INDEX:
1. to travel to a place
2. the activity of travelling
3. different ways of travelling
4. to travel a particular distance
5. when you travel somewhere without stopping
6. to travel to another country
7. to travel as part of your job
8. to travel to a lot of different places
9. a journey
10. a short journey
11. someone who is travelling
12. someone does not live in one particular place
13. the place that you are travelling to
14. a strong desire to travel
RELATED WORDS
see also
↑ GO
↑ HOLIDAY/VACATION
↑ DRIVE
↑ LEAVE
↑ ARRIVE
↑ STOP
↑ RETURN
↑ ROAD/PATH
↑ DIRECTION
↑ WAY
◆◆◆
1. to travel to a place
▷ go /gəʊ/ [intransitive verb]
to go to a place that is away from where you live, especially for a holiday or for business :
▪ My parents are in the Caribbean for Christmas, but I couldn’t go this year.
go (over/out/up/down) to
▪ We’re going to Malta this summer.
▪ We went up to Montreal for a long weekend.
▪ She’s been out to Africa several times on diplomatic visits.
▷ travel /ˈtræv ə l/ [intransitive verb]
to make a journey from one place to another - use this to talk about going to a place that is a long way from your home or when you are going to many different places :
▪ I love to travel.
travel from/to/across/through etc
▪ We travelled from China to Russia by train.
▪ They had been travelling over the dry desert terrain for five days.
▷ go on a trip/take a trip /ˌgəʊ ɒn ə ˈtrɪp, ˌteɪk ə ˈtrɪp/ [verb phrase]
to go somewhere for a short time before returning home :
▪ The geography class has taken a trip to Wales.
▪ I’m going on a business trip to Japan next week.
go on a trip/take a trip to/through/up/around etc
▪ We decided to go on a trip through the Rocky Mountains in the spring.
▪ Let’s take a trip up the Rhine and stop at some of the castles along the way.
▷ make a journey /ˌmeɪk ə ˈdʒɜːʳni/ [verb phrase] especially British
to travel to a place, especially when it is a long way away and the journey is difficult :
▪ Every year he was supposed to go, and every year he could think of excuses for not making the journey.
▪ When the tribe ran out of food, they had no choice but to make the journey north to more fertile ground.
▷ en route /ˌɒn ˈruːtǁˌɑːn-/ [adverb]
on the way to somewhere :
▪ We stopped en route to meet some friends in Brussels.
en route to/from/for
▪ The flight was en route from Tokyo to Sydney when it experienced engine trouble.
▷ be on the move /biː ɒn ðə ˈmuːv/ [verb phrase]
to travel from one place to another, especially because it is difficult or impossible for you to stay where you were :
▪ He was always on the move, never staying in one town more than a few days.
▪ The guerrillas stay on the move to avoid capture.
▪ Thousands of refugees are on the move, fleeing heavy shelling in their home towns.
▷ cross /krɒsǁkrɔːs/ [transitive verb]
to travel across a very large area such as a desert, an ocean, or an area of mountains :
▪ It took a lot of courage to cross the Rocky Mountains in those days.
▪ They crossed the Atlantic in a convoy of fifty ships.
2. the activity of travelling
▷ travel /ˈtræv ə l/ [uncountable noun]
▪ Her interests are politics, music, and travel.
▪ a travel programme
travel from/to/between etc
▪ In the 19th century, travel between the two countries was extremely difficult.
air/space/road/etc travel
▪ Future generations can possibly look forward to space travel as a holiday option.
3. different ways of travelling
▷ drive /draɪv/ [intransitive verb]
to travel in a car :
▪ ‘How are you going to get there?’ ‘I’m driving.’
drive to/from
▪ Jenny drove to the coast for the weekend.
▷ fly /flaɪ/ [intransitive verb]
to travel by plane :
▪ My mother never liked flying.
fly to/from etc
▪ We’ll be flying from New York to Munich.
▷ sail /seɪl/ [intransitive verb]
to travel by boat or ship :
▪ We sail first thing in the morning
sail to/from
▪ He sailed from Southampton on May 6th.
▷ by car/boat/plane/train /baɪ ˈkɑːʳ, ˈbəʊt, ˈpleɪn, ˈtreɪn/ [adverb]
travelling in a car, boat, plane, or train :
▪ ‘Did you come by car?’ ‘No, by train.’
▪ Some of the beaches can only be reached by boat.
▪ We didn’t have much time, so we decided to go by plane.
▷ on foot /ɒn ˈfʊt/ [adverb]
if you go somewhere on foot, you walk there :
▪ The two men had attempted to cross the mountains on foot.
