Hi there,
Here is a vocabulary list that I made a while ago for one of my students who was struggling to come up with interesting phrases related to travel that would help her reach band 8 for IELTS speaking. It was inspired by a Lonely Planet article and many of the phrases were taken directly from there. Lonely Planet writers are passionate about travel and need to come up with plenty of synonyms to keep their articles interesting. I’ve included a couple of links to recommended articles below the list.
I have another IELTS vocabulary list for travel and some answers in context, please let me know if you would be interested and I’ll upload it.
Budget Flight | cheap airlines, often with only the flight included in the price-e.g. Ryanair |
Makes it a doddle | Makes it easy |
Jaw dropping views Breathtaking views Awe-inspiring views Spectacular views | Beautiful views |
Shoulder season | The time just before and after peak season. April,May, September, October etc |
Sizzling Sweltering Boiling hot | Very hot-imagine when you drop meat on a hot pan |
To linger/hang out | Spend time without a purpose |
Budget conscious travellers | Travellers who think about how much money they are spending |
Epitomised by | The best example of the point you are trying to make. This mountain epitomizes the beauty of the whole area. |
Hip and trendy | Cool |
Coffee Joints Sandwich joint etc | Joints is used as an informal word for shop/restaurant. For example Mexican joint, sandwich joint or barbecue joint |
Haunting coastal scenery | Dark and mysterious landscape near the sea. |
Cutting-edge | Very modern |
Keenly priced Inexpensive wallet-friendly Budget-friendly Won’t tax your wallet | Synonyms for cheap or good value |
Sensational | Excellent |
Reap the rewards | Benefit from the positive aspects |
Frugal | Someone who thinks carefully before spending money |
Stunning | Beautiful |
Fiery | Hot and Spicy especially related to food. Can also be used to describe temperamental people ‘He has a fiery personality’ |
Regenerating/regeneration of the older areas. | Developing old areas of the cities to make them more attractive |
Up and coming destination | A place that is becoming more popular |
The iconic….. | Very famous or popular |
Classic place to go | A place that most people visit |
Modern architecture | New buildings |
The central square is lined with museums, theatres and cafes… | There are lots of …….around the square |
………is known all over the world for its…….. | Is famous worldwide for |
The city is really well set up for bikes with cycle lanes everywhere. | A city with bike-friendly facilities |
Cool, contemporary |
Exercise 1
Write two paragraphs describing a beautiful place in your country using at least 5 of the words and phrases above.
Exercise 2 Write two paragraphs describing your last trip abroad using at least 5 of the words and phrases above