Travel vocabulary
100 words to learn about travel.
Practice these words with flashcards →airportA place where aircraft take off and land, with one or more runways and, for commercial flights, passenger terminals.passportAn official travel document that confirms who you are and what country you belong to, used mainly for trips abroad.luggageThe suitcases and bags a traveller uses to carry their belongings.ticketA small slip or card that serves as proof of payment or permission, often allowing the holder to do or attend something.hotelA business, usually a large building and often part of a chain, where travelers pay to sleep and receive services such as meals.flightA journey by airplane, especially a scheduled one that leaves at a set time.journeyA trip from one place to another, thought of as a single complete unit of travel.suitcaseA big, usually rectangular bag for carrying clothes and belongings when you travel.touristA person who visits places for enjoyment rather than for work.beachThe strip of sand or small stones along the edge of the sea or a lake.vacationA long stretch of free time spent away from work or school.stationA place where trains or buses regularly stop so passengers can get on and off.taxiA car with a driver that anyone can hire for a single trip, usually with a meter that works out the fare.currencyThe money, or other means of payment, that people use to buy and sell things.souvenirSomething kept or given as a reminder of a place you visited or an event you attended.destinationThe place someone is traveling to, or where something is being sent.borderThe dividing line or zone between two countries or areas.customsThe place at an airport, port, or border where officials check travelers' bags and the goods they bring into a country.departureThe act of leaving, or a person or thing that has left.arrivalThe act of reaching a place, especially at the end of a journey.itineraryA planned list of the places you will visit and things you will do on a trip.backpackA bag with two straps that you carry on your back, used by students, hikers, and travelers.sightseeingThe activity of traveling around to visit and look at interesting places.reservationAn arrangement made in advance to hold a hotel room, table, seat, or other service for you.adventureAn exciting, unusual, and sometimes risky experience or journey.abroadIn or to a country other than one's own.cruiseA trip by ship or boat, usually one taken for enjoyment.campingThe activity of staying and sleeping outdoors in a tent or similar shelter, for fun or learning.compassAn instrument with a magnetized needle or electronic sensor that shows which way north is.harborA protected area of water next to the coast where boats and ships can safely anchor or tie up.voyageA lengthy trip, particularly one made by sea.passengerA person traveling in a vehicle who is neither driving it nor working as part of its crew.terminalThe building at an airport where travelers move between ground transport and their flights.visaAn official permit, usually granted by a country's authorities, allowing someone to enter and leave that country.landmarkA well-known place that stands out because of its historical, cultural, or geographical importance.mapA drawing or image of an area, real or imagined, that shows where places and features are located in relation to each other.guideA person whose job is to show others around a place, explain things to them, or lead them safely through difficult areas.travelerThe usual American spelling of traveller; a person who is on a journey.routeThe path or way you follow to get from one place to another.highwayA major public road built for fast traffic, often with several lanes.ferryTo carry people or goods back and forth across a river, strait, or other stretch of water by boat.railwayA system of tracks and trains for carrying people or goods.exploreTo travel through a place to learn what it is like or to look for new discoveries.departTo go away from a place; to set off.arriveTo come to a place; to reach one's destination.wanderTo move about with no particular aim or destination, sometimes while looking for a way to get by.roamTo move around freely without a fixed destination.sunscreenA cream or lotion put on the skin to shield it from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays.postcardA stiff rectangular card, often with a picture on one side, that can be mailed with a short message and no envelope.lodgingA place where a person can stay or live.expeditionA journey, often a long one, that a person or group undertakes for a definite purpose.embarkTo set out on something new, such as a journey or project.layoverA pause between one part of a journey and the next.boardingThe process of passengers getting onto a plane, ship, train, or bus.gateThe numbered area in an airport where passengers wait and then get on their plane.aisleA clear walkway between rows of seats or shelves.cabinThe section of an aircraft where the passengers sit.cockpitThe area at the front of an aircraft or spacecraft where the pilot sits and operates the controls.altitudeHeight above a fixed reference point, usually sea level.turbulenceRough, unsettled movement of the air that shakes an aircraft in flight.conciergeA hotel employee whose job is to help guests with requests such as bookings and directions.motelA roadside hotel for people traveling by car, where guests usually park right outside their rooms.hostelA budget place to stay overnight where travelers, especially young ones, often share rooms and bathrooms.resortA place people visit for holidays and relaxation, usually offering hotels, entertainment, and leisure facilities.safariA journey into wild country, especially in Africa, to watch, photograph, or hunt animals in their natural habitat.trekA long, hard journey, often made on foot.hikeA long walk taken for exercise or enjoyment, often in the countryside.nomadA person belonging to a group that moves from place to place with their animals instead of settling in one home.expatSomeone living for a time in a country that is not their own, often for work, training, or study.migrateTo move from one area to another at regular times, often with the changing seasons.transitThe movement of people or goods from one place to another, especially by public transportation; also, the vehicles that carry them.shuttleA bus, train, or other vehicle that travels regularly back and forth between fixed points.gondolaA long, narrow boat with raised ends, moved along with a single oar, and traditionally used on the canals of Venice.canoeA light, narrow boat that one or more people move through the water using paddles with a single blade.kayakA small, narrow boat with a closed deck and an opening for the paddler, who sits inside and moves it with a paddle that has a blade at each end.yachtA sleek, lightweight boat used for pleasure cruising or racing, fitted with sails though frequently driven by an engine.sailboatA boat that moves through the water using a sail and the wind.anchorA heavy device lowered from a ship to grip the bottom of the water and keep the vessel from drifting.wharfA structure built along a shore or riverbank where ships can dock and load or unload.dockA structure built along the edge of the water where ships and boats stop to load and unload goods or passengers.pierA platform on pillars that extends from the shore over the water, used for docking boats or walking out over the sea.lighthouseA tall structure with a bright light at the top, built to guide ships and warn them of danger.coastlineThe outline or edge formed where the land meets the sea.peninsulaA stretch of land that extends out from the mainland and is surrounded by water on most sides.embassyThe official building or office where an ambassador and staff represent their country in a foreign capital.consulateThe position held by a consul, or the building where a consul works.quarantineA period of keeping people, animals, or plants separated from others to stop a disease from spreading.brochureA small printed booklet giving information about something, often used in advertising.atlasA book of maps, often including charts, pictures, or explanatory text.globeThe world we live on; the planet Earth.latitudeA number in degrees that tells you how far north or south of the equator a place lies.longitudeThe distance of a place east or west of the prime meridian, measured as an angle.equatorThe imaginary circle around the middle of the Earth, halfway between the poles, separating the northern and southern halves of the planet.hemisphereOne half of the Earth, such as the northern, southern, eastern, or western half.continentOne of the earth's largest unbroken landmasses, usually separated from the others by oceans or major geographical features, sometimes counted together with its shelves and nearby islands.overseasLocated in or connected with a foreign country, typically one across an ocean.mainlandThe main body of a country or continent, as opposed to its islands or peninsulas.outboundMoving away from a starting point; headed outward on a journey.inboundMoving toward a place; arriving rather than leaving.nonstopContinuing without any pauses or breaks.