Essential Travel Vocabulary and English Idioms
Travel Adjectives and Descriptions
- Breathtaking: Impressive, spectacular.
- Lively: Full of life and energy.
- Off the beaten track: Away from where people normally go.
- Picturesque: Pretty, in a way that looks old-fashioned.
- Unspoilt: Beautiful because it has not been changed.
- Remote: Far away from places where other people live.
- Imposing: Large and impressive to look at.
- Iconic: A symbol of the place.
- Overrated: Has a better reputation than it deserves.
- Dull: Boring.
- Tourist: Designed to attract tourists.
- Spoilt: Changed for the worse.
- Overcrowded: With too many people.
- Tacky: Cheap, badly made, lacking in taste.
- Run-down: In bad condition.
- Soulless: No attractive or interesting qualities.
- Pricey: Expensive.
- Unimposing: Unimpressive.
Color-Based English Idioms
- Out of the blue: Inesperado (Unexpected).
- The black market: Mercado negro.
- Red tape: Papeleo (Bureaucracy).
- A white lie: Mentirijilla (A harmless lie).
- (Isn't a) black and white: (No hay) Extremos (Not clear-cut).
- A white elephant: Trasto / algo enorme (A useless possession).
- A grey area: No está claro (Ambiguous).
- A red herring: Pista falsa (A distraction).
Travel Verbs and Phrasal Verbs
- Set off: Start a journey (early/late).
- Extend: Finish later than planned.
- Go: Camping, backpacking, sightseeing, or for a stroll.
- Go on: A holiday, an outing, or a trip.
- Postpone: Reschedule for a later time.
- Wander round: Explore in a leisurely way.
- Chill out: Relajarse (Relax).
- Soak up the culture: Llenarse de cultura (Immerse oneself).
- Sample: Try.
- Hit the shops: Ir de tiendas (Go shopping).
- Get away from it all: Vacaciones para relajarse (Escape to relax).
- Recharge: Recargar (Rest).