What do you usually take with you when you go travelling? Do you change money before visiting another country? What is the longest journey you've ever made? How do you usually spend your time? What is the best and worst thing about travelling? 
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Read the conversation between a European person (Emily) and a Chinese person (Irene). It may give you some travel ideas as well as inspiration. 

Pay close attention to word combinations. You can also take notes in your notebook. 

Emily: What do you usually take with you when you go travelling? 
Irene: I always take my camera as well as make-up and clothes. I love taking photos when I travel.
As far as shopping, I prefer paying by card. I know that some people prefer changing money before visiting another country which is quite a good idea. I like buying local souvenirs because they remind me of the places I've been to. Having a guidebook is also essential for me. It helps me during my trips and I make sure I don't miss anything. Sometimes I bring my laptop with me because I can find information online and Internet access is really important when travelling. You can check hotels and book tickets as well. Electronic devices are definitely a must. 
Emily: Do you usually travel with your family or your friends? 
Irene: Most of the time I travel with my family, but sometimes I travel with friends. 
Emily: What is the longest journey you've ever made? 
Irene: I usually travel for about two weeks, sometimes even one. I've been to Canada, France and Spain and I spent two weeks in each country. 
Emily: What's the best place you've been to? 
Irene: Definitely Europe. I love France and Spain. I hope to have the opportunity to visit other European countries in the future. 
Emily: Chinese people love Europe so much. What do you like most? 
Irene: The architecture, the food and the people are amazing. 
Emily: What is the best and worst thing about travelling to a new country? 
Irene: The best things about travelling are experiencing a different culture and trying local food. The thing I worry the most is safety. I always consider that before travelling and when I choose what countries and cities to visit. I also think about the language. When I went to France and Spain, for instance, I couldn't communicate with local people because of the language barrier. We rented a car but when we went to a petrol station, we didn't know how to fill up the tank ourselves. It was a self-service petrol station. Everyone knew how to do it but because we didn't know how to ask them in their language, we just waited there. This happened in a small town in France and people there didn't speak English. Some people didn't know how to ask us, but finally a couple who spoke English helped us fill up our car. I still remember them and the way the helped us. 
Emily: Oh, that's really kind of them. Well, it's always challenging to do something for the first time, isn't it?
Irene: Yes, that's true. 
Emily: When you travel, how do you spend your time? 
Irene: My husband and I have different interests. I prefer going to cities with long history, magnificent architecture, and I also enjoy visiting museums, whereas my husband and my son prefer places with natural beauty. Or they go to beaches with beautiful sea views. They can lie on the beach all day long. They never go anywhere else. Sometimes we go to beaches in Thailand. For me, it's a terrible thing. Why would someone stay at the seaside all day long? It's so boring. You can go to other places, communicate with local people and try delicious food. I like to explore the city I go to whereas my husband and my son only want to relax. They like sunbathing and sitting around doing nothing. 
Emily: I see. I also do quite a lot of sightseeing. The most important thing is that you all have a good time. Let me ask you something. Who in your family travels the most? 
Irene: I like travelling the most, but maybe my parents. After their retirement, they travel several times a year. Sometimes they travel within China and sometimes they go abroad. They have a lot of free time. 
Emily: This reminds me of a question regarding pensions. When Chinese people retire, do they get enough money? 
Irene: Not all elderly people, but if those living in the cities had a stable job before retirement, after that they have enough money for travelling. Most of them have savings and they can afford it. My parents seldom go shopping. They don't buy anything special. They travel for the experience and they don't spend much when travelling. 
Emily: What was the last place your parents visited? 
Irene: They went to Egypt several months ago. Last month they went to a city in China with beautiful natural scenery. Recently they went to a valley nearby Shanghai. I encourage my parents to travel as much as they can. They usually travel in a group. It's more convenient for them. 
Emily: Do you sometimes travel all together? I mean, your family and your parents. 
Irene: Several years ago we travelled together, but recently my parents started travelling in a group. They think it's better for them. If they travel with us, we sometimes go to places they don't like. Another thing is that when we travel abroad, we do it during the summer holiday. At this time of the year, the airfare is higher. My parents don't necessarily travel in the summer because they have plenty of free time and they can choose another time of the year. They can travel on working days when the airfare is cheaper. 
Emily: Where would you like to go on vacation? 
Irene: I always feel excited before I go on vacation. I think that if you choose the right person to travel with, it doesn't matter where you go. 

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TASK:
Answer the questions below.

1. Do you usually change money before going abroad? 
2. What is your favourite type of holiday? 
3. How do you spend your time? 

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​Are you interested in travelling abroad? Where would you like to go?
Do you have experience organising a trip yourself? Who do you usually travel with? 

Read the conversation between a European person (Jane) and a Chinese person (Kaylin). It may give you some travel ideas as well as inspiration. 

