VOCABB1/B2Travel English Italian learner editionEdizione per studenti italiani

Phrasal Verbs for Travel and TripsPhrasal Verbs for Travel and Trips

Learn the most useful phrasal verbs for airports, hotels, transport, holidays and travel problems — with Italian learner traps, real contexts and practical speaking/writing tasks.Impara i phrasal verbs più utili per aeroporti, hotel, trasporti, vacanze e problemi di viaggio — con errori tipici italiani, contesti reali e pratica di speaking/writing.

set offcheck inget aroundpick updrop offrun out ofhead back

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If the student is logged in, these fields can be auto-filled by the platform. Otherwise, the student can complete them manually.Se lo studente ha effettuato l’accesso, questi campi possono essere compilati automaticamente dalla piattaforma. Altrimenti può completarli manualmente.

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1. See them in context1. Guarda i phrasal verbs nel contesto

“We set off early because our plane was due to take off at 9. After we checked in, a taxi picked us up and dropped us off near the hotel. The next day, we looked around the old town and tried to get around without using taxis.” “We set off early because our plane was due to take off at 9. After we checked in, a taxi picked us up and dropped us off near the hotel. The next day, we looked around the old town and tried to get around without using taxis.”
Meaning in simple ItalianSignificato in italiano semplice

set off = partire / mettersi in viaggio.

take off = decollare.

check in = fare il check-in in aeroporto o in hotel.

pick someone up / drop someone off = andare a prendere qualcuno / lasciare qualcuno in un luogo.

look around / get around = visitare un posto / muoversi in un posto.

2. The complete travel phrasal verb map2. La mappa completa dei phrasal verbs di viaggio

Core idea:Idea centrale:

Travel phrasal verbs help you speak naturally about movement, accommodation, transport, plans and problems. They are common in real conversation, emails and travel situations.I phrasal verbs di viaggio ti aiutano a parlare in modo naturale di spostamenti, alloggi, trasporti, piani e problemi. Sono comuni nella conversazione reale, nelle email e nelle situazioni di viaggio.

Starting and movingPartire e muoversi

set off / head for / get around

We set off at 6 a.m. and headed for the airport.

It is easy to get around London by underground.

Italian trap: Non dire go around the city se intendi “muoversi in città”. Usa get around the city.

Airport and transportAeroporto e trasporti

check in / take off / get on / get off

We checked in online before the flight.

The plane took off late because of bad weather.

Italian trap: Per autobus, treni e aerei usa spesso get on/get off. Per auto e taxi usa get in/get out of.

Hotel and practical travelHotel e viaggio pratico

check out / pick up / drop off / fill in

We checked out at 10 and left our bags at reception.

The shuttle picked us up and dropped us off at the terminal.

Italian trap: Pick up è separabile: pick me up, non pick up me.

Problems and changesProblemi e cambiamenti

run out of / hold up / call off / end up

We ran out of cash, so we had to find an ATM.

The traffic held us up and we ended up missing the train.

Italian trap: End up = finire per / ritrovarsi a. Non è sempre “finish”.
Useful object-position rule:Regola utile sulla posizione dell’oggetto:
  • Pick up Luca or pick Luca up = both possible.
  • Pick him up = correct. Pick up him = wrong.
  • Drop me off at the station = very natural travel English.

3. Italian brain vs English brain3. Cervello italiano vs cervello inglese

Italian students often translate literally. These alternatives sound much more natural in English.Gli studenti italiani spesso traducono letteralmente. Queste alternative suonano molto più naturali in inglese.

ItalianoLiteral / weak EnglishNatural English
Siamo partiti presto.We departed early.We set off early.
L’aereo è decollato in ritardo.The plane departed late.The plane took off late.
Ci hanno lasciati all’hotel.They left us at the hotel.They dropped us off at the hotel.
Siamo rimasti senza benzina.We finished petrol.We ran out of petrol.
Abbiamo visitato un po’ la città.We visited around the city.We looked around the city.

4. How to use travel phrasal verbs in real context4. Come usare i phrasal verbs di viaggio nel contesto

Use them when you want to sound natural in practical travel situations, not only in grammar exercises.Usali quando vuoi sembrare naturale in situazioni pratiche di viaggio, non solo negli esercizi di grammatica.

At the airport
check in, go through security, take off, touch down, pick up luggage
In the city
get around, look around, stop over, head back, come across a place
Problems
run out of money, get held up, call off a trip, sort out a booking
Natural mini-story:
We set off early, but we got held up in traffic. Luckily, the plane took off late, so we still had time to check in and go through security.

5. Common mistakes5. Errori comuni

❌ We departed at six.

Not wrong, but often too formal for a normal trip story.Non è sbagliato, ma spesso è troppo formale per raccontare un viaggio normale.

✅ We set off at six.
❌ Can you pick up me at the airport?

With pronouns, put the object in the middle.Con i pronomi, metti l’oggetto in mezzo.

✅ Can you pick me up at the airport?
❌ We got down from the train.

