Essential English Vocabulary for Travel

Hi, I'm Poly, and today we're packing a suitcase together... a suitcase of phrases.

Picture this: you land, an immigration officer asks you a simple question, and suddenly every word of English you've studied vanishes. Don't worry, it happens to a lot of people, and there's a simple reason: a trip calls for very specific phrases, and those are worth rehearsing on their own.

That's why putting together a small kit of English phrases for travel is the most useful prep you can do before boarding. And it only takes a few days!

The phrases you'll reach for

Here's the travel English vocabulary you'll almost certainly need:

• At the airport: boarding pass, gate, carry-on, I'm here on business or I'm here on vacation, and My flight was delayed. These cover most of what you'll hear at check-in and immigration.
• At the hotel and around town: I have a reservation under the name..., Could you recommend a place to eat?, How do I get to...? and Can I get the check, please?
• At work: Nice to meet you, Let me follow up by email, and the most underrated one of all, Could you say that again, please?

That last phrase deserves a moment. Honestly, asking someone to repeat themselves is a genuinely useful tool. Knowing exactly how to ask gives you calm, and it keeps the conversation going.

Rehearse the scene

Here's the thing: the real shift is to rehearse situations. Packing your bag? Say out loud what you'd answer at immigration. Read the phrases, picture the scene and answer as if you were already there.

A tutor makes that practice real: they can role-play the hotel check-in, the client meeting or the restaurant order, fix your pronunciation on the spot and shape each session around your specific trip.

That's how you go from knowing the words to using them with ease, right when it counts.

Before takeoff

If your trip already has a date, now's the perfect time to start. Browse Holapoly's English tutors and book your 55-minute trial class at 50% off to practice the exact moments waiting for you.

I travel light, just my wings and a few good phrases. Parrot tip: practice out loud the phrase that feels hardest.

Poly