Pay close attention to word combinations. You can also take notes in your notebook. 

Jane: Do you have any plans for the summer? 
Kaylin: No, I don't have plans for the summer, but I'm going to Italy in October. I find Europe really beautiful and people there are so nice and friendly. The air quality is much better compared to China. I always travel with my husband, daughter and sometimes with my parents-in-law. The only thing I usually worry about before travelling abroad is safety. I've heard that Europe is currently not that safe and I'm a little bit worried. But I think this is not a major problem because we organised the trip with a local travel agency. We booked the flight tickets and we applied for tourist visas ourselves. After we arrive in Rome, an employee from the travel agency will pick us up at the airport. We are going to spend 7 days in Italy and 4 days in France. 
Jane: Which cities are you going to visit in Italy? 
Kaylin: We're going to visit Rome, Milan and Florence. 
Jane: So it's an organised trip, isn't it? 
Kaylin: Yes, it's organised in Italy. We've been to France before so we don't need an organised trip there and we can travel ourselves. In France, we're going to Paris and Nice. 
Jane: So you said you had already booked your tickets. Who are you travelling with? 
Kaylin: I'm going with my husband, daughter and some friends. We're five adults and one kid. 
Jane: I see. Is there any reason for choosing Italy? 
Kaylin: Yes, because Italy is my ideal country. I searched for information about these cities on the Internet. Some friends of mine told me about Italy and how beautiful it is. I'm interested in the country's history as well. Unfortunately, it's a traditional Chinese holiday in October and the ticket prices are a bit too high at that time of the year. 
Jane: How much does it cost per adult? 
Kaylin: I bought round-trip tickets and it was about 7,500 RMB per person. That's over $1,000. 
Jane: Isn't it cheaper for children? 
Kaylin: It's not cheap, actually. There's only a 10% discount. 
Jane: Well, that's not much. 

... 

Kaylin: Do you have any plans to visit Shanghai? 
Jane: I'd love to but I think it would be expensive. 
Kaylin: What do you think would be expensive? 
Jane: I think the flight tickets and also hotels. 
Kaylin: I think you should take advantage of the low-season airfares. For example, you can visit China from March till June or in November and December. Do you like cold weather? 
Jane: Not really. (both laughing) 
Kaylin: Then, I suggest you come to Shanghai in May or June. 
Jane: Apart from Shanghai, what other places would you recommend? 
Kaylin: Beijing, it's a historic city. 
Jane: I would like to visit the Forbidden City. To be honest, I don't really know many tourist attractions in Beijing. 

... 

Jane: I know that a lot of tourists visit China every year. Do you think they need to be careful when travelling in your country? 
Kaylin: I think Chinese people should change their mindset. For instance, cars won't stop for people to cross the street. I've been to other countries and drivers would always stop for us. It's terrible when people don't obey the rules in a country. 
Jane: What other advice would you give to tourists? What do you think would be useful for them to know? 
Kaylin: Probably food... Let me think. I guess, that's not a big problem. There are plenty of restaurants people can choose from. I think foreigners need to take the weather into account. Temperatures vary a great deal depending on the area. I think spring is the best time to visit China. 
Jane: Yes, it's a huge country, so I'm sure the weather can be quite different when you travel within the country. 

... 

Jane: There are a lot of people nowadays who organise their trips by themselves and they are solo travellers. Have you ever travelled alone? 
Kaylin: No, I haven't. I don't like travelling alone. Even when I'm on business trips, I always travel with a colleague. I'm scared to travel only by myself. 

... 

Jane: Have you ever had any bad hotel experience? 
Kaylin: Yes, I have. 
Jane: Where did it happen? 
Kaylin: In Thailand. The room was not very clean and their room service was not that satisfying. 
Jane: Do you remember the star rating? 
Kaylin: I'm not completely sure if it was 3 or 4 stars. Thailand is a popular tourist destination and I actually thought the quality of their service would be better. 
Jane: And how many times have you been to Thailand? 
Kaylin: I've been there twice. 
Jane: Which cities did you go to? 
Kaylin: I went to Phuket and Chiang Mai. 
Jane: Yeah, I know these places. Would you visit Thailand in the future? 
Kaylin: So far I have no plans to visit it again. 
Jane: What Asian countries would you like to visit and you haven't visited yet? 
Kaylin: I haven't been to Taiwan and Vietnam yet. 


TASK:
Leave a comment below and tell us about your recent travel experience or anything you like to share about travelling in your country or abroad. 

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When you are talking to people, it is really important to start a conversation as well as keep it going. Here's a very good example how you can have an informative and engaging conversation with someone. 

This is a real conversation between a European person (Jane) and a Chinese person (Kaylin). 

