English Travel Phrasal Verbs for Your Next Adventure

Travelling to distant places can be both exciting and intimidating, particularly if you find yourself in an English-speaking nation and English is not your first language. However, do not worry, as learning a few crucial English travel phrasal verbs can greatly improve your journey and assist you in exploring unknown areas proficiently. In this article, we will reveal 10 important phrasal verbs that everyone should be familiar with.

1. Set Off

First up, we have "set off," which means to start a journey. So, pack your bags, set off on your adventure, and let the exploration begin!

Example:

• We need to set off early in the morning to avoid traffic and reach the hiking trail by noon.

• They finally set off on their road trip.

• She set off for the airport.

2. Check In

Upon arrival at your destination, it's time to "check in" at your accommodation. This phrasal verb is commonly heard at hotels, hostels, and airports.

Example:

• We need to check in at the hotel by 3 PM.

• After checking in at the airport, they went through security.

• He checked in online to avoid the long queues at the check-in counter.

3. Run Out Of

What if you suddenly realise you're low on cash or snacks? You might "run out of" these essentials. Being aware of this phrasal verb can be a lifesaver in sticky situations.

Examples:

• The car ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, and we had to call for help.

• We ran out of sunscreen while at the beach and had to buy more.

• They ran out of local currency and had to find an ATM.

4. Look Around

Once you've settled in, it's time to "look around" which means to see what your hotel, city or island has to offer. It could be anything from checking the nearby restaurants and beaches to the hotel amenities.

Examples:

• We spent the afternoon looking around the old town.

• He looked around the market to compare prices.

• I'm going to look around the hotel and see where the pool is. (I am going to check the hotel amenities and find the pool)
  

5. Pick Up

You can pick up phrases; habits and even objects. In this way, it means to gain something new. (Take note, this phrase has other meanings too, but we won't cover them here).

Examples:

• While in Spain, I picked up a few Spanish phrases that helped me get around.

• She picked up some souvenirs from the local market as gifts for her friends.

• He picked up a map at the tourist office to help navigate the city.

6. Get Around

Navigating a new city can be challenging, but with the phrasal verb "get around," you can easily figure out how to move from one place to another, be it by foot, public transport, or taxi.

Examples:

• In Tokyo, it's easy to get around using the efficient subway system.

• They rented bicycles to get around the island and visit the secluded beaches.

• Knowing some basic Italian helped them get around and ask for directions.

• How can we get around the city? Is there a subway?

7. Settle In

After a day of exploration, it's time to "settle in" and unwind. Make yourself at home, relax, and recharge for the upcoming adventures.

Examples:

• Let us settle in at the hotel before we start exploring.

• She settled in at the café, ordered a coffee, and started reading her book.

• It took him a few days to settle in and adjust to the new time zone.

8. Check Out

As your journey comes to an end, you'll need to "check out" of your accommodation. We can use this as a verb (I am checking out) or an adjective (We need to find out what the check-out time is).

Examples:

• Don't forget to check out by noon.

• We checked out early and went for a last walk.

• She made sure they hadn't left anything before checking out.
  

9. Take Off

When the plane is about to leave the ground, be ready for "take off". The opposite of this is landing.

Examples:

• The plane took off on time to Paris.

• The flight finally took off after a delay.

• He took off to catch his train as soon as the meeting ended.

10. Look Forward To

Finally, as you plan your next adventure, you can "look forward to" the exciting experiences that await you. To look forward to something means to be excited about something planned in the future.

Examples:

• She looked forward to the weekend trip. (= She was excited for the weekend trip)

• They looked forward to the holidays. (= I am excited for the holidays)

• I'm looking forward to meeting you!

These 10 Essential English travel phrasal verbs can help you with basic travel conversation in English.

Safe travels and happy exploring!

Exercise: Match the English Travel Phrasal Verbs to Its Definition

Match each phrasal verb to the correct definition.

1. Get Around

2. Look Forward To

3. Set Off

4. Pick Up

5. Check In

6. Run Out Of

7. Take Off

8. Settle In

9. Check Out

10. Look Around

A. To start a journey

B. To register at a hotel or airport

C. To explore or investigate an area

D. To move from one place to another

E. To exhaust the supply of something

F. To leave a place of accommodation

G. To relax and become comfortable in a new place

H. To learn or acquire something

I. To depart from a place, especially by air

J. To anticipate something with excitement

Exercise: Fill in the Blanks

Complete each sentence with the correct phrasal verb from the list above.

1. The plane will ________ at 10 AM, so we need to be at the airport by 8 AM.

2. After arriving at the hotel, we will ________ and get our room keys.

3. Let's ________ the town and see what interesting places we can find.

4. We need to ________ early in the morning to avoid traffic.

5. I'm really ________ the weekend trip with my friends.

6. It's easy to ________ the city using the subway system.

7. We ________ sunscreen while at the beach and had to buy more.

8. He quickly ________ some local phrases to help him communicate.

9. Don’t forget to ________ by noon to avoid extra charges.

10. After a long day of travel, we finally ________ at our accommodation.

Exercise: Sentence Reordering

Rearrange the words to form correct sentences using the phrasal verbs provided.

1. I / forward / look / to / meeting / you.

2. The / early / off / set / road trip / they / on.

3. need / We / the / hotel / at / to / by / check in / 3 PM.

4. of / after / check out / noon / Don’t / forget / this.

5. sunscreen / We / ran out of / beach / at / the.

Answers

Match the Phrasal Verb to Its Definition

1. D

2. J

3. A

4. H

5. B

6. E

7. I

8. G

9. F

10. C

Fill in the Blanks

1. take off

2. check in

3. look around

4. set off

5. looking forward to

6. get around

7. ran out of

8. picked up

9. check out

10. settled in

Sentence Reordering

1. I look forward to meeting you.

2. They set off on the road trip early.

3. We need to check in at the hotel by 3 PM.

4. Don’t forget to check out this afternoon.

5. We ran out of sunscreen at the beach.