists and local citizens…

 

Part 2

Now, have a look at the card and prepare a monologue.

Describe a tourist attraction you once visited. You should say:

• When you visited it
• Where is it situated
• Who you went with

and say what about it you like the most

A couple of years ago I went on a holiday to Paris with my parents… it is a very popular tourist destination, since it has various places of interest, such as ancient museums and monuments… That’s whythere are always hordes of tourists… So we decided to go out of season in the autumn… Fortunately, the weather was great, and we did not waste any days watching TV at the hotel… it was a memorable holiday … we enjoyed breathtaking views from the top of the Eiffel tower and dined in cozy little restaurants. I would certainly recommend visiting Paris, it is a picturesque city.

Part 3

Why do you think tourism is so developed now?

Well, because it is a lot easier to travel nowadays… you can choose charter flights and find various youth hostels all around the world, so you don’t need to spend much money on the travelling. Moreover, you can book a trip via the Internet, so you don’t even have to leave home.

How people choose their destination?

There are a lot of ways. For instance, you can surf the internet for all the necessary information… Or you can visit different travel agencies for more advice.

What kind of transport do you prefer on holidays? Why?

It depends… I usually reach my holiday destination by plane because it is the fastest and the least dangerous way to travel. However, flying can be a bit uncomfortable… So I also travel by train from time to time… But I never drive car on a vacation, because I do it every day when I work… I would have a busman’s holiday otherwise.

Do you prefer travelling alone or in tour groups? Why?

I definitely prefer travelling alone because I like to plan the trip by myself… When choosing a guided tour, you should always conform to a set schedule… So if you are in India and, say, you want to spend an extra hour at Taj Mahal, you simply cannot do that with a group tour… I like independent travel. That way I get to see and do exactly what I want and spend as much time as I want at various stops.

VOCABULARY

• accommodation: a room or building in which you stay during holidays or live.While I’m travelling, my favourite types of accommodation are hotels.
• all holiday: a time after you lost your job.He lost his job yesterday. Now it’s all holiday for him.
• all-inclusive: a hotel deal where the price includes accommodation, meals and drinks at any time.I’ve never thought that hotels with all-incusive service are so comfortable! You can grab a piece of cake at 6 a.m. or get a cocktail at midnight.
• half-board: if you request ‘half-board’ at a hotel, breakfast and dinner would be included in the hotel price (as part of the package).John and Lily liked their tour with half-board service. They spent breakfasts and dinners in the hotel and bought lunches in the nearby cafes.
• full-board: if you request ‘full-board’ at a hotel, that would include all three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) in the price of your accommodation.
• self-catering: a holiday deal where meals are not provided.Mary thinks that self-catering is neither pleasant nor efficient.
• to book (something): to arrange and confirm a place on a flight, a room in a hotel or a ticket for an event in the future.If you book your plane tickets in advance, they will be much cheaper.
• breathtaking view: an amazing view.I’ve seen many breathtaking views during my journey to Paris.
• busman’s holiday: when you spend your free time similarly to the time when you work. This expression comes from the idea that a bus driver would spend his holiday traveling somewhere on a bus.Unfortunately, many people spend a busman’s holiday nowadays.
• charter flight: a cheap regular flight.Due to our modest budget, we had to take a charter-flight.
• check-in desk: the place at the airport where you register for your flight and deposit your luggage.
• far-off destination: a distant place.Australia is a far-off destination, nonetheless I want to visit it.
• getting away from it all: escaping in order to rest from a daily routine.After I passed my exams, I wanted to get away from it all for at least a couple of days.
• go off the beaten track: to visit an uncommon place.Unlike my brother, I prefer to go off the beaten track.
• guided tour: a tour in which a group of people is guided by an expert.Guided tours are a great way to learn about different places of interest.
• head for: go in a direction for.I’m heading for France for my next holidays.
• holiday brochure: a publication with details of holiday.Our guide gave us a great brochure about our hotel.
• holiday destination: where you go for a holiday.We chose New York as our holiday destination for the next summer.
• holiday of a lifetime: a very special holiday, once in a lifetime.Last year me and my family had a holiday of a lifetime in Italy.
• holiday resort (tourist resort): a place where lots of people go for a holiday.Last year my family went on a journey to London. We lived in a great tourist resort.
• hordes of tourists: crowds of tourists.Hordes of tourist can be seen during summer near the city park.
• in the middle of nowhere: in a place that is far away from where most people live.My grand-mother lives in the middle of nowhere, but she loves her old little village.
• local crafts: thighs made in the region.My sister bought some amazing local crafts on her trip to India.
• out of season: not within the main holiday period.I decided to go on a journey with my friends out of season.
• passport control: a place where you get your passport checked.I spent a few hours waiting in line on a passport control.
• package tour: a holiday at a fixed price in which the travel company arranges your travel, hotels, and sometimes meals for you:We bought a cheap package tour to Italy and stayed in a big hotel by the sea.
• picturesque village: a nice, beautiful village.My grandparents live in a picturesque village.
• places of interest: memorable and honorable places.My native city has a variety of places of interest.
• short break: a little holiday.My father had a short break this year, I hope he’ll be able to relax some more.
• stunning landscape: a beautiful countryside.Stunning landscapes are only one of many reasons why I want to visit Africa.
• to go sightseeing: to go visiting sights of interest.Today we went sightseeing with my friends.
• to travel on foot / horseWhen I’m in a small town I prefer to travel on foot.
• to travel by bus / plane / car / bicycle / motorcycleAlthough I usually travel by car, when I decided to visit Paris I had to travel by plane.
• tourist attractions: places which tourists tend to visit.Despite not being a tourist attraction, new fountain is very popular among the locals.
• tourist trap: place with many tourists.We’ve visited many tourists traps lately.
• travel agency: a shop that specializes in booking holidays.I’ve bought tickets for my trip through a travel agency.
• wildlife safari: an observational holiday, mainly in Africa.I’d love to go on a wildlife safari sometime.
• youth hostel: a cheap hotel.During our trip we stayed in a hostel, because we didn’t have enough money for a hotel.