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travel noun

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What does the noun travel mean?

There are eight meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun travel , one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun travel ?

How is the noun travel pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun travel come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the noun travel is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for travel is from before 1400, in Cursor Mundi: a Northumbrian poem of the 14th century .

It is also recorded as a verb from the Middle English period (1150—1500).

travel is a variant or alteration of another lexical item.

Etymons: travail n. 1

Nearby entries

• travailous, adj. a1382–
• travailously, adv. a1382–1881
• travail pain, n. 1662–
• travail pang, n. 1652–
• travailsome, adj. 1549–
• travale, n. 1798–1876
• travature, n. 1730
• travaux préparatoires, n. 1880–
• trave, n. c1405–
• trave harness, n. 1839
• travel, n. a1400–
• travel, v. c1300–
• travel agency, n. 1898–
• travel agent, n. 1885–
• travel allowance, n. 1835–
• travelator, n. 1955–
• travel brochure, n. 1908–
• travel bug, n. 1907–
• travel bureau, n. 1884–
• travel card, n. 1916–
• travel centre | travel center, n. 1883–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for travel, n..

travel, n. was revised in March 2020.

travel, n. was last modified in March 2024.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into travel, n. in March 2024.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1914)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View travel, n. in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for travel, n.

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Citation details

Factsheet for travel, n., browse entry.

Art & Culture Travel Blog

History of travelling: how people started to travel.

• Tea Gudek Šnajdar
• Cultural Tourism

Although we often have a feeling like people are travelling for the last few decades only, the truth is – people are travelling for centuries. Old Romans were travelling to relax in their Mediterranean villas. At the same time, people in Eastern Asia wandered for cultural experiences. I’ve got so fascinated with the history of travelling, that I did my own little research on how people started to travel. And here is what I’ve learned.

History of travelling

I was always curious about the reason people started to travel. Was it for pure leisure? To relax? Or to learn about new cultures, and find themselves along the way?

I wanted to chaise the reason all the way to its source – to the first travellers. And hopped to find out what was the initial motivation for people to travel.

According to linguists, the word ‘travel’ was first used in the 14th century. However, people started to travel much earlier.

While looking at the history of travelling and the reasons people started to travel, I wanted to distinguish the difference between travellers and explorers. Most of the time, when thinking about travel in history, people like Marco Polo or Christopher Columbus are coming to mind. However, they weren’t really travellers in a modern sense. They were explorers and researchers. So, to really learn about how people started to travel, I wanted to focus on ordinary people. Travellers like you and me, if you wish.

Romans and their roads

First people who started to travel for enjoyment only were, I’m sure you won’t be surprised, old Romans. Wealthy Romans would often go to their summer villas. And it was purely for leisure. They could, of course, start doing that because they invented something quite crucial for travelling – roads. Well developed network of roads was the reason they could travel safely and quickly.

However, there is another reason that motivated people in Antiquity to travel. And I was quite amazed when I learned about it.

It was a desire to learn. They believed travelling is an excellent way to learn about other cultures, by observing their art, architecture and listening to their languages.

Sounds familiar? It seems like Romans were the first culture tourists.

⤷ Read more : 20 Archaeological sites you have to visit in Europe

Travelling during the Middle Ages

It may come by surprise, but people started to wander more during the Middle Ages. And most of those journeys were pilgrimages.

Religion was the centre of life back in the Middle Ages. And the only things that connected this world with the saints people were worshipping, were the relics of saints. Pilgrims would often travel to another part of the country, or even Europe to visit some of the sacred places.

The most popular destinations for all those pilgrims was Santiago de Compostela, located in northwest Spain. People would travel for thousands of kilometres to reach it. To make a journey a bit easier for them, and to earn money from the newly developed tourism, many guest houses opened along the way. Pilgrims would often visit different towns and churches on their way, and while earning a ticket to heaven, do some sightseeing, as well.

Wealthy people were travelling in the caravans or by using the waterways. What’s changing in the Middle Ages was that travel wasn’t reserved only for the rich anymore. Lower classes are starting to travel, as well. They were travelling on foot, sleeping next to the roads or at some affordable accommodations. And were motivated by religious purposes.

⤷ TIP : You can still find many of those old pilgrim’s routes in Europe. When in old parts of the cities (especially in Belgium and the Netherlands ), look for the scallop shells on the roads. They will lead you to the local Saint-Jacob’s churches. Places dedicated to that saint were always linked to pilgrims and served as stops on their long journeys. In some cities, like in Antwerp , you can follow the scallop shell trails even today.

Below you can see one of the scallop shells on a street and Saint-Jacques Church in Tournai , Belgium.

Grand Tours of the 17th century

More impoverished people continued to travel for religious reasons during the following centuries. However, a new way of travelling appeared among wealthy people in Europe.

Grand tours are becoming quite fashionable among the young aristocrats at the beginning of the 17th century. As a part of their education (hmmm… culture tourists, again?) they would go on a long journey during which they were visiting famous European cities. Such as London , Paris , Rome or Venice, and were learning about their art, history and architecture.

Later on, those grand tours became more structured, and they were following precisely the same route. Often, young students would be accompanied by an educational tutor. And just to make the things easier for them, they were allowed to have their servants with them, too.

One of those young aristocrats was a young emperor, Peter the Great of Russia. He travelled around western Europe and has spent a significant amount of his time in the Netherlands. The architecture of Amsterdam and other Dutch cities definitely inspired a layout of the new city he has built – Saint Petersburg . So, travelling definitely remains an essential part of education since Roman times.

⤷ Read more : 15 Best museums in Europe you have to visit this year

The railway system and beginning of modern travel in the 19th century

Before the railway system was invented, people mostly travelled on foot (budget travel) or by water (the first-class travel at that time). However, when in the 1840s, an extensive network of railways was built, people started to travel for fun.

Mid-19th century definitely marks a real beginning of modern tourism. It’s the time when the middle class started to grow. And they have found a way to travel easily around Europe.

It’s coming by no surprise that the first travel agency, founded by Thomas Cook in England, was established at that time, too. He was using recently developed trains together with a network of hotels to organise his first group trips.

⤷ Read more : The most interesting European myths and legends

History of travelling in the 20th century

Since then, things started to move quickly. With the development of transportation, travelling became much more accessible. Dutch ships would need around a year to travel from Amsterdam to Indonesia. Today, for the same trip, we need less than a day on a plane.

After the Second World War, with the rise of air travel, people started to travel more and more. And with the internet and all the cool apps we have on our smartphones, it’s easier than ever to move and navigate your way in a new country. Mass tourism developed in the 1960s. But, with the new millennium, we started to face the over-tourism.

We can be anywhere in the world in less than two days. And although it’s a great privilege of our time, it also bears some responsibilities. However, maybe the key is to learn from history again and do what old Romans did so well. Travel to learn, explore local history and art, and be true culture tourists.

History of Travelling , How people started to travel , Travel

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A Word or Two

Chile con Frontation

Doug and Mr. Plinkett

English [ edit ]

Alternative forms [ edit ].

• travail ( obsolete )
• travell ( obsolete )

Pronunciation [ edit ]

• IPA ( key ) : /ˈtɹævəl/
• Rhymes: -ævəl

Etymology 1 [ edit ]

From Middle English travelen ( “ to make a laborious journey, travel ” ) from Middle Scots travailen ( “ to toil, work, travel ” ) , alteration of Middle English travaillen ( “ to toil, work ” ) , from Old French travailler ( “ to trouble, suffer, be worn out ” ) . See the doublet travail .

Largely displaced fare , from Old English faran ( “ to go [a long distance], to travel ” ) . More at fare .

Verb [ edit ]

travel ( third-person singular simple present travels , present participle travelling or ( US ) traveling , simple past and past participle travelled or ( US ) traveled )

• 1661 , John Stephens, An Historical Discourse... , Prol.: He that feareth oblatration must not travel .
• 1930 , Marmaduke Pickthall , transl., The Meaning of the Glorious Koran , surah 28, verse 29: Then, when Moses had fulfilled the term, and was travelling with his housefolk, he saw in the distance a fire and said unto his housefolk: Bide ye (here). Lo! I see in the distance a fire; peradventure I shall bring you tidings thence, or a brand from the fire that ye may warm yourselves.
• ( intransitive ) To pass from one place to another; to move or transmit . Soundwaves can travel through water. The supposedly secret news of Mary's engagement travelled quickly through her group of friends.
• ( intransitive , basketball ) To move illegally by walking or running without dribbling the ball.
• ( transitive ) To travel throughout (a place). I’ve travelled the world.
• 1596 (date written; published 1633 ), Edmund Spenser , A Vewe of the Present State of Irelande   [ … ] , Dublin: [ … ] Societie of Stationers,   [ … ] , →OCLC ; republished as A View of the State of Ireland   [ … ] (Ancient Irish Histories), Dublin: [ … ] Society of Stationers, [ … ] Hibernia Press, [ … ] [ b ] y John Morrison, 1809 , →OCLC : They shall not be travailed forth of their own franchises.
• 1707 , Richard Baxter, The Practical Works of the Late Reverend and Pious Mr. Richard Baxter , page 646 : Necessity will make men fare hard, and work hard, and travel hard, go bare, and suffer much; yea it will even cut off a leg or arm to save their lives;
• 1719 , William Tilly, The Acceptable Sacrifice , page 335 : We labour sore, and travel hard, and much Study is a Weariness to our Flesh; and of making many Books there is no End.
• 1794 , “Resignation”, in A Complete Edition of the Poets of Great Britain.Volume 10 , page 144 : Man holds in constant service bound The blustering winds and seas; Nor suns disdain to travel hard Their master, man, to please;

Conjugation [ edit ]

† Archaic or obsolete . * US.

Synonyms [ edit ]

• fare , journey , reyse

Derived terms [ edit ]

• fellow-travel
• road less traveled
• travellable , travelable
• travelled , traveled ( adjective )
• traveller , traveler
• travel light

Translations [ edit ]

Etymology 2 [ edit ].

From Middle English travail , travell , from Old French travail , travaille , travaillie , traval , travalle , traveaul , traveil , traveille , travel . Doublet of travail .

Noun [ edit ]

travel ( countable and uncountable , plural travels )

• The act of traveling; passage from place to place. space travel travel to Spain
• 2023 November 29, 'Mystery Shopper', “Does the railway deliver for passengers?”, in RAIL , number 997 , page 53 : But overall, I think the railway delivered very well on my travels . I'd give it 9/10 - there are just a few little rough edges that need smoothing off.
• 1903 , Henry Yule, Arthur Burnell, Hobson-Jobson : CALUAT, s. This in some old travels is used for Ar. khilwat, 'privacy, a private interview' (C. P. Brown, MS.).
• The activity or traffic along a route or through a given point.
• The working motion of a piece of machinery; the length of a mechanical stroke. There was a lot of travel in the handle, because the tool was out of adjustment. My drill press has a travel of only 1.5 inches.
• 1667 , John Tanner, The hidden treasures of the art of physick , page 208 : Hard Labour is when more vehement Pains and dangerous Symptomes happen to Women in Travel , and continue a longer time.
• Distance that a keyboard's key moves vertically when depressed. The keys have great travel .

Further reading [ edit ]

References [ edit ].

• “ travel ”, in The Century Dictionary   [ … ] , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co. , 1911 , →OCLC .
• “ travel ”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary , Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam , 1913 , →OCLC .

Anagrams [ edit ]

• retval , varlet

Norwegian Bokmål [ edit ]

Etymology [ edit ].

Possibly from French travail ; compare with Danish travl .

Adjective [ edit ]

travel ( neuter singular travelt , definite singular and plural travle , comparative travlere , indefinite superlative travlest , definite superlative travleste )

• “travel” in The Bokmål Dictionary .