▷ take /teɪk/ [transitive verb]
if you take a train, bus, or plane, you travel in it :
▪ What’s the best way to get downtown? Should I take a bus?
▪ Take the subway to Montgomery Station and walk from there.
▷ by air/by sea/by land /baɪ ˈeəʳ, baɪ ˈsiː, baɪ ˈlænd/ [adverb]
if you travel by air, by sea, or by land you travel by plane, in a boat, or on land :
▪ It’s much quicker if you go by air, but it’s also more expensive.
▪ Troops entered the region by land and sea.
▷ overland /ˌəʊvəʳˈlænd◂/ [adverb]
by train, car, bus etc, especially over a long distance, when people would normally go by plane or ship :
▪ It’s certainly quicker to fly but we thought it would be more exciting to go overland.
overland [adjective only before noun]
▪ The overland route is very difficult at times.
▷ hitchhike/hitch also hitch a ride American /ˈhɪtʃhaɪk, hɪtʃ, ˌhɪtʃ ə ˈraɪd/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to travel by standing by the side of the road asking people in cars to stop and take you to the place you want to go :
▪ He lost all his money in a casino in Vegas and had to hitchhike back to San Francisco.
▪ We hitched a ride with a trucker who took us all the way to the Virginia border.
▪ It’s a lot cheaper to hitch but it’s also more dangerous.
▷ backpacking /ˈbækˌpækɪŋ/ [uncountable noun]
the activity of travelling independently to a lot of different areas, carrying your clothes etc in a special bag on your back :
▪ Backpacking is especially popular among students and young people.
▪ a backpacking trip
go backpacking
▪ Last year, he went backpacking in the US.
4. to travel a particular distance
▷ go /gəʊ/ [transitive verb]
go 40 miles/five kilometres etc
to travel a particular distance, especially as only part of a journey :
▪ We had only gone about five miles when I started to feel sick.
▪ How far have we gone today?
▷ do /duː/ [transitive verb] especially British
do 20 miles/30 kilometres etc
to travel for 20 miles, 30 kilometres etc :
▪ We were riding through the hills, but we still managed to do 30 miles each day.
▪ I bought the car for £3500, and it’s only done 30,000 miles!
▷ cover /ˈkʌvəʳ/ [transitive verb]
to travel a particular distance, especially a long distance, that is part of a longer journey you are making :
▪ It took him three days to cover the distance from Laingsbury to Albertsville.
▪ In one twenty-five day period, he covered 800 miles.
5. when you travel somewhere without stopping
▷ non-stop /ˌnɒn ˈstɒp◂ǁˌnɑːn ˈstɑːp◂/ [adjective/adverb]
if you travel somewhere non-stop, especially on a plane, you do not stop until you get there :
▪ You can fly non-stop to Hong Kong, but it’s more expensive.
non-stop flight/trip/voyage etc
▪ Is there a non-stop flight to Delhi?
▷ direct /dɪˈrekt, dəˈrekt, ˌdaɪˈrekt◂/ [adjective/adverb]
without stopping on a journey or without changing from one train, plane etc to another :
▪ There isn’t a direct flight - you’ll have to change planes in Miami.
▪ With this ticket you can travel direct from Paris to Berlin overnight.
6. to travel to another country
▷ go abroad /ˌgəʊ əˈbrɔːd/ [verb phrase]
to travel to another country, especially for pleasure and interest :
▪ Here’s a list of things to think about before you go abroad.
▪ I’m the only person I know who’s never been abroad or even on a plane.
be abroad
▪ When their mother died she was unable to contact her brother because he was abroad somewhere.
▷ go overseas /ˌgəʊ əʊvəʳˈsiːz/ [verb phrase]
to travel to another country in order to stay there for a long time, for example because you have been sent to work there :
▪ I wrote a letter to the interviewer, explaining that I was going overseas for six months.
▪ The soldiers underwent training for three months before the unit went overseas.
▷ visit /ˈvɪzɪt, ˈvɪzət/ [transitive verb]
to travel to another country for a short time, especially because you want to find out what it is like :
▪ He was the first traveller from the British Isles to visit Abyssinia.
▪ Thousands of Americans visit Thailand each year.
▷ go out to /ˌgəʊ ˈaʊt tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive] British
to travel to another country that is a long way away :
▪ He went out to West Africa in 1962 and has been there ever since.
▪ The Chief Financial Officer went out to Korea to oversee the merger.
7. to travel as part of your job
▷ travel /ˈtræv ə l/ [intransitive verb]
▪ Do you have to travel a lot in your new job?
▪ The post will involve you travelling to Germany about three times a year.
travelling British /traveling American [uncountable noun]
▪ The job involves a certain amount of travelling.