Jane: Where did you go on your last holiday? 
Kaylin: I went to Hokkaido. It is in the north part of Japan. 
Jane: Wow, that's great. I've never been to Japan. Who did you go with? 
Kaylin: I went there with my husband last month. We wanted to relax, and also go shopping. 
Jane: Sounds good! How long did you stay? 
Kaylin: We stayed there for almost six days. We booked a hotel online in advance. 
Jane: Isn't it expensive there? I've heard it's really expensive in Japan. 
Kaylin: It depends on which city you go to. In the north part of Japan, it's not that expensive compared to Tokyo, for example. Tokyo is an expensive city. But I think that if you choose Airbnb, it's not that pricey. It's around 200 or 300 RMB per night. Airbnb is way cheaper than a hotel. 
Jane: Who makes travel decisions in your family? 
Kaylin: Sometimes it's me, sometimes it's my husband who makes travel decisions. Actually, my friends suggested to go to Japan and we decided to join them. 
Jane: Was that your first time in Japan? 
Kaylin: Well, we go to Japan twice a year. 
Jane: Twice a year? Wow, that's quite often, actually. And why do you prefer going to Japan that often? 
Kaylin: I like going to Japan because of the culture and the distance. It only takes us two hours to get there by plane. 
Jane: I see. Do you prefer visiting other countries or travelling in China? 
Kaylin: I prefer both. I think there are really beautiful places in China. For instance, Xinjiang and Xizang provinces are more beautiful than foreign countries. 
Jane: Are these places far from Shanghai? 
Kaylin: If you want to go to Xinjiang, it's a 5-hour flight, and to Xizang, it's a 3-hour flight. Yes, it's far from Shanghai. 
Jane: Actually, Japan is closer to Shanghai. 
Kaylin: Yeah, Japan and South Korea are closer to Shanghai. 
Jane: Have you been to South Korea? 
Kaylin: Yes, I went there in October last year. We have a long holiday in China at that time of the year because it's a national holiday. 
Jane: Which city did you visit? 
Kaylin: We went to Seoul, but I think it's not very tourist-friendly. Personally, I prefer going to Japan. 
Jane: If you compare Japanese and Korean cuisine, which one do you like more? 
Kaylin: Of course, Japanese food. 
Jane: Really? I've actually heard that a lot of people prefer Korean food more. 
Kaylin: Korean food is spicy to me. I think Japanese food is more delicious. 
Jane: What countries would you like to visit in the future? 
Kaylin: I want to go to Italy next year. I'm not planning to go anywhere this year. I would also like to visit Spain and the UK. In 2015, I went to Germany, the Netherlands and France. 

... 

Jane: What do you need before you travel to another country? What do you need to prepare? 
Kaylin: It depends where I'm going to. If I choose Europe or the USA, I usually take some Chinese food with me. I don't like Western food. I'm Chinese, and I like rice and noodles. I went to the USA in 2016 and I didn't like their food. Even though there are Chinese restaurants in Europe and the USA, the food there is very expensive. 
Jane: So you went to the US last year? Which cities did you go to? 
Kaylin: I went to San Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles. To be honest, I like Europe more. 
Jane: What's the best way to find travel deals? How do you usually organise your trips? 
Kaylin: We always travel with my friends. One of us books the tickets, someone else books hotels, and another person finds information about food and local dishes. 
​Jane: That's a great idea. I think I should do the same next time I decide to travel. Do you prefer going on a package tour or a tour you organise and book yourself? 
Kaylin: I prefer to organise everything myself. If you choose a travel agency, it is more expensive than doing it yourself, and it is not that flexible. 
Jane: Yes, you're right. Do you usually travel with a lot of luggage or do you like to travel light? 
Kaylin: It depends on which country I'm going to. When I went to Japan, I bought some Japanese cosmetics. 
Jane: Great. So was it expensive? 
Kaylin: It depends on the brand. Local brands are not very expensive. 

... 

Jane: What kind of holidays do you like? Do you like warm or cold weather? 
Kaylin: I like summer holidays. Holidays for me are just for relaxing, spending time with my family, and shopping as well. 
Jane: Have you had any bad experience when travelling? 
Kaylin: Well, I think Korean people are not very nice and friendly, and I find their food a bit expensive. In Thailand, for instance, people are friendly, but I don't like their tipping culture. You always need to leave a tip. It's the same in the USA. 
Jane: In China, you don't leave a tip, right? 
Kaylin: Yes, there are no tips. 


TASK:
Leave a comment below and tell us about your recent travel experience or anything you like to share about travelling in your country or abroad. 


Other lessons:
City Life – Going out 
Cities – Talk about your area 
Story Time: Travelling in Spain 
Story Time: Travelling in France 
Confusing words in English: Famous vs. Popular 
Confusing words in English: Crowded vs. Congested 

English conversation lessons: 
English Conversation: Travel opinions 
English Conversation: Travelling in Europe and Asia 
English Conversation: Buying sunscreen products at a store 
English Conversation: Socialising with people and working in coffee shops 


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