Text b. Transport for tourism

Transport for tourists can be divided into three main categories: journeys by air, journeys on water, and journeys on land. Within each category there are several types of transport.

Air travel usually means a short-haul or a long-haul international flight, operating from large airports, which in big cities often have more than one terminal building. But in some more remote places there may be little more than a small airstrip with only one simple runway for planes to land and take off. At some tourist destinations air transport may include short transfers or sightseeing trips by helicopter.

Journeys on water can include luxury cruise ships, which take tourists on all-inclusive holidays of three days or more, visiting a number of different locations. Passengers sleep in cabins, and have a full range of services on board. They are looked after by a team of stewards, with a purser in overall charge of tourist services. Ferry crossings are usually much shorter journeys connecting two points of land or going between islands. The ferries will stop at a large port or a small harbor.

Land travel is probably the most diverse category. It includes rail journey by trains, departing from a large terminus and stopping at stations en route. Passengers sit in separate carriages or coaches. The most common form of transport by road for tourists, if they don’t have their own car, are also called coaches. These vehicles can either travel from city to city along fast motorways (or sometimes quieter roads), or they can be used for transfers from airports and other small journeys. Very often they are used for sightseeing trips when as well as a driver there will be a tour guide to tell the passengers about the sights.

I. Which sections would you put these words in?

Pilot, airport, airplane, flight, guard, station, train, ride, cruise, cruise ship, port, steward, light aircraft, terminal, flight attendant, crossing, liner, harbor, purser, journey, coach, carriage, driver, ferry, bus, car, motorbike, bicycle, helicopter, runway, cabin, pier, terminus, motorway, track, conductor, tour guide, drive, tour, ticket collector, tunnel, yacht, taxi.

Method of travel	Journey types	Transport types	Places and features	Tourism professionals
Air
Water
Land

II. What types of transportation have you used? Think of the best and the worst journeys you have ever made. Exchange ideas with a partner.

III. Make notes of advantages and disadvantages of various methods of travelling. Present your ideas in class. You can use the following text as an example.

The advantages and disadvantages of travelling by train

Travelling by train has lots of advantages. There are no stressful traffic jams, and trains are fast and comfortable. You can use the time on board in different ways. You can just sit and read, or watch the world go by. You can work, or you can have a meal or a snack in the buffet car.

Travelling by train also has some disadvantages. It is expensive and the trains are sometimes crowded and delayed. You have to travel at certain times and trains cannot take you from door to door. You need a bus or a taxi to take you to the railway station.

I prefer travelling by train to travelling by car. I feel more relaxed when I reach my destination.

D i a l o g u e s

1. Read the dialogues.