Travelling. (Olympiad. Form 8-9)

Millions of people all over the world spend their time traveling. They travel to see other countries or cities. They travel to enjoy picturesque places or simply for a change of scene. It’s always interesting to discover new things and different ways of life, to meet different people, to try various food, to listen to various musical rhythms.

Those who live in the country are fond of going to big capital cities. They spend their time visiting museums and art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants.

City dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe and laze in the sun.

Most travelers and holiday-makers take a camera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them- the sights of the city, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes and vast forests.

People travel by different means of transport. People travel to have holidays or on business. If they travel on business they choose the fastest transport. They often travel by plane or by train. It is very expensive but it is very fast. And if people want to have a rest they choose traveling by boat or by car. When you travel by car or by bike you plan your trip yourself.

Personally I prefer traveling by car with my parents. I think it’s very comfortable because we don’t have to book tickets and we needn’t carry heavy suitcases. When I travel I can watch a video, listen to music or admire picturesque landscapes through the window. We can stop wherever we want and spend at any place as much time as we like.

If you travel a lot you gain new experience which you may find useful in your further life. So traveling is great.

Train They travel too fast, so we won’t be able to see much. We’ll have to change trains. Some trains aren't very comfortable and if you sleep on the upper berth, you may be afraid of falling down. Sometimes the neighbors’ in the compartment are unpleasant and very talkative. It's not expensive. You cab buy a return ticket and spend the rest of your money on other things. We’ll be able to see much as trains cover very long distances. Trains in the UK are very comfortable. They are always on time. There are no traffic jams.

Ship A cruise holiday can be too expensive for us. There is usually nothing much to see in the ports. Young people may feel lonely and get bored. You may be sea-sick. You have to follow a strict time-table and are not able to explore places as much as you'd like. I think it’s the most comfortable and relaxing way of traveling. We’ll be given a chance to see many different sights at each port within a short time. We don’t have to worry about travel arrangements during the trip and we can spend all day sunbathing and swimming. Many ships have swimming pools.

Bicycle We’ll never be protected from weather (sunny or rainy). It’s very tiring. We can’t take much luggage with us. It's dangerous as a cyclist can be knocked over. It's not good for long trips. It’s a well-balanced combination of rest and exercise. It’s very economical. We’ll be able to stop where we want. It's environmentally friendly. We are not afraid of traffic jams.

Car We can get into traffic jams on motorways and that’s very stressful. I always get tired of sitting in a chair for a long time. I get sick travelling long distances. Petrol is expensive. It's difficult to find a parking lot. Travelling by car is safer and more comfortable than walking. We don’t have to look for a seat. We can leave when we want and we can stop when we want, we don't depend on time table. We can take more luggage.

Travelling

1. Why is traveling popular?

Travelling is popular because it helps us to explore the world, it broadens our outlook, enriches our knowledge of life. It is exciting to learn more about other places and countries, about their history and geography. It is interesting to get acquainted with customs and traditions of different countries, to take pictures of the places we’ll remember all our life. When people travel they also make friends. Besides they spend a lot of time in the open air and enjoy the beauty of nature. They can also learn the way of life of different animals and birds, explore the life of plants, watch the sunset and the sunrise. So traveling is a great thing

2. What is your idea of a coach journey?

To my mind a coach journey can be an enjoyable one. It is very comfortable because modern coaches are fitted with certain comforts such as air conditioning, self-reclining seats, a fridge with help-yourself drinks, TV entertainment. It provides recreation stops and meals at pleasant cafes and restaurants

3. What active types of travel can you name? Which of them would you like to try and why?

They are bike touring, canoeing, rafting, horseback riding, scuba diving and snorkeling, sailing, backpacking, walking… I would like to try…because…

4. What is socially responsible travel? Why is it important? In what way can it help people and nature?

S.R.T is known as Alternative Travel, Green Travel, Ecotourism. The thing is that indigenous cultures are threatened by the pressures of western cultures and tourism, natural areas are spoilt by tourists, litter has become a major problem. S.R.T. supports traditional lifestyles. Money and jobs from ecotourism programmers provide conditions for developing countries to preserve their environment and heritage and protect natural areas.