Use “get off” for trains, buses and planes.Usa “get off” per treni, autobus e aerei.

✅ We got off the train.
❌ We finished money.

Use “run out of” when you have no more of something.Usa “run out of” quando qualcosa finisce e non ne hai più.

✅ We ran out of money.

6. Concept Check Questions6. Domande di controllo del concetto

These questions check meaning before vocabulary practice.Queste domande controllano il significato prima della pratica lessicale.

1. “We set off at 7.” What does it mean?“We set off at 7.” Cosa significa?
2. “We ran out of petrol.” What happened?“We ran out of petrol.” Cosa è successo?
3. “The shuttle picked us up.” What did the shuttle do?“The shuttle picked us up.” Cosa ha fatto lo shuttle?
4. “It is easy to get around Rome.” What does it mean?“It is easy to get around Rome.” Cosa significa?

7. Quick Check — choose the phrasal verb7. Quick Check — scegli il phrasal verb

1. The plane will _____ at 10:30.
2. We need to _____ before we can go to our room.
3. We should _____ the train at the next stop.
4. We spent the afternoon _____ the old town.
5. Sorry, the traffic _____ us _____.

8. Challenge Check — meaning and naturalness8. Challenge Check — significato e naturalezza

1. Choose the most natural sentence.Scegli la frase più naturale.
2. Which sentence is correct?Quale frase è corretta?
3. Best translation: “Siamo rimasti senza contanti.”Traduzione migliore: “Siamo rimasti senza contanti.”
4. Choose the correct travel phrase.Scegli l’espressione corretta.
5. “We need to sort out the booking.” What does it mean?“We need to sort out the booking.” Cosa significa?

9. Write it in English9. Scrivi in inglese

Translate the Italian sentence into natural English. Use the target phrasal verb.Traduci la frase in inglese naturale. Usa il phrasal verb target.

1. Siamo partiti alle sei.
2. Puoi venirmi a prendere all’aeroporto?
3. Siamo rimasti senza soldi.
4. Abbiamo visitato un po’ la città vecchia.
5. Il traffico ci ha ritardati.

10. Cambridge-style transformations and correction10. Trasformazioni stile Cambridge e correzione

Rewrite the sentence naturally using a travel phrasal verb.Riscrivi la frase in modo naturale usando un phrasal verb di viaggio.

1. Rewrite naturally:

We departed early in the morning.

2. Rewrite naturally:

The taxi left us at the hotel.

3. Rewrite naturally:

We had no petrol left.

4. Rewrite naturally:

It is easy to travel inside the city.

5. Rewrite naturally:

We discovered a lovely café by chance.

11. Mini dialogue practice11. Mini dialogo pratico

Choose the most natural reply.Scegli la risposta più naturale.

A: “What time should we leave for the airport?”

12. Guided writing task12. Writing guidato

Write a short message to a friend about a trip. Include at least four travel phrasal verbs.Scrivi un breve messaggio a un amico su un viaggio. Includi almeno quattro phrasal verbs di viaggio.

set off
check in / checked in
pick someone up
drop someone off
run out of
get around / look around
Capital letters + punctuation + 30+ words
Model answer:

Hi Luca, our trip was great, although we set off very early. The taxi picked us up at the hotel and dropped us off at the airport. After we checked in, we had time to look around the shops, but we nearly ran out of time before boarding.

13. How to use these phrasal verbs in real life13. Come usare questi phrasal verbs nella vita reale

Vocabulary becomes useful when you connect it to real situations: travel planning, airport problems, hotel messages and holiday stories.Il vocabolario diventa utile quando lo colleghi a situazioni reali: organizzare un viaggio, problemi in aeroporto, messaggi all’hotel e racconti di vacanza.

Use them in speakingUsali nello speaking

Use phrasal verbs to tell a travel story more naturally: what time you set off, what held you up, how you got around and what you came across.Usa i phrasal verbs per raccontare un viaggio in modo più naturale: a che ora sei partito, cosa ti ha ritardato, come ti sei mosso e cosa hai scoperto per caso.

Example:
We set off at 8, got held up in traffic and ended up checking in just in time.

Use them in writingUsali nel writing

In travel emails and messages, phrasal verbs make your English sound practical and fluent, especially when giving updates or explaining problems.Nelle email e nei messaggi di viaggio, i phrasal verbs rendono l’inglese più pratico e fluente, soprattutto quando dai aggiornamenti o spieghi problemi.

Example:
Our flight was called off, so we had to sort out a new booking.
Want a lasting method to really learn English?Vuoi un metodo duraturo per imparare davvero l’inglese?

Book a consultation with us and we will help you understand the best path for your level, objectives and timetable.Prenota un colloquio con noi: ti aiuteremo a capire il percorso più adatto al tuo livello, ai tuoi obiettivi e ai tuoi tempi.

Book a consultationPrenota un colloquio

14. Final score and report14. Punteggio finale e report

Check the score, identify weak areas and download or save the result.Controlla il punteggio, identifica le aree deboli e scarica o salva il risultato.

Your resultIl tuo risultato

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