Norwegian Nynorsk [ edit ]

travel ( neuter singular travelt , definite singular and plural travle , comparative travlare , indefinite superlative travlast , definite superlative travlaste )

• “travel” in The Nynorsk Dictionary .

• English 2-syllable words
• English terms with IPA pronunciation
• English terms with audio links
• Rhymes:English/ævəl
• Rhymes:English/ævəl/2 syllables
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *tréyes
• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *peh₂ǵ-
• English terms inherited from Middle English
• English terms derived from Middle English
• English terms derived from Middle Scots
• English terms derived from Old French
• English doublets
• English lemmas
• English verbs
• English intransitive verbs
• English terms with usage examples
• English terms with quotations
• en:Basketball
• English transitive verbs
• English terms with obsolete senses
• English nouns
• English uncountable nouns
• English countable nouns
• en:Typing keyboards
• Norwegian Bokmål lemmas
• Norwegian Bokmål adjectives
• Norwegian Nynorsk lemmas
• Norwegian Nynorsk adjectives
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• English entries with topic categories using raw markup
• Requests for translations into Chechen
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“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.”

What Is the Etymological Origin of the Word 'Travel'?

The image above was possibly inspired by "Noel Kempff Mercado National Park," which was itself inspiration for Arthur Conan Doyle's book, 'The Lost World.'

Noel Kempff Mercado National Park

"The Park is dominated by a large tableland of 7000 sq km, the Bolivian side of which is Serrania Huanchaca, and the Brazilian side is Sererania Ricardo Franco. The intervening Rio Verde marks the national boundary. The tableland is bounded by precipitous cliffs, 200 to 700 metres in height. The rocks of the tableland comprise Proterozoic sandstones, deposited around 1 billion years ago, intruded by a tholeiitic sill/dyke complex. These overlie an older basement of granites and metamorphic rocks which crop out over the Amazonic plain. The surface of the tableland is overlain by Cretaceous sandstones, and there are laterites and siliceous duricrusts which mark stages of Tertiary uplift and peneplanation.[8]

The Huanchaca Plateau within the park is 600-900 m above sea level and is composed of Precambrian sandstone and quartzite of the Brazilian Shield."

~ Wikipedia

Getting Where You Want To Go Easily

Travelling today is not only cheap, but also efficient thanks to modern aerospace technologies like the Airbus A350-900, Airbus A340-600, Boeing 777-300ER, and Boeing 747-8.

Getting around however, was historically not so easy to do. The word travel is originally derived from the word 'torture.'

" Travel and travail are doublets - that is to say, they have a common ancestor, but have split into separate words. Their ultimate source is medieval Latin trepalium, a term for an instrument of torture made of three sharp stakes. This was a compound noun formed from Latin tres 'three' and palus 'stake' (source of English pale ). From it was formed a verb trepaliare 'torture on the trepalium, ' hence generally 'torture.' This passed into Old French as travailler, where its reflexive use 'put oneself to pain or trouble' evolved to 'work hard.' Its noun derivative travail 'painful effort, hard work' was borrowed by English as travail, and this quickly developed a new sense, 'journey' (presumably from the notion of a 'wearisome journey'), which came to be distinguished by the spelling travel. "

~ John Ayto, "Dictionary of Word Origins"

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Definition of travel

 (Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

transitive verb

Definition of travel  (Entry 2 of 2)

• peregrinate
• peregrination

Examples of travel in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'travel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Middle English travailen, travelen to torment, labor, strive, journey, from Anglo-French travailler

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1a

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing travel

• pre - travel
• see / travel the world
• travel agency
• travel agent
• travel light
• travel sickness
• travel trailer

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Dictionary Entries Near travel

Cite this entry.

“Travel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travel. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of travel.

Kids Definition of travel  (Entry 2 of 2)

Middle English travailen "torment, labor, strive, journey," from early French travailler "torment, labor," from an unrecorded Latin verb tripaliare "to torture," from Latin tripalium "an instrument of torture," literally "three stakes," derived from tri- "three" and palus "stake, pale" — related to pale entry 3 , travail

More from Merriam-Webster on travel

Nglish: Translation of travel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of travel for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about travel

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Why Is It Called a Travel? Uncovering the Origins of the Word

Traveling has been an essential part of human life for centuries. People travel for various reasons, such as for leisure, business, or education. The word “travel” is derived from the Old French word “travailler,” which means “to work strenuously.” However, the meaning of the word has evolved over time to represent a broader concept of moving from one place to another.

The origin of the word “travel” can be traced back to the Middle Ages when it was used to describe the work of merchants and traders who traveled long distances to trade goods. The term was later adopted by the English language, and its meaning was expanded to include the act of journeying for any purpose. Today, the word “travel” is commonly used to describe the act of going from one place to another, whether it be for work or pleasure.

Despite its evolution over time, the word “travel” remains an essential part of our daily vocabulary. It serves as a reminder of the importance of exploring new places, meeting new people, and experiencing different cultures. In this article, we will explore the history and evolution of the word “travel” and why it has become such an integral part of our lives.

Etymology of ‘Travel’

Table of Contents

Historical Usage

The word ‘travel’ has its roots in the Old French word ‘travail’ which means ‘to work, toil’. In Middle English, the word ‘travailen’ meant ‘to make a journey’. The word ‘travel’ was first used in the English language in the 14th century to refer to the act of making a journey or going on a trip.

In the past, traveling was often associated with work, as people had to travel long distances to conduct trade or engage in other forms of commerce. The word ‘travel’ was used to describe these journeys, which were often arduous and dangerous.

Linguistic Evolution

Over time, the meaning of the word ‘travel’ evolved to encompass a wider range of activities. Today, the word is used to describe any form of movement from one place to another, whether it be for work or pleasure.

The word ‘travel’ is often used interchangeably with other related words such as ‘journey’, ‘trip’, and ‘voyage’. However, each of these words has a slightly different connotation. A ‘journey’ is often used to describe a long, difficult trip, while a ‘voyage’ implies a sea journey. The word ‘trip’ is often used to describe a short, casual journey.

In conclusion, the word ‘travel’ has a rich history and has evolved over time to encompass a wide range of activities. Whether it be for work or pleasure, people have been traveling for centuries and will continue to do so for many years to come.

Cultural Significance

Travel in literature.

Travel has been a popular theme in literature for centuries. From Homer’s Odyssey to Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, travel has been used as a way to explore the human experience and the world around us. In many cases, travel is used as a metaphor for life, with the journey representing the ups and downs that we all experience.

In literature, travel often serves as a means of escape, allowing characters to leave behind their everyday lives and explore new places and experiences. This can be seen in works such as Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, where the main character embarks on a journey around the world to win a bet.

Travel in Modern Society

In modern society, travel has become an important part of our lives. With the rise of technology and globalization, it has become easier than ever to travel to different parts of the world. This has led to an increase in tourism, with people traveling for both leisure and business purposes.

Travel has also become a way for people to broaden their horizons and experience different cultures. This can lead to a greater understanding and appreciation of other people and their way of life. In addition, travel can help to break down stereotypes and prejudices by exposing people to different ways of thinking and living.

Overall, travel has a significant cultural significance in both literature and modern society. It allows us to explore the world around us, gain new experiences, and broaden our horizons.

Frequently Asked Questions

What constitutes a traveling violation in basketball.

In basketball, traveling is a violation that occurs when a player moves illegally with the ball. This can happen in a few ways, such as taking too many steps without dribbling the ball, or moving both feet without dribbling after coming to a stop. The exact rules and definitions of traveling can vary depending on the level of play and the league or organization in charge.

How does the gather step relate to traveling rules?

The gather step is a technique used by basketball players to gather the ball and take a step before dribbling or shooting. It is allowed in most situations and is not considered traveling as long as the player does not take more than two steps after the gather. However, the exact rules regarding the gather step can vary depending on the level of play and the organization in charge.

What are the differences in travel rules between the NBA and NCAA?

The rules regarding traveling can vary between different levels of play and different organizations. In general, the NBA tends to have more lenient rules regarding traveling compared to the NCAA. For example, the NBA allows players to take two steps after gathering the ball, while the NCAA only allows one step.

Can a player be penalized for dragging their feet, and is it considered traveling?

Dragging one’s feet is not necessarily considered traveling in basketball, but it can still result in a penalty. If a player drags their feet while changing direction or coming to a stop, it can be considered a violation and result in a turnover or foul. The exact rules regarding dragging one’s feet can vary depending on the level of play and the organization in charge.

Why might referees sometimes not call a travel in professional games?

Referees in professional basketball games may sometimes not call a travel violation if they believe that the player’s movement was legal or if they did not have a clear view of the play. Referees are trained to make split-second decisions and must use their judgment to determine whether a violation has occurred.

What is the maximum number of steps allowed before a layup to avoid traveling?

In general, basketball players are allowed to take two steps after gathering the ball before shooting or laying it up. However, the exact rules regarding the number of steps allowed can vary depending on the level of play and the organization in charge. Players must be careful not to take too many steps, as this can result in a traveling violation and a turnover.

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[ trav - uh l ]

verb (used without object)

to travel for pleasure.

• to move or go from one place or point to another.
• to proceed or advance in any way.
• to go from place to place as a representative of a business firm.

He travels in a wealthy crowd.

• Informal. to move with speed.
• to pass, or be transmitted, as light or sound.
• Basketball. (of a player in possession of the ball) to take more than two steps without dribbling or passing the ball.
• to move in a fixed course, as a piece of mechanism.

verb (used with object)

• to travel, journey, or pass through or over, as a country or road.

We traveled a hundred miles.

to travel logs downriver.

to travel to other planets.

to set out on one's travels.

a book of travels.

• such an account or work.

an increase in travel on state roads.

• Basketball. an instance of traveling with the ball.
• the complete movement of a moving part, especially a reciprocating part, in one direction, or the distance traversed; stroke.
• length of stroke.

to reduce the travel of food from kitchen to table.

a travel alarm clock.

/ ˈtrævəl /

she travelled across France

he travels to improve his mind

he travelled the country

• to go, move, or cover a specified or unspecified distance

to travel in textiles

• (esp of perishable goods) to withstand a journey

the sound travelled for miles

• to progress or advance
• basketball to take an excessive number of steps while holding the ball
• (of part of a mechanism) to move in a fixed predetermined path

that car certainly travels

• informal. often foll by with to be in the company (of); associate
• the act of travelling

a travel brochure

• usually plural a tour or journey
• the distance moved by a mechanical part, such as the stroke of a piston
• movement or passage

Discover More

Spelling note, other words from.

• travel·a·ble adjective
• non·travel·ing adjective
• non·travel·ling adjective
• outtravel verb (used with object) outtraveled outtraveling or (especially British) outtravelled outtravelling
• pre·travel noun verb pretraveled pretraveling or (especially British) pretravelled pretravelling
• un·travel·ing adjective
• un·travel·ling adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of travel 1

Example Sentences

López said she could not travel to Mexico because she is undocumented.

Sound waves traveling thousands of kilometers through the ocean may help scientists monitor climate change.

Biden traveled to the state days later, meeting with the Blake family and calling for unity and healing in the community, though he, too, denounced the violence that followed the shooting.

TripActions says it has added nearly 500 new corporate customers since March, a surprising achievement at a time when most employees are still not traveling freely.

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, which was first identified in China in December, has had sweeping effects in the public health, business, and travel sectors, among others.

You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.

He did travel to China and Australia while the story was unfolding.

In doing so he exposed the failure of other airlines in the region to see the huge pent-up demand for cheap travel.

“The tribe is really made of people who put travel as a priority in their entire lifestyle,” says Evita.

Brands like Lo & Sons and Delsey are already tapping Travel Noire to connect with black travelers.

One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster through the water than he could underground.

The mothers know better than any one else how hard a way the little girl will have to travel through life.

He could lie in bed and string himself tales of travel and adventure while Harry was downstairs.

Under ordinary circumstances these men can travel with their burden from twenty to thirty miles a day.

