Travelling There are many reasons for travelling. Probably the most common reason is tourism. People have always been curious about far-away places and cultures and travelling is really the only way to experience these different environments. Travelling for tourism is not limited to any age group. Even small children can travel with their parents on a family vacation to see another city, another region, or even another country. If you travel abroad you must be sure you have all the necessary documents like a passport and a visa to travel to a specific country. You need to arrange tickets to travel to the foreign country. You will also need to exchange some money into the local currency of the country where you are travelling. People also travel for other reasons. They might travel because of the requirements of their job. Sometimes business people and technicians must travel to conduct business or to attend training sessions. People might travel because they are moving, either by choice or because they are refugees. Another reason for travelling is to gather with family and friends from distant places. There are many means of transportation that can be used while travelling. A person can go by car, bus, train, airplane, boat, motorcycle, bicycle, or they can even walk. Some people who don't have a car or a lot of money can try hitchhiking. If you are travelling to a distant place it is often necessary to travel by plane. When people are travelling they may carry different kinds of luggage depending on the kind of trip. If they are going on a long journey they might take a big suitcase or a duffel bag. If they are going on shorter trip they might carry a tote bag, a briefcase, a knapsack, or a small rucksack. There are many advantages to travelling like fun, adventure, the excitement of seeing a new place, and learning about a new culture but there are also disadvantages. When you are travelling you don't have all your comforts from home, you are in an unfamiliar environment, you might not like the food that is available in a foreign country, or you might even meet dangerous people who would like to rob you. When you are travelling you must take extra precautions to be sure that you have a safe journey. I like travelling very much, because I can see many foreign cities and towns. I want to tell you about advantages and disadvantages of travelling by plane, bus, car, train and a ship. Travelling by plane
It´s very fast and comfortable kind of travelling. But it´s very expensive, and when we are travel by tourist class, we can have a health problems, because there is no space for leg. Some people, like my grandfother, can have health problems pressure too. Travelling by ship
It´s very comfortable and romantic but the ship isn´t so fast like plane and we can have a seasickness and after we must stay in the sick bay. Travelling by train
It´s my favourite kind of travelling. It can be fast, when I choose the express train and slow too, when I decide the passanger train. It can be a very nice family trip too. Travelling by bus
I hate buses, because there is no space for me and when is a rush hour I must wait for bus for a very long time and I can be late. The bus is quite cheap but very uncomfortable for me. Travelling by car
It is very pleasant when we have the own car but the petrol is expensive and it´s very unpleasant when we have a crash. We can travel by bus, plane, ship, metro etc. but I prefer train becouse it´s the most comfortable for me and it is the cheapest too. Why do people travel? There are many answers and reasons for it. 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. Everyday 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. People and goods can be transported by land, by air or by water. The main fact that speaks for water transport are 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. Traveling by sea, you can get a sea-sick. Going by air is very 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. For private use helicopters are usually bought. 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. 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 licence one must know how to drive and know the traffic rules well. One of the rules says that cars are to be driven on the right side of the road. This isn't true in Great Britain, there people drive on the left. 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. The bus and train stops in major cities are called stations. An ordinary railway station looks like this: a big hall with a ticket office where one can buy a single or return ticket and a seat reservation, the departures and arrivals board, a left luggage office or lockers, telephones, waiting halls, a restaurant, a drink machine, a book-stall and toilettes. In big cities underground with several different tracks have been built to relieve the trams and busses ( the most interesting of them are the famous double-deckers in London). They are the fastest means of urban transportation and the underground trains usually go every five minutes on average. Many workers and pupils depend on the underground every morning. It can take them at a low rate from the suburbs to the city and back. The taxi in big cities can just be called by phone or hailed while they pass by in the street, but it is too expensive. Another popular means of transportation is bicycle riding. And a very special type of travelling is hitch-hiking. Mostly it's used by young people who are not afraid of taking a risk. Some travellers get to very distant countries in this way. Young people travel mainly to improve their language skills and often also for fun and adventure. 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. When travelling on vacation we should look for accommodation. In the first place there are hotels and motels which differ 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. Then we can enjoy our stay with the help of some of the hotel's services- a restaurant, a bar, a coffee shop, a travel desk, a theatre ticket office, a hairdresser's shop and beauty salon or sports facilities like a swimming pool or a fitness centre. 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. Why do people travel? Basically, we travel every day. We need to get to school, work, shops etc. In order to reach these places, we can use various means of transport. For example, students usually travel by bus or bike. Nowadays many people travel by car, either their own or their company´s. Other means of transport are trains, planes, ships and even your own feet.
Another reason for traveling is to see different places, meet different people and culture. For this, people often travel abroad. The means of transport, then, vary from cars to planes, including trains and coaches - long-distance busses.
Traveling is a great way of collecting new experiences too. You are forced to speak to people, eat meals different to your national ones, get used to different ways of life and perhaps learn a new language too.
A popular way of traveling, mostly among young people, is hitch-hiking. It is definitely the cheapest way to get around and is also very amusing. The good thing about it is that you are not limited by the amount of money you can afford to spend on tickets or gas and you do not have to mind the bus and train schedules either. On the other hand, it is very risky and may often be dangerous.
Not only traveling is divided by different means of transport but also by different ways of planning: you can plan your holiday or journey just by yourself or with a help of a travel agency. There is an advantage of planning on your own - everything is up to you and you can change your plans after your needs. The travel agencies can either find you a place to stay and recommend things to see or completely take care of your holiday and plan its every second. That may be comfortable but is also rather binding.
People can travel on their own, with their family, friends or even within a group of people they never met before. Whatever might be our case, we should always remember that our holiday depends on how we make it. It can come out as a wonderful time that you will never forget but also a disappointing time of quarrels, argues and break-ups.
Things to see on our journeys and holidays depend on the place we choose to go to. We can aim on going to the countryside and go hiking or spend our time in towns and cities. However, in the countryside we can see beautiful woods, rivers, mountains and valleys, while in bigger places we can concentrate our attention on churches, cathedrals, museums, castles and chateaus.
Public transport in bigger cities is a certain way of traveling too. People in cities can make their way around by busses, trams and tube. You can also take a taxi but you have to be very careful as it can turn out to be very expensive.
Nowadays, the most common and popular means of transport is surely a car. Traveling by car has its advantages but also many disadvantages. It is rather quick and comfortable but also very dangerous - just take the statistics.
I myself travel the most in summer - two free months are quite an opportunity. Every year I go on a two-week holiday with my family. We always go to different places in the Czech Republic. Last year we have spent our time in South Bohemia. I also had the opportunity to visit Great Britain, Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland, Switzerland and Monaco. I like to travel very much. I most fancied Geneva, to name just one place abroad. As for the Czech Republic, I have no particular place that would be my most favorite. I like Prague, Tábor and Telč very much.

