IDIOMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS USED FOR TALKING ABOUT ‘TRAVEL’

CHECK YOUR ENGLISH VOCABULARY FOR PHRASAL VERBS AND IDIOMS

IDIOMS AND OTHER EXPRESSIONS USED FOR TALKING ABOUT ‘TRAVEL’

Complete each idiom in bold with an appropriate word from A, B or C. Each idiom is explained in italics after each sentence.

1	We stayed in a wonderful hotel just a ________ throw from the beach. (very near to)
	a	rock’s	b	stone’s	c	pebble’s
2	The motorway is the quickest way of getting from Paris to Marseilles, but many drivers prefer to take the slower ________ route. (a road that goes through an area of natural beauty, such as mountains, countryside, etc)
	a	pretty	b	picturesque	c	scenic
3	He's always going on holiday to interesting and exciting places. He's such a globe-________. (somebody who travels a lot)
	a	runner	b	hopper	c	trotter
4	Thanks to ________ budget airlines, it is now possible to get a cheap flight to most European destinations. (very cheap)
	a	cut-price	b	cut-throat	c	cut-and-run
5	The hotel used to be the best one on the island, but since a new manager took over last year it's gone to the ________. (declined in quality: it was good, but now it's bad)
	a	pigs	b	dogs	c	cats
6	This hotel is dirty and uncomfortable. It's a real ________! (a dirty, uncomfortable and, usually, cheap hotel
	a	doghouse	b	fleapit	c	henhouse
7	If you miss the last bus, you should take a taxi back to the hotel: don't try to ________ a lift. (hitch-hike)
	a	thumb	b	finger	c	hand
8	I don't like staying in busy resorts. I prefer to go somewhere that's off the ________ track. (away from popular areas)
	a	beaten	b	well-walked	c	tramped
9	The resort was in the middle of ________, so there was nothing interesting to see or do. (isolated from any towns, villages, etc)
	a	everywhere	b	somewhere	c	nowhere
10	The brochure said that our hotel was in a peaceful location. It really meant that the hotel was in the ________ of beyond. (very remote, a long way from other buildings, people, etc)
	a	front	b	middle	c	back
11	Local restaurants are very cheap, so you won't ________ the bank by eating out every night. (spend a lot of money)
	a	rob	b	bankrupt	c	break
12	I travel a lot on business, so I seem to spend most of my life living out of a ________. (to be away from home a lot)
	a	bag	b	suitcase	c	rucksack
13	The barman tried to ________-change me: the drink cost £2, I gave him £5 and he only gave me £2 back. (to cheat someone by not giving him the correct money in change)
	a	small	b	short	c	little
14	I hadn't been anywhere for years, and then suddenly I got ________ feet and decided to do some travelling. (a desire to travel and see different places)
	a	itchy	b	scratchy	c	tickly
15	I always try to travel ________ when I go on holiday. I usually just take a very small suitcase and nothing else. (to take very little luggage with you when you travel)
	a	light	b	gentle	c	easy
16	When I arrive in a foreign city, I can't wait to ________ the sights. (to go sightseeing)
	a	run	b	play	c	do
17	One of the biggest problems anyone faces when they travel abroad is culture ________. (confusion or anxiety that travellers experience when visiting a different country
	a	surprise	b	shock	c	daze
18	Some tourists are never happy. They like to pick ________ in everything. (complain, usually about small, unimportant things)
	a	gaps	b	cracks	c	holles
19	The Lighthouse Hotel in Sri Lanka is out of this ________. (very good)
	a	world	b	planet	c	earth
20	The staff at the hotel I stayed in went out of their ________ to make sure I had a pleasant stay. (did everything possible)
	a	heads	b	way	c	jobs
21	Applying for a visa often involves dealing with a lot of ________ tape. (bureaucracy)
	a	blue	b	white	c	red
22	Don't eat in that restaurant. It looks nice from the outside, but it's a real tourist ________. (a place that is in a good location to attract tourists, but is overpriced and generally provides poor service)
	a	pit	b	trap	c	trick
23	When you're on holiday and want a good meal, it's a good idea to choose a restaurant that's popular with the ________. (the people who live in a place that you are visiting)
	a	natives	b	savages	c	originals
24	Last year we went on a ________-stop tour of Europe: we did seven capital cities in seven days! (visiting a lot of places in a short period of time)
	a	flute	b	whistle	c	recorder
25	My flight from London to Singapore went round the ________: we stopped over in Dubai, Karachi, Colombo and Kuala Lumpur. (to go to a lot of places before reaching your destination)
	a	houses	b	buildings	c	apartments
26	We arrived in Singapore at an unearthly ________. (very late at night / very early in the morning)
	a	moment	b	minute	c	hour
27	Don't go into that bar. It's a ________ joint. (a place where men go to try to meet women)
	a	pick-up	b	put-down	c	chat-up
28	Tonight's the last night of our holiday. Let's go out and paint the town ________! (go out and have a good time)
	a	pink	b	purple	c	red
29	Several people recommended the hotel to me, but unfortunately it fell ________ of my expectations. (not as good as you expected)
	a	short	b	small	c	flat
30	When you choose a holiday from a brochure, you should always read between the ________: for example, if it describes your resort as 'lively', it usually means 'noisy'. (to guess something that is not expressed directly)
	a	words	b	paragraphs	c	lines

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