Travelling by various means of transport.

TRAVELLING.

Compose your own dialogues.

You are going to visit London. Ask your friend who has just come back from London about the places of interest of London, paying attention to such points as:

a) the best place to begin sightseeing;

b) architectural monuments;

c) famous museums and art galleries;

d) theatres and concert halls;

e) the most beautiful parks.

Life is impossible without travelling. People have travelled since the earliest days of the human history. In primitive times they did not travel for pleasure. They travelled on foot and their journeys were long, tiring and often dangerous. Nowadays travelling became a highly organised business, and every year millions of people travel long distances abroad on business trips or for holidays.

People travel by train, by plane, by boat, by coach, by motorcycle and by car. All ways of travelling have their advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the means of travelling depends on its purpose and people choose one according to their plans and destinations. If people want to reach their destination as quickly as possible speed is a very important factor for them. When you reach your place of destination in a few hours you realize all the advantages of travelling by air though it is the most expensive means of travel­ling. Air travel does save time. For many people the only unpleasant thing about that kind of travelling is that during take off and landing their ears hurt a little. In such cases it is advisable that one should chew a gum to relieve this little discomfort.

It is necessary to mention that nowadays the network of airlines has reached a new capacity. It operates throughout the year reaching out to all the important centres of the world. Distances under 2.000 km can be covered by modern passenger aircrafts without landing to refuel.

For almost everyone, safety is the most important factor. Many people are scared of flying. They never fly because they believe it is dangerous. In fact, it is probably much more dangerous to travel by car or to walk across a street. Air transport is really safer compared to road transport.

At the airport of today nothing is left to chance. To avoid confusion boarding passes are issued to passengers. They indicate the flight number and destination. Before boarding the plane the passengers must register at the airport. They are not allowed to take bulky luggage with them and can take only a small bag. When registering, the passengers are required to have their luggage weighed and registered. After that the attendant attaches a special tag to it to prevent it from getting lost.

The advantage of travelling by air is that it is the fastest way of travelling and the most convenient one. The airplane armchairs are very cozy, and they are equipped with safety belts. When the plane takes off, the stewardess gives the passengers all the information about the flight, the speed and the altitude at which the plane will be flying. She asks the passengers to fasten seat belts and not to smoke during the flight. Then she offers them some mineral water, lemonade and sweets. The stewardesses are usually very amiable and cater for the passengers' wants and needs. If passengers want something during the flight, they are to press a button with a pictogram of a stewardess, and she will immediately come to their help. Well, the only trouble with air travelling seems to be airsickness.

Although we all seem to agree that the future belongs to travelling by air, railway transport is still one of the cheapest ways of transporting freight over long distances and the railways today carry the bulk of passenger and goods traffic. Though travelling by train is slower than by plane, but its advantage is that you can see interesting places of the country you are travelling through. But some journeys are long and tiresome. Trains stop at many stations and are often delayed. It is usually stuffy in the cars. But there are overnight and long distance trains in which sleeping cars and dining cars make even the longest journey enjoyable. People who prefer comfort to speed travel in a compartment car where they can relax during the journey and enjoy themselves as much as possible. There are two or four berths in a compartment. While en route from one place to another the passenger may enjoy his three hot meals a day. The dining car will cater for all tastes. The luggage van relieves one of the bother of taking care of trunks and suitcases. Luggage can be registered through to one's destination. Then the only thing you have to carry about is the luggage receipt. So speed, comfort and safety are the main advantages of trains and planes. That is why many people prefer them to all other means of travelling.

Travelling by sea is popular mostly for pleasure trips. Besides, ships usually reach the port of destination on time according to their schedule. A sea-voyage is very pleasant. From May to November the season is at its height and the passenger traffic is very heavy.

All the sea-going liners combine passengers' comfort with speed. They are real floating cities with all modern conveniences and a wide choice of sport and entertainment facilities. They also have a number of decks, which go under all sorts of names, such as “promenade deck”, “sun deck”, etc. If you are not a poor sailor, you can walk up and down the deck in any weather but storm.

There are passenger cabins above and below deck. A cabin looks very much like a compartment of a railway sleeping car, but the windows are altogether different. In a cabin they are known as portholes, round windows in the ship's side made of very thick glass.

When boarding a ship the passenger is given a number of labels and tags for his luggage. He pastes the labels on his trunks and other pieces of luggage that he does not need during the voyage. This means that this particular piece of luggage is not wanted in the cabin but is to be stored for safe keeping in the hold or special luggage-room.

The radio keeps the passengers in touch with the latest events on shore. A team of stewards and stewardesses keep the cabins clean and tidy, and cater for the passengers' wants and needs and restaurants and bars take care of their appetites.

Travelling by sea is about as safe as walking the streets because you can always count on the many lifeboats in case of emergency.

Many people prefer travelling by car. It is very convenient. The advantages of this way of travelling are that you can plan your trip. You needn't reserve your tickets. You are not afraid of missing your train or plane. You needn't carry heavy suitcases. You can stop wherever you wish and spend at any place as long as you like. But at the same time you are to think about many other things. For example, you should know what to do if your car breaks down.

At present, taking into account travelling expenditures, which are inevitable, no matter what means of travelling you choose, many our compatriots think, that the best way of travelling is hiking. It is becoming very popular nowadays. Many people usually spend their days off and holidays in the country. There are picturesque places with forests, lakes and rivers everywhere. The aim of their travelling isn't only to admire the beauty of these places but also to see ancient monuments and other places of cultural and historical interest.

Nowadays travelling abroad is very popular. While travelling abroad you have to go through cus­toms, sometimes several times.

As a rule the customs officers check your passports and visas if they are required. When coming to some countries you may need a health certificate or a certificate of vacci­nation. If you have anything to declare, then you are to fill in the declaration form.

The customs officers may ask you to show your luggage to them. Usually articles for personal use and wear and also used items and gifts are not liable to duty anywhere. If you are carrying much currency you should also declare it. If you are carrying weapons you need a permit. Although some items are liable to duty, if you carry only a small amount of them, they are duty free.

Occasionally the customs officers may take some of your things for a more detailed inspection but usually they return them soon.

Do not try to break the customs rules and regulations because you may have a lot of troubles.

But when we get tired of relaxation we become home-sick and feel like returning home. We realize that "East or West - home is best" as the famous saying goes.

Vocabulary notes

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