The rules regulating travel on highways in this country are called, "the law of the road."

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20 of the Most Beautiful Travel Words and their Unique Greek Origins

Beautiful travel words of Greek origin inspire and give meaning to all types of travel experiences.

By knowing about these Greek-related travel words, you will, in effect, gain a greater insight into the world of travel, especially when visiting Greece.

All of these beautiful travel words have something special about them.

It could be how a word sounds, the feelings, and wanderlust they inspire, the beautiful images they bring to mind, or some special uniqueness that makes them memorable.

The Most Beautiful Travel Words of Greek Origin

One thing is for sure, this list of the most beautiful travel words with unique Greek origins will expand your vocabulary—which is always a good thing.

I’ve also included another list of travel words at the end of this list (after the 20 most beautiful travel words) that didn’t make it into the top twenty.

The reason for doing this is so you can fully appreciate all the Greek-related travel words I considered for inclusion in this list of beautiful travel words.

It wasn’t easy to settle on these twenty best travel words of Greek origin, but I’m happy enough with the result.

Have a look and see what you think.

1. Aegean Sea – Travel Words

Origin: Greek

A beautiful word that brings to mind a few of the most beautiful Greek Islands , including Santorini, Mykonos, and Crete—to name a few.

“Happy is the man, I thought, who, before dying, has the fortune to sail the Aegean sea.” – Nikos Kazantzakis.

According to Greek Mythology, the Aegean Sea owes its name to an ancient King of Athens, Aigeas (Aegeas).

Aegeas was the father of the famous Greek hero, Theseus, who slew the Minotaur on the island of Crete.

When returning to Athens, Theseus sailed back to Athens with black sails after forgetting to change the ship’s sails to white ones.

As a result, his father thought it meant that his son hadn’t survived the ordeal. The fateful error led to the King’s tragic death since he decided to end his life by jumping into the sea.

Eventually, the surrounding sea would become known as the Aegean Sea.

Aegean Airlines also took its name from the same source.

The word Athens immediately conjures up beautiful images of The Parthenon.

Most overseas travelers first arrive by plane to Athens when they vacation in Greece.

The city received its name from the Goddess Athena.

In Greek Mythology, Athena and Poseidon had a contest to see who would become the patron of the Greek city.

Athena gifted the people the olive tree, while Poseidon made a spring gush forth from rocks.

Athena’s gift was deemed the best of the two by the people, so the city was named in her honor.

I had to include this word as one of the most beautiful travel words of Greek origin.

Athena, the Goddess of wisdom, is also beautiful, as proven by the famous beauty contest between Aphrodite, Athena, and Hera.

It wouldn’t have been smart on my part not to have included Athens in a list of the most beautiful travel words.

An atlas is a collection or book of maps, but it’s also an airline company.

According to Greek legend, Atlas was a Titan condemned to carry the heavens upon his shoulders.

The Titan Atlas is the reason why we can all travel around and explore the world.

4. Eleutheromania

Have you ever felt the intense desire for freedom? Well, the word for this feeling is Eleutheromania.

It’s similar to the feeling of wanderlust in different languages. Travel is one way that makes people feel free, and eleutheromania is the desire for that feeling.

It comes from Ancient Greek ἐλευθερία (eleuthería, ‘freedom’) plus‎ -mania.

It’s another word for Paradise!

Greek Mythology deemed the Elysian Fields as being a heavenly resting place after death.

It was seen as the go-to-place in the afterlife. Sadly not everyone was allowed entry into Olympus, the home of the Gods.

One of France’s main streets is named after this heavenly abode, the Champs-Élysees in Paris.

The street is famous for connecting the Arc de Triomphe with the Place de la Concorde. Many consider it to be one of the world’s most famous commercial streets.

Elysian has to be one of the most beautiful travel words because everyone wants to end up in paradise one day. At least you can visit it in Paris.

6. Eudaimonia 

It’s that happy feeling you get when you travel.

Feeling great when traveling, then the Greek word that describes it is eudaimonia.

It comes from Greek philosophy that has been translated as meaning happiness or well-being.

It has to be one of the biggest reasons why many people love traveling and exploring new places.

Europe is where it’s all at. You have Greece, Italy, and so many other great countries to visit.

It all started with Europa, the mythological princess who ended up being seduced by Zeus.

Zeus took her to the island of Crete across the ocean after the princess sat on his back while he was disguised in the form of a beautiful white bull.

At the time, she had no idea that it was really Zeus, the king of the Gods.

No one could have foreseen that Europa would bestow her name to a group of countries that would one day be known as Europe.

It has become one of the most sought out travel destinations globally, and it all started with a weird sea voyage of her own.

You have the world, and then you have the Galaxy.

It all started with the Milky Way, which is based on the Greek myth of Heracles, who, as a child, spilled some milk.

The word is derived from the Greek galaxias (kuklos) ‘milky (vault)’, from gala, galakt- ‘milk.’

I thought about it carefully, but I couldn’t leave Greece out from this list of beautiful travel words.

Greece is where many tourists dream of visiting, especially during the Greek summer.

Aristotle used the term “Graiko” as the name for the first inhabitants of the region.

It was later adopted by the Romans and turned into “Graecus,” a Latin word, to describe the people on the land now known as Greece.

10. Greek Islands

If there is one word better than Greece, then it would have to be the Greek Islands.

Santorini and Mykonos come to mind immediately when thinking about the Greek Islands.

With 227 inhabited Greek Islands to explore, and the rest, which number from 1200 to 6000 depending on the minimum size you consider, there’s something for everyone.

Once you’ve visited one of the best Greek Islands, you’ll be hooked forever.

11. Halcyon

The English word “halcyon ” describes an idyllically peaceful and perfect time that occurred in the past.

Halcyon means “kingfisher” in Greek.

A halcyon was a legendary bird in Greek Mythology that made its nest on the Aegean Sea. As the daughter of Aeolus, the god of winds, the bird possessed the power to calm the rough winds and waves.

The name of the God of travel deserves a place in the most beautiful Greek travel words for obvious reasons.

In Greek ἕρμα (herma) means “cairn, a pile of stones, boundary marker.”

13. Hodophile 

If you love to travel, you can consider yourself a Hodophile.

A lover of roads, one who loves to travel.

This word is derived from Ancient Greek ὁδός (hodós), which means travel.

How can a relatively unknown Greek Island be one of the most beautiful travel words?

Well, it’s all due to one of the most beautiful and famous travel poems of all time.

Ithaka Poem

As you set out for Ithaka hope your road is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery. …

15. Odyssey

In ancient Greek times, the most famous journey would have to be the one described in Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey.”

It took the Greek hero Odysseus ten years to return home after the Trojan War had finished.

16. Peripatetic

Someone who wanders from place to place, living a nomadic existence.

This word is traced back to the time of Aristotle and his followers. The philosophers often walked around peripatos (covered walk in the Lyceum) where Aristotle held his lectures.

It comes from the Greek word peripatētikos. From peripatein, meaning “to walk up and down.”

17. Santorini

Beautiful images of Santorini are often used in advertising and tourist brochures to get you thinking about taking a trip to Greece.

Ok, so it’s not a Greek word, but the island is in Greece, and it’s the most beautiful Greek Island in my opinion, so here it has to be.

18. Strikhedonia

If you ever felt like saying to hell with it, then you may be surprised to know that there’s actually a word for it. That word is strikhedonia.

It’s a popular Greek word associated with travel! That’s because many travelers and bloggers have done such a thing. To hell with it! I’ll quit my job and go traveling.

Obviously had to come from the Greeks.

19. Thalassophile 

For all of you beach lovers out there, this is what you are, a Thalassophile.

Derived from the Greek words θάλασσα / thalasso (sea), and -phile, from Greek philos ‘loving’.

20. Xenophilia

Someone who is attracted to foreign peoples, foreign cultures, manners, and/or customs.

It’s the reason why so many of us pack our bags to go traveling. Foreign things make travel experiences so much more interesting.

This unique travel word comes from the Greek “xenos,” meaning “stranger, unknown, foreign,” and “philia,” defined as “attraction or love.”

The beauty of this word is that it has the opposite meaning of being a Xenophobe.

Xenophobe describes a person that dislikes or is prejudice against people from other countries. No one wants to be known as a Xenophobe.

For this reason, I include Xenophilia as one of the most beautiful travel words.

Travel Words with Greek Origins that missed out

Acatalepsy – the idea that it is impossible to understand anything, which includes travel experiences.

Airplane (Aeroplane) – from the Greek ἀήρ (aēr), “air” and either Latin planus, “level,” or Greek πλάνος (planos), “wandering”.

Anemoia – a nostalgic sense of longing for a past you yourself have never lived. Maybe you were born in the wrong time period, or maybe you love something about a certain decade in time, like the music.

Aragma – The act of chilling. When the Greeks say ‘pame gia aragma spiti sou, ‘it means ‘let’s go chill at your place.’

Cosmopolitan – can be traced back to Pythagoras, who first used the Greek word kosmos to describe the order of the universe.

Erotic – from Eros, the Greek God of desire.

Eunoia – beautiful thinking.

Iris – Goddess of the rainbow.

Meraki – putting a part of yourself (your soul) into what you’re doing with complete focus and love.

Museum – from the nine Muses who presided over the arts and sciences.

Music – literally means the art of the Muses.

Nemophilist – lover of the woods.

Peratzatha – people-watching.

Philoxenia (Filoxenia) – literally translated as “friend to the stranger” / hospitality.

Taxidi – the Greek word for trip or journey.

I’m sure you would have learned a new word or two for this extensive list of beautiful travel words.

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Origin of Travel

The origin of the word “travel” is most likely lost to history. The term “travel” may originate from the  Old French  word  travail . [3]  According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the first known use of the word travel was in the 14th century. It also states that the word comes from Middle English  travailen ,  travelen  (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old French travailler  (which means to work strenuously, toil). In English we still occasionally use the words  travail  and  travails , which mean struggle. According to Simon Winchester in his book The Best Travelers’ Tales (2004), the words travel and travail both share an even more ancient root: a Roman instrument of torture called the tripalium (in Latin it means “three stakes”, as in to impale). This link reflects the extreme difficulty of travel in ancient times. Also note the torturous connotation of the word “travailler.” Today, travel may or may not be much easier depending upon the destination you choose (i.e.,  Mt. Everest , the  Amazon rainforest ), how you plan to get there ( tour bus ,  cruise ship , or  oxcart ), and whether or not you decide to “rough it (see  extreme tourism  and  adventure travel ). “There’s a big difference between simply being a tourist and being a true world traveler,” notes travel writer Michael Kasum.

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Definition of travel noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• air/rail/space travel
• travel expenses
• The job involves a considerable amount of foreign travel .
• the travel industry
• travel sickness
• a travel bag/clock (= for use when travelling)
• a travel guide (= a book of useful information for travellers)
• If you're going abroad, get some travel insurance .
• your passport and other travel documents
• The pass allows unlimited travel on all public transport in the city.
• I used my compass to confirm my direction of travel.
• What are your favourite time travel stories?
• Most experts advise against air travel for at least three weeks after a heart attack.
• package tour
• self-catering
• destination
• flight path
• sightseeing
• The bus is their preferred mode of travel.
• The price includes travel from Bangkok to Phuket.
• Continued fighting makes travel in the area dangerous.
• The new bypass will reduce travel time to the airport.
• Expenditure on business travel was reduced.
• the holiday travel season
• I always pack a travel alarm.
• (figurative) The party needs to set out a clear direction of travel (= what its plans are) for healthcare.
• travel from
• a/​the direction of travel
• a/​the means of travel
• a/​the mode of travel

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?

Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to problems in English.