▷ commute /kəˈmjuːt/ [intransitive verb]
to travel every day to get to work because you live in a different city or town from the one you work in :
▪ I don’t mind commuting on the train as long as I have a good book to read.
▪ Kendall commutes into the city every day from Waltham.
▷ tour /tʊəʳ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
if a sports team, entertainer, politician etc tours, they travel to many different places in order to play, perform, or be seen :
▪ Haynes recorded with Charlie Parker and toured with Sarah Vaughan in the 1950s.
▪ The theatre company will tour later this year.
tour the country/the US/Russia etc
▪ The team is currently touring Australia in a series of friendly games.
▷ be on tour /biː ɒn ˈtʊəʳ/ [verb phrase]
if a musician, actor, sportsman etc is on tour, he or she is travelling to many different places so that people can see them play or perform :
▪ Jennings is currently on tour, promoting and reading from his new children’s book.
▪ At the moment the band is on tour in Europe.
8. to travel to a lot of different places
▷ travel around also travel round British /ˌtræv ə l əˈraʊnd, ˌtræv ə l ˈraʊnd/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to travel to a lot of different places, especially when you do not plan exactly where you are going :
▪ David travelled around a lot in the ‘60s and ’70s.
travel around Europe/the North/Canada etc
▪ I’d love to have a job that let me travel around the world.
▪ She’s been traveling around the country trying to get big companies interested in her ideas.
▷ tour /tʊəʳ/ [transitive verb] British
to travel to a lot of different places within a particular area or country, especially for pleasure and interest :
▪ For our summer vacation this year we’re touring Spain in a camper.
▪ We shall tour the city for two hours and then meet back at the bus.
▷ do /duː/ [transitive verb] spoken
to travel to a lot of different places in a particular area, especially as part of a holiday :
▪ Last year we did the Greek Islands but we were thinking of the USA this year.
▪ There’s not a whole lot to see, so you can do the city in two or three days.
▷ get around also get round British /ˌget əˈraʊnd, ˌget ˈraʊnd/ [intransitive/transitive phrasal verb]
to travel to a large number of places, usually in a short time :
▪ The metro system in Mexico City is very good. It makes it really easy to get around.
get around London/Europe/the Midwest etc
▪ You can use free shuttle buses to get around the city.
▷ explore /ɪkˈsplɔːʳ/ [intransitive/transitive verb]
to travel to many different places in a particular area, because you are interested to find out more about them :
▪ We’ll be in Istanbul for three days, so there will be plenty of time to explore.
▪ Whenever possible, she and Flynn would go off and explore the countryside, taking a picnic with them.
▷ see the world /ˌsiː ðə ˈwɜːʳld/ [verb phrase]
to travel around to different places all over the world so that you get the experience of living in other countries :
▪ After leaving college and earning some money he set off to see the world.
▷ on your travels /ɒn jɔːʳ ˈtræv ə lz/ [adverb]
if you do something on your travels, you do it while you are travelling to different places :
▪ I picked up a few words of Chinese on my travels, but I don’t speak it fluently.
on your travels to
▪ Corbett met a number of his contacts on his travels to Taiwan.
9. a journey
▷ journey /ˈdʒɜːʳni/ [countable noun] especially British
the period you spend travelling from one place to another - use this especially about someone travelling for a long distance or when talking about someone regularly travelling somewhere, for example to school or work :
▪ We had an awful journey - there was heavy snow and the car broke down
bus/train/car etc journey
▪ It was a long train journey to St Petersburg.
a two-hour/five-mile journey
▪ They arrived in Nice after an eight-hour journey by car.
make a journey
▪ These birds make an incredible 10,000-kilometre journey to Africa every winter.
▷ trip /trɪp/ [countable noun]
a journey in which you go to a place, stay there for a short time, and then come back. In American English, trip can be used to mean any journey :
▪ We had a fantastic trip - the flight was fine and the hotel was perfect.
▪ The trip to the coast took longer than we expected.
take a trip/go on a trip
▪ They decided to take a trip to Paris.
on a trip
taking a trip
▪ My husband’s away on a business trip in China.
business/school/skiing etc trip
▪ My dad and I used to go on a camping trip alone together every summer.
a two-hour/five-mile etc trip
American
▪ It’s only a three-hour trip by plane to Seattle.
boat/car/plane etc trip
▪ It’s such a nice day - how about going on a boat trip?
road trip
American a long trip in a car
▪ My friend and I took several road trips to New York City.
