Practice
English practice: travel English
Sign in to saveYou are at a hotel reception desk and the room is not ready. A simple sentence such as Can I leave my bag here? helps you explain what you need.
Use short, polite English phrases to ask for travel information, check a booking, understand directions, and solve common travel problems.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
Could you show me this address on the map, please? /kʊd juː ʃəʊ miː ðɪs əˈdres ɒn ðə mæp pliːz/
The short answer
For everyday travel situations, use short polite questions. Can I, Where is, What time does, and I have a booking are useful patterns to learn first.
Excuse me, where is platform six?
Why it works: Excuse me politely gets attention, and where is asks for a location.
5 more examples
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I have a booking for two nights.
Use this at a hotel when you have reserved a room.
Not this:I
would like to booka room for two nights. What changes: Use this when you want to make a new reservation. -
Could you show me this address on the map, please?
Could you is a polite way to ask someone for help.
Not this:
Where isthe museum? What changes: This shorter question is useful when you only need a location. -
What time does the next train leave?
Use does with a singular service such as the train or the bus.
Not this:
What time dothe buses leave? What changes: Use do when the subject is plural. -
Is this the right gate for the flight to Madrid?
Ask this when you want to check that you are waiting in the correct place.
Not this:
Which gatedoes the flight to Madrid leave from? What changes: Ask which gate when you do not know the number yet. -
My suitcase has not arrived.
Use this to report missing luggage after a journey.
Not this:I
left my suitcaseon the train. What changes: This explains that you forgot the bag on the train.
Read the full guide
Choose one useful pattern for the situation. Use Can I to ask permission or request help, Where is to ask for a place, and What time does to ask about a service. If you have a reservation or ticket, say that early so staff know why you need help.
Ask politely for help
Start with excuse me when you need help from a stranger. Then use a direct, short question. Can you help me? is useful when you do not know where to begin. Add please to make a request sound polite.
Excuse me, can you help me find this hotel?
The speaker shows the hotel name or address and asks for help in one sentence.
How can you politely ask a station worker for help?
Say: Excuse me, could you help me, please?
Check a hotel booking
When you arrive at a hotel, tell the receptionist that you have a booking. Give your name if they ask for it. If the room is not ready, ask whether you can leave your luggage or ask when the room will be available.
I have a reservation under Patel.
Under Patel means that Patel is the name used for the reservation.
Can I leave my bags here until the room is ready?
Can I asks permission to leave the bags at the hotel.
Ask about trains, buses, and flights
For a timetable, ask What time does the next train leave? For a location, ask Which platform does it leave from? At an airport, use gate for the boarding area. Repeat the destination when there is more than one service.
Which platform does the train to Bristol leave from?
The destination helps the staff member find the correct train.
What can you ask when you need the departure time?
Ask: What time does the next bus leave?
Find places and understand directions
Use Where is for a nearby place and How do I get to for a route. Listen for simple direction words such as left, right, straight on, near, opposite, and next to. If you have a map on your phone, you can ask someone to point to the place.
How do I get to the city centre from here?
From here shows that you need directions from your current location.
Is the pharmacy near the bank?
This question checks the location by using a familiar building as a reference point.
Handle a travel problem
Explain the problem with a simple sentence before asking for help. Say My bag is missing, My room key does not work, or I think I am on the wrong train. Then ask what you should do. Staff can usually help more quickly when they know the exact problem.
My room key does not work. Could you check it, please?
The first sentence names the problem, and the second sentence asks for a useful action.
What can you say if your luggage is missing?
Say: My suitcase has not arrived. Could you help me, please?
Before you go
Remember this
Use short questions that match your need. Ask where for a place, what time for a schedule, and can I or could you for help. Mention your booking, ticket, destination, or luggage when it helps the listener understand the situation.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "English practice: travel English"
What English should I learn before travelling?
Learn short phrases for asking directions, checking a booking, buying a ticket, ordering food, and getting help. Start with Can I, Could you, Where is, and What time does. These patterns work in many common travel situations.
I have a booking for two nights.
How do I ask for directions politely in English?
Begin with excuse me, then ask Where is or How do I get to. You can show an address or map if you have one. If the answer is too fast, say Sorry, could you say that again?
I would like to book a room for two nights.
What can I say when I arrive at a hotel?
Say that you have a booking or reservation and give the name used for it. If you need something, make a short request, such as asking when the room will be ready or whether you can leave your bags.
Could you show me this address on the map, please?
What is the difference between a platform and a gate?
A platform is usually the area beside a train at a station. A gate is usually the boarding area for a flight at an airport. Check the destination and number on the departure board before you go there.
Where is the museum?
How can I explain a travel problem in English?
State the problem in one clear sentence, then ask for help. You can say that your luggage is missing, a key does not work, or you need to change a ticket. Giving the main detail helps staff understand what to do.
What time does the next train leave?