• travels + adv./prep. The novel is based on his travels in India.
• Her work is influenced by her travels around the globe.
• on your travels When are you off on your travels (= going travelling) ?
• have/​take (British English) a holiday/ (North American English) a vacation/​a break/​a day off/ (British English) a gap year
• go on/​be on holiday/​vacation/​leave/​honeymoon/​safari/​a trip/​a tour/​a cruise/​a pilgrimage
• go backpacking/​camping/​hitchhiking/​sightseeing
• plan a trip/​a holiday/​a vacation/​your itinerary
• book accommodation/​a hotel room/​a flight/​tickets
• have/​make/​cancel a reservation/ (especially British English) booking
• rent a villa/ (both British English) a holiday home/​a holiday cottage
• (especially British English) hire/ (especially North American English) rent a car/​bicycle/​moped
• stay in a hotel/​a bed and breakfast/​a youth hostel/​a villa/ (both British English) a holiday home/​a caravan
• cost/​charge $100 a/​per night for a single/​double/​twin/​standard/ (British English) en suite room
• check into/​out of a hotel/​a motel/​your room
• pack/​unpack your suitcase/​bags
• call/​order room service
• cancel/​cut short a trip/​holiday/​vacation
• apply for/​get/​renew a/​your passport
• take out/​buy/​get travel insurance
• catch/​miss your plane/​train/​ferry/​connecting flight
• fly (in)/travel in business/​economy class
• make/​have a brief/​two-day/​twelve-hour stopover/ (North American English also) layover in Hong Kong
• experience/​cause/​lead to delays
• check (in)/collect/​get/​lose (your) (especially British English) luggage/ (especially North American English) baggage
• be charged for/​pay excess baggage
• board/​get on/​leave/​get off the aircraft/​plane/​ship/​ferry
• taxi down/​leave/​approach/​hit/​overshoot the runway
• experience/​hit/​encounter severe turbulence
• suffer from/​recover from/​get over your jet lag/​travel sickness
• attract/​draw/​bring tourists/​visitors
• encourage/​promote/​hurt tourism
• promote/​develop ecotourism
• build/​develop/​visit a tourist/​holiday/ (especially British English) seaside/​beach/​ski resort
• work for/​be operated by a major hotel chain
• be served by/​compete with low-cost/ (especially North American English) low-fare/​budget airlines
• book something through/​make a booking through/​use a travel agent
• contact/​check with your travel agent/​tour operator
• book/​be on/​go on a package deal/​holiday/​tour
• buy/​bring back (tacky/​overpriced) souvenirs

Other results

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• travel agent’s
• travel-sickness
• adventure travel
• Association of British Travel Agents
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A (Short) History Of Travel Writing

Posted on Last updated: February 5, 2023

In this short history of travel writing, we will look at the different types of reporting about travel throughout the ages.

If you’re looking for a book about travel in a bookshop or library, you better take the rest of the day, well perhaps even better the week… month, or even rest of the year off! There are just so many!

The amount of writers reporting about the different landscapes and food they tasted in foreign destinations, books with history lessons about certain places and personal narratives about a person’s excitement and struggles of navigating through unknown territories and meeting foreign people are endless.

TYPES OF TRAVEL WRITING

Early travel literature in asia, travel writing during classic and medieval times, who was the first travel writer, discovering new worlds, why we like to write and read about travelling, famous travel writing, studying travel literature, modern day travel writing, add to your vision board, travel without leaving home, which book to read, want to be a travel blogger, our favourite travel journals, our favourite travel notebook covers, travel journals for kids, discover unique travel gear & gifts, travel writing history.

When we’re talking about travel writing, there are a couple of distinctions to be made. There are:

• travelogues (journal/itinerary style, actual reports about someone’s trip)
• travel stories  (a realistic narration about a journey, meant for a wider audience and usually with a certain literary value to it)
• and travel guides (publication with practical information and tips/advice about a certain destination, meant for people that want to visit that place).

With old stories, it’s hard to distinguish between a travel story or a travelogue. This is because we don’t know the accuracy of the information and motif of the story. Most of the time, it is also not known who commissioned the story in the first place.

That said, in all travel writing, the focus lies on accounts of real or imaginary places. It may range from documentary to the evocative, from literary to journalistic and from humorous to serious.

You can find travel writing in books, magazines and of nowadays also online. What different types of travel writing are your favourite to read?

You don’t always need to be physically on the road to enjoy the beauty of destinations from all around the world!

From vintage travel posters to beautifully displayed souvenirs and home decor items inspired by your favourite places and from travel journals and crafts to exploring world recipes, music and dance.

With our creative articles you’ll get some fresh ideas on how to bring the world closer to the comforts of your own home.

In China , travel literature became popular during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Under the name of ‘ Youji Wenxue ‘ (‘ Travel Record Literature ‘), authors such as Fan Chengda and Xu Xiake incorporated geographical and topographical information into their writing.

Poet and statesman Su Shi wrote ‘ Record Of Stone Bell Mountain ‘ and made a philosophical and moral argument as its central purpose.

In Japan , there are also many personal reports from travellers sharing their experiences and interesting encounters.

Examples include the ‘ Sjōrai Moluroku ‘ (804) by author Kūkai and the ‘ Tosa Nikki ‘ (‘ Tosa Diary’ ) by Ki no Tsurayuki (early 10th century), which was found revolutionary because it featured a female narrator.

Haiku poet Matsuo Bashō wrote the story ‘ Oku no Hosomitsji ‘ (‘ The narrow road to the Deep North’ ) in the second half of the 17th century. The work included the journey, places visited and the author’s personal experience.

Throughout the history of travel writing, you might not categorize some of the historical tales as travel stories. But how about the famous travelogue ‘ Odysseia ‘ (‘ Odysey ‘) from 8B.C. by Homer? This poem recounted Greek hero Odysseus’ long journey home after the fall of Troy.

The Latin work ‘ Commentarii dé bello Gallico ‘ by Julius Caesar reported his journey during the Gallic War.

Greek writer Xenophone wrote ‘Anabasis’ around 431-355 BC. It was about the expedition of a Persian prince against his brother, King Artaxerxes II and the Greek troops travels through Asia back home to Greece. In Medieval works, it showed that people had very little knowledge about the world around them.

Stories were usually a colourful mix of facts and impossible events. They were mostly quests (for the Holy Grail or for personal development) or texts with a mainly Christian/spiritual focus. You can’t really call them travel stories, as they didn’t tell much about the actual environment.

It’s hard to say with 100% accuracy, but often the Greek author Herodotus is consider the first real ‘travel writer’. He travelled all over the eastern Mediterranean to research his monumental  Histories , written between 450 and 420 BC.

The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that were known in Greece, Western Asia and Northern Africa at that time.

After the crusades, new stories and information reached the people. They started to realize that there was a whole other world outside their own. The history of travel literature evolved even more at this point.

There came a shift in stories type, as there was much curiosity about explorations and voyages to unknown destinations.

Travel was a necessity at those times. That is why most travel stories were purely intended to inform about the different nature and culture of inhabitants they met. And the best ways in which to approach them. There were also a lot of military explorations that informed more about strategic issues.

A well-known travel writer in those times was Marco Polo from Italy , who wrote (or let someone else write) about a Venetian traveller on his way to China and the Mongol Empire in the work ‘ Il milione ‘ (‘ The million ‘, 1298). This work is seen as a truthful report of things, complemented with (not always correct) information he collected through hearsay.

In 1336, someone did a bit more than just jotting down facts about his destination. Italian poet and humanist Petrarch described his experiences about climbing mount Ventoux and –more importantly- his satisfaction about reaching the top. He also wrote about his travel companions and even related his experience to his own moral development in life, as were it a pilgrimage.

More and more people after Petrarch found a new interest in writing about their travels in a more personal way.

World traveller Ibn Battuta from Morocco wrote in 1355 the work ‘ Rihla ‘ (‘ The Journey ‘), with an original title that translates as: ‘ A Gift to Those Who Contemplate the Wonders of Cities and the Marvels of Travelling ‘.

Halfway through the 15 th century, Historicus Gilles le Bouvier from France wrote in a book his opinion about why people should travel and write about it: ‘ Because many people of diverse nations and countries delight and take please, as I have done in times past, in seeing the world and things therein, and also because many wish to know without going there, and others wish to see, go and travel, I have begun this little book .’

The Travel Tester loves to review books that teach you something about yourself or the world around us.

From travel guides and stories to books about business and self-development and from cultural stories to cook books from kitchens around the world… if it looks interesting to us, we’ll test it!

No matter where you’re going, with our reviews you’ll know exactly what to read next!

Continuing this history of travel writing through ages, in the 18 th century travel writing was known under the name ‘ Book of Travels ‘. Usually these were maritime journals – and the people devoured them. British James Cook’s diaries (1784) reached the status of a modern day international best-seller. Along with true stories, imaginary travel stories started to appear.

Many of them were actually based on factual journeys. You might have heard of Joseph Conrad’s ‘ Heart of Darkeness ‘, Daniel Defoe’s ‘ Robins on   Crusoe’ , Jonathan Swift’s  ‘Gulliver’s   Travels’ or Jules Vernes, ‘The journey around the world in 80 days’ .

Charles Darwin wrote his famous account of the journey of the HMS Beagle in the 19 th century. It was a work at the intersection of science, natural history and travel. Other famous authors from his time, that also wrote travel stories where: Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Dickens and Mark Twain.

There have been many studies about travel writing and travel literature.

They include themes such as: interwar travel writing as escapism, the primitivist presentation of foreign cultures, the psychological correlatives of travel, the role of gender in travel and travel writing, explorations of the political functions of travel, studies about the function of language in travel and travel writing, cultural diversity, globalization and migration.

The first international travel writing conference was titled ‘ Snapshots from Abroad ‘ and was organized by Donald Ross at the University of Minnesota in the USA 1997. It attracted many scholars and led to the foundation of the ‘ International Society for Travel Writing ‘.

Travel writing in current times is quite a broad theme. From journal-type stories to literary works in which style and structure are more important.

Some of the most popular travel writers from the 20 th and 21 st century are (amongst others): Bill Bryson , Paul Theroux, Pico Iyer, Tim Cahill, Stanley Stewart, Kira Salak, Douglas Adams, Anthony Sattin, Ryszard Kapuscinski, Bruce Chatwin and Rory MacLean.

These days, we all know the travel blog as another form of travel writing.

The first online travel blog was posted by Jeff Greenwald on the ‘ Global Network Navigator ‘ in 1993. He described his journey around the world and later turned the pieces into a book.

TIP! Read this funny travel blog of how things went south for me once at Schiphol Airport (but all was ok in the end)…

There is a lot that goes into running a profitable blog and there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes than you might not realize at first.

I’ve been blogging since 2006 and have a ton of tips to share! From brainstorming ideas to creating content all year round and from posting on social media to maintaining your website, tracking what’s working, networking at events and eventually working with brands…

As you can see, travel and reporting about our travels has been a source of inspiration for a long time now. Whether it was military officers, missionaries, the early explorers, scientists, pilgrims, migrants or people simply going on a holiday, we love telling others about our adventures!

I hope you enjoyed this short history of travel writing. Do you have an (online) travel journal? Feel free to share it in the comment section. And don’t forget to share this article if you liked it!