Transport Our international transport is carried (prováděn) for example by Cechofracht, Shipping and International Forwarding (zasilatelská) Corporation. Cechofracht act as agents, for foreign shipping companies and controls Czech sea going vessels (všechny lodě). The going abroad may be sent by post, rail, road, air, river and canal or sea.Carriage (přeprava) by land, river and air. Land transport makes use of railways or road vehicles. When sending goods by rail, the consigner (zasilatel) fills in a Consignment Note (nákladní list) Which gives the description and weight, the addresses, and party (strany) paying for the carriage, and an International Consignment Note in international railway transport. In road transport the document is called Delivery (dodací) Note or Waybill. (průvodka)

River transport has not a great importance (významný) for the Czech republic, which is without direct access (přístup) to the sea. In modern time and increasing (vzrůstá) amount (suma) of goods is travelling by air. Air cargo (náklad) falls into several groups:

- merchandise urgently required - medicines, spare parts (náhradní díly)

- cargoes of perishable nature (zkázepodléhající) - fruit, flowers, vegetable

- commodities having high value (hodnotu) - jewellery, furs (kožešiny), watches

The document used in a air transport is called Air Waybill.

Sea transport

The formalities connected with it are much more complicated. The most important documents are the bill of Lading (konosament) and the Charter party (smlouva o pronájmu lodi). The sea transport is diveded into two main classes: Tramp shipping and liner services. (trampová a liniová). Tramp shippong is used mainly co carry such bulk (velká) cargoes as coal, ores (rudy), grain, (obilí), timber (dřevo), etc. The advantage is thet the tramp steamer (parník) can be at the port when the cargo is to be moved. Tramps have no fixed time o sailing (stanovený jízdní řád) and no fixed routes and the freight rates (dopravní sazby) are relatively low. (nízký) Liner companies provide (zajišťují) regular traffic between ports in different parts of the world /both passengers and cargoes/ (osobní i nákaladní) As a rule liners are quicker than tramp steamers. They sail according to fixed schedule, (řád) have fixed routing - the rates are quoted according to fixed tariffs.

