Travel

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
1. the act or activity of traveling (uncountable)	Travel can be expensive, but it’s always worth it.
2. a journey, especially to a distant of unfamiliar place (often plural)	His travels took him to some of the most remote parts of the world. Their travel to the Arctic was an unforgettable experience. ☝️This meaning is less common in everyday English. For a single journey, trip or journey is usually more natural.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• international travel
• overseas travel
• business travel
• air travel
• sustainable travel
• budget/luxury travel
• travel industry/insurance/expenses/restrictions/plans/arrangements

Trip

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
1. voyage, journey	I took a trip around the world.
2. a short journey to a store, business, etc., for a particular purpose	I need to make a quick trip to the grocery store. She took a trip to the bank before work.

Common phrases (useful collocations are in bold):

• Day trip: We decided to take a day trip to the countryside, where we could escape the crowds and explore some of the region’s lesser-known villages.
• Business trip: She extended her business trip by two days to meet with several potential clients who were based in the area.
• School trip: The school trip to Hiroshima gave the students an opportunity to engage with history in a way that went far beyond what they had learned in the classroom.
• Road trip: We embarked on a road trip along the coast, stopping whenever we came across a secluded beach or a picturesque seaside town.
• Weekend trip: Despite being only a weekend trip, the getaway was enough to recharge our batteries after several hectic weeks at work.
• Family trip: Organizing a family trip can be challenging when everyone has different interests, but we eventually found an itinerary that kept everyone happy.
• Camping trip: Our camping trip was unexpectedly memorable after a sudden downpour forced us to improvise and turn the evening into an adventure.
• Shopping trip: What was supposed to be a quick shopping trip turned into an afternoon-long search for the perfect gift.
• Field trip: The field trip to the marine research center allowed the students to observe firsthand how scientists monitor the health of local ecosystems.
• Honeymoon trip: They chose to spend their honeymoon trip exploring remote islands rather than staying at a luxury resort.
• Ski trip: Our ski trip was nearly called off because of the severe weather, but conditions improved just in time for us to hit the slopes.
• Sightseeing trip: We packed so much into our sightseeing trip that we barely had time to stop and appreciate the places we were visiting.
• Round trip: The round-trip journey took nearly twelve hours, but the breathtaking scenery along the way made the long ride worthwhile.

Other Useful Vocabulary from the Example Sentences

• to escape the crowds
• lesser-known + noun
• to engage with history
• to come across + place
• secluded beach
• picturesque town
• getaway
• to recharge one’s batteries
• hectic week
• itinerary
• to improvise
• to observe firsthand how…
• luxury resort
• severe weather
• worthwhile ride
• breathtaking scenery

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on a trip
• to take a trip
• to plan/organize a trip
• to book a trip
• to extend a trip (by + number of days)
• to embark on a trip
• to cancel/call off a trip
• a trip of a lifetime

Journey

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
1. something suggesting travel or passage from one place to another	the journey from youth to maturity a journey through time
2. an act or instance of traveling from one place to another; trip	It was a three-day journey. We are going on a long journey. ☝️”Journey” often emphasizes the route or experience rather than the destination: The journey through the mountains was challenging, but the breathtaking scenery made it worthwhile.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on a journey
• to take a journey
• a long/difficult/arduous journey
• a memorable journey
• a journey into + e.g. the unknown
• a journey + e.g. of self-discovery/life

Voyage

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
1. an act or instance of traveling; journey	1. Their voyage across the country took several weeks and gave them a chance to experience places they had never seen before. 2. Her voyage of self-discovery took her far beyond her comfort zone.
2. a course or period of traveling by other than land routes	1. The ship began its long voyage across the Atlantic in early May. 2. The spacecraft’s voyage to Mars is expected to take several months. ☝️ This meaning of “voyage” is the most common modern use of the word.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on a voyage
• to embark on a voyage
• a long voyage
• a sea voyage
• a round-the-world voyage
• (for a ship) a maiden voyage
• a voyage across + e.g. the Atlantic
• a voyage into + e.g. the unknown

Tour

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
a journey for business, pleasure, or education often involving a series of stops and ending at the starting point	1. We took a two-week tour of Europe, visiting six countries before returning to Paris. 2. The students went on an educational tour of the museum, the research center, and the nearby archaeological site. 3. The band is embarking on a world tour, performing in major cities across Europe, Asia, and North America.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on a tour (travel around visiting places)
• to go on tour (travel around performing/competing/working)
• to take a tour
• to join a tour
• to book a tour
• a guided tour
• a city tour
• a world tour
• a bus tour
• a walking tour
• a sightseeing tour
• a tour of Europe, Japan, etc.

Excursion

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
1. (formal/literary) a going out or forth; expedition = an expedition or venture into a particular place or activity	The researchers made an excursion into the rainforest to study a rare species of plant.
2. a usually brief pleasure trip	They booked a morning excursion to see the waterfalls before returning to the resort. ☝️ This is the most common everyday meaning of the word.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on an excursion
• to take an excursion
• to organize an excursion
• to join an excursion
• a short/day excursion
• a guided excursion
• an educational excursion
• an excursion into + place

Expedition

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Examples
1. a journey or excursion undertaken for a specific purpose	The scientists organized an expedition to study the effects of climate change in the Arctic.
2. the group of persons making such a journey	The expedition returned safely after spending six weeks in the mountains

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on an expedition
• to organize/mount an expedition
• (for a leader) to lead an expedition
• to join an expedition
• to embark on an expedition
• scientific/research expedition
• an expedition into + place

Outing

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Example
a brief usually outdoor pleasure trip	We went on a family outing to the beach and spent the afternoon swimming and having a picnic.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on an outing
• to organize/plan an outing
• a family/school/group outing
• a weekedn/day outing

Pilgrimage

Meaning (Merriam-Webster)	Example
a journey of a pilgrim*, especially one to a shrine or a sacred place *A pilgrim is a person who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee.	The monks undertook a difficult pilgrimage to a remote mountain temple.

Useful Collocations ⬇️

• to go on a pilgrimage
• to make a pilgrimage
• to embark on a pilgrimage
• to undertake a pilgrimage
• to travel on a (spiritual/religious) pilgrimage
• (something) feel like a pilgrimage (back to one’s roots)

Practice

Click the link here and choose the word that best describes each experience. You may need to consider the purpose, duration, route, and nature of the experience.