Travelling - Advantages and disadvantages
TRAVELLING
- travelling is the method of how to get from one place to another place.
People travel for many reasons:
- it is a good way to learn about life – to learn new things, to understand other cultures, their traditions, customs
- for a holiday ‒ to relax and get some rest
- to learn a foreign language or to become better at it
- people travel to work, to school, to do shopping, to visit friends
Travelling in the past:
- development of science and technology also influenced travelling and transport
- in the past people travelled on foot, later they used horses or donkeys, and then, after the invention of wheel, they used simple carriages. There were less roads, people didn't travel for long distances.
- people built simple ships, steam boats, trains. Boats and ships were more often used in the past – one of the biggest and the most famous ships was the Titanic. It was considered unsinkable but it sank on its maiden voyage from England to New York and more than 1500 people died.
- the transport development continued with the car invention
- the first public passenger railway in the world worked by steam power was used in Britain in 1825.
- in 1903 the Wright brothers invented the first plane. Since then air travel became the best means of transport for long distances.
Travelling in the future:
- it is probable that transport development will continue in the future. The space travel may lead to interstellar or intergalactic journays. People may also develop some new attractive means of transport, rich people may go on the Moon for holidays or they might have picnics on other planets. They will use spaceships, there will be space stations...
People and goods can be transported by land, by air or by water.
- Water transport is used especially for transporting goods. There are boats, ferries, ships or cargos on the rivers, seas and oceans.
- Land transport: people can travel by cars, trains, buses, bicycles, motorcycles, underground, trams or on foot
- in our country people drive on the right but in Britain and some other countries they drive on the left. London is famous for its red buses – double-deckers.
- Air transport is the fastest and the most expensive way of traveling.
- at the airport we go through the passport control and security check where metal objects have to be detected. Our luggage is checked and then we wait until the plane is ready for take off.
- London’s main airport is Heathrow – the world’s busiest airport for international travel (2nd – Gatwick).
- Some rich people can also hire a helicopter, but now it is used mostly for badly injured people.
Generally, there are two kinds of travelling: You can use your own means of transport (car) or public transport
Public transport – is cheaper but also less comfortable. It is often crowded and it is dependent on timetable, sometimes delayed. It includes bus, train, tram, underground (subway) – it is the fastest way of transport in the city => it usually goes every 5 minutes. Undergrounds were built in order to make the trams and buses less crowded.
Advantages and disadvantages of travelling by:
|
Advantages: CAR Disadvantages: | |
| - it is comfortable - you can listen to the radio while you are driving - you can go anywhere anytime – you don’t have to use the public transport, you don’t have to buy a ticket - you can stop at any time you need to have a break - car has a boot - it has a big space to carry your luggage and other things | - it is expensive to buy - petrol is expensive - you must have a driving licence, you must know the traffic rules - you must pay for parking, highhway stamps - you can end up in a traffic jam - statistically it is the most dangerous way of transport – you can have a car crash - it pollutes the air which is not good for our environment |
|
Advantages: BUS Disadvantages: | |
| - we can spend time talking to other passengers on the bus - we can relax – read and look out of the window, work, eat ... - buses stop more often than trains – you can get off at a bus stop which is closer to the place where you need to go - you don’t have to drive - it is cheaper than travelling by car | - it is often crowded - it is sometimes delayed - you have to get to the bus stop - you must travel at certain times - sometimes stopping at too many bus stops can be a disadvantage - it's rather uncomfortable |
|
Advantages: TRAIN Disadvantages: | |
| - we can spend time talking to other passengers on the train - we can relax – read and look out of the window, work, eat ... - it usually isn’t stressful - trains are comfortable if they are not crowded - you don’t have to drive - it is cheaper than travelling by car | - it is often crowded - it is sometimes delayed - you have to get to the station - sometimes you have to use other transport to get to the station - you must travel at certain times |
|
Advantages: PLANE Disadvantages: | |
| - traveling by plane is comfortable, exciting, relatively safe - it is fast - you can get to any place in the world and it takes only a few hours - you can read, sleep ... during the flight - you can get some refreshments | - it is expensive - it is strictly dependent on timetable – you have to travel at certain times - sometimes the flight can be delayed or cancelled - you have to buy the plane ticket in advance - some people are afraid of heights and confined spaces |
|
Advantages: BOAT / SHIP Disadvantages: | |
| - it is relatively safe - it is mostly used for trips during holidays | - you can get seasick - a ship can sink - it isn’t used often nowadays |
Description of arailway station
- it is a big hall with a ticket office where we can buy a single ticket or a return ticket and a seat reservation.
- there is the arrival and departure board, a luggage office, a waiting hall, lockers, telephones, a drink machine (soda or coffee machine), toilets.
- from the waiting hall we go through the under-passage onto the platform.
Kinds of holiday
- a package holiday - everything is arranged by travel agency - accommodation, transport, health insurance, accident and baggage insurance, tickets, visa, travel guide, trips - everything is arranged in advance. Last minutes or first moments offers are popular because they are cheaper.
- a self-catering holiday (backpacking) - it is cheaper holiday because people travel on their own. They stay at a campsite or in a rented bungalow, spend their days on the beach. They prepare meals on their own. They aren't dependent on a schedule and programme.
- home-swapping - a new type of holiday, you exchange your home with a family in another country. You don't pay for accommodation.
- recreation stays - at the seaside resorts, mountain resorts, spas and other thermal places
- sightseeing tours - to the famous historical towns and places (Rome, Athens, Paris, Prague...)
When we want to travel on holiday, we should find accommodation.