Travelling, it's a thing many people like to do. There are many reasons for travelling. People are fascinated by the foreign countries and their cultures.
We might travel besauce of the job or moving.
If you travel abroad you must have all the necessary documents like a passport. If you travel for example to USA you need a visa. We will need to exchange some money into the local currency of the country where we are travelling.
An everyday form of travelling may be going shopping, commuting to school, to work or visiting friends.
For example this weekend I'm going to visit my friend who live in Fulnek. I'm travelling by train. It takes time about 3 hours. So I can say, I'm going to travel.
The most common is tourism. This type of travelling isn't limited to any age group. Even small children can travel with their parents on a family holiday
People and also goods can be transported by land, by air or by water.
For short distances people usually go by foot. Somebody walks to school as me or to work. It's good for health.
The most public ways of transport are buses and trains and in some towns trams. This public transport is cheaper, but also less comfortable.
Disadvantage of transporting mainly by bus is that these vehicle is usually crowded. Unfortunatelly when you hurry or you need be somewhere in time. That's why I go to school by foot. In the morning when children go to school and in the afternoon when they go home it's the worst. I somethimes had to wait for the second bus because the first was crowded.
But somethimes it's useful mainly when it's bad weather. For example when it's raining, snowing, cold etc.
If you want to know when the bus is leaving you need timetable. You can find it in a bus stop or you can buy a booklet. You buy ticket in a bus driver. If you have a „ticket card“, the ticket costs 5,6 crowns. If you don't have it, it costs seven crowns. But if you are under 15 years, the price of the ticket is half.
We can use buses and mainly trams for transport in the town - for shorter distances. But transport by bus is right also for long distance. It's typical for travelling to foreign country. Travel agency offer either travel by bus or by plane.
In London the most interesting vehicles are the famous double-deckers.
Travelling by train it's more comfortable than by bus. But the trains are often delayed. We differ Express train called usually non-stop train (it doesn't stop an every station) and Slow train (it stops at every station). The train consists of locomotive and carriages. There are different forms of carriages. There is „restaurant“ carriage, carriage with compartments or with small rooms with beds, or a carriage only with seats. An railway station looks like a big hall with a ticket office where people can buy a ticket. They buy either single or a return ticket. There is also a seat reservation, the departures and arrivals board, a left luggage office or lockers, telephones and waiting halls. There can be a restaurant, a drink machine, a tobacconist's, a lavatory etc.
From this hall we go through the underpass directly onto the right platform. From the platform we get on the train and look for a free seats either in the non-smoking or smoking compartment. If all the seats are occupied we must move into another carriage and try again there. When the conductor comes we hand him the tickets and he checks them. After the train arrives we can get off. Somethimes we have to change.
In big cities we can find underground (subway). It's the fastes means of urban transportation. The underground trains usually go every five minutes on average.
The taxi can be called by phone or in big cities can be „hailed“ while it pass in the street.
The most usual transportion is by car. It's expensive to purchase. We also have to pay for petrol which if the vehicle has a big consumption, costs a lot of money. Travelling by car is typical for short and middle distances. The best thing about cars is that we can get anywhere at any time. But we can also get into a traffic jam. The compulsory equipment of the car is First Aid Kid, a red triangle, a spare wheel and also a spare can of petrol and a road map if we don't want to get lost. If we want to drive we have to get a driver's licence. So we must know how to drive and know the traffic rules. One of the rules is that cars are driven on the right side of the road. This isn't true for example in Great Britain. There people drive on the left.
The fastest way of travelling is going by plane, but it`s expensive. I think this way is very comfortable. We can get to any place in the world in a few hours. First we must buy a ticket. We can phone and book it or go to the airport. We differ single (one way ticket), return, first class (business) and second class (tourist) ticket. Also we can choose a seat in a smoking or non-smoking area. We should go to the airport a little earlier. At the airport we go through the passport control and security check. We have our luggage weight checked. It has a limited weight. On board we can have only some hand bag with some personal things, camera, passport, money etc. We give in (hand in) the air ticket and get a boarding card. We go to a departure hall and wait until the plane is ready for taking-off. Steward or stewardess take care of passengers. On a board, we find our seat, get our hand bag into the small cupboard above the seat and put our belt on.
Travelling by plane is quite safe but there is a possibility that the plane crashes.
I can't say what way of travelling is the most safe. We can walk and we can be „hurt“ by car. So there is always some dangerous.
The other ways of transportion is: hitch-hiking, cycling, taking a taxi, walking, hiking, climbing, rambling. We can go also by ship. But some people can become sea-sick.

