Travelling

I think everybody agrees that travelling is very important as it shines out from the grey routines of our life and work as a time, when we can forget the stresses and enjoy ourselves, relax, be with our friends, see other cities and countries, discover different ways of life, try different food etc. Some people say that a change is as good as a rest.

After being in many different places, I’ve experienced travel by many different modes of transport. I like travelling by plane, as I really like the speed and the feeling of being high above everything. I’ve been from Moscow to Paris by coach, and it took 4 days, whereas by plane it takes three hours and a half – quite a difference! I quite like aircraft food (cold meat and nice salads) for example. I’ve only been on a plane one time. It was when I left Moscow for Tunisia with my brother. We went on a very cheap holiday organized by my brother’s university, and for a very reasonable price, we got a last minute place on a flight to Tunisia and returned a week later.

There are some things I dislike when I travel by plane. Firstly, when my ears pop on takeoff and I always have a slight feeling of nausea, feeling all blocked up from the air pressure changes. Secondly, airports are usually quite far away from the nearest town, so it takes another long journey after arriving to get into town. Thirdly, it's more expensive to travel by plain. And finally, some people are frightened to fly.

Usually I travel by train. I like trains very much. I’ve often travelled across Russia by train. One of the advantages of trains over airplanes is that you can get up and walk about, whereas on a plane you are stuck in your seat and you can’t move. The train can be cheaper than the plane and more convenient method of travel. When I was a child we used to go to Kargopol every summer. I stayed with my cousins. I was so young, I hardly remember it. We also went to Sochi and I went to the seaside and swum every day. It was really good.

My friends prefer to travel by coach. That is why of all the available tours they choose coach tours. Such tours are not expensive. They give a chance to do a lot of sightseeing and have a good rest at the same time. Last year they visited Germany, the Netherlands and France during the ten-day holiday. There was no trouble with the luggage. Moreover hotels were carefully selected and booked in advance. As for me I don’t really like travelling by bus for a long way as I find it quite uncomfortable and it often makes me feel sick. In my opinion coaches are subject to traffic jams and motorway pile-ups. They often have accidents, as coaches often go too fast because they have to keep up with their timetable.

My parents like going on ships. Sometimes they board a ferry. I have a friend who is called Thomas, whose main mode of transport is his bicycle.

People often travel on business. I am absolutely sure it helps them to get more information about achievements of other companies.

Topical vocabulary

driving force	движущая сила
to shine out from the grey routines	отдохнуть от серых будней (зд.)
to forget the stresses	не думать о стрессах
to discover different ways of life	знакомиться с разными образами жизни
to travel by many different modes of transport	путешествовать различными видами транспорта
Quite a difference!	Есть разница!
the feeling of being high above everything	ощущение высоты
my ears pop on take off	во время взлета у меня закладывает уши
feeling of nausea (a wave of nausea)	чувство тошноты (приступ тошноты)
the air pressure changes	перепады давления
aircraft food	еда в самолете
one of the advantages of … over …. is	одно из преимуществ … перед …
to leave …. for…	ехать (лететь) из… в…
reasonable price	приемлемая, умеренная цена
to get a last minute place on a flight	купить «горящие» путевки
to be stuck in the seat	быть прикованным к месту
to book a hotel in advance	забронировать гостиницу заранее
to keep up with the timetable	не выбиться из расписания
to have an accident	попасть в катастрофу
to board / take a ferry	переправляться на пароме