B1 Vocabulary — Transport & travel
Key nouns and verbs to talk about means of transport, moving around a city and typical journeys.
B1 Intermediate
Travel
Transport
1. Main means of transport
Common ways to travel from place to place:
- train = several connected carriages that travel on rails. We took the train to the capital.
- tram = a rail vehicle that runs through the city streets. You can get to the centre by tram.
- bus = a large road vehicle that follows a fixed route. The number 12 bus stops outside my house.
- coach = a comfortable bus for longer journeys. We went to the sea by coach.
- subway (US), underground / tube (UK) = a train system in tunnels under a city. It’s faster to take the underground at rush hour.
2. Other vehicles
- lorry (UK) / truck (US) = a very large vehicle for transporting goods. The road was full of trucks.
- van = a medium-sized vehicle for goods or small groups of people. They delivered the furniture in a van.
- ferry = a big boat that carries people and cars. We took the night ferry across the sea.
We can say by train, by bus, by ferry to talk about how we travel.
3. Stops, stations & tickets
- bus / tram stop = place where buses or trams stop for passengers. Let’s meet at the bus stop.
- train / railway station = building where trains arrive and leave. The station is in the city centre.
- platform = the long area next to the tracks where you wait for a train. The train leaves from platform 4.
- single ticket = a one-way ticket. I bought a single to Manchester.
- return ticket = ticket to go and come back. It’s cheaper to get a return.
4. On the road
- motorway (UK) / highway / freeway (US) = a wide, fast road with several lanes.
- lane = one of the separate parts of a road. Stay in the right-hand lane.
- bus lane, cycle lane = special lanes only for buses or bicycles.
- speed camera = camera that checks if drivers are too fast. There is a speed camera near the school.
- road accident / car crash = when vehicles hit each other.
- traffic jam = long line of cars that move very slowly or not at all. We were stuck in a traffic jam for an hour.
- traffic lights = red, amber and green lights controlling traffic.
- roundabout = a circular place where several roads meet.
5. Getting on and off transport
| Verb | Use with | Meaning & example |
|---|---|---|
| get on | buses, trains, planes, ships | enter a large form of transport. We got on the bus outside the school. |
| get off | buses, trains, planes, ships | leave a form of transport. You need to get off at the next stop. |
| get in | cars, taxis, vans, small boats | enter a smaller vehicle. He got in the taxi and closed the door. |
| get out (of) | cars, taxis, vans, small boats | leave a smaller vehicle. We got out of the car in front of the hotel. |
| board | planes, ships (formal) | a more formal way to say “get on”. Passengers are now boarding the plane. |
6. Fuel & lifts
- pick (someone) up = collect someone in your car. Can you pick me up at the station?
- fill (up) the tank = put petrol (UK) / gas (US) in the car. We need to fill up before we leave.
- run out of petrol / gas = have no fuel left. We almost ran out of petrol on the motorway.
7. Daily journeys
- commute = travel regularly between home and work or school. Richard commutes to London every day.
- commute (noun) = the journey itself. My commute is about 30 minutes.
- get to = arrive at a place. What time do you get to work?
- miss (a train / bus / flight) = arrive too late and not catch it. I missed my train by two minutes.
8. Talking about travel time
We use it takes … to talk about how long a journey is.
- It takes me 20 minutes to get to the station.
- It takes about an hour to get to the airport.
To ask about travel time, we use:
- How long does it take (you) to …? How long does it take you to get to work?
🔎 Remember: we usually say get to a place, not arrive to.
Use arrive in (a city / country) or
arrive at (a station / airport).
Exercises:
Transport & travel
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
1
We took a fast
from Paris to Lyon.
Correct:
A train travels on rails, usually between towns and cities.
2
In the city centre, we took a
that runs on rails in the street.
Correct:
A tram is a street train that runs on rails in the road.
3
I take the
to work every morning in the city.
Correct:
A city bus is public transport that follows a route in town.
4
We took a comfortable
with air conditioning from London to Manchester.
Correct:
A coach is a long-distance bus with comfortable seats.
5
In New York, many people take the underground train system, the
to work.
Correct:
In American English, the underground train is called the subway (US).
6
In many British cities, people travel by
when they use the trains under the ground.
Correct:
In British English, the train system under the ground is the underground (UK).
7
In London, people often say they are taking the
when they use the city’s underground trains.
Correct:
The tube (UK) is the name for the London underground train system.
8
On British roads, you see many large vehicles carrying goods; in the UK they are called a
.
Correct:
In British English, a big goods vehicle is a lorry (UK).
9
In American English, a large vehicle that carries goods is called a
.
Correct:
In the US, a big goods vehicle is a truck (US).
10
The delivery driver used a small
to bring boxes to our shop.
Correct:
A van is a medium-sized vehicle used to carry goods.
11
We took a
across the sea from one country to another.
Correct:
A ferry is a boat that carries people and cars across water.
12
I wait at the
near my house for bus number 12.
Correct:
A bus stop is the place where buses pick up and drop off passengers.
13
In the city centre there is a
every 200 metres for the street trains.
Correct:
A tram stop is where trams stop for passengers.
14
We met at the main
to catch the 7 p.m. train to London.
Correct:
A train station is the place where trains arrive and leave.
15
In British English, the full name for the place where trains arrive is often
.
Correct:
A railway station is another term for a train station in British English.
16
Let’s meet outside the main
where all the trains arrive.
Correct:
A station is a general word for a place where trains or buses start and finish.
17
Our train leaves from
4, so we need to stand next to that track.
Correct:
A platform is the area next to the tracks where you get on a train.
18
I only need a
to the airport because I’m not coming back tomorrow.
Correct:
A single ticket is a ticket for one journey in one direction.
19
It’s cheaper if you buy a
because you are going there and coming back.
Correct:
A return ticket includes a journey there and back.
20
In the UK, the big fast road between cities with several lanes is called a
.
Correct:
In British English, a fast main road is a motorway (UK).
21
In American English, you usually drive on a
to travel quickly between cities.
Correct:
In the US, a big fast road between cities is a highway (US).
22
In cities like Los Angeles, people often say
when they talk about a big fast road with many lanes.
Correct:
A freeway (US) is another American word for a large, fast road.
23
On the motorway, we drove in the left
most of the time.
Correct:
A lane is one of the parallel parts of a road for a line of traffic.
24
On this road, one
is painted red and only buses can use it.
Correct:
A bus lane is a special lane only for buses.
25
There is a
next to the pavement so that bikes have their own space on the road.
Correct:
A cycle lane is a part of the road only for bicycles.
26
There is a
on this road, so drivers must not drive faster than 50 km/h.
Correct:
A speed camera takes photos of cars that go too fast.
27
There was a serious
on the motorway, so the police closed two lanes.
Correct:
A road accident is when vehicles hit each other or something on the road.
28
We saw a
where two cars hit each other at a crossroads.
Correct:
A car crash is a road accident where cars collide.
29
We were late because there was a long
and the cars didn’t move for 30 minutes.
Correct:
A traffic jam is when many cars are on the road and cannot move.
30
You must stop when the
are red and you can go when they are green.
Correct:
Traffic lights control when cars must stop and go at a junction.
31
At the big
you drive in a circle and then take the correct exit.
Correct:
A roundabout is a circular place where several roads meet.
Transport & travel
Match the sentences with the transport & travel words
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