Going Away: Holiday Vocabulary and Travel Plans in English
Learn English for talking about holidays and describing your next trip. This free A1 lesson for adult beginners introduces holiday types, destination names, travel activities, and the future form going to. Its 16 interactive slides include vocabulary audio, picture quizzes, videos, reading comprehension, listening practice, a grammar exercise, and a short writing task.
What you will learn
- Name at least six holiday destinations.
- Recognize at least six types of holidays.
- Describe activities you can do on holiday.
- Use going to to talk about future plans.
- Ask and answer questions about a trip.
Different types of holidays
Start with the question Where do you go on holiday? Choose the pictures you like and explain your preferences. The warm-up includes the beach, hiking, cruises, historical places, camping, and safaris.
Listen to the vocabulary cards and repeat these holiday names:
| Holiday type | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Beach holiday | A holiday by the sea. |
| City break | A short visit to a city. |
| Outdoor adventure | An active holiday with activities in nature. |
| Cultural getaway | A trip focused on traditions, art, or historical places. |
| Cruise | A holiday on a ship that visits different places. |
| Hiking holiday | A holiday that includes long walks on trails or in the mountains. |
| Camping holiday | A holiday that includes sleeping in a tent. |
| Safari | A trip to see wild animals in their natural surroundings. |
Practice answering What's your favourite type of holiday? You can say My favourite type of holiday is a beach holiday. or I like camping because I enjoy being outside. Then identify the holiday types in the picture quiz.
Holiday destinations and country names
Watch the destination video and listen for the country names: Turkey, Brazil, Ireland, Australia, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, and New Zealand.
Choose six names and practice saying them clearly. Put a destination into a short sentence: I am going to visit Italy. Ask a partner Where are you going this summer? and take turns giving an example destination.
Travel activities in English
The activity cards introduce these useful phrases:
- Go shopping.
- Take photos.
- Go sightseeing.
- Buy souvenirs.
- Go swimming.
- Sunbathe on the beach.
- Build a sandcastle.
- Walk by the sea.
- Have a picnic.
- Write postcards.
Go sightseeing means visit interesting places. Souvenirs are things you buy to remember a trip. Listen and repeat each phrase, then match the activity names with the pictures in the drag-and-drop task.
Grammar: going to for future plans
Use going to for a future plan or something you have already decided to do. Build a sentence with subject + am / is / are + going to + base verb.
- I am going to travel.
- She is going to visit her friends.
- They are going to stay in a hotel.
Use am with I, is with he, she, it, and are with you, we, they. Keep the next verb in its base form: visit, travel, or book. Practice I am going to book a hotel.
To make a negative sentence, add not after am, is, or are: I am not going to work. and She isn't going to travel. To ask a question, put am, is, or are before the subject: Are you going to travel? and Is she going to stay here?
Complete the grammar activity by choosing the correct form of be. Read each sentence aloud after selecting your answer.
Reading: my next summer holiday plan
The reading passage describes a teacher who usually works during the summer. This year, the writer plans to buy a campervan, travel around Ireland, visit beaches, and learn to surf. The writer also plans to spend time with friends Cathy and Joe.
Read once for the general idea, then answer the questions about the usual summer job, the new holiday plan, the destination, the transport, and Joe's new house. Find the sentences with going to and underline the planned activities.
Listening to holiday plans
Listen to Amira, Amir, and Ali talking about their summer plans. Match each speaker with a picture of a cruise trip, farm work, or cooking school. Listen first for the type of activity, then replay the audio to check your choice.
The later trip-planning video describes a schedule with travel, a city tour, sightseeing, fishing, and a basketball game. Listen for the days of the week and the planned activities. Answer the video questions to practice sentence forms and the base verb after going to.
A short conversation about travel plans
A: Where are you going this summer?
B: I am going to Italy.
A: How will you travel?
B: I will travel by plane.
A: What are you going to do there?
B: I am going to go sightseeing and take photos.
This model conversation is for English practice. Change the destination, transport, and activity to make your own version. Use by plane, by train, by car, or by campervan to describe the transport in your example trip.
Writing practice: three sentences about your next holiday
Complete the wrap-up task with three sentences. Include where you are going, how you are going to travel, and what you are going to do there.
Model answer: Next holiday, I am going to Italy. I am going to travel by plane. I am going to go sightseeing and take photos.
Teachers can model the conversation before learners practice in pairs. For self-study, repeat the vocabulary audio, complete the interactive activities, and read your three sentences aloud. Finish by sharing one new word or grammar pattern you learned.
Review location phrases and phone conversations in Lesson 18, or explore more free A1 English teaching materials.