ACCOMODATION

When we travel we should look for accommodation. In the first place there are hotels and motels which differ in price and comfort. Before our arrival we should make a reservation, book a room in a hotel. We can get single, double room or room with an extra bed. We can get full board or half board. First we go to a reception desk and check in. We get room's key. Somewhere a lift boy help us with our luggages. We shouldn't forget to leave some tip for him. In the room we unpack our luggage.
Then we can enjoy our stay with the help of some of the hotel's services - a restaurant, a bar, sports facilities like swimming pool or a fitness centre.
At the end of our staying we also check out and give a key to a receptionist. We have to pay fro our room and for services if they aren't included in price.
The motels are situated mostly by the roads.
The other kind of accommodiation is:
boarding house (penzion), you can stay in (with) a family but you have to arrange it before, camping - when you have a tant, camping site (place) - it's usually somewhere in nature and you don't pay for anything. The most common accommodation in Britain is B&B (Bed and Breakfast) - it includes breakfast in a price. Young people often stay in a hostel. Some tourists can stay at a farm or they rent a room on their own.

in the Czech republic

• 1^st January - New Year's Day

• 14^th February - St. Valentine's Day

• 28^th March - Teacher's Day

• March/April - Easter - Boys have stock whips, water and some sprays and they goes from house to house and hit girls with stock whips, pour water on them and they usually get painted eggs, sweets or chocolates.

• 1^st April - Fool's Day

• 1^st May - The Day of Work - The day of Work and workers, they do not go to work, they have holiday. In 1889 Communistic International said that 1^st May is the day of workers and since then it is still celebrated.

• 5^th May - May's rising of Czech nation

• 8^th May - The end of WW II. - The forces of Alliance came in Prague and beat Germany in Czechoslovakia.

• The Second Sunday in May - Mother's Day

• 1^st June - Children's Day

• 5^th June - The Day of Constantine and Method

• 6^th June - The Day of Jan Hus - Jan Hus had been burned in 1415.

• 28^th October - The Independence of The State of Czechoslovakia - Austria-Hungary had been beaten on 27^th October 1981.

• 17^th November - Day of Students' fight for freedom

• 24^th December - Christmas

• 31^st December - New Year's Eve - Big celebrations, till the morning, at 24 o'clock New Year's Toast, fireworks, with family or with friends.

in Great Britain

• St. Valentine*s Day on February 14^th is a lovers feast. People give gifts or send greeting cards called Valentines to people they like or admire. This day is named for an early Christian martyr.

• Easter is celebrated as in the rest of Europe. It is an ancient symbol of spring and new life. Christians remember Christ*s death and his resurrection (rising from the death, return to life).

• The mid-summer*s day on June 24^th is marked by various special celebrations. There is a sunrise ceremony at Stonehenge and in some parts of Scotland, Cornwall or Northumbria there are lit the mid-summer fires as in pre-Christian times when this ritual was performed to give strength to the Sun and drive out devils.

• Halloween (the Eve of all Saint*s Day) on October 31^st is a night of traditional fun and games. Children light pumpkin lanterns to ward off witches and evil spirits. They dress up in strange costumes, going round the houses and say „trick or treat“ and are given chocolate or candy. Halloween is associated with ancient Celtic customs such as fortune-telling and tales of witches and ghosts. These pagan traditions mark the beginning on winter.

• On Guy Fawkes Night (Day) on November 5^th English children are to be asking passers-by in the streets to *spare a penny for the guy*. The guy - a figure of a man, stuffed with straw , paper or old rags - usually stands somewhere nearby. This figure represents Guy Fawkes, the leader of a group of men who tried to blow up the British House of Parliament in 1605. But *The Gunpowder Plot* was discovered in last time, no explosion passed and G. Fawkes was arrested and executed. So on November 5^th people fire up bonfires and there are a lot of explosions of fireworks all over England. Most families have a fireworks parties this day. Bonfire Night, what is another name for this feast, was originally Protestant demonstrations against Roman Catholics (because Guy Fawkes was a Catholic) but now it is a good occasion for funny celebration.

• Remembrance Day on November 11^th is a ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall in London when two minutes of silence remember those killed in the two world wars.

