Thank you all for your great imagination. Great work! Click below to find out more about each of these top holiday destinations, where would you go on your next holidays?
These are your contributions to a personal tourist itinerary. These are the places where you will take your special friends to. I hope they like them!
Click here to read the tailor made itineraries
Many of you work in the travel industry after all ,we live in one of the most touristic regions of Europe. I am sure you are aware of the importance of good public relations and customer care. Here you have a few clips from a great character of the comedy programme Little Britain Carol Beer who in this series has moved from the bank to the travel agency.
This is my favourite
Then Carol Beer decided to come to Spain and do a stint as a travel rep. Here you can see the consequences
Anyway there are always seem to be jobs in the travel industry particularly in the cruise ships as they are becoming more and more popular. 
There is a recruitment page you may like to consider if you want to try your luck working in a boat. They have many positions available, check them out by clicking here
Good luck!
Is there such a thing as a free holiday? Believe or not, there is. Well, with a small catch: a spot of working in exchange for food and accommodation in some incredible places. If you are adventurous and resourceful there are real possibilities for a stay abroad which will cost you next to nothing. I enclose a listing of the most well-known ways to a working holiday.
1 House sitting
A bit like baby sitting but you look after a house instead of a baby. See these two possibilities:
Fancy living in a cute house in Costa Rica with a pool and a veranda in the mountains of Heredia? Responsibilities include cleaning and maintenance, paying bills and hosting guests from time to time (the owner is turning the house into a B&B). You can revel in the views, visit San Jose, and even have your own mates to stay (on approval). Available for variable periods, through mindmyhouse.com.
No one wants to make a flying visit to Australia, so find free accommodation to stay longer. Current house-sits include a three-acre estate near Montville, inland from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast – yours in exchange for a spot of dog-walking and feeding horses and guinea fowl. 25 June–29 July, aussiehousesitters.com.au.
How to do it? Registration with housecarers.com, which allows you to receive notification of suitable house-sits, is free. To apply for sits or contact property owners costs US$45 per year. Similar sites include mindmyhouse.com and luxuryhousesitting.com. Most property owners require house-sitting experience and/or character references and wish to interview potential sitters, either in person or via Skype, and some choose not to list their house but contact registered housesitters directly. House-sits are available all over the world and for periods from a few days to a year or more. As a sitter you will probably be expected to pay for your travel, but this – as with all other expenses incurred – is negotiable and varies from house to house. Some house-sits are paid, although this, too, depends on each specific situation.
If you would like to read about the experiences of two house sitters click here
2 Wwoofing (volunteering with World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) If natural living is your thing you will find loads of good opportunities to experience it with Wwoofing
On Tonga, in the South Pacific, a fishing lodge with log cabins for guests, plus a bar and restaurant catering for passing boat trade needs help in the garden and kitchen.
This placement is for those who want to seriously chill – it’s two hours to the nearest town – but who needs clubs and bars when there’s kayaking, diving and swimming from the white sand beach on the doorstep?
wwoof.org. Host: TON001.
3 Workaway
This is ideal if you are planning to go travelling for a long time and you need to replenish your pockets every now and again. For example 
try the cowboy lifestyle with Rusty an all-American, 82-year-old cowboy with a trail-riding business in the desert near Lake Pleasant, Arizona. He and his wife need help shifting hay bales and doing maintenance in the stables. In return for a few hours’ work per day, volunteers under the international Workaway scheme can horseride, swim in the lake and hike, with meals and camping included.
Other Workaway placements (there are dozens available around the world) include an “off-grid” creative retreat in the mountains of Almeria, Spain, where volunteers help with childcare, language practice, cooking, farming and art projects; and looking after tourists and farming at an eco-hostel in the US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean.
For more information click here
To contact hosts, you must pay €18 for two years’ membership.
So the world is your oyster. Don’t forget to send me a postcard!
Travel guide books (or more frequently known as travel guides) are often one’s best travel companion. They are great resources when it comes to finding out valuable information about your destination, such as addresses and contact information for hotels, restaurants, social and cultural attractions, and many more.