- Hotels and motels are different in price and comfort. Motels are usually situated by the roads and the services in a motel are usually at a lower level than in a hotel.
In hotels and motels we can get different services:
- bed and breakfast
- full board
- if we need anything, we can call the reception desk
- we can also use the hotel services – restaurant, bar, coffee shop, swimming pool, fitness centre, hairdressers or a beauty saloon and so on.
- Youth hostels are special kinds of accommodation for young people - it is cheaper but you can stay only for a limited number of nights.
When we travel abroad for a holiday, we should take with us some necessary documents - valid passport, visa /if we need it/, money (we have to change money at exchange office) or a credit card,international health insurance card, insurance against illness, accident, loss
- pack your suitcase or a rucksack - take adhesive plasters and bandages, simple first aid kit,
- nightclothes, underwear, top clothes, wet weather clothes, comfortable shoes, towels, toiletries, knitting, books, toys, wellington boots, bedding, a jacket, umbrella, swimming suit, sunglasses, camera...
- buy a good guide book and map, learn a few basic phrases in the local language, check out the weather at your destination online
Travelling safely: - keep your eyes on your luggage all the time, watch out for strange people in the street, don’t leave any valuables in your hotel room unattended, keep your passport in a safe place, don’t carry large amounts of cash, keep your money in your pocket not in a handbag etc.
- if you’re driving check local traffic regulations in advance, be sensitive to local norms ...
VOCABULARY
abroad ‒ zahraničie
accident ‒ nehoda
accomodation – ubytovanie
adhesive plaster and bandages‒ lepivá náplasť a obväz
advantages ‒ výhody
arrange – zabezpečiť
arrival and departure board ‒ tabuľa príchodov a odchodov
badly injured ‒ vážne zranený
bedding ‒ posteľná bielizeň
book in advance ‒ vopred zarezervovať
boot ‒ kufor
business trip ‒ služobná cesta
cable car ‒ lanovka cancel – zrušiť
campsite ‒ kemping
car crash ‒ automobilová nehoda
carriages ‒ vozy, koče, vagóny
carry – niesť
carry-on luggage ‒ príručná batožina
comfortable – pohodlné
confined spaces ‒ stiesnené priestory
crowded ‒ preplnený
cruise ‒ okružná plavba
customs – zvyky
customs officer ‒ colník
delay – meškanie
destination ‒ cieľ cesty
disadvantages ‒ nevýhody
distance ‒ vzdialenosť
donkey ‒ somár
driving licence – vodičský preukaz
driving offence ‒ dopravný priestupok
economy class ‒ turistická trieda
exchange office ‒ zmenáreň
fasten the belts ‒ pripútať sa
ferry ‒ trajekt
first aid kit ‒ lekárnička
first class ‒ prvá trieda
flight – let
foreign currency ‒ zahraničná mena
full board ‒ plná penzia
get off – vystúpiť
get on ‒ nastúpiť
get some rest – oddýchnuť si
get a suntan ‒ opáliť sa
get to know – spoznať
go camping ‒ ísť stanovať
go hiking ‒ ísť na pešiu túru
go sightseeing ‒ prezeranie pamiatok
guide ‒ sprievodca
half fare ‒ polovičné cestovné
health insurance card ‒ zdravotná kartička poistenca
high season ‒ vrchol sezóny
highway code ‒ pravidlá cestnej premávky highway stamp ‒ diaľničná známka
hire ‒ najať
hitchhike ‒ ísť stopom
hot air balloon ‒ teplovzdušný balón
insurance ‒ poistenie
interstellar ‒ medzihviezdny
invention ‒ vynález
journey ‒ cesta, jazda
knitting ‒ pletenie
locker ‒ skrinka na batožinu
luggage – batožina
make a reservation – urobiť rezerváciu
means of transport – dopravný prostriedok necessity – nevyhnutnosť
nowadays – v súčasnosti
off-season ‒ mimo sezóny
on board ‒ na palube
on foot ‒ pešo
on-season ‒ sezóna
on their own ‒ sami
package holiday ‒ zájazd
passport control ‒ pasová kontrola
parking ticket ‒ pokuta za parkovanie
platform ‒ nástupište
pollute environment – znečistiť živ. prost.
prefer – uprednostňovať
public transport – verejná doprava
put up a tent ‒ postaviť stan
reason – príčina
refreshments – občerstvenie
return ticket ‒ spiatočný lístok
safely ‒ bezpečne
safety precautions ‒ bezpečnostné opatrenia
seat reservation ‒ miestenka
seasick ‒ morská choroba (nemoc)
seasick ‒ morská choroba (nemoc
seaside resorts ‒ prímorské strediská
single ticket ‒ jednosmerný lístok
sink – potopiť sa
sleeping bag ‒ spacák
spa‒ húpele
spaceship ‒ vesmírna loď
steam boat ‒ parník
take off ‒ vystúpiť
ticket collector ‒ kontrolór lístkov
ticket office ‒ predaj cestovných lístkov
timetable ‒ cestovný poriadok
toiletries – toaletné potreby
traffic jam – dopravná zápcha
travel guide – sprievodca
tram ‒ električka
unattended ‒ nestrážený
unpack your luggage ‒ vybaliť sa
underground (subway) – metro
unsinkable – nepotopiteľný
vaccination ‒ očkovanie
valid passport ‒ platný cestovný
valuables ‒ cennosti
voyage ‒ plavba loďou
waiting hall ‒ čakáreň
watch out ‒ dávať pozor
wellington boots (wellingtons) ‒ gumené čižmy
wheel ‒ koleso
with a sea view ‒ s výhľadom na more