Travel and tourism (AQA GCSE Spanish): Revision Notes
Travel and tourism vocabulary
This comprehensive vocabulary list covers all the essential Spanish words you'll need to discuss travel and tourism topics. Understanding these terms will help you describe holidays, plan trips, and talk about different destinations and activities.
Essential vocabulary table
The following tables organise travel vocabulary by theme, making it easier to learn and remember related words together.
Transportation and getting around
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| aeropuerto (m) | airport |
| alojamiento (m) | accommodation |
| autobús (m) | bus |
| avión (m) | aeroplane |
| barco (m) | boat, ship |
| bicicleta (f) | bicycle, bike |
| billete (m) | ticket (transport) |
| coche (m) | car |
| conducir | (to) drive |
| dirección (f) | address, direction |
| estación (f) | station, season |
| metro (m) | tube, metro |
| transporte (m) | transport |
| tren (m) | train |
| viajar | (to) travel |
| viaje (m) | trip, journey |
| vuelo (m) | flight |
| vuelta (f) | return, trip, ride |
Notice that billete is used for transport tickets, while entrada is typically used for event tickets (concerts, museums, etc.).
Places and destinations
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| capital (f) | capital (city) |
| castillo (m) | castle |
| ciudad (f) | city |
| costa (f) | coast |
| extranjero (m) | abroad, foreigner |
| isla (f) | island |
| lago (m) | lake |
| mar (m/f) | sea |
| montaña (f) | mountain |
| mundo (m) | world |
| nación (f) | nation |
| norte (m) | north |
| oeste (m) | west |
| país (m) | country |
| paisaje (m) | landscape |
| playa (f) | beach |
| pueblo (m) | village |
| región (f) | region |
| río (m) | river |
| sur (m) | south |
| torre (f) | tower |
| zona (f) | area, zone |
Mar can be either masculine or feminine depending on the region and context. Both el mar and la mar are correct.
Accommodation and facilities
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| ascensor (m) | lift, elevator |
| baño (m) | bathroom |
| cama (f) | bed |
| camping (m) | camp site |
| habitación (f) | bedroom |
| hotel (m) | hotel |
| llave (f) | key |
| piscina (f) | swimming pool |
| recepción (f) | reception |
| reservar | (to) reserve |
| restaurante (m) | restaurant |
Activities and experiences
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| aventura (f) | adventure |
| disfrutar | (to) enjoy |
| divertir | (to) amuse, entertain |
| excursión (f) | trip, excursion |
| nadar | (to) swim |
| natación (f) | swimming |
| sacar fotos | (to) take photos |
| turismo (m) | tourism |
| turista (m/f) | tourist |
| vacaciones (fpl) | holidays |
| visitar | (to) visit |
| vista (f) | view, sight |
Weather and seasons
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| caliente | hot, warm |
| calor (m) | heat, hot |
| fresco/a | fresh, cool |
| frío/a | cold |
| invierno (m) | winter |
| lluvia (f) | rain |
| primavera (f) | spring |
| sol (m) | sun |
| temperatura (f) | temperature |
| tiempo (m) | weather, time |
| verano (m) | summer |
| viento (m) | wind |
Grammar and pronunciation tips
Understanding the patterns in Spanish vocabulary will help you learn and use these words more effectively.
Gender patterns: Most words ending in -a are feminine (playa, montaña), while those ending in -o are typically masculine (aeropuerto, turismo). However, there are exceptions like 'problema' (masculine) and 'mano' (feminine).
Pronunciation guide:
- 'j' sounds like 'h' in English: viaje = vee-AH-heh
- 'll' sounds like 'y': billete = bee-YEH-teh
- 'ñ' sounds like 'ny': montaña = mon-TAH-nyah
- 'rr' is a rolled 'r': torre = TOR-reh
Useful phrases with these words:
- "Voy a..." (I'm going to...) + infinitive
- "Quiero visitar..." (I want to visit...)
- "Me gusta..." (I like...) + noun or infinitive
Example sentences
Here are practical examples showing how to use travel vocabulary in different tenses and contexts.
Present tense examples:
- "Viajo en avión a España." (I travel by plane to Spain.)
- "El hotel tiene una piscina muy grande." (The hotel has a very big swimming pool.)
Past tense (preterite) examples:
- "Visitamos el castillo ayer." (We visited the castle yesterday.)
- "Tomé muchas fotos en la playa." (I took lots of photos on the beach.)
Future tense examples:
- "Voy a reservar una habitación." (I'm going to book a room.)
- "Haremos una excursión a las montañas." (We will go on a trip to the mountains.)
Expressing opinions:
- "Me encanta viajar en tren." (I love travelling by train.)
- "Las vacaciones fueron fantásticas." (The holidays were fantastic.)
Translation exercise
Practice using your new vocabulary with these translation challenges.
Translation Practice:
Spanish to English:
- "El aeropuerto está muy lejos del centro de la ciudad."
- "Durante las vacaciones, me gusta nadar en el mar y tomar el sol en la playa."
English to Spanish: 3. "We are going to visit the castle and then have lunch at a restaurant." 4. "The hotel room has a beautiful view of the mountains."
Answers:
- The airport is very far from the city centre.
- During the holidays, I like swimming in the sea and sunbathing on the beach.
- Vamos a visitar el castillo y después almorzar en un restaurante.
- La habitación del hotel tiene una vista preciosa de las montañas.
Key Points to Remember:
-
Learn vocabulary in themes - group transport words together, then accommodation, then activities. This makes them easier to remember and use in conversation.
-
Pay attention to gender markers - (m) for masculine and (f) for feminine. This affects the articles you use (el/la) and adjective agreements.
-
Practice with cognates - many travel words are similar to English (hotel, turista, restaurante), making them easier to learn.
-
Use the vocabulary in context - don't just memorise isolated words. Practice using them in sentences about your real or imaginary travel experiences.
-
Master key phrases - combine these vocabulary words with useful structures like "Me gusta..." (I like), "Quiero..." (I want), and "Voy a..." (I'm going to) to create meaningful sentences about travel and tourism.