▷ tour /tʊəʳ/ [countable noun]
a journey for pleasure during which you visit several different towns, areas etc. A tour is also an organized journey made by an entertainer, sports team, or politician in order to perform, play, or speak in several places :
▪ Did you see Bruce Springsteen on his last tour?
tour of
▪ We took a bicycle tour of Tuscany.
▪ The prime minister has left for a three-week tour of South America.
on tour
▪ Norton is on tour promoting her new children’s book.
a leg of a tour
part of a tour
▪ The last leg of the tour will take the team to Dallas.
package tour
planned holiday with all costs included
▪ They like to take package tours because they hate dealing with details.
▷ flight /flaɪt/ [countable noun]
a journey in a plane :
▪ All flights to Tokyo were delayed because of bad weather.
a 30-minute/3-hour etc flight
▪ It’s a 7-hour flight to New York.
▷ ride /raɪd/ [countable noun]
a short journey in a vehicle such as a car, or on a bicycle or a horse :
▪ He pretended to be asleep for the entire two hour ride.
bike/car/horse etc ride
▪ On the car ride back from the airport he told her all about his trip.
go for a ride
ride somewhere just for enjoyment
▪ She took me to see the horse and asked if I wanted to go for a ride.
▷ drive /draɪv/ [singular noun]
a journey in a car :
▪ It’s a beautiful day for a drive in the country.
a 12-hour/15-minute etc drive
▪ It’s about a 20-minute drive into the city from here.
take a drive/go for a drive
▪ Let’s take a drive out to the farm.
▷ crossing /ˈkrɒsɪŋǁˈkrɔː-/ [countable noun]
a short journey in a boat or ship from one side of a lake, river, or sea to the other :
▪ The crossing from Dover to Calais is often very rough.
▷ voyage /ˈvɔɪ-ɪdʒ/ [countable noun]
a long journey in a boat or ship :
▪ In those days, the voyage to Australia was long and dangerous.
▷ expedition /ˌekspɪˈdɪʃ ə n, ˌekspəˈdɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun]
a long journey, especially one made by a group of people, to visit a dangerous place or a place that has never been visited before :
▪ The purpose of the expedition was to explore the North American coastline.
▪ an expedition to the North Pole
▷ trek /trek/ [countable noun]
a long and difficult journey, for example over mountains or through forests, especially when you are walking. Some people also go on treks for interest and enjoyment :
▪ The team is preparing for a two week trek across the Atlas Mountains.
10. a short journey
▷ go out for the day /gəʊ ˌaʊt fəʳ ðə ˈdeɪ/ [verb phrase]
to visit a beach, an area of countryside, a town etc for pleasure and come back home on the same day :
▪ It’s such a lovely day - let’s go out for the day and visit the zoo.
▷ day trip /ˈdeɪ trɪp/ [countable noun]
a visit to a beach, an area of countryside, a town etc when you go there and come back the same day :
▪ It would be nice to take a day trip to Chicago to do some shopping.
▷ a commute /ə kəˈmjuːt/ [countable noun usually singular]
a journey that someone makes each day to work, especially when they live a fairly long way away from their work :
▪ The commute from Kent into London can be horrendous.
a 1-hour/20-minute etc commute
▪ I had no money, two small children, and a 90-minute commute to work each day.
▷ outing /ˈaʊtɪŋ/ [countable noun]
a short journey on which a group of people go to visit a local place of interest, the theatre etc :
outing to
▪ Mrs Pollack took her class on an outing to the local museum.
school/church etc outing
▪ a school outing to the ballet
▷ excursion /ɪkˈskɜːʳʃ ə nǁ-ʒ ə n/ [countable noun]
a short journey arranged so that a group of people can visit a place of interest, especially while they are already on holiday :
▪ The resort also offers daily excursions to nearby towns.
excursion to
▪ One day he took an excursion to the other end of the island for a change of scene.
11. someone who is travelling
▷ traveller British /traveler American /ˈtræv ə ləʳ/ [countable noun]
▪ Many travellers find that facilities for young children are often inadequate.
▪ Travelers going to malarial regions should see their doctor before they start.
air/rail/sea etc traveller
▪ 80,000 air travellers pass through the terminal every day.
business travellers
people travelling as part of their job
▪ These days most airlines concentrate their advertising on business travelers.
seasoned traveller
someone who has travelled a lot
▪ As a seasoned traveller I know the value of being able to speak at least a few words of the local language.
▷ passenger /ˈpæsɪndʒəʳ, -s ə n-/ [countable noun]
someone who is travelling in a vehicle, boat, or plane, but is not the driver :
▪ The driver and all three passengers were killed in the crash.
▪ The airport was jammed with thousands of passengers from delayed or cancelled flights.
