21 Common Phrasal Verbs for Travel in English (With Examples)

When learning English for travel, understanding travel phrasal verbs is essential. These expressions are commonly used when talking about preparing for a trip, departing, traveling, and arriving at a destination.

In this lesson, you’ll learn a carefully organized list of phrasal verbs for travel, complete with clear meanings, natural examples, pronunciation, and grammar notes. The verbs are grouped by each stage of a journey to make them easier to remember and use correctly in real-life situations.

List of Common Phrasal Verbs for Travel

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1. Check in
2. Check out
3. Drop by
4. Drop off
5. Get away
6. Get in / Get out of
7. Get on / Get off
8. Hang out
9. Hold up
10. Hurry up
11. Look around
12. Look forward to
13. Pack up
14. Pick up
15. See off
16. Set off
17. Set out
18. Settle in
19. Speed up
20. Stop over
21. Take off

Phrasal Verbs for Travel with Meaning & Examples

Check in

🔊 Pronunciation: /tʃek ɪn/

📖 Meaning:

• To register at a hotel or airport.

📝 Example: We checked in at the hotel around noon.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Register

Check out

🔊 Pronunciation: /tʃek aʊt/

📖 Meaning:

• To pay the bill and leave a hotel.

📝 Example: We checked out early in the morning.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Leave, Depart

Drop by

🔊 Pronunciation: /drɒp baɪ/

📖 Meaning:

• To visit someone briefly and informally.

📝 Example: We dropped by a café near the hotel.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Visit briefly, Stop by

Drop off

🔊 Pronunciation: /drɒp ɒf/

📖 Meaning:

• To leave someone or something at a place.

📝 Example: The taxi dropped us off at the airport.

💡 Grammar Note: Transitive – Separable

🔄 Synonyms: Deliver, Leave

Get away

🔊 Pronunciation: /ɡet əˈweɪ/

📖 Meaning:

• To go somewhere for a holiday or break.

📝 Example: We’re planning to get away for the weekend.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Escape, Go on vacation

Get in / Get out of

🔊 Pronunciation: /ɡet ɪn/ – /ɡet aʊt əv/

📖 Meaning:

• To enter or leave a small vehicle.

📝 Example: She got in the taxi and left.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Enter, Exit

Get on / Get off

🔊 Pronunciation: /ɡet ɒn/ – /ɡet ɒf/

📖 Meaning:

• To enter or leave public transportation.

📝 Example: We got on the bus downtown.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Board, Exit

Hang out

🔊 Pronunciation: /hæŋ aʊt/

📖 Meaning:

• To spend time relaxing or socializing.

📝 Example: We hung out at the beach all afternoon.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Spend time, Relax

Hold up

🔊 Pronunciation: /həʊld ʌp/

📖 Meaning:

• To delay something.

📝 Example: Traffic held us up on the way.

💡 Grammar Note: Transitive – Separable

🔄 Synonyms: Delay

Hurry up

🔊 Pronunciation: /ˈhʌri ʌp/

📖 Meaning:

• To do something more quickly.

📝 Example: Hurry up or we’ll miss the train.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Rush

Look around

🔊 Pronunciation: /lʊk əˈraʊnd/

📖 Meaning:

• To explore a place.

📝 Example: We looked around the city center.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Explore

Look forward to

🔊 Pronunciation: /lʊk ˈfɔːrwəd tuː/

📖 Meaning:

• To feel excited about something in the future.

📝 Example: I’m looking forward to meeting you.

💡 Grammar Note: Transitive – Inseparable (followed by noun/V-ing)

🔄 Synonyms: Anticipate

Pack up

🔊 Pronunciation: /pæk ʌp/

📖 Meaning:

• To put belongings into bags.

📝 Example: We packed up before leaving.

💡 Grammar Note: Transitive – Separable

🔄 Synonyms: Pack

Pick up

🔊 Pronunciation: /pɪk ʌp/

📖 Meaning:

• To collect someone or something.

📝 Example: I’ll pick you up at the airport.

💡 Grammar Note: Transitive – Separable

🔄 Synonyms: Collect

See off

🔊 Pronunciation: /siː ɒf/

📖 Meaning:

• To go with someone to say goodbye.

📝 Example: They came to see us off.

💡 Grammar Note: Transitive – Separable

🔄 Synonyms: Say goodbye to

Set off

🔊 Pronunciation: /set ɒf/

📖 Meaning:

• To begin a journey.

📝 Example: We set off early.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Depart

Set out

🔊 Pronunciation: /set aʊt/

📖 Meaning:

• To begin a journey with a goal.

📝 Example: They set out to explore the island.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Begin

Settle in

🔊 Pronunciation: /ˈset.əl ɪn/

📖 Meaning:

To become comfortable in a new place.

📝 Example: It took time to settle in.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Adapt

Speed up

🔊 Pronunciation: /spiːd ʌp/

📖 Meaning:

• To move faster.

📝 Example: The driver sped up.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Accelerate

Stop over

🔊 Pronunciation: /stɒp ˈəʊvə(r)/

📖 Meaning:

• To stay briefly during a journey.

📝 Example: We stopped over in Dubai.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Stay briefly

Take off

🔊 Pronunciation: /teɪk ɒf/

📖 Meaning:

• To leave the ground (for planes).

📝 Example: The plane took off on time.

💡 Grammar Note: Intransitive – Inseparable

🔄 Synonyms: Depart 

Dialogue Examples with Travel Phrasal Verbs

Dialogue 1: Before Leaving

A: What time should we set off tomorrow?
B: Let’s set off at 6 a.m. to avoid traffic.

A: Did you manage to check in online last night?
B: Yes, I checked in early, so we won’t have to rush at the airport.

A: Are you excited about the trip?
B: Definitely! I’m really looking forward to meeting new people.

Dialogue 2: After Arrival

A: Where should we get off the bus?
B: Let’s get off near the old town.

A: Do you want to check in at the hotel first?
B: Maybe later. Let’s look around for a bit before checking in.

A: Sounds good. We can settle in after dinner. 

Exercises with Answers

Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks

1. We need to ________ at least two hours before the flight.
2. The bus was ________ by heavy traffic.
3. I’m really looking forward to ________ you.
4. We decided to ________ early to avoid the crowds.
5. They ________ over in Bangkok before flying to Paris.

Answer Key – Exercise 1

1. check in
2. held up
3. meeting
4. set off
5. stopped

Exercise 2: Choose the correct phrasal verb

(look around – check out – settle in – get on – see off)

1. We should ________ the hotel by noon.
2. Her parents came to the station to ________ her ________.
3. After unpacking, it took us a while to ________.
4. Let’s ________ the city before dinner.
5. We ________ the train just before it departed.

Answer Key – Exercise 2

1. check out
2. see off
3. settle in
4. look around
5. got on 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What’s the difference between set off and set out?
A: Set off focuses on leaving a place, while set out emphasizes a journey with a clear goal.

Q: Is “look forward” correct without “to”?
A: No. It must always be look forward to + noun / V-ing.

Conclusion

Mastering these phrasal verbs for travel will help you communicate more naturally and confidently during every stage of your journey.

👉 Download the PDF of travel phrasal verbs to study offline and explore more lessons on:

• Driving Phrasal Verbs
• Phrasal Verbs for Shopping

Useful Phrasal Verbs for Travel in English | Video