20 travel idioms
People around the world love to travel, and English is often the most useful language to know when you’re exploring new places. Understanding travel idioms not only boosts your English skills but also helps you blend in with locals. Travel idioms can make your conversations sound more natural and make you feel like a native speaker while you’re on the road.
Hit the road
To begin a journey.
Off the beaten track
In a place where few people go, far from any main roads and towns.
Travel light
To bring very few things with you when you go on a trip.
Red-eye flight
A flight that departs late at night and arrives early in the morning.
Itchy feet
A strong desire to travel or move from place to place.
Road warrior
Someone who travels frequently, especially for business.
Mile-high club
The unofficial term for people who have had sexual intercourse on an airplane.
Frequent flyer
Someone who travels often by plane, usually accumulating points or miles for their trips.
Get the travel bug
To develop a strong desire to travel widely.
Pack it in
To stop what you’re doing, often because it’s not successful, or to end a trip.
Smooth sailing
An easy and unobstructed journey.
Globe-trotter
Someone who travels frequently to various places around the world.
At a crossroads
At a point where a crucial decision must be made, often influencing one’s journey.
Jet set
A group of wealthy individuals who travel frequently for leisure.
On the fly
To do something quickly without planning in response to a situation.
Land on your feet
To recover well from a difficult situation, which can include traveling mishaps.
Explore all avenues
To investigate or try every possible means to find a solution or achieve something, often while traveling.
Burn bridges
To permanently damage relationships with people or places, often during travels or moves.
Travel-worn
Showing signs of wear or fatigue from travel.
Live out of a suitcase
To travel so much that you do not unpack because you are not staying in one place for long.
Are you excited to start your next journey? Consider trying out some of the travel idioms we discussed on your upcoming trip. They might just make your travel experience more enjoyable and help you connect with locals in a whole new way. Safe travels!
Did you find the travel idioms interesting? Make sure to also explore our article on time idioms!