Check out these travel idioms with travel and transport related verbs.

drive phrases

Driving means to operate/be in control of a motor vehicle. It can also be a noun e.g.

  • Let’s go for a drive in the countryside.

Note – If you’re talking about a motorbike, we use the verb ‘ride’. This has to do with the preposition used. You sit IN a car/lorry/bus etc. however, you sit ON a bike.

expressions travel - drive idioms and phrases
as pure as the driven snow
people expressions - backseat driver
drive idioms and phrases- drive a hard bargain
drive idioms and phrases - drive someone round the bend
drive idioms - drive up the wall
drive idioms and phrases - go into overdrive
car phrases - in the driver’s seat
drive idioms - slave driver

fly phrases

Fly as a verb means to move through the air. This can be using wings from a machine like an aeroplane of from an animal like a bird.

Fun fact – Fly is also a noun, it’s the zip on the crotch of trousers and a small flying insect.

It can also be used to describe a cool, good-looking person. You must have heard of the song by Offspring?

expressions travel - fly
fly expressions - fly by the seat of one’s pants
fly expressions - fly off the handle
fly expressions - fly off the shelves
fly expressions - fly on the wall
fly expressions - fly the nest
fly expressions - get off to a flying start
fly expressions - pass with flying colours
fly expressions - pigs might fly

ride idioms

Ride as a verb means to sit on or in (dam prepositions!) a vehicle or an animal and control the movement.

Fun fact – Ride can also be used as a noun, it means a journey by vehicle or animal or a mechanical machine at a fair/amusement park e.g.

  • Are you driving? Can I grab a ride? (In British English, we say ‘lift’)
  • I’m not going on that ride; it looks really scary.
expressions travel - ride
ride idioms - free ride
ride idioms - ride out the storm
ride idioms - ride with the tide
ride idioms - riding high
ride idioms - take someone for a ride
ride idioms - white-knuckle ride

sailing sayings

To sail means to be in control of a boat with sails. It moves through the water with the help of the wind.

 

FUN FACT – Sail is pronounced the same as ‘sale’. Words that are pronounced the same but have different meaning and/or spelling are called homophones.

expressions travel, nautical phrase - sail
sail phrases - plain sailing
nautical phrase - sail close to the wind
nautical phrase - sail through
sail phrases - that ship has sailed

travel expressions

Travel means to move from one place to another. This could be within your own country or to a different country.

expressions travel
expressions travel - a holidaymaker
travel sayings - bad news travels fast
expressions travel - have itchy feet
travel sayings - have the travel bug meaning
expressions travel - jetlag
expressions travel - live out of a suitcase
travel sayings- travel light