PRACTICAL INFO

• The Adventure Book – Original Edition (prompts + scrapbook per country)
• The Adventure Book – Europe Edition (prompts + scrapbook per country)
• The Adventure Book – Ultimate Traveler’s Edition (prompts + scrapbook per country)
• Moleskine Passion Journal Travel (blank paper)
• Moleskine National Geographic Traveller’s Journal (tabbed sections + prompts)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – London (pocket)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – Paris (pocket)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – New York (pocket)
• Moleskine Journey City Notebook – Hong Kong (pocket)
• Duncan & Stone Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Everywhere You Go: Guided Travel Journal (prompts)
• Promptly Journals X Kelli Murray (prompts + scrapbook)
• Robrasim Refillable Leather Travelers Notebook (mixed papers + pockets)
• Clever Fox Bucket List Journal (prompts + stickers)
• Clever Fox Camping Journal (prompts + stickers)
• Clever Fox Travel Journal (prompts + stickers)
• Axel & Ash Life’s a Road Trip Journal (prompts)
• Axel & Ash Swept Away by Wanderlust (prompts)
• Field Notes: National Parks Series (pocket, graph paper)
• Bookishly Travel Journals (blank pages)
• Wayfaren Travel Journal (lined paper)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Motorhome Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Caravan Travel Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Wooden Journal (lined pages)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Hiking Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Road Bike Journal (prompts)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Wooden Adventure Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• Oakdene Designs Personalised Camping Journal (prompts + scrapbook)
• CamperVanStore Bamboo Travel Journal (lined paper + pen)
• Personalized Monogrammed Leather Travel Journal (blank pages)
• OneLineVoyage Faux Leather Travel Journal (prompts)
• Luckies Scratch Off Travelogue (prompts + scratch maps)
• Letterfolk Trip Passport (pocket + prompts)
• Galen Leather – Leuchtturm1917 Notebook Covers
• Galen Leather – Moleskine Covers
• Galen Leather – Field Notes Covers
• Galen Leather – Traveler’s Notebook Covers
• I Was Here: A Travel Journal for the Curious Minded
• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal – RED
• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal – BLUE
• Go!: A Kids’ Interactive Travel Diary and Journal – YELLOW
• Kids’ Travel Specialty Journal
• Lonely Planet Kids My Travel Journal
• Lonely Planet Kids The Travel Activity Book
• The Ultimate Travel Journal For Kids
• Road Trip Activities and Travel Journal for Kids
• Travel Journal for Kids
• Here I Go!: A Kid’s Travel Journal

MORE ABOUT TRAVEL JOURNALLING

• How to Make a Travel Journal ? Tips and Supplies
• How to Write a Travel Journal ? Best Writing Tips
• 65+ Travel Journal Prompts to inspire you
• 10+ Travel Bullet Journal Ideas you’ll love
• Best Bullet Journal Tips
• These Travel Journal Covers will amaze you
• Explorers’ Sketchbooks Review
• A Short History of Travel Writing
• 15 Signs you are born for Travel Writing
• Our Okinawa (Japan) Project Life Album
• Must-Have Travel Scrapbooking Supplies

In The Travel Tester shop, you will find our favourite travel products and original gift ideas.

Whether you’re looking for the best travel gear, gadgets, electronics, packing solutions, clothing, shoes, travel books, health- or beauty products… we’ve made a personal selection for you!

We’ve also included our favourite tech items used to create this blog, as well as material that can help you in your self-development, such as interesting books and courses.

Monday 5th of March 2018

A great synopsis of the fundamentals of travel writing. From the very start one can easily discover a cultural binding through the need of storytelling and sharing. Thank you guys!

Nienke Krook

Friday 6th of April 2018

Glad you liked it Antonios!

HISTORY CHALLENGE: HISTORIC TRAVELLERS | Time Travelling With Kids

Monday 28th of November 2016

[…] For an overview of the history of travel writing, visit: https://thetraveltester.com/a-short-history-of-travel-writing/ […]

Friday 20th of February 2015

Your article is absolutely fascinating Nineke. I came across it whilst researchign a talk I'm giving on the 'Pleasure of Travel Writing' and will certainly recommend it to the audience :-)

Wednesday 25th of February 2015

Thanks so much Zoë! Would have loved to see your talk, will it be online somewhere? Thanks for mentioning me!

LifeInCamelot

Wednesday 6th of February 2013

I enjoyed reading this and am glad I have found you. Welcome to Australia and I look forward to reading more of your stories. I have started my own travel blog - it includes some travelogues (from the past) and some travel stories. I enjoy using humour so love reading other people's sites that are humourous. I also love the feeling of nostalgia your blog has, along with the history of your grandfather.

My blog address is - www.lifeincamelot.wordpress.com

thetraveltester

Hi (sorry couldn't find your name anywhere?), Thanks for your nice comment. I've just left Australia after 2 years and loved living there. Now it's adjusting to (coldcold) Europe :) I am looking forward to reading your blog, thanks for the tip!

28 Beautiful Travel Words that Describe Wanderlust Perfectly

Describe your travels with these unique and beautiful travel words from different languages around the world.

I love travelling and I love languages, so imagine my excitement when I came across a treasure trove of travel words and wanderlust synonyms that describe how we feel before, during, and after we travel. 

Just like a photo can’t fully capture what it feels like to stand on the edge of a fjord , neither can ‘wanderlust’ fully express how we feel when we crave our next adventure. These travel words are literary gems which have been gathered from languages around the world. From Japanese to Swedish , Latin to Greek , travel brochures of the future will be peppered with travel words like of resfeber , livsnjutare, and coddiwomple .

Wanderlust meaning

As you’ll see in the list below, every language has its own variation of how it explains and defines what wanderlust is. In English, wanderlust means to have a strong desire for or impulse to travel, wander and explore the world.

Learn a language from home

During these times it can be bittersweet to think about travelling when we have to stay at home and practice social distancing, let this list of wanderlust-filled words inspire you to a learn a language from home and prepare yourself for your next trip. Being travel fluent is the best way to enrich your travel experiences.

Without further ado, here are 28 beautiful travel words you should slip into your vocabulary. When you’re done, take and look at this collection of inspirational travel quotes . I’d love to hear which ones are your favourites in the comment section below.

Table of Contents

• Eleutheromania
• Quaquaversal
• Schwellenangst
• Strikhedonia
• Livsnjutare
• Novaturient
• Coddiwomple

1. Resfeber  (n.)

Origin: Swedish

Definition: The meaning of resfeber refers to the restless race of the traveller’s heart before the journey begins when anxiety and anticipation are tangled together.

It’s that moment just after you buy your plane tickets and excitement and fear floods in all at once, creating a mixture of emotions that make you feel anxious or physically ill.

For more inspiration, don’t miss my guide to cool gifts for language learners and the best travel accessories and travel gadgets here.

2. Sonder (v.)

Origin: Unknown

Definition: The realisation that each passerby is living a life as complex as your own.

The full definition, taken from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows reads:

[Sonder is] the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries, and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.

I often feel this way when I pass groups of strangers, speaking a language that is completely foreign to me, and realise just how incredibly big the world is. We all have a life that is full of different connections, memories and possibilities. That’s sonder.

The internet suggests this may not be a real word, either way, the concept is beautiful.

3. Solivagant (adj.)

Origin: Latin

Definition: Wandering alone. A solitary adventurer who travels or wanders the globe.

Not all those who wander are lost, but all those who wander alone are definitely solivagants . From the Latin word solivagus , meaning lonely or solitary, solivagant describes anyone who enjoys meandering around new countries, alone, in order to take it all in.

4. Fernweh (n.)

Origin: German

Definition: This German word,means an ache to get away and travel to a distant place, a feeling  even stronger than wanderlust. If wanderlust wasn’t poetic enough for you, allow me to present fernweh , a German word that literally translates to “distance-sickness.”

While someone with wanderlust might sit at home and happily fantasise about all the places they might visit, someone with fernweh would feel a deeper sense of longing, a sort of homesickness but for foreign lands.  For me, it’s wanting to be back in Rome . Fernweh is one of most those beautiful untranslatable words I’ve ever come across.

Carry this beautiful word with you with my Fernweh T-Shirt available in men’s and ladies styles and black or white. Buy it here.

5. Sehnsucht (n.)

Definition: A wistful longing and yearning in the heart for travels past and future.

One author translated it as the “ inconsolable longing in the human heart for we know not what .” Another compared it to “ a longing for a far-off country, but not one which we could identify.”

When you return from travelling and wish you could do it all over again and experience every moment like it was the first.

6. Eleutheromania (n.)

Origin: Greek

Definition: An intense and irresistible desire for freedom.

We all want to be free, and travelling shows us how the freedom in the lives of others that is different from our own. Eleutheromania describes a person who has a strong desire and obsession for freedom.

7. Cockaigne (n.)

Origin: French , Middle French

Definition: An imaginary land of luxury and idleness.

Every destination seem like a wonderland or cockaigne before you set foot there and see it for yourself.

The term c ockaigne ” comes from the Middle French phrase pais de cocaigne, which literally means “the land of plenty.” The word was first popularised in a 13th-century French poem that is known in English as “The Land of Cockaigne.”

8. Quaquaversal (adj.)

Definition: Moving or happening in every direction instantaneously.

This perfectly describes my state when I’m in a new place and want to see and do everything at once.

9. Dérive (n)

Origin: French

Definition: A spontaneous and unplanned journey where the traveller leaves their life behind allows themselves to be guided by the landscape and architecture.

Literally translated as “drift”,  dérive is the idea that even if you drift you will end up on the right path. This could describe life in general, but it also describes small journeys. When you’re wandering through a new city and you just happen to wander on a path that takes you to great discoveries.

10. Ecophobia (n.)

Origin: English

Definition: This word came into English word via Greek and means a fear or dislike of one’s home.

I don’t dislike my home, but recently I can’t stop thinking about going back to Lofoten, Norway.

11. Numinous (adj.)

Definition: A powerful feeling of both fear and fascination, of being in awe and overwhelmed by what is before you.

Originally, this word refers to having a strong religious or spiritual quality; but it can also be used to describe how you feel when you see things that are so beautiful that you realise how wonderful the world is and the small part you play in it.   Hiking Trolltunga was a numinous moment for me.

12. Schwellenangst (n.)

Definition: Fear of crossing a threshold to begin a new chapter.

From s chwelle (“threshold”) and a ngst (“anxiety”), this word explains that feeling you get before deciding to set out on a new journey. Argh! Did I make the right decision?

13. Strikhedonia (n.)

Definition: The pleasure of being able to say “to hell with it”.

Another personal favourite word on this list. Not only is it the joy I feel, but the freedom to be able to say “to hell with it” and book that next trip and embark on your next adventure.

14. Vagary (v.)

Definition: A whimsical or roaming journey.

From Latin, vagārī meaning “ to roam”, is an unpredictable idea, desire or action to travelling without knowing the destination, and not caring.

15. Livsnjutare (n)

Definition: Literally meaning, “enjoyer of life”, this describes a person who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme.

If you’re reading this, that’s probably you!  Need more inspiration?

16. Commuovere (v.)

Origin: Italian

Definition: To stir, to touch, to move to tears.

Just like the euphoric emotions I felt whilst whale watching.

17. Sturmfrei (adj.)

Definition: The freedom of being alone and being able to do what you want.

Literally translating to “stormfree”, this describes the freedom of not being watched by others and being alone in a place where you have the freedom and ability to do what you want.

Another great German word. Travelling solo can be especially rewarding because you have complete control. No compromises, no one else to please. Just you and the big wide world.

18. Saudade (n.)

Origin: Portuguese

Definition: This Portuguese word describes the emotional state of nostalgia and longing for someone or something distant. S audade  was once described as “the love that remains” after someone is gone.

Saudade  is the recollection of feelings, experiences, places, or events that brought excitement and happiness but now triggers the senses and makes one live again.

19. Yūgen (n.)

Origin: Japanese

Definition: A profound and mysterious sense of the beauty of the universe.

An awareness of the Universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and powerful for words.

20. Acatalepsy (n.)

Definition: The impossibility of comprehending the universe.

Henry Miller said “ One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things. ” Do we ever really understand the world and what we see on our  travels,  and how they mould us? Sometimes, if at all, it takes time to discover how these things change our lives.

21. Trouvaille (n.)

Definition: A chance encounter with something wonderful.

Whether it’s stumbling across a hidden back street, a quaint cafe, or connecting with a local, trouvaille describes those magical moments we experience in our journeys. 

22. Hygge (n.)

Origin: Danish

Definition: Pronounced hue-guh , hygge describes the warm feeling you get while enjoying the company of great friends and all life has to offer.

