Transport and Travel Vocabulary in English
Do more with this exercise
Learn the words you need to travel in English: vehicles, places like the station and the airport, tickets and journeys, and verbs like catch and miss. Read each word and its example, then do the exercises. Remember: we say by bus, by train and by plane.
Vehicles
bus
I go to work by bus.
train
Have you ever been on a night train?
taxi
We took a taxi to the airport.
plane
I have never been on a plane.
bicycle
My brother goes to school by bicycle.
ship
Have you ever been on a ship?
tram
There is a tram in the city centre.
undergrounda train under the city (British English)
The underground is faster than the bus.
subwaya train under the city (American English)
In New York, a lot of people take the subway.
Places
stationa place where trains stop
The train station is near my house.
bus stopa place on the street where a bus stops
I'm waiting at the bus stop.
platformthe place where you wait for a train
The train leaves from platform four.
airporta place where planes arrive and leave
We are going to the airport by taxi.
Tickets and journeys
journeythe time you spend going from one place to another
The journey to London takes two hours.
tripa short visit to a place and back
We went on a trip to the mountains last summer.
flighta journey in a plane
Our flight to Madrid leaves at ten.
ticket
I have a ticket for the ten o'clock train.
return ticketa ticket to go and come back (American English: round-trip ticket)
Can I have a return ticket to Oxford, please?
passporta small book that you show at the airport
Don't forget your passport.
suitcase
I have two big suitcases for the trip.
luggageall your bags and suitcases for a journey (American English: baggage)
I don't have a lot of luggage.
delaywhen a train or a plane is late
There is a delay: the train is twenty minutes late.
Verbs for travelling
catchto get a bus or a train before it goes
I always catch the 8:15 train.
missto be too late for a bus or a train
We are late. We will miss the bus.
get onto go into a bus, a train or a plane
We get on the bus at the station.
get offto leave a bus, a train or a plane
I get off the bus at the next stop.
arriveto come to a place at the end of a journey
I arrive at work at nine o'clock.
Practice exercises
Match the Words
Match each word with its picture or meaning.
Choose a word on the left, then its match on the right.
Choose the Correct Word
Choose the correct word for each sentence.
9.I go to work ___ bus.
10.Have you ever ___ on a plane?
11.We're late! We will ___ the train.
12.The train leaves from ___ three.
13.Your plane is late. There is a ___.
14.In New York, many people take the ___ under the city.
15.I get ___ the bus at the station.
Fill in the Blank
Type the missing word.
Transport and travel in English
You can travel by bus, by train, by plane, by ship or by bicycle. In English, we use by with the type of transport and no article: by bus, not by a bus. For walking, we say on foot.
In a station, you wait at the platform for your train. At a bus stop, you wait for your bus. For a flight, you go to the airport with your passport, your ticket and your luggage. Remember that luggage is uncountable: a lot of luggage, two pieces of luggage.
A journey is the time between two places. A trip is a visit to a place and back, and a flight is a journey by plane. These words often appear with the present perfect: Have you ever been on a plane? I have never been on a ship.
Use catch for a bus or a train that you want to take, and miss when you are too late: I caught the 8:15 train, but I missed the 9:15 bus. You get on a bus, a train or a plane, and you get off at your stop. When a train is late, there is a delay.
Frequently asked questions
Is it by bus or on the bus?
Both are correct, but they are different. Use by with the type of transport and no article: I go to work by bus, by train, by plane. Use on with a or the when you mean a place inside the vehicle: I'm on the bus, I got on the train. We say on foot, not by foot.
What is the difference between journey, trip and flight?
A journey is the time you spend going from one place to another: The journey takes two hours. A trip is a short visit to a place and back: a trip to the mountains. A flight is a journey in a plane.
Is it subway, underground or tube?
They are all trains under a city. Underground is the British word, and in London people also say the tube. Subway is the American word. In Britain, a subway is a short path under a road.
What is a return ticket?
A return ticket is for going to a place and coming back. In American English, people say round-trip ticket. A ticket for one way only is a single ticket in British English and a one-way ticket in American English.
Is it luggage or baggage?
Both mean the bags and suitcases for a journey. Luggage is more common in British English and baggage is more common in American English. Both words are uncountable: we say a lot of luggage, not a lot of luggages.
Answer key
1. bus
Answer: 🚌
A bus is a big vehicle on the road, with a lot of seats for people.
2. train
Answer: 🚆
A train goes on rails from station to station.
3. taxi
Answer: 🚕
A taxi is a car with a driver. You pay for your journey.
4. plane
Answer: ✈️
A plane flies in the sky.
5. bicycle
Answer: 🚲
A bicycle has two wheels. You ride it with your legs.
6. ship
Answer: 🚢
A ship is a big boat that goes on the sea.
7. ticket
Answer: 🎫
You buy a ticket for a bus, a train or a plane.
8. platform
Answer: the place where you wait for a train
At a station, you wait on the platform for your train.
9. I go to work ___ bus.
Answer: by
With a vehicle in general, we use by and no article: by bus, by train, by plane.
10. Have you ever ___ on a plane?
Answer: been
After have you ever, use the past participle: been. Went and was are past simple.
11. We're late! We will ___ the train.
Answer: miss
We miss a bus or a train when we are too late for it.
12. The train leaves from ___ three.
Answer: platform
At a station, trains leave from a platform: platform three.
13. Your plane is late. There is a ___.
Answer: delay
A delay is when a train or a plane is late.
14. In New York, many people take the ___ under the city.
Answer: subway
In American English, the train under the city is the subway. In British English it is the underground.
15. I get ___ the bus at the station.
Answer: off
We get on a bus and get off a bus. Get out of is for a car or a taxi.
16. You need your ___ to travel to another country.
Answer: passport
At the airport, you show your passport.
17. Our ___ to Rome leaves at 7 p.m. We are going by plane.
Answer: flight
A flight is a journey in a plane.
18. The train ___ at the station at 9:30.
Answer: arrives
The train is he/she/it, so the present simple verb ends in s: arrives.
19. I was late for work yesterday. I ___ my bus.
Answer: missed
Yesterday is a finished time, so use the past simple: missed.
20. Can I have a return ___ to Bristol, please?
Answer: ticket
A return ticket is for going and coming back.
21. I have two big ___ for the trip. My clothes are in them.
Answer: suitcases
We have two of them, so use the plural: suitcases (or bags).
22. In British English, the train under the city is the ___.
Answer: underground
In London, people say the underground or the tube. In American English: the subway.