5. What does the way of traveling people choose depend on?

It depends on their age, their interests, their health, the sum of money they can spend on their trip…

6. Why do tourists need travel brochures, guide books and different types of booklets while traveling?

They give much useful information about places of interest and possibilities for sightseeing. They contain information about the weather in the region you are going to visit. Besides they are well illustrated and when you come back you can enjoy looking through them and remembering the beautiful places you visited

7. What are the things you like doing/ don’t like doing while on holiday?

I like visiting distant lands, going shopping, relaxing in the sun, making new friends, watching concerts….

I don’t like standing in long queues, packing things, carrying heavy suitcases…

8. What are the advantages and disadvantages of traveling…?

On foot

+ pleasant and useful for your health / you enjoy absolute freedom / you have none of the headaches of advance hotel booking or crowded stuffy trains / but above all you enjoy tremendous mobility that is if you don’t like the place you can simply get up and go, you are the boss / you adopt a completely different way of life and that’s the essence of true recreation and real enjoyment

-largely depends on the weather...

By air

Travelling

The scientific and technological progress has allowed people to overcome time and distance, to cover in the twinkle of and eye the vast expanse of our planet. The whole world is open now. The limits and frontiers of the previous period have stopped to exist. We can chose any place on the planet and go there on business or for holiday. We can go to the place of out destination by sea, by air. We can travel by train.

Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays traveling. They travel to see other countries, modern cities, the ruins of ancient towns, they travel to enjoy picturesque places or just for a change of scene. It’s always interesting to discover new things, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to listen to difficult musical rhythms.

Those who live in the country like to go to big cities and spend their time visiting museums, art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants. City dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe and laze in the sun.

Most travelers and holiday-makers take a camera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them- the sights of cities, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys, plains, waterfalls, forests, different kinds of trees, flowers and plants, animals and birds

You can read about the places you want to see. You can gather information about hotels and transport. You can talk to people who have been to the places or countries you want to see. The best way to study geography is to travel and the best way to get to know and understand people is to meet them in their own homes. Travelling is a remarkable key to understanding other cultures, a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the world we live in.

Nowadays people can travel in different ways. They can enjoy the comfort and speed of superb air-liners as well as the conveniences of modern trains and coaches or the luxury of sea voyage. People choose this or that way of traveling according to their likings and financial possibilities

Of course, traveling by air is most convenient as in short time you reach the place of your destination well-rested and well-fed. Naturally it is the most expensive way of traveling too. Travelling by train is slower than by plane but it has its advantages as well. Many people are convinced that with a train you have speed, comfort and pleasure combined. Most trains nowadays have very comfortable seats as well as sleeping carriages and dining cars, which make even the longest journey enjoyable. Sea voyages these days have become popular again mainly as pleasure trips

I personally prefer traveling by car. There are several reasons for it: first of all you don’t need to reserve your tickets. Then you can go as slowly or as fast as you wish, stop whenever you chose and spend at any place as much time as you like. And of course, you see much more of the countryside than you do traveling by plane or y train.

There a lot of options for a traveler regarding a place to stay. Depending on age, individual preferences and budget people may choose different types of accommodation. For instance, if they are looking for a low-budget holiday they may choose between a youth hotel, bed and breakfast, a campsite or a self-catering hotel. Family hotels offer more comfort, but they may tend to be slightly more expensive. Taking a caravan with you, if you are traveling by car, is a big advantage as you can stop and sleep almost anywhere. Many young people, especially when touring big cities, choose to stay at youth hostels because they are basic and cheap, but at the same time they may turn t be a disadvantage for someone looking for quiet and peace at night. Youth hostels can be very loud. This is quite understandable, because young people tend to be traveling not alone, but three or four people together. And anyway, they easily make friends with strangers.

In my opinion, people are increasingly choosing holidays which bring them to nature. They grow tired of sightseeing, visiting museums, castles. A certain amount of holidaymakers simply don’t like doing it any more. They would rather escape to the countryside or would rather engage themselves into sport like rafting, canoeing, biking. Beautiful pine forests and silvery birches, picturesque rivers and numerous lakes make our country a place of attraction for holiday-makers

So far I haven’t traveled much, of course. But I hope that in future I’ll have more opportunities for traveling and seeing the world’s most famous and beautiful places.