Téma: Travelling, transport and tourism
Predmet: Angličtina
Zaslal(a): Jan Lapuník
There are many reasons why people travel. The fact is that for many of us travelling is a true hobby.
People travel to visit places that are close or far away, they travel for fun or from necessity. Travelling takes up more time in our lives than most of us imagine. Every day we must travel to school, to work or visiting friends. There are two ways of travelling: one is using our own means of transport and the other is to rely on the public transportation services.
Progress of traveling
These days, people travel much more than they did in the past. There are new means of transport, cars and planes have become faster and tickets are cheaper so more and more people can afford to travel to faraway places. Travel has never been easier than today. If you have enough time and money you can get almost everywhere.
Reasons to travel
When travelling you come across various people, learn about their culture and habits, maybe learn a foreign language, taste foreign cuisine and compare life in those countries with that in your own country. Most people like visiting sightseeing like castles, palaces, ruins of castles, churches etc. which is another reason for travelling. Getting-to-know other countries undoubtedly broadens horizons.
The ways of travelling
Land offers the greatest variety of means of transport. There are motor road vehicles and bicycles on the one hand and rail on the other. As personal vehicles, motorcycles and cars are the most popular. There are also other means of transport on four wheels – buses and trolleybuses. Of rail vehicles, which are almost designed for public use, we could mention trains, trams, and the underground. In cities, transport is provided by different means such as buses, trolleybuses, trams, taxis and even underground or city trains. Travelling by bus can sometimes be rather uncomfortable but it has constantly been improving.
There are many ways of travelling. The most primitive one and maybe the cheapest is travel on foot. Longer walk in the surroundings or a trip can be called travelling. For shorter distances the bike is a good means of transport as it´s relatively quick, economical and environment-friendly.
The car is, by far the most popular means of transport. Cars and motorbikes are expensive to purchase and people also have to pay for petrol, which costs a lot of money. For short and middle distances a car is fast enough so as not to get too tired by travelling, unless we get into a traffic jam. The best thing about cars is that they will take you almost anywhere at any time. Modern cars with soft seats and a lot of space for the legs are sometimes even more comfortable than the interior of a plane. To get a driver’s license one must know how to drive and know the traffic rules well. As roads have improved, the number of cars has also risen, and this has led to more road accidents. Roads are often crowded with cars and lorries and bikers.
The most frequent public means of transport are buses and trains. The network of bus and train stops covers most inhabited places. Public transport is cheaper, but also less comfortable.
Going by air is still pretty expensive but is the fastest way of travelling. An air ticket ensures us a comfortable seat on the plane which can fly us to any place in the world within a few hours. The air transportation system is strictly dependent on the timetable. At the airport we go through the passport control and security check, have our luggage (which has a limited weight of course) checked and then wait until the plane is ready for take-off. When we are lucky and our flight is neither cancelled nor postponed we can look forward to a safe landing on the runway of another airport.
On oceans and seas, there are various oceans liners, luxurious steamers and tankers transporting oil, corn and other goods. The main fact that speaks for water transport is the relatively small costs. Ferries, ocean liners and other steamboats take quite much time to carry you to the place of destination. The advantage is, that you can take more luggage.
Hitchhiking is a very special way of travelling. It´s mainly used by the young who do not need so much comfort, do not have so much money and are not afraid of taking risks. They are seen on motorways thumbing a lift or waiting at laybys for drivers who are willing to give them a lift.
Travelling without an agency
When travelling on vacation we should look for accommodation. In the first place there are hotels and motels which are different in price and comfort. Before our arrival we should make a reservation, book a room in such a hotel. We can get bed and breakfast or full board at a daily or weekly rate. The motels are situated mostly by the roads. The guest can park his car at the door of his own room. A special kind of accommodation for young people are youth hostels, where it is possible to stay overnight at a low rate but only for limited times. Some tourists prefer to stay at a farm or they rent a room on their own.
Travelling with an agency
If we prefer not to travel alone, we can take advantage of the services offered by travel agencies, who will usually take care of all our needs. They will take care of our accommodation, transportation, health insurance, accident and baggage insurance. It is very important to have a valid passport. It is also good to get an international health insurance card.