Nowadays the travel guide book industry offers travel guides customized according to your type of travel: urban travelling (city guides focus on urban traveling), adventure traveling, cultural travelling as well as guides tailored to one’s budget, age and many other factors. With the advent of the latest technology, online and mobile travel guides have gained a larger market share than the usual paperback travel guides. The numerous possibilities out there make it possible for any kind of traveler to find their best and favorite travel guide books that will make their holiday a priceless and enjoyable experience.
However, I am not writing this post to tell you about usual travel guides but to warn you about this fake hilarious series jetlag publishers have come up with.
A couple of years ago, Molvania arrived home as a Christmas present. This was, without a doubt, the funniest book I’ve ever read. The authors of this book COMPLETELY MADE UP this country, Molvania, and then wrote an entire guide book about it. If you were unfamiliar with geography, and just skimmed the inside and outside of this book, you would think this country really existed. Nowhere is there any hint this is a farce, until you start reading the book in depth. I guess I got such a kic
k out of this book because I’d just been in the Czech Republic (Molvania is “located” in Eastern Europe). Bits of this book can be very similar to the former Communist lifestyle you can still see traces of in the Czech Republic. The photos in the book are completely unappealing. The people featured are missing teeth, wearing completely outdated clothing and dour expressions. In short, after viewing these photos, you’ll be “dying” to visit Molvania! Not only do they describe the history and tourist sites of Molvania, but they also tell you where to stay and what to eat. These descriptions are, of course, fraught with potential disaster. I don’t know how these writers can be so consistently funny. And where did they come up with this idea? It’s brilliant!
If you want to know more about them, visit molvania.com and click on any of the countries to have a great time.
And that’s what I’d like you to do: think of a new country and complete a travel guide altogether. In groups today, you have made up the name of your new country and have allocated one topic each: history, highlights, the people, culture and entertainment, means of transportation, health and safety, special events and festivals, typical food…it’ll be real fun!!
Even in the best hotels, things go wrong occasionally. Patience, persistence, and smile go a long way toward getting results when you have a valid complaint at a hotel.
Here you are some examples, have a look at the following document and try and match the headlines with the right complaints. Check the KEY if problems.
Here you are the steps you need to follow to become satisfied after your complaint… Read more…
You now have the power to share your thoughts on hotels world-wide with other like-minded travelers. On behalf of everyone who will be reading your review, thank you for taking the time to contribute your knowledge, feelings, and experiences to an eager audience. In order to make your reviews as strong as possible, here are a few guidelines to follow to make sure everyone gets the most out of your review.
The best reviews… Read more…
Oleta Adams (born 4 May 1953,Seattle, Washington) is an American soul, jazz and gospel singer and pianist.
Here we bring you her famous song Get here . This song became the unofficial anthem for the Gulf War (Desert Storm) in 1991. The lyrics express the longing for a loved one who’s many miles away, and the different methods of transportation he can use to return. The song was sung to US troops in the Middle East whose loved ones were home in America, awaiting their return.
She has an extraordinary voice and here you can enjoy it and reinforce you travel vocabulary by filling the gaps in the lyrics of her song
Use this words: Railway, border, colt, sail boat, airplane, balloon , caravan(2), windsurf, rope to rope, sled, trailway, carpet
Get Here – Oleta Adams
You can reach me by__________, you can reach me by _________
You can reach me on an_________, you can reach me with your mind
You can reach me by________, cross the desert like an Arab man
I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can
You can reach me by_______, climb a tree and swing _______
Take a ______and slide down the slope, into these arms of mine
You can jump on a speedy______, cross the _______in a blaze of hope
I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can
There are hills and mountains between us
Always something to get over
If I had my way, surely you would be closer
I need you closer oh closer
You can __________into my life, take me up on a ______ ride
You can make it in a big_______, but you better make it soon
You can reach me by_______, cross the desert like an Arab man
I don’t care how you get here, just get here if you can
I don’t care, I don’t care,
I need you right here right now
I need you right here right now right by my side
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Get here, oh, oh, oh
I don’t care how you get here,
Just get here if you can.
