Have a look at the following text found on http://www.english-at-home.com/vocabulary/planning-a-holiday/. Do you know all the words in bold letter? Can you remember what they mean? Now read the text and look up the new vocabulary.
Many people take their main holiday in summer, and although some people choose a
last-minute break, others plan their holiday months in advance.
The beginning of the year is a good time for people to start looking at holiday
brochures.
Tour operators (companies that organise holidays) as well as
travel agents (the people that sell holidays) give lots of information about holiday
destinations and types of holiday. Apart from the traditional two-week
beach holiday, you can choose from a range of holidays: a
cruise (holiday on a ship), an
activity holiday (a holiday that involves walking, cycling, climbing or other sports), a
city break (a weekend or a few days in a different city) and so on. A lot of people choose a
package holiday, where flights and accommodation are included in the price. But many people prefer an independent holiday, where they make their own
travel arrangements.
If you travel independently, you will need to
book your flights or train tickets. Unless you have an
onward destination, you will probably book a
return journey. Then you will need to
make a reservation at a hotel, or another place to stay, such as a campsite (if you are camping in a tent), or a caravan site (if you are staying in a caravan), or a
B&B (a bed and breakfast).
For all types of foreign holidays, it is essential that you check you have all your
travel documents. Make sure your
passport hasn't expired, and that you have a
visa if necessary. If you are travelling to some countries, you also need to make sure that all your
vaccinations (protection against illness) are up to date. For some countries you might need a vaccination against hepatitis, or yellow fever, for example.
As your
departure date gets nearer, you can start to plan the details of your journey. Perhaps it will be a good idea to buy a
guide book, or a
phrase book, if you don't speak much of the local language. Some people like to read up on (= get lots of background information) on where they are going, and find out about the
places of interest and "must-see"
sights. It's also fun to make a
packing list, so you don't forget any vital clothes or toiletries.
It's also a good idea to buy
local currency in advance, if your flight gets in (= arrives) in the middle of the night, when no banks are open. Most airlines also advise you to take out (=get)
travel insurance just in case your flight is delayed or cancelled, or if you get ill and need to be repatriated (sent back to your country).
Don't forget to make arrangements for your pets and your house while you're away. Put your dog into kennels (a dog hotel), and leave a key with your neighbour just in case! Hopefully your neighbour will
keep an eye on your house while you're on holiday! Finally, get to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Nowadays it can take much longer to get through security and onto the plane. Have a nice trip and send your neighbour a
postcard!