▷ commuter /kəˈmjuːtəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who lives in a different town, city etc from the one where they work, and who therefore travels a long distance every day to get to work :
▪ It was a small shop that catered to commuters and local workers.
commuter train/plane etc
▪ Each region has one organization controlling buses and operating its commuter trains.
▷ tourist /ˈtʊ ə rɪst, ˈtʊ ə rəst/ [countable noun]
someone who travels around and visits places for pleasure, while they are on holiday :
▪ A park ranger was answering the tourists’ questions as they looked out over the canyon.
▪ A tourist visa is required for most nationalities.
▷ travelling British /traveling American /ˈtræv ə lɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun]
moving from place to place in order to work, perform etc :
▪ His father was a travelling salesman and was very rarely at home.
▪ The traveling show includes historical films as well as 300 genuine artifacts that kids can handle.
▷ well-travelled British /well-traveled American /ˌwel ˈtræv ə ld◂/ [adjective]
someone who is well-travelled has visited a lot of different places around the world :
▪ Sanders’ parents were well-traveled, well-educated people.
▷ jet-setter /ˈdʒet ˌsetəʳ/ [countable noun] informal
a rich and fashionable person who travels a lot :
▪ Duke, heir to a tobacco fortune and an international jet-setter, died at the age of 80.
jet-setting [adjective]
▪ He built the hotel to provide accommodation for jet-setting guests at his daughter’s wedding.
▷ backpacker /ˈbækˌpækəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who travels independently to a lot of different areas, carrying their clothes etc in a special bag on their back :
▪ The bar was full of young Australian backpackers.
▪ She runs a downtown hostel for backpackers - the cost only $5 a night.
▪ Fears are growing for the safety of a British backpacker who went missing in Vietnam last week.
12. someone does not live in one particular place
▷ migrant /ˈmaɪgrənt/ [countable noun]
someone who has travelled from one place or country to another in order to find work :
▪ Many of the city’s poorest residents are migrants from rural areas.
▪ 400 migrants won the right to stay in the country yesterday, after a ten-year battle.
migrant [adjective]
▪ Life for migrant workers is a constant struggle to survive.
▷ drifter /ˈdrɪftəʳ/ [countable noun]
someone who continually travels from one place to another without ever planning where to go next and without ever having a fixed job :
▪ His grandfather was a drifter from New Mexico, who spent half his life brawling and drinking.
▷ nomad /ˈnəʊmæd/ [countable noun]
a member of a tribe of people who do not live permanently in one place, but travel around looking for food for their animals, warmer weather etc :
▪ The film follows the nomads as they cross the desert with their camels.
nomadic /nəʊˈmædɪk/ [adjective]
▪ The Aborigines are a nomadic people indigenous to Australia.
▷ vagrant also transient American /ˈveɪgrənt, ˈtrænziəntǁˈtrænʃ ə nt/ [countable noun]
someone who has no job, no home etc and who travels around and sleeps outdoors :
▪ City authorities are planning a campaign to get an estimated 300,000 vagrants off the streets.
▪ The town has never been particularly welcoming to transients.
13. the place that you are travelling to
▷ destination /ˌdestɪˈneɪʃ ə n, ˌdestəˈneɪʃ ə n/ [countable noun usually singular]
▪ At the border you will be asked your destination and how long you plan to stay.
▪ The glorious Inca ruins are the main tourist destination in Peru.
arrive at/reach your destination
▪ By the time he reached his destination, seven days later, he was half-starved and broke.
▷ be on the way to /biː ɒn ðə ˈweɪ tuː/ [verb phrase]
if you are on the way to somewhere, you are travelling towards it :
▪ We were already on the way to the airport when we realized we’d forgotten our passports.
▪ I don’t know where she is. She’s probably on her way to London by now.
▷ bound /baʊnd/ [adjective]
travelling in a particular direction :
bound for
▪ We passed a ferry full of people bound for one of the outer islands.
eastbound/westbound etc
▪ It was dark when the southbound international express finally passed by.
London-bound/Chicago-bound etc
▪ Take the London-bound train but get off two stations before the end of the line.
14. a strong desire to travel
▷ wanderlust /ˈwɒndəʳlʌstǁˈwɑːn-/ [uncountable noun] written
a strong desire to travel and to experience life in other countries :
▪ It was not wanderlust alone that made him keen to visit Brazil. He thought he might hear news of his natural mother there.
▷ itchy feet /ˌɪtʃi ˈfiːt/ [plural noun] British informal
the desire to travel, which makes it difficult for you to stay in one place for very long :
▪ I always get itchy feet at this time of year, in the spring.