Hygge is the conscious appreciation of recognising everything you have and enjoying to the present moment.

23. Onism (n.)

Definition: The world is a big place as not everyone will get to see it. Onism describes understanding that we’ll never get to see it all. It’s the frustration of being stuck in just one body that can only inhabit one place at a time. I felt this way before going to Copenhagen !

Similar to the Swedish word ‘resfeber’, onism describes the feeling of knowing that you’ll never be able to see it all. They say that the more you travel, the harder it gets to stay in one place.

24. Novaturient (adj.)

Definition: A desire to change and alter your life.

This was exactly how I felt when I quit my job and moved to Rome . There was this strong urge that pulled me towards my dream of pursuing a life of speaking Italian and travelling. I knew I  wouldn’t be living my life if I didn’t go.

25. Yoko meshi (n.)

Definition: This untranslatable gem describes the stress of speaking a foreign language .

The Japanese word ‘meshi’ literally means ‘boiled rice’ and ‘yoko’ means ‘horizontal,’ together it means ‘a meal eaten sideways.’ The Japanese have created a beautiful way of describing the unique kind of stress you experience when speaking a foreign language. Furthermore, ‘yoko’ also references the fact that Japanese is normally written vertically, whereas most foreign languages are written horizontally. Clever, right?

Related: 69 Wonderful Japanese Expressions That Will Brighten Your Day

26. Selcouth (adj.)

Origin: Old English

Definition: When everything you see and experience is unfamiliar and strange, yet you find it marvellous anyway.

It’s that feeling you get when you travel to a foreign land and food, culture, customs, or language, is strange and different to everything you’ve experienced before, yet you love it and find it fascinating.

27. Eudaimonia (n.)

Definition: A state of being happy whilst travelling and everything feels great.

That intense excitement and appreciation when you travel and everything feels great. Seeing the Northern Lights was one of the best experiences of my life, a feeling I won’t forget.

28. Coddiwomple (v.)

Origin: English slang

Definition: To travel purposefully towards an unknown destination.

A brilliant word, coddiwomple is when you have a vague idea of your destination within a care for how long it takes to arrive. A great example is when you go hiking, you know you’ll eventually reach the summit, but every part of the trail along the way is just as beautiful.    Like the time I hiked Norway’s Trolltunga.

If you enjoyed these words, then let wordsmiths Stephen King, Mark Twain and the Dalai Lama transport you around the world with these inspirational travel quotes or start using some of the beautiful untranslatable words from other languages.

Want to know more about learning languages? Start here!

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• 13 Ways to Seamlessly Integrate Language Learning into Your Daily Life
• What Type of Language Learner Are You? Your 4-Step Personalised Learning Plan
• 15 Top Language Learning Resources You Should Use
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• How to Learn Your First Foreign Language in 8 Simple Steps: A Beginner’s Guide
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• 78 FREE Dictionaries to Learn a Language Fast [Free eBook Download]
• 22 KEY Travel Phrases That Will Transform Your Travels [Free Guide]

Over to you!

Which one of these travel words do you identify with the most? What others would you add? Let me know using the comments section below or join me on social media to start a conversation.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Michele creates language learning guides and courses for travel. What separates her from other instructors is her ability to explain complex grammar in a no-nonsense, straightforward manner using her unique 80/20 method. Get her free guide 9 reasons you’re not fluent…YET & how to fix it! Planning a trip? Learn the local language with her 80/20 method for less than the cost of eating at a tourist trap restaurant Start learning today!

Italian Cognates & Loanwords: 17 Rules to Italianizing English Words You Already Know

124 inspirational travel quotes that’ll make you want to travel in 2022, 12 comments.

Amazing list! One word I’d add is the Dutch word “gezellig” or “gezelligheid” – similarly to hygge, it describes a feeling of warmth/comfort/coziness/quaintness in certain settings or around certain people.

Thank you so much for sharing this Heba. So interesting to learn that Dutch has a similar word 🙂

This is such a fun article! Love these words and phrases!

Glad to hear it! Thank you so much, Eric 🙂

So many of these describe me or my feelings about seeing the world. But, if I had to pick one, the one that best describes how I choose my destinations would be “selcouth”. I so want to be a stranger in a strange land. To have my belief that there is no such thing as “normal” affirmed again and again and over again.

What a beautiful word. Thanks for sharing, Janet 🙂

Thanks Michele what a wonderful list of inspirational words. It nearly made me cry as I realised that I suffer from acute eleutheromania! ha

Thanks Juliana 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed this list. Eleutheromania? I know how you feel hehe

Unique list i must say – If you want to add one more word than check this !

In Hindi language (India) traveler called as “Musafir”

thanks Niraj 🙂

Thanks for sharing this! Really enjoyed it a lot ❤

Thanks Donah, I’m so glad you enjoyed it 😉

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Get Inspired

42 inspiring travel words (besides wanderlust).

We’ve all tried to find words to describe a travel experience, and sometimes nothing seems to quite explain it right.

I love discovering new ways to express myself, and over the years I’ve slowly collected the below list of creative travel words that are either not commonly used in English or are from another language or are words that describe travel emotions we go through much better.

If you’re a bit of a Pinterest addict like me you might have heard some of these alternative words for travel before, but hopefully, some are new.

After all, we could all use some other words for wanderlust!

These are just a few of my favourite words associated with travel.

As someone who writes about travel all the time, I love finding new words for travel and to describe travel experiences.

Everyone knows wanderlust, but are there words for wanderlust in other languages, or even just another word for travel too? 

I first wrote this post back in 2015 with just 24 new travel words that I had found over the course of the year while I was living abroad in Spain .

Since then I’ve come across many more so I’ve updated it to include the new ones!

Each travel word definition has been written in my own words, with a photo of my own, and examples from my own experiences. 

I hope that you’re able to learn some new words for travel (that aren’t wanderlust but are other words for wanderlust!) and be a bit inspired by them like I have been!

The unusual travel words you need to know:

Resfeber  (n), origin – swedish.

The tangled feelings of fear and excitement before a journey begins.

This is one of the most popular words associated with travel and all over Pinterest!

We’ve all felt this. That jolt in your heart when you book your flights, or when you tell your family and friends what you’re about to do.

Now that feeling has a word you can use!

This feeling is for new travellers and old alike. I still feel it when I embark on new journeys, especially before I moved to Spain to teach English .

Fernweh (n)

Origin: german.

Farsickness. An urge to travel even stronger than wanderlust.

That feeling you get when you’ve been home too long and you ache to be out into the world again.

Sometimes you don’t know where you want to be, but you know that it’s away. Sometimes you know where, and you want to get there as quickly as possible. This is that feeling.

I’ve had a serious case of the post travel blues , and felt this to the extreme!

It’s one of my favourite words related to travel, since it really does describe how I’ve felt on so many different occasions.

Origin: French

To drift unplanned, led only by the landscape and architecture around you.

The idea that even if you drift you will end up falling into a path that is lined out for you by your surroundings. This could describe life overall, but it also describes small journeys.

When you’re wandering through a new city and you just happen to wander on a path that takes you to great discoveries.

This happened to me in Stockholm, when I went to the archipelago and saw absolutely nothing of the city, and again in Lisbon where we made no plans and just let the city show us where to go.

This is a travel word I’ve seen less often, probably because many of us love to plan our trips, tick things off a bucket list and not miss out, but sometimes if you just allow yourself to wander you’ll find the most unexpected and best things of your trip.

Numinous (adj)

Origin: latin.

Feeling both fearful and awed by what is before you.

I don’t know why but there’s something intriguing about finding Latin words for travel. Maybe it’s because it’s not a language we really use anymore, but it forms the basis for so much of ours now.

There are quite a lot of words for travelling that are Latin based, or that we can turn into a word associated with travel.

Firstly referring to divinity, but I think it is a wonderful way to describe how you feel when you see things that are so amazing you’re not sure whether to be amazed or realise your own insignificance in the world. It’s the magical feeling when you see something truly awe-inspiring, be it the scenery before you, or just something amazing falls into place when you’re travelling.

Visiting the rice terraces of China was that moment for me.

Schwellenangst (n)

Fear of crossing a threshold to embark on something new.

Ok so this German word isn’t traditionally a word related to travel but it could be used as one of those words to describe a travel experience now.

Maybe referring literally to a door, but a great way to explain that feeling you might have before deciding to set out on a new journey.

Did you make the right decision? Those questioning feelings now have a name. I thought I might have made a mistake in moving to Spain but really, it was just this feeling of fearing something new.

Strikhedonia (n)

Origin: greek.

The joy of being able to say “to hell with it”.

A popular Greek word associated with travel!

This is what you can do when you decide to quit everything, stop making excuses , and explore the world.

Something you say when you book your flights or you decide to do something on your journey that you wouldn’t normally do. You’re travelling, who cares right?!

Now you have a word related to travel for that awesome feeling.

A wandering or roaming journey.

An unpredictable idea, desire or action.

Travelling without knowing the destination, and it doesn’t matter.

I got completely lost with friends in the Alpujarras in southern Spain , and it didn’t matter one bit. This is another Latin word for travel that we should definitely bring back into our vocabulary!

Sehnsucht (n)

A wistful longing and yearning in the heart for travels that have been and travels to come.

When you’re not travelling this can be an overwhelming feeling, or when you think about the travel you’ve done and you wish you could relive it all over again.

This feeling is why you need to make the most of every moment! It’s why the more you travel, the harder it gets .

This is one of those other words for wanderlust that we could use instead, although not as easy to say I admit!

Eleutheromania (n)

The intense desire for freedom.

This is probably one of the closest words to explaining wanderlust in different languages. People often say that travelling makes them feel free, and eleutheromania is the desire for this feeling.

We seem to find freedom in other cultures, or just in being outside the norm, and when you stop travelling, you crave it again.

I think this is what led me to make the crazy decision to move abroad for the first time at 16 !

Definitely one of my favourite other words for wanderlust and a firm favourite on Pinterest when you look for travel words.

Livsnjutare (n)

Origin: swedish.

Someone who loves life deeply and lives it to the extreme.

Someone I try to be. One that takes chances, takes risks, and always chooses the adventure .

This other word for travel could be used in place for wanderluster, nomad or traveller.  We could all stand to appreciate what we have and make the most of life, and so this is an inspirational travel word! 

Sturmfrei (adj)

The freedom of being alone and having the ability to do what you want.

Travelling solo can be especially rewarding because it’s all up to you. You can make your travel journey exactly how you want it to be. No compromises, no one else to please. Just you and the road.

You might meet amazing people when you travel , but being on your own is real freedom.

This isn’t traditionally a word associated with travel either, but instead with being in a place alone or without supervision from your parents, so like when they leave you at home for the weekend as a teenager.

But isn’t that slightly giddy feeling of being able to do whatever we want similar to how we feel when we travel? No one’s watching, so you can be who you want and let go!

Solivagant (adj)

Wandering alone.

The kind of traveller many of us are. Solo travel has exploded so much that it is no longer out of the ordinary.

As most solo travellers know, you’re not alone for long as you make your friends on the road . But sometimes, it’s the wandering journey you take alone that is the most rewarding.

This is a word for someone that travels a lot or someone on a solo journey.

It’s definitely a popular description amongst travel bloggers too!

Saudade (n)

Origin: portuguese.

Nostalgia and the love that remains. A desire to be near to something or someone distant.

This is a travel word for after your journey ends and you just want to be back where you were, or with the people you met on the way. It’s the feeling that’s left after it all ends.

It’s what makes you want to return to your favourite place , even if you know it might not be the same. Part of the definition of this travel word is also about looking forward positively to the future!

Origin: Japanese

An awareness of the universe that triggers emotional responses too deep and mysterious for words.

That feeling when it’s dark and you look at the stars and your wonder for all the things in the world wells up inside of you.

