Vocabulary for travel and tourism. Grammar: past simple vs past continuous — telling stories about the past.
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Vocabulary
Travel, tourism, and holiday experiences.
Destination
The place you are travelling to
Tokyo was our final destination.
Itinerary
A planned route or schedule for a trip
We had a detailed itinerary for the two weeks.
Accommodation
A place to stay, such as a hotel or hostel
We booked accommodation near the city centre.
Departure
The act of leaving; the time a journey begins
Our departure was delayed by two hours.
Explore
To travel around a new place to discover it
We spent the day exploring the old town.
Luggage
The bags and suitcases you take when travelling
I was carrying too much luggage.
Souvenir
A small object bought to remember a place
She bought souvenirs for all her friends.
Check in
To register at a hotel or airport
We checked in at the hotel at 3pm.
Currency
The money used in a particular country
I forgot to exchange currency before the trip.
Jet lag
Tiredness caused by travelling across time zones
He was suffering from jet lag after the long flight.
Guidebook
A book with information about a place for tourists
The guidebook recommended this restaurant.
Package holiday
A holiday where travel and accommodation are included together
They booked a package holiday to Spain.
Vocabulary exercises
Grammar
Past simple vs past continuous
The past simple describes a completed action or event in the past: We arrived at the hotel.
The past continuous describes an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past: We were checking in when the fire alarm went off.
We often use them together: the past continuous sets the background scene, and the past simple interrupts it.
Tense
Form
Example
Past simple
verb + -ed (or irregular)
We visited Rome. She took lots of photos.
Past continuous
was/were + verb-ing
I was exploring the market. They were waiting.
Together (when)
past cont. + when + past simple
I was walking along the beach when I found a wallet.
Together (while)
while + past cont. + past simple
While she was sleeping, the tour bus left.
Use when before the short interrupting action (past simple), and while before the longer background action (past continuous).
Grammar exercises
Reading
Read the article carefully, then answer the questions.
An unexpected adventure
Last summer, my friend Lena and I decided to travel across Southeast Asia without a fixed itinerary. We bought one-way tickets to Bangkok and planned to figure the rest out as we went. It turned out to be the best decision we ever made — and the most stressful.
On our third day in Bangkok, while we were exploring a street market, Lena's bag was stolen. We were browsing some stalls when a man on a motorbike grabbed her bag and drove away. Fortunately, her passport was at the hotel, but her camera and some cash were gone. It was a frightening moment.
Despite this, we continued the trip. We travelled south to the islands, and the scenery was breathtaking. One afternoon, while we were snorkelling, we saw a sea turtle swimming alongside us. We just stopped and stared — it was magical.
By the time we reached Vietnam, we had adapted completely to travelling without a plan. We met other travellers, discovered hidden villages, and ate food we couldn't even name. When I finally arrived home, I was exhausted — but I was already thinking about the next trip.
Comprehension questions
Listening
Listen to each conversation, then answer the questions.
Scene: Two friends talk about their recent holidays.
Maya:How was your holiday in Portugal? I've been dying to hear!
Tom:It was brilliant, mostly. Though something quite funny happened on the first day.
Maya:Oh really? What happened?
Tom:Well, we were trying to find our hotel when we realised we had the wrong address. We were walking around for an hour carrying all our luggage!
Maya:Oh no! How did you find it in the end?
Tom:A local man helped us. He was sitting outside a café and offered to call the hotel for us. Really kind.
Maya:That's sweet. What did you do for the rest of the trip?
Tom:We explored Lisbon for two days, then drove south to the Algarve. The beaches were incredible — we spent most of the time just swimming and eating fresh seafood.
Scene: A travel agent talks to a customer about a recent trip that didn't go to plan.
Agent:So how was your trip to Japan? Was everything as you expected?
Customer:Honestly? It was wonderful, but nothing went according to plan.
Agent:Oh? What happened?
Customer:Well, on the second day, while I was visiting a temple in Kyoto, I missed the bus back to the city. I didn't realise what had happened until it was already gone.
Agent:That sounds stressful. How did you manage?
Customer:I took a taxi, which was expensive. But then a local woman started talking to me and ended up giving me a private tour of her neighbourhood. It was completely unexpected.
Agent:That's a lovely story. Would you go back?
Customer:Absolutely. I was already planning the next trip while I was sitting on the plane home.
Listening 2 questions
Writing
A guided paragraph task. Write 80–120 words using the prompts below.
Task: Write a short paragraph about a memorable journey or trip.
Think of a real or imaginary trip. Use the past simple and past continuous to describe what happened. Include:
Where you were going and when
Something that was happening when an unexpected event occurred
How the situation was resolved
How you felt about the experience afterwards
0 words
Model answer
Two years ago, I was travelling by train from Paris to Lyon when the train suddenly stopped in the middle of the countryside. Nobody seemed to know what was happening. While we were waiting for an announcement, I started talking to the man sitting next to me, who turned out to be a chef. He told me about local restaurants in Lyon that weren't in any guidebook. After about an hour, the train moved again, and we arrived only forty minutes late. In the end, I ate at one of the chef's recommended places and it was the best meal of my trip. The delay turned into a happy accident.
For decades, package holidays dominated the travel industry. Tourists were flying to a destination, spending one or two weeks in a resort, and then returning home. But in recent years, a new trend has emerged: slow travel.
Slow travel means spending longer in fewer places. Instead of rushing between ten cities in ten days, slow travellers stay in one place for a week or more, living like locals rather than tourists. They cook in rented apartments, shop in local markets, and build genuine connections with the communities they visit.
The trend began gaining popularity in the early 2010s, when growing numbers of remote workers realised they could work from anywhere. While they were working during the day, they were also discovering their adopted neighbourhoods in the evenings. This lifestyle became known as "digital nomadism".
Critics argue that slow travel is only accessible to the privileged — those who have the time and money to stay abroad for extended periods. Supporters counter that slow travel is often cheaper than package holidays: long-term accommodation can cost significantly less per night than hotels, and cooking at home saves money on restaurants.