Travelling

? Why do people travel? reasons; general preface
? Travelling in our country
? Why foreigners come in our country more often?
? The means of transport ? how can people travel?
? Where can people stay?
? What do people need for travelling?
? Do you like it? Where you usually travel? Which countries do you visit? My attitude

In the past travelling from one place to another wasn´t so easy. People usually used to travel on foot, on a horseback, in carriages, later in trains. Nowadays, people often must travel every day. And, of course, travelling is today also a kind o entertainment.

There are many people, who must travel every day because of their job or because of their school. We call them commuters. They aren´t only students, who usually commute, they are also businessmen or people from small villages. Businessmen must often travel because of concluding of some contracts. Each summer or winter many people travel to foreign countries because of their holiday. In summer the seashores are very attractive, and in winter the mountains attract many tourists. They want to have a rest, maybe also fun, make some sport and so on. Some people also want to get to know other people or learn about foreign cultures. They usually visit interesting places like Nepal, Tibet or South America. It´s their hobby. But there are also many less poetic reasons. why people must to travel, in today´s world. I mean for example wars, nature disasters, maybe also racial conflicts. People often must leave the place, where they were born, which they love, and move to another country, where the situation is safer. It´s very sad, I think that it is also big problem of today´s society.

In our country travelling is very popular, I think. After year 1989 we can travel everywhere, where we want to. It ´s great. There are many commuters. I think that Czechs like very much so-called package holiday. It is maybe more expensive then travelling on own hook, but I think that it is also more comfortable. Package holiday includes accommodation, transport to the place of holiday and back, food, insurance and service of a courier. Sometimes it can include some trips or another entertainment. It is usually arranged by travel agency. I think that it has got many advantages mainly for families with the small children or for retired people. But there are also very popular travelling through our country and hitch-hiking. Many people have got their cottage, where they go every weekends. The business travelling grows and also many students must go to the big cities like Prague, Ostrava or Pardubice because the universities are only there.

The Czech Republic is today also very attractive place for holiday. It is mainly Prague, which attracts most of the tourists. There are many beautiful sights of interest and never-to-be-forgotten atmosphere in Prague. I mean mainly Lesser Town and Old Town. Also Czech mountains like Krkonoše or Šumava are visited by many tourists, mainly from Germany, Pollen or Austria. Other reasons can be different culture actions, which are taking place there. For example film festival Karlovy Vary or music festivals like Prague Spring, Rock for People or Trutnov Open Air. A big advantage, why people can visit our country, are the prices. Everything is here quite cheaper and, of course, we can produce the best bier.

I have already said, that in the past people usually travel on a horseback. It was maybe cheaper and more adventurous, but I can imagine more comfortable mean of transport. Today we have got modern technologies. There is public transport, which his very important, in the big cities. It is quicker, because there is often traffic-jam, and more friendly to the environment. The kinds of public transport are the underground ? in the Czech Republic we can use it only in Prague ? the trams, trolley buses and buses. Bus transports people for quite short distances, mainly for commuting. Sometimes people travel by bus to foreign countries, so they travel by coach. In London there are typical red double-decker buses. We have to only buy a ticket. The taxis are maybe more comfortable, but at the same time also more expensive. American cabs have got a typical yellow colour and in England the taxis look like historical black car. But we can use it even in small villages and even in night and I think that it is big advantage. For example for commuting we can use trains. The express trains are expensive, but very fast and time means money! We can travel in business class or in economy class, it is cheaper. A big disadvantage of trains is changing the trains at interchange stations. We can make mistake and it is very unpleasant, almost like never-ending waiting at platforms. We must buy a ticket, either single ticket or return ticket. We use the single ticket if we want to go from one place to another. And if we want to go back we use the return ticket. People must be careful on their departures and arrivals. During the journey our ticket is controlled by conductor. Nowadays, people can also travel by planes. It is fast, usually international transportation, but I think that it is still dangerous. After taking off people cannot smoke and use mobile phones. But it is very comfortable and luxury. During long journey people get some food, which is included in flying ticket. There are also cargo planes. People can choose first or second class according to price. Before taking off and after landing people must go through checks and their luggage through x-ray checks. The flight can be delayed or even cancelled. People can read it on information boards. People can, of course, travel by ship, it is typical for example for British channel. Passengers are transported by ferry. But now they can travel in tunnel. And bikes or motorbikes are very popular mainly among young people. The most typical mean of transport is still a car, I think that almost everyone has got his own car.