Use this words: Railway, border, colt, sail boat, airplane, balloon , caravan(2), windsurf, rope to rope, sled, trailway, carpet
Take this test to know more about yourself.
What is travel? This is the eternal question. The difference between “tourist” and “traveller” has been made, and “travellers” frequently stick up their noses at “tourists”, while “tourists” don’t really understand what “travellers” are trying to accomplish.
The Great ‘Tourist versus Traveller’ debate aside, the world of long-term travelling isn’t as clear-cut as it may appear at first blush.
Who “Travels”?
There seem to be a number of people who plant themselves in the traveller category: those who work abroad, those who take sabbaticals or longer vacations, and those who live a nomadic lifestyle. Often travellers will manage a combination of these options too.
These people will travel to a holiday destination for a typical resort holiday. Many travel to European resorts in Mediterranean countries like Spain, Italy or Greece in search of the sun or to France and Switzerland on skiing holidays.
Others may travel a bit further to Florida in the USA or a Caribbean resort and some of the more adventurous will even travel to more exotic locations such as Kenya in East Africa or Thailand in South East Asia. Some will even venture as far as Australia for their holidays.
This group of travellers for the main part fall into the same category as the previous group. The main difference being that the majority will be travelling to cities rather than holiday resorts. A small group however, will occasionally travel to more remote areas in the course of their business. In this instance, a small medical kit for treating minor ailments will be of great value and convenience. The information supplied in this site will also prove valuable to these travellers.
Tiredness and jet lag may affect them.
Backpackers & Adventure travellersThis group includes those who travel alone or in small groups on self-organised trips, and includes; trekkers, mountaineers, climbers, bikers, canoeists, scuba divers, etc. etc. The list is endless. This type of excursion usually involves travelling on foot or public transport and staying in simple cheap accommodation.
Those who fall into this category make traveling a priority in their lives. They work like dogs at home, sometimes living like monks and saving as much money as possible. Then – off on an adventure! Six months in South America, three months in Australia and New Zealand, or a year in southeast Asia.
During that time, these travelers pack a lot into their trips. Staying in hostels most of the time and cooking meals instead of eating out, expenses are often minimized to extend the travel dollar.
Trips are generally well-planned, with enough flexibility to take advantage of unexpected side trips, changing plans to travel with new friends, and incorporating necessary down time to relax or enjoy a particular place with a good vibe.
In these times of globalization, it is rare to encounter a household without the internet. Email is an accepted (and often preferred) method of communication, blogs are prolific, and many people get all their information from the web. Not to mention the ability to shop for anything, pay bills, and operate small to large businesses in cyberspace. (Heck – you’re reading this article online; I’m preaching to the choir)!
So those who have the ability to make a living without having to go into a physical office can hang their hat wherever they wish.
There are also many people who travel and work abroad by teaching (English being the most common subject, but outdoor education and a variety of other topics are gaining popularity), or by being professional tour guides, scuba dive masters, or working in the tourism industry in general.
Working abroad can get sticky in terms of taxation issues and work visas, so opportunities to get jobs in foreign countries can be limited or difficult to land. Even cyber-jobs can open up a can of worms at tax time, so before you jump on a plane to work abroad, it is prudent to consult a tax professional.
Nomads
People living nomadic lifestyles take travel to new levels, and often are a combination of the two above types of travelers. There are a variety of people with different backgrounds and stories, having led them to their nomadic approach to life. Some nomads don’t even leave their own country; they simply manage to drift from job to job and city to city, and enjoy the diversity and variety of not staying in any one place for more than a short while. (These people may or may not even identify themselves as travelers).
Other nomads yet are known as “Trustafarians”; trust-children who have inherited wealth, don’t have to worry about finances, and can wander the world experiencing their own adventures.
Nomads come in many ages, shapes, and sizes, and tend to be a breed all their own. Some would say that to be a nomad is more of a state of mind than a way of life, and I agree.
Within these wide definitions of travellers, there can be some dissension among the ranks.