I felt like this when I saw the northern lights in Iceland during the wintertime . It was the most amazing experience and if I had any word to describe it then this would be it!

Acatalepsy (n)

The idea that it is impossible to truly comprehend anything.

Acatalepsy is a word that we can associate with travel. 

Can you truly understand your travels, the things you see, and how they affect you?

Sometimes it takes time to process how travel might have changed your life, and sometimes we never truly know why we take the journeys we do and what they’ll mean for us until afterward.

We can reflect on amazing travel moments , but never fully know their impact until much later! 

Origin: In doubt

The realisation every person is living their own vivid life.

I stumbled across this word and fell in love with the meaning, as it’s something I sometimes think about. How each person’s life is as full of different connections, memories, and possibilities as my own.

Although research tells me Sonder may not be a real word, the concept is beautiful and I think it can be a word closely associated with travel.

When we’re travelling we realise how everyone is living their own different and vivid life, sometimes close to our own and sometimes on a completely other level!

Trouvaille (n)

Something lovely found by chance.

A street, cafe, an experience stumbled upon by luck.

I love when this happens in my travels. A moment drinking coffee under a lemon tree in the south of Spain , a garden or a lake or a swimming hole discovered with no one else around.

I love finding alternative words to describe a travel experience, and this is a great one! It’s so important to appreciate the little things, especially when we come across them in an unexpected way. 

Origin: Danish

The cosy feeling you get while you’re enjoying the good things in life with friends.

When you’re out for a meal with people you met during your travels , and you feel content and right.

That feeling that you’re right where you’re meant to be.

This isn’t traditionally associated with travel and has become much more popular in recent years as a word describing a Danish way of living.

This word is now much more popular and well known than when I first wrote this post when I was an expat ! When I first came across it in 2015 I’d never heard of it before at all!

And I love that.

To me, it sounded like a word to describe the experiences I’d had while travelling, when I’d met an amazing group of people and we were enjoying a shared meal together at the end of an awesome day of exploring.

Origin: The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows – John Koenig

Awareness of how little of the world you’ll experience.

When you’re staring at the departures board and wishing you could go to all of those places at once.

It’s possible that the more you travel the harder it gets , and this is one of the reasons why. You can live abroad to try and travel more, but there’s still only so much to be seen.

This travel word is a little different in that it isn’t from another language but instead from a book.

However, it is another word that describes travel in that you’ll never reach the end of your exploration.

Travelling just makes you realise how much of the world there is still to see, and fuels your wanderlust even more!

Novaturient (adj)

A desire to change and alter your life.

This word for travel lovers describes the feeling that pushes you to travel.

When you know you’re not living the life you could be and there must be more out there for you.

It’s time to go and find it . I’ve never regretted travelling or moving abroad , even alone . It’s this knowledge and this feeling that makes me keep doing it!

Yoko meshi (n)

The stress of speaking a foreign language.

Literally translates to, “a meal eaten sideways”, and how I felt about speaking Spanish when I moved to Spain!

When people would tell me to “just start speaking” and it’s really not that easy.

Can you really learn a language just by moving abroad ? Maybe not, but you can try. Just be prepared for this feeling that you now have a travel word to describe!

Selcouth (adj)

Origin: old english.

Strange and uncommon, the way you see things when you travel.

Everything seems different and foreign, and it’s a good thing. We travel to seek out the things we don’t have at home .

This is another word that we can make into a word for travel, even though it doesn’t traditionally mean that.

It is one I could kind of see myself using to describe the odd things I’ve come across while travelling!

Eudaimonia (n)

The contented happy state.

That bursting feeling in your chest when you travel when it all feels right. The constant change in travel often puts our senses in overdrive and the highs are higher than ever. 

Learning to dive on the Great Barrier Reef was one of the best experiences of my life, and I won’t soon forget this feeling.

This Greek word is actually related to a philosophy that has been translated as meaning happiness or well-being, but I think that it’s the way we often feel when we travel, so it’s a word for travel lovers too!

Coddiwomple (v)

Origin: english slang.

To travel purposefully towards a vague destination.

When you have an idea of where you’re going, but it doesn’t matter how long it takes to get there.

The road doesn’t have to be a straight one. In fact, sometimes it’s better when it’s not .

I love this travel word because I can imagine an old English gentleman discussing his latest “coddiwomple”!

Flâneur (n)

Someone who strolls aimlessly but enjoyably, observing life and the surroundings.

This is what I love to do when I get to a new city, or through the countryside .

When we travel we seem to have fewer worries in general, allowing us to place ourselves more IN the moment.

Plus walking a city and people watching is a great way to learn about a new culture! It’s also a lovely way to spend a romantic date !

Nefelibata (n)

“Cloud-Walker”. One who lives in the clouds of their own imagination, or who does not obey the conventions of society, literature or art. An unconventional person.

Probably the way people have described me on occasion!

For those who don’t travel, or don’t know how to begin, the idea can seem fantastical and unconventional.

But these days there are so many people breaking free of “cubicle” life and working as digital nomads with the world as their office, working different travel jobs ,  saving to move abroad , or taking a year off to travel. Phil and I now work for ourselves and travel as we like (with kids!).

It may be unconventional to some, but for the rest of us, it’s life.

Brumous (adj.)

Origin: english.

Of gray skies and winter days, filled with heavy clouds or fog.

This may be a travel word you only use if you travel to the United Kingdom, especially in Scotland (it’s not the weather though, you just need the right clothes !)

It’s well known as the land of rainy days and fog, and I’ve experienced first hand.

However, I visited the Isle of Skye , one of the beautiful places in the UK, in the wind and rain and it was no less amazing. So really, I don’t mind if I have to describe some of my travels this way.

Vorfreude (n)

The joyful, intense anticipation that comes from imagining future pleasures.

When we book a new trip and in the time before we go, this is the way we often feel.

We can think about the people we’ll meet , and all the exciting things we’re going to experience.

I love watching movies about places I want to go and then imagining myself there too, which is basically this feeling!

Commuovere (v)

Origin: italian.

Heartwarming, something that stirs and moves you.

I love finding new words that don’t translate into English. This one is a prime example of a word that is difficult to explain, but the best I can do is heartwarming, something that moves you to tears in a good way.

Maybe you’re wondering how this relates to travel… crying?!

Well, I’ve definitely shed a few tears over travel, from the good to the bad, and I’ve definitely been moved and awed by the things that I’ve seen.

Peregrinate (v)

Travel or wander around from place to place.

A pretty simple word that we could use to describe our travels and yet it seems to have fallen out of favour. “We peregrinated around the Scottish Highlands .” It works right?!

Nemophilist (n)

Origin: english.

A haunter of woods, one who loves the forest and it’s beauty and solitude.

There’s something magical about walking through the woods, and even more so in a foreign country.

When I lived in Canada on a study abroad one of my favourite things to do was wander through the huge forests there. So much so my new friends and I once got lost for 8 hours…

Querencia (n)

Origin: spanish.

The place where you are your most authentic self, from where strength is drawn, where you feel at home.

I’m so excited to have a Spanish word, after learning Spanish while giving in Spain.

This word comes is related to the verb querer , which is to want or desire.

It can be associated with bullfighting, as it is also the name for the area of the bullring where the bull takes its stand, but I like to think of it more as a travel word, of course.

Komorebi (n)

The sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees.

If you’re on those forest walks when you’re travelling like above, then this is hopefully what you’ll see!

Another unusual word that doesn’t translate directly into an English word, but one that describes a beautiful sight.

Hireath (n)

Origin: welsh.

A homesickness for a home to which you cannot return, a home which maybe never was. The nostalgia, the yearning, the grief for the lost places of your past.

Homesickness isn’t quite the right translation for this beautiful Welsh word, it’s more than that. It’s one of my favourites though as I often reminisce about my previous travels and times in my life.

It’s strange to think back to times like our babymoon in France , and how we had no idea what was ahead of us. As much as I love our life now I sometimes wish to live those times again!

Smultronställe (n)

Literally “place of wild strawberries” a special place discovered, treasured, returned to for solace and relaxation; a personal idyll free from stress or sadness.

When I went to Luleå in the north of Sweden in summer we discovered wild strawberries growing on an island in the middle of the archipelago.

That’s what I think of when I see this word because what better place to be? These are often the kind of places we discover when we travel.

Mångata (n)

The reflection of the moon on the water.

Something I only seem to see or see the most when I’m travelling.

It reminds me of being by the sea, of the Full Moon Party in Thailand and of the early darkness when I lived in the Gold Coast, Australia, where this photo was taken!

Photophile (n)

Origin: possibly english or greek.

A person who loves photography and light.

This one is a little in dispute. It could originate from the word for organisms that love light, “photophilic”, but have been adjusted to fit with photographers too.

Or, it could come from the same origins as “hodophile” in that “phos” means light and “philos” means friends. I can’t find concrete evidence either way, but that’s the beauty of finding new words!

Photophiles carry their camera wherever they go, and many travellers now do the same.

I used to have an old point and shoot camera, and then I stuck to mostly iPhone before finally getting a “proper” camera. I’ve been testing it out in Spain at places like the Alhambra , and in Portugal around the streets of Lisbon .

But there was nothing quite like the midnight sun in Luleå last summer.

Dépaysement (adj.)

Feeling that comes from not being in one’s own country. Being out of your element, a fish out of water.

Living abroad has often made me feel like this , especially in the early days.

Sometimes we can idealise moving abroad and not realise how it will affect us , but eventually, a place will feel like home, even if it’s a different concept of home than before.

Hodophile (adj.)

“Lover of roads”. One who loves to travel.

Does this travel word really need an explanation?

There’s something magical about setting out on a trip with the open road before you. My absolute favourite was driving across the Nullabor in Australia! It’s one of the longest straight roads in the world.

Cockaigne (n)

Origin: an english word with french origin.

Imaginary land of luxury and idleness; the land of plenty.

This word originates from a medieval myth, a land of plenty where society’s restrictions are defined and the harshness of life in medieval times does not exist.

Although we’re not in this time anymore, we could use this word to describe our ideal land of plenty now. One where people are not persecuted for their religion or race, one where equality reigns supreme, maybe one we will all be able to travel to one day?

Wayfarer (n)

Someone who travels, especially on foot.

Maybe not as unusual a word as some on this list, and one that you may already know. I considered making this my blog name when I started blogging !

It’s a word that makes me think of older times when people travelled in a more whimsical way that had nothing to do with social media. You went wherever the wind took you!

Absquatulate (v)

Origin: north american english.

To leave without saying goodbye.

Invented in the US in the 1830s as a word that sounded vaguely Latin, to make it seem older.

It means to make off with someone or something without announcing you’re going! The way many of us might feel we want to leave for our travels. No fuss, please!

Have you heard of these travel words and would you use them? Do you think they explain things better than we usually can?

If you liked them, pin them!

Sonja - Migrating Miss

Sonja is from New Zealand but now lives in Scotland with her husband and two little boys, after having lived in 5 other countries along the way including the USA, Australia, Canada, and Spain. Travelling has always been her passion and she has now made it her full-time job and worked in the industry for the last 8 years. She shares her living abroad experiences and best tips to make your travel experiences the best they can be!

55 thoughts on “ 42 Inspiring Travel Words (Besides Wanderlust) ”

Amazing list! Looking to impress a number of my fellow travelers with this list now!

I swear some of them can be worked in to normal conversation! Others may be a little different but it’s so nice to have words that describe those travel feelings.

Sonja, that’s a great one!! Sharing it all over now:) love all the words and the idea of such a post:)

Thanks so much Monika! I have been sitting on all of these for a long time. They are saved all over my phone and written in personal journals, so I thought it was time to share!