If people travel to the another places, they must somewhere stay. Businessmen or people on their holiday usually stay in hotels. That is comfortable. But they can stay also in motels or bungalow. People choose often the self-catering-villas for their holiday. It is place, usually a house or a flat, where they cook alone. Young people choose usually hostels. It is cheaper and it is the main advantage for them. Students usually stay in the halls of residence during their studying. It is one kind of hostel. The second kind is B&B, it means bed and breakfast. It is very cheap. But some people love always sleeping in tent. I think camping is still romantic. In the last time young people also sleep open air, it is typical for some summer music festivals.

If people travel from one state to another, that they need a valid passports. Custom officers are quite hypersensitive to it. Sometimes people must have got also visa, we can get it at embassy. Czechs need visa for example for entry to USA, New Zealand or Ukraine. If people travel to the exotic countries, it is important to have vaccinations for example against malaria etc. And, of course, we should have got some money. WE must exchange money into hard currency at exchange office or in bank. IF we travel for longer time, we usually have got few pieces of luggage with clothes, food and so on. Businessmen usually hold suitcase, ladies handbags and young people rucksacks or bags. Everyone should keep the weight limits.

I like travelling. I mean ? I want to travel usually because of fun. The travelling for shopping is my pet hate. I am happy that I´m not a commuter. Earlier I traveled with my mother each summer to the foreign countries. I liked it, but when I was older it was quite boring to stay there with my mother and her friend Jarmila. I have visited Canary Islands, Majorca, Greece, Tunisia or Croatia. Generally I think that travelling is very important today. We should learn about another cultures, get to know different styles of living and so on. In the future I would like to visit Tibet, because in my opinion their culture is fantastic and I would like to learn their traditions, customs and so on. But I hope I ´d like to visit Ireland and Scotland. I would like to see the nature there and meet people and learn about their habits. For me Ireland means something mystic, but I don´t know exactly why. Except Ireland I would like to visit Scandinavia. But it is just my dream. Now I travel only to my grandparents living in Prague and sometimes with my family, we go to Hradec in the shopping malls, but I don´t like it too much.

on foot pěšky
on a horseback na koni
in carriages v kočárech
commuters dojíždějící
commute dojíždět
concluding uzavření
contract smlouva
racial conflicts rasové konflikty
safe bezpečný
package holiday dovolená s cestovkou
coach dálkový autobus
accommodation ubytování
public transport veřejná dopava
insurance pojištění
service of a courier ten co se o mě stará
is arranged je připravena, organisována
never-to-be-forgotten nezapomenutelný
hitch-hiking stopování
traffic jam zácpa
underground metro
tube metro v Londýně
tram tramvaj
trolley bus trolejbus
ticket jízdenka
taxi, cab taxi
bus autobus
double-decker (bus) dvoupatrák
train vlak
express train expresní vlak
business class první třída
economy class druhá třída
change the trains přestupovat
interchange station přestupní stanice
platform nástupiště
single ticket jednoduchá jízdenka
return ticket zpáteční jízdenka
departure odjezd
arrival příjezd
plane letadlo
airport letiště
flying ticket letenka
cargo nákladní
take off vzlétnout
land přistát
checks kontroly
delayed zpožděn
cancelled zrušen
flight let
ship loď
ferry trajekt
informations boards informační tabule
tunnel tunel v kanále :o)
bike kolo
motorbike motorka
hotel hotel
motel motel
bungalow bungalow
self-catering villa vila, kde si sama vařím
hostel hostel
bed and breakfast B&B levný hostel
halls of residence kolej
tent stan
cottage chalupa
open air pod širákem
customs officer celník
valid passport platný pas
visa vízum
embassy ambasáda
vaccination očkování
exchange office směnárna
(into) hardly currency valuty
suitcase kufřík
handbags kabela
rucksack batoh
bags taška
weight limits váhové limity
at the custom na celnici