Many people who take long vacations/sabbaticals (vacationers) consider themselves to be a true breed of traveler, because they dedicate their time and energy solely to traveling when they’re on the road. They aren’t distracted by the need to earn a living, sidetracked for example by teaching English so many hours each week that they can barely lift their heads on the weekends much less see what their location has to offer. They also feel they can appreciate their trips to a larger extent than their nomadic friends, since they’re working with limited time and will dedicate all available funds to squeeze everything they can out of the trip.
Those who work abroad in turn plead their own case for being true travellers, saying you don’t know a place until you live with the locals; drinking their water, eating their food, working shoulder to shoulder, and sharing in their celebrations and tragedies.
You can’t do this on a vacationer’s timeline, and nomads may not appreciate where they are if they don’t
have direction to begin with.
Those who live nomadic lifestyles might preach a similar mantra as those who work abroad. Without ties to anything, they have the ultimate freedom to go where the wind takes them, allowing them to experience the full spectrum of culture – the underground, as well as what the tourist sees. Nomads who don’t have to work abroad would say that having to work saps your ability to enjoy where you are, and the vacationer misses so much for all the touristy stuff they’re packing into their trip.
No matter what type of traveller you are, cultural immersion, adventure, and lots of amazing stories are definite perks of having the right attitude on the road. If you are open to seeing new places, meeting new people, eating new foods, and experiencing new adventures, then no matter what your style is, you’re a Traveller in my books.
Complete this exercise to practise different vocabulary on types of travellers and check the key if needed.
Enjoy this video…
Do you find packing a nightmare?
Some travellers jam their suitcase with enough clothes for a month when travelling for a long weekend. On the other extreme, some toss a pair of jeans and a few t-shirts into a backpack and forget important things like medicine or their passport. Ideally you want to pack just the minimum that you’ll need so that you can travel light – but still have all the essentials necessary for a stress-free vacation.
For me, it is the worst part of the holiday and even after years of practice I still manage to take far too much. It is only recently and thanks to the 15 kg. restriction in Ryanair that I am begining to learn (the hard way).
Anyway, click here to watch a video that has some very sensible advice. Enjoy your packing!
TRAVEL VOCABULARY
These four words are commonly used when speaking about holidays and vacations. They are also often confused. Here is a guide to the use of these four critical words.
Travel
As a noun, ‘travel’ refers to the activity in general and is generally used as an uncountable noun.
Examples:
I enjoy travel and playing golf.
Travel and music are two of my favorite activities.
Travel’ can also be used as a verb and refers to the activity of moving from one place to another. Generally, ‘travel’ is used as a general verb and is rather formal. People often use the mode of transport to express this activity.
Examples:
I travelled by plane to Madrid. = I flew to Madrid.
She travelled more than three hundred miles to get to the meeting. = She drove more than three hundred miles to get to the meeting.
Sometimes, ‘travel’ is also used as a countable noun in the plural form. In this case, it is often used in the sense that someone has been to many different places during one longer journey. This usage is also rather formal, and isn’t likely to be used much in everyday speech.
Examples:
His travels took to the far corners of the globe.
Ms Bancroft sketched extensively during her travels around Europe.
Trip
‘Trip’ is a countable noun which indicates travel to and from a place and the duration of travel spent in a place. Some common collocations: a day trip, a round trip, an ego trip, a guilt trip.
Examples:
I took a trip to the coast last weekend to relax.
Frank needs to take some time off and maybe take a trip to some exotic location.
Journey
Journey refers to the actual time spent travelling. It tends to be used in British English more often than in American English. Some common collocations: the journey home, the journey back, the return journey, an spiritual journey, a self discovery journey.
Examples:
How was your journey from Oxford?
The journey to Rome was long and tiring.
Voyage
‘Voyage’ refers specifically to long distance travel by sea.
Examples:
The voyage to Japan takes about two weeks from San Francisco.
Many voyages were made to the Indian Ocean during that period.
Other Common Travel Expressions
Flight
A ‘flight’ is a noun which refers to travel by air. It is similar to the verb ‘fly’ which means to travel by air.
Examples:
My flight was delayed in Chicago.
She needs to book a flight to San Diego next week.
