At the Travel Agency: English for Booking a Holiday

Learn English for speaking to a travel agent and asking about a future trip. This free A1 lesson for adult beginners introduces travel booking vocabulary, polite requests, and questions about destinations, dates, prices, and accommodation. Its 12 interactive slides include a conversation video, vocabulary audio, quizzes, a speaking role-play, listening practice, and an email-writing task.

What you will learn

• Use common travel words such as ticket, hotel, flight, passport, and price.
• Ask simple questions about booking a trip.
• Answer questions about destinations, dates, and costs.
• Understand the main information in a travel booking conversation.
• Use going to to describe future travel plans.
• Write a short email about a future holiday.

Reviewing going to for future plans

Start with the warm-up and put the words in order. Review the pattern subject + am / is / are + going to + base verb. Practice the sentence I am going to travel to Italy in the summer.

For a question, put am, is, or are before the subject: Are you going to travel to Spain? For a negative sentence, add not: They are not going to fly to New York. Read each completed sentence aloud before moving on to the booking conversation.

Travel agency and booking vocabulary

Listen to the vocabulary cards and repeat the words. A travel agent helps people arrange trips, and a destination is the place they plan to visit. Both holiday and vacation appear in the lesson.

Put the words into short phrases: book a flight, make a reservation, a return date, and a holiday package. Practice saying the complete phrase after listening to the audio.

Making polite requests at a travel agency

Use I'd like ... to say politely what you want. I'd is the short form of I would. Before an action, use I'd like to + base verb.

• I'd like some information about holiday tours.
• I'd like to book a holiday package.
• I'd like to book one seat.

To describe a possible destination, say I'm thinking about Italy. To express a preference, say I prefer a city tour. Take turns naming a destination and choosing between a city tour and a beach holiday.

Asking about dates, prices, and what is included

Practice these questions from the lesson:

• Where would you like to travel?
• When is it available?
• How much does it cost?
• Does it include breakfast?
• How would you like to pay?

When asks about time or dates, and how much asks about price. Does it include breakfast? asks whether breakfast is part of the package. Practice the answer Breakfast is included every day. and recognize the payment phrase I'll pay by credit card.

In the video example, the agent describes a seven-day package to Rome and Florence with hotels, transfers, and guided excursions. Watch once for the general meaning, then listen again for the departure date, price per person, and included services.

A short travel agent and customer conversation

Customer: Good morning. I'd like to book a holiday package.
Travel agent: Where would you like to travel?
Customer: I'm thinking about Italy. I prefer a city tour.
Travel agent: We have a seven-day package.
Customer: When is it available?
Travel agent: The next group leaves on June 15th.
Customer: Does it include breakfast?
Travel agent: Yes, breakfast is included every day.
Customer: Thank you for your help.
Travel agent: My pleasure. Have a great trip.

This model conversation uses details from the lesson for English practice. Switch roles with a partner, then change the destination, holiday type, and example departure date. Use the vocabulary cards when you need help with a phrase.

Understanding replies and booking phrases

The response quiz helps you choose an answer that fits the previous sentence. Match a destination question with a place, an availability question with a date, and a price question with an amount.

You will also hear Could you fill out this form, please?, Payment confirmed., and Here are your travel documents. These phrases describe stages in the example booking conversation. Practice closing politely with Thank you for your help. and My pleasure.

Listening practice: Elliot's holiday plans

Listen to Elliot telling Louise about his planned holiday in Stockholm, Sweden. Listen for how long he is going to stay, the accommodation, when he is going to travel, and Louise's friend Karin. Complete the multiple-choice questions and replay the audio to check the details.

Notice the future-plan phrases I'm going to go on holiday. and We're going to stay in a nice hotel. Repeat a short section, then describe an example trip using the same patterns.

Writing an email about a holiday in Morocco

The writing task asks you to tell a friend about your next holiday in Morocco. Include when you are going, how long you will stay, the type of holiday, transport, accommodation, and an example cost. Use the sentence starters in the slide to organize your ideas.

Model email for English practice:
Hi Alex,
I am going to go to Morocco in June. I am going to stay for one week. I have booked a cultural holiday. I am going to travel by plane. I am going to stay at a hotel. It is going to cost eight hundred dollars.
See you soon!

The model uses example trip details. Change them to write your own email, then check the forms of am, is, are and the verbs after going to. Teachers can prepare destination and date cards for the role-play. For self-study, complete the video quizzes, repeat the audio, and read your email aloud.

Review holiday vocabulary and future plans in Lesson 19, or explore more free A1 English teaching materials.