Travel throws a lot of jargon at you: boarding gates, open-jaw tickets, single supplements, standbys. This glossary collects every term we have explained on Word For Word About World, from A to Z. Each entry links to the full explainer.

The A to Z of travel terms

  • Adventure Travel: what it means, what counts as adventure travel and who it suits.
  • Airport Terminal: the part of the airport where check-in, security and boarding happen.
  • All-Inclusive: what is usually included in one price, and the trade-offs to know.
  • Backpacking: budget travel basics: gear, planning and where to start.
  • Bed and Breakfast (B&B): how B&Bs work, what to expect and who they suit best.
  • Check-in: online versus counter check-in and when each method matters.
  • Customs: what customs officers check and how to pass through smoothly.
  • Departure Lounge: where you wait before boarding and what you can do there.
  • Eco-Tourism: responsible travel that protects nature and supports local people.
  • Excursion: short organised trips and how they differ from independent travel.
  • Frequent Flyer Program: how airline loyalty programs work and how to earn rewards faster.
  • Green Tourism: travel designed to lower environmental impact on local places.
  • Group Tour: organised trips with fixed itineraries and shared logistics.
  • Guided Tour: pre-arranged trips led by a professional guide.
  • Immigration: the processes and terminology around moving to another country.
  • Lost and Found: how lost property is handled in airports and other public places.
  • Open-Jaw Ticket: flying into one city and home from another on a single trip.
  • Overbooking: why flights and hotels sell more seats and rooms than they have.
  • Package Tour: bundled transport, stays and activities sold as one plan.
  • Red-Eye Flight: overnight flights, their pros and cons, and sleep tips.
  • Round-the-World Ticket: multi-stop airline passes and how the pricing works.
  • Seat Upgrade: how seat upgrades work and the smartest times to ask.
  • Self-Catering: stays where you cook your own meals instead of eating out.
  • Single Supplement: the extra charge solo travellers pay for double-priced rooms.
  • Souvenir: keepsakes from your travels and how to choose meaningful ones.
  • Standby: what standby means in air travel and how it is used.
  • Stopover: a longer connection you can use to visit an extra city.
  • Timeshare: shared ownership of holiday accommodation and how costs work.

Looking for planning advice rather than definitions? Start with our travel budget planning tips and tools or browse the destination guides.