She flew to London last weekend.
They might fly a jet next weekend.
Drive
‘Drive’ is both a verb and a countable noun. It refers to travel by car or other four wheeled vehicle.
Examples:
The drive to the coast is beautiful.
She drove for six hours non-stop.
Let’s take a drive in the countryside.
Would you like to drive, or should I?
Ride
‘Ride’ is generally used as a verb, but can also be used as a noun. It refers to travel by bicycle or motorcycle.
Examples:
Janet rode her bicycle to the grocery store.
Can I ride your motorcycle?
Let’s take a ride on our bikes through the countryside.
Walk, Jog, Run and Sprint
‘Walk’, ‘jog’, and ‘run’ are also used as both verbs and countable nouns. They refer to travel on foot. Walking is the slowest, jogging faster, running still faster and sprinting the fastest. Here are some examples that show the different speed:
I walk through the park on a sunny summer’s day.
I jogged three miles last week.
Peter ran the last quarter mile to his home.
He sprinted the final fifty meters to the finish line.
Hike
‘Hike’ is used as a verb and as a countable noun and refers specifically to walking in the mountains or countryside. Examples:
We went on a hike in Mount Rainier National Park last weekend.
She hiked 10 miles in six hours.
A synonim is Trek which means journey on foot, especially in the mountains with added difficulty of height, difficult terrain or longer distance.
Example
“We spent the summer trekking in the foothills of the Himalayas”
Now you can practise your travelling vocabulary by clicking in the following links
http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/v-airplane-travel.htm
http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/v-train-ticket.htm
http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/v-hotel.htm
http://www.esl-lab.com/vocab/v-travel.htm
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/esl-travel-tourism1.html
http://www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/vocabulary/esl-travel-tourism2.html
Air travel is a form of travel using an airplane.
The comfort experienced when travelling by air depends on several factors starting with the airport, the choice of the airline and the travel class. Travel class on an airplane is usually split into a two, three or four class model. US Domestic flights usually have two classes:Economy class and a Domestic First Class partitioned into cabins. International flights may have up to four classes: Economy class, Premium Economy, Business Class or Club Class /First Class.The differences between premium economy and economy are quite significant, but the cost is not greatly altered by purchasing a Premium Economy ticket. The price difference between an economy class ticket and a first class ticket, however, are often extreme.
Most air travel starts and ends at a commercial airport. The typical procedure is check-in, border control, airport security baggage and passenger check before entering the gate, boarding, flying and pick-up of luggage and – limited to international flights – another border control at the host country’s border.
Nowadays, travelling by plane is getting easier and easier thanks to low-cost companies, like Easyjet or Ryanair, for example. However, the original idea is changing and they are charging everything. But, how far do you think they will go?
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is becoming a little like the Les Miserables character “Master of the House” charging for every little thing he can force on his customers. Booking flights online features the following mirage of add-on sales, some of which are automatically checked, so one needs to be very careful to uncheck them (many Budget carriers are following similar tactics and with Air Asia, the insurance is often impossible to uncheck)…
• Charge to check-in luggage
• Priority Boarding
• Insurance
• Sports and musical equipment
• Special assistance
• Credit card fees
Ever heard of “I need to spend a Penny”?, well, CEO Michael O’Leary recently hinted that Ryanair has considered installing coin slots on its cabin toilets. The plan is to charge 1 pound (not just a Penny any more) to use them. Such an idea defies belief and begs many questions like; Will he charge extra for a number 2? What would the Flight Attendants do if passengers held the door open for each other? Is this morally correct, especially if someone has medical issues that requires them to use the WC frequently?
Whatever next I hear you say? Well here are some other things Ryanair may consider charging for
• the pleasure of being Security checked
• a life vest
• oxygen if needed in an emergency in Flight
• a reclining seat
• looking out the window
• an aisle or Window seat
The above are tongue and cheek but, in reality, it seems that charging for everything is on the agenda!
Happy travels and don’t worry, this video goes for free! Watch where we’ll all end up…
Here you are some EXERCISES that practise your way through the airport procedure. Once finish, feel free to check the key.