I’d add: ecdemomania <3

That’s a good one I didn’t have! I’ll have to add it to the next list 🙂

I absolutely love these! I so often find myself having a hard time describing my deep seeded need to get away, always be moving, or travel solo. The long pause and struggle I have to express the answer to “why” when asked about my journeys can feel very awkwardly isolating, and not in the good way of standing alone on a mountain top or wandering an empty desert. I like to feel all alone in the world sometimes but other times, I want to be a part of something, a community, and understood. Seeing words like you have dug up to share in this post do just that. The fact that there are words in so many languages to describe exactly how I feel, means that I am not really alone, even when I have been on a road with no signs of humans for days!

Thanks Bethany! You are definitely not alone! I too loved discovering that there are words that actually describe how I feel when I can’t even really describe it myself. It means that there are other’s that have felt like this, and so much so that whole words have been created for it. I hope you find a way to explain how you feel and why you want travel and movement in your life. All the best x

Wow, I love these, thank-you!

Thanks! I’ve been collecting them for awhile, I love finding out about different words that we can use to explain our feelings, not that I would end up actually saying most of these!

Your list of words is awesome! But Germans actually don’t use “sturmfrei” in the context of traveling. It’s being said when your parents have left home for one or more nights so you can invite friends and party. 😉 it’s not a description about how we feel, it’s more a description of the situation itself. I definitely like your interpretation – hopefully it’ll become a part of travelers diaries.

Thanks Josi! It’s good to know the real meaning behind the word. I like the idea of trying to adapt it as a travel word too, so fingers crossed others see it like you too! 🙂

Thank you Sonja, This was a fun list. I doubt I will be able to work them into my vocabulary. I don’t think I can even pronounce most of them. Perhaps it would be fun to have a follow up post that included the pronunciation of each. You clearly have comfort with many languages. I envy that. Happy Trails to You, Michelle

Haha no they are not exactly everyday words! I think a few may be easier than others, but anyone actually understanding them is the problem! I love the idea that sometimes other languages can explain things better than English though, and I do find it fascinating in learning Spanish that things are not always a direct translation. The use of words can be so different! Happy travels to you too!

I loved reading these words! Thanks for finding them and creating the pin for them! What an excellent way to express our traveling emotions!

Thanks so much! You’re most welcome :). I have to admit I don’t use them a whole lot in my blog writing, but I just love them!

I love your words. Thank you.

Thanks for your comment!

This is a great list, I enjoyed it! Thanks. However, I just want to correct a minor detail. While I was reading along, I got surprised by the word “onism” as I am Danish and has never in my life heard of this word before, whereas “hygge”, the other Danish word on your list, is very commonly used. I looked up “onism” on the internet and found that it comes from The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows which is a compendium of invented words written by John Koenig. I suppose it is made as a combination between the words “monism” (Greek?) and “onanism” (English?), so there is nothing Danish about its origin (at least not that I could find) x

Thanks Ida! I tried to research everything as much as I could (hours in fact haha) and I’m not sure how I ended up with that one! I’ll take another look but I suspect I’ll find the same as you and change it! Thanks again 🙂 x

I loved reading this post and found myself relating to almost every one! ? Thought the accompanying photos were perfect too. It’s given me inspiration for a new travel/art journal …

Thanks so much! It makes me really happy to hear I’ve given someone else inspiration 🙂 🙂

Wow !! Love them.. I was actually looking for a new word which would describe my travel agency. I think I should be able to come up with something using the list of words, u’ve mentioned in this post.

That’s great I’m glad they’re able to help you! Best of luck.

Thnx a lot for giving this sort of knowledge about the words who r completely new to me. Keep posting these words along with their meaning it helps a lot.

Thanks dea… It perfectely helped me to explain my inner feelings , but some words have difficulty in pronouncing . I wrote down every word in ma notebook for future description pf my Travel Thanks alot yaar <3

Hi, I would like to know if there is a word for this feeling describes below,

‘I feel at home when I’m travelling, but when I’m actually at home, I feel weird.

I don’t think wanderlust is the word, can you please help me?

I’m sorry I’m not sure! I only know these words and the other post I did about unusual travel words. It’s possible something exists though and I’ll keep an eye out since I love finding unusual words 🙂

Was looking for travel words from Greek origin, and have found it, thanks so much. Love your page as well, maybe we see each other on the road sometime 🙂

Thanks so much! I’m glad they’re useful 🙂

So who copied who? 🙂 https://www.theintrepidguide.com/travel-words-that-describe-wanderlust-perfectly/#.WjWJFCPMwmo

Great list!

OMG!!!! Thanks for bringing this to my attention!!! I can’t believe how similar some of the wording of this is!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁 I first published this in early 2016.

Thank you for compiling such a great list! I may be incorrect, but shouldn’t ‘Vagary’ be listed as a noun rather than a verb?

It appears it’s listed as a noun now to mean something unpredictable but it came from the verb to wander!

So great to see Eleutheromania included in the list, passionate about freedom!

One of my favourites!

This is a very impressive, creative and original list. Will revisit many times. Thanks for sharing 🙂

42? How did anyone even get to this comment section? I had to scroll for 2 days just to get to leave this comment. This is really outrageous. 7 would have been plenty. We are internet users here, not book readers.

Two days well spent I’m sure 😉

When one is confined within the four corners of the home, because of the pandemic, this list is very encouraging! Thank you Sonja, many of the words here describes various emotions I have already experienced. Two more weeks of lockdown, I have time to do a project, finding my travel photos that match the words :).

Love this post! I’m feeling so much fernweh at the moment <3

Same here!!

Thank you so much for these! At this time of great challenges in the world, it is comforting to know that I can read the wonderful words you have compiled to capture all the positive feelings travel evokes. Slainte!

I couldn’t find all of these travel words anywhere else. You know, I am gonna bookmark it right away. Thanks for sharing these travel phrases. I love it. Looking forward to reading more of these informative articles 🙂

Amazing read. Needed these for getting a travel domain name. Bookmarked this post already. It’s very useful. Looking forward to reading more of these awesome travel blogs.

Ha ha what a random post! Learned so many new words from this, excited to casually *drop* them into my conversations

Haha so many! I mean, half I think I’ve never said but it’s fun to learn their meaning and find words that can describe the things we feel and think when we travel x

Wonderful article, it must have taken a lot of work to put together so many words 🙂

Thanks! I collected them over a few years and then reworded in my own words :).

Nice article. Thanks for sharing these travel phrases. Looking forward to reading more of these informative articles .

Stunning article, loved to read. will read more for sure…

Was very helpful article

I love this list of inspiring words for travel! I’m always looking for new ways to explore new places and this list has given me some great ideas.

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Today’s ‘wordle’ #1042 hints, clues and answer for friday, april 26th.

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How to solve today's Wordle.

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We’re quickly approaching the end of April, and then it’s just a hop, skip and a jump to summer. Huzzah! Schools are entering the final few weeks of class, which is probably a relief to everyone on college campuses in particular, where ongoing protests have basically disrupted everything.

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The Hint: Insipid. Dull.

The Clue: Today’s Wordle has a 4-point Scrabble letter in it.

Okay, spoilers below!

The Answer:

Today's Wordle

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Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here .

I feel rather jolly about my guessing game today. SPARE ended up being a great opening guess, leaving me with 2 yellow boxes and just 31 possible solutions. I decided to rearrange the letters I had, rather than go for all new letters today and it worked out swell. PAINT added another yellow box and moved my one vowel into green. I didn’t realize it at first, but there was only one possible solution at this point: VAPID for the win! Huzzah!

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Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.

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Today’s Wordle Etymology

The word "vapid" comes from the Latin word "vapidus," which means insipid or flat. This Latin term is also related to "vapor," suggesting something that has evaporated or lacks substance. Over time, "vapid" came into English in the early 17th century, maintaining the sense of something lacking in flavor, zest, or interest, essentially describing things that are dull or unstimulating.

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Discovering cancers of epigenetic origin without DNA mutation

A research team including scientists from the CNRS 1 has discovered that cancer, one of the leading causes of death worldwide, can be caused entirely by epigenetic changes 2 , in other words, changes that contribute to how gene expression is regulated, and partly explain why, despite an identical genome, an individual develops very different cells (neurons, skin cells, etc.).

While studies have already described the influence of these processes in the development of cancer, this is the first time that scientists have demonstrated that genetic mutations are not essential for the onset of the disease. This discovery forces us to reconsider the theory that, for more than 30 years, has assumed that cancers are predominantly genetic diseases caused necessarily by DNA mutations that accumulate at the genome level 3 .

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1 -- Working at the Institut de Génétique Humaine (CNRS/Université de Montpellier).

2 -- Epigenetics is the study of the mechanisms that allow the inheritance of different gene expression profiles in the presence of the same DNA sequence.

3 -- The genome is defined as the set of genetic material -- and therefore the entire DNA sequence -- contained in a cell or organism.

4 -- Scientists focused on epigenetic factors called Polycomb proteins, which regulate the expression of key genes, and are dysregulated in many human cancers. When these proteins are experimentally removed, the activity of the targeted genes is disrupted: some can activate their own transcription and self-maintain. When Polycomb proteins are integrated back into the cell, a subset of the genes are resistant to the proteins and remain dysregulated through cell division, allowing the cancer to continue its progression.

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Materials provided by CNRS . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• V. Parreno, V. Loubiere, B. Schuettengruber, L. Fritsch, C. C. Rawal, M. Erokhin, B. Győrffy, D. Normanno, M. Di Stefano, J. Moreaux, N. L. Butova, I. Chiolo, D. Chetverina, A.-M. Martinez, G. Cavalli. Transient loss of Polycomb components induces an epigenetic cancer fate . Nature , 2024; DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07328-w

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Parking, Travel & Free Public Shuttle

Find out more about parking, travel and the free public bus shuttle service to the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club.

Travel By Car

We have directions from five nearby cities to The Renaissance Club which can help you whether you plan on travelling by car or public transport. 

Click here if travelling from Edinburgh. Click here if travelling from Falkirk. Click here if travelling from Glasgow. Click here if Travelling from Kirkcaldy. Click here if travelling from Newcastle upon Tyne.

Spectators should follow the yellow AA event signage which will direct you to the public car park. 

There will be no access to The Renaissance Club for spectators’ vehicles, except those with valid car park labels.

Travel By Train & Free Public Shuttle

Spectators travelling by train should stop at the Longniddry Rail Station. All ticket holders will be able to use the free bus service, which will drop you off at the entrance to the Genesis Scottish Open. Shuttles will meet each train at Longniddry travelling both from Edinburgh and to Edinburgh.

Please find below the times for trains and buses travelling from Longniddry and North Berwick to Edinburgh Waverley: (note: timings subject to change).

North Berwick to Edinburgh Waverley

Saturday: 18:24, 18:52, 19:33

Sunday: 18:20, 19:25, 20:19**

Longniddry to Edinburgh Waverley

Saturday: 18:37 19:05, 19:45

Sunday: 18:33, 19:38, 20:33

124 Bus Times

Saturday: 18:30, 19:30, 20:00,.20:45, 21:55, 23:00

Sunday: Same as Above

Click here to view the free shuttle bus timetable.

Accessibility Information

There will be dedicated disabled spaces on site for spectators whose vehicles display a blue badge. The disabled car park is situated in Car Park 2. Wheelchair users will need to contact [email protected] in order to make arrangements in advance and gain admission to the site.

Spectators wanting to rent an electric scooter will be able to do so at the Event Mobility tent located in the village. Event Mobility is a charity and kindly asks for a donation of £35 for using electric scooters and £15 for the manual wheelchairs. These can be pre-booked on their website with the link here .

Spectators can also pick them up on the day and these are available on a first come first served basis.

Click here for more information.

Taxi and Uber drop off and collection is available and will be at the public car park only. There is strictly no Taxi/Uber drop off at The Renaissance Club for General ticket holders. 

For more information on local transport, please download the Transport for Edinburgh App.

Southeast Scotland Transport Partnership

Go ahead and download off the  Apple App Store  or the  Google Play Store  now!

DP World Tour Partners