• Christmas, a time of peace and friendly will between December 23^rd - 25^th was originally a pagan celebration of hope of good coming spring and their religious aspect grow up much later. A lot of things is prepared for this holidays and there is usually decoration all over the cities. Shop windows are turning into artistic scenes, they are lit up at night, you can heard some carols and there are many presents and Xmas cards to buy. There is of course Father Christmas (in the USA called Santa Clause) - a man dressed up in red robe, with a red chap on his head, thick white beard and reindeers put on into his slider which stopping outside the chimneys.

This celebration have a different course in Great Britain and in the Czech Republic. The final preparations for Christmas Day are done on Christmas Eve (24^th December) in UK. This day is most important in the Czech Republic and any other European countries but the British don*t celebrate it. They also haven*t got a decorated Xmas tree (like people in CR), but on Christmas Eve children hang up their stockings near the fireplace - Father Christmas come down the chimney at night and fill this stockings with lots of little gifts. Christmas presents are opened after breakfast on Christmas Day (25^th December) and there is traditionally lunch - roast turkey and Christmas pudding (often in GB, always in USA but in CR there is a fish on evening December 24^th). This special festive Xmas pudding is made of eggs, chopped candied peel , mixed dried fruit and shredded suet . It is covered with white sauce and burning of strong brandy. Those who find the *treasure* are supposed to have good luck in the coming year. The day after is Boxing Day (26^th December) - the day of evening parties and public celebrations.

• New Year*s Eve is the night of merry-making all over the land, especially in Scotland. They have family parties and at twelve o*clock they sing a songs. People gather in squares, link arms and sing. In Scotland they call the last day of the year Hogmanay and the first visitor on New Year brings good luck. They give each other a piece of coal and wish „Lang may your lum reek“ which express the hope that *your chimney will smoke for a long time*.

• Bank Holidays in England are held three times a year - on first Monday in May, on last Monday in May (or first in June) and on the last Monday in August (or last in September). The offices and banks of England are closed, no business houses, factories, shops or schools are open on these days. On Bank Holidays there are convoys of cars heading to the coast and the seaside are crowded of people. Many families take a picnic or tea party and enjoy their meal in the open. Many Londoners take their families to Hampstead Heath, a large park in Greater London where take place an annual fair.

• Royal Traditions

One of the many royal traditions is the State Opening of Parliament when the Queen reads the *Queen Speech*. This ceremony takes place every autumn and hundreds of people watch the procession as the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to the Houses of Parliament in a gold coach. In the House of Lords she sits on a throne, wearing a crown and Crown Jewels.

The Queen is also the only person in Britain with two birthdays. She was actually born on April 21^st but her *official* birthday is on the second Saturday in June. On this day there is the traditional ceremony called the Trooping the Colour. One regiment of foot guards and one regiment of horse guards *troop* the flag (*the colour*) in front of the Queen. It is a big and spectacular ceremony with brass bands every year.

• St. Patrick's Day - 17^th March - this festival come to the USA from Ireland. Everything turns green on this day - green food, green clothes. Millions of three-leafed shamrocks (representing the Holy Trinity) are used for decorations. In some places there are parades.

in the USA

• Martin Luther King Day held the third Monday in January is a remembrance day of a black clergyman and civil rights leader who preached the rights of black people which are not the second-class citizens. King was assassinated in 1968.

• Memorial Day on May 30^th (or last Monday in month) is a day in honour of those Americans who have given their lives to their country in all wars.

• Independence Day on July 4^th is the birthday of the USA.

• Veteran*s Day on November 11^th is a day in honour of those Americans who have served and given their lives in WW II. There is a official ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington D.C.

• Thanksgiving Day is celebrated every fourth Thursday in November. It remembers the first settlers - the Pilgrim Fathers - who came in 1620. It is mainly the family holiday - the whole family gathers together and enjoys a traditional dinner - roast turkey and pumpkin pies etc. This is also the day of gifts, charities and food for poor and homeless people.

There are also other holidays which have the tradition longer than the USA. Most of them came from Europe, especially from Britain and are celebrated by the majority of the population. The most important of these are e.g. St. Valentine*s Day, Halloween or Christmas.

mučedník

zmrtvýchvstání

na ochranu proti čarodejnicím

věštění

se ptají kolemjdoucích

sláma

hadry

gunpowder - střelný prach; „Puč se střelným prachem“

vůle, mysl

pohanský

náboženský význam získaly

sobi

průběh

punčochy

kandovaná ovocná kůra

krájeného loje

pálit

shromažďují se

státní svátky

nabitý, přeplněný

BrE - pouť, zábavní park

houfovat se, sešikovat se

dechové kapely

duchovní, kněz

kázal

zavražděn

poutník

shromáždit se

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