One topic you might be asked about in part one of your IELTS Speaking test is travel. And a very common travel question is, “Do you like traveling?”
In this post, you’ll learn how to give a great band-seven answer. You’ll also see 20 good example answers (go straight to the answers here).
If You Do Like Traveling
Here are some possible reasons to like traveling. In your answer, talk about the reason which is true for you…
- It’s exciting to see new places
- You like new experiences
- You can try interesting food
- You gain a sense of freedom
- You can make friends from different places
- You have an adventure with your friends
- You can practice your English or other languages
- You can forget about work or studies for a while
- You can expand your mind and broaden your horizons
- You can take lots of great photos for social media
- You can make wonderful memories
- You can go to romantic places
- You can do some great shopping
- You can buy souvenirs
- You can go somewhere hot to get a tan
- You can get to the beach
- You can go to fun festivals around the world
- You get lots of interesting stories
- Anything else that comes to your mind
What More You Can Say
You can also talk about:
- Where you’ve traveled to before
- Where you’ve been recently
- The best place you’ve ever been
- Where you would love to visit in future
- How you like to travel (by air, car, train…)
- Where you usually stay when you travel
- What you usually do when you travel
- Who you like to travel with
- Anything else you can think of
What If You Don’t Like Traveling?
If you really don’t like traveling, no problem. Just say that you don’t, and then you could say…
- Why you don’t like traveling
- If you ever liked traveling in the past
- If you’ve traveled before, and if you like it or not
- What you’d rather do instead of traveling
- If you know anyone who likes traveling
- Why you think other people like traveling
- If there are perhaps just one or two places you’d like to visit
- Anything else that comes to mind
Keep It Short and Simple
These are lots of ideas. But don’t try to use them all!
Always remember that in part one, your answers should be quite short.
Part 1 should be like a natural conversation. It’s just supposed to warm you up.
So your answers can be short (just 10 to 20 seconds long) and simple.
If you keep your English simple here, it will be easier to focus on fluency.
Don’t worry about using clever vocabulary and grammar (that will come in parts two and three).
Use the Three-Step YES Method
To help you answer part-one questions, use the YES Method.
You can just say:
- Your answer (‘yes, I do’ or ‘no, I don’t)
- Explain your answer (say why you do or don’t like traveling)
- Stop talking (wait patiently for the next question)
Let’s take a look at 20 good answers to this question about travel.
‘Yes, I Do’ Answers
1. Yes, I really like traveling because when I travel I can see fascinating, exotic countries and try all kinds of delicious dishes.
2. Yes, I’ve always loved traveling. I’ve already been to most of the countries in Europe and I’d like to travel around South America. I’m a big fan of Latin American culture, music, and cuisine.
3. Yes, I do. I think traveling broadens my mind and helps me to understand other people from different cultures. For these reasons, I think everyone should travel.
4. Yes, I really enjoy going on vacation with my family. Every year we travel somewhere new. Last summer we went to Nice in the South of France. The weather was lovely and the food was out of this world.
5. Yes, I certainly do like traveling. I haven’t been to any foreign countries yet, but I plan to travel a lot after I graduate from university.
6. Yes, I do. I love to visit romantic places like Paris and Venice with my boyfriend. And I really want to go to Norway, where you can see the Northern Lights in the night sky. That would be wonderful.
7. Yes, I do. I need to travel a lot for my work and that’s one of the best things about my job. When I visit a new city, I love taking some time for myself, to unwind and see the sights.
8. Yes, I love the sunshine, so I love traveling anywhere hot with a beach. I really enjoy lying on a sunny beach with a margarita and not a care in the world.
9. Yes, I often travel to Tokyo to go shopping. You can buy really good cosmetics in Tokyo for very affordable prices. I fill up my suitcase before I come home.
10. Yes, I have some really great memories from traveling on vacation in the past. I’ve been to many places in South East Asia with a few of my close friends. We’re planning another trip soon.
‘No, I Don’t’ Answers
11. To be honest with you, I’m not a big fan of traveling. I find it too tiring and stressful. All that packing and rushing to catch airplanes is too much for me. I’d rather just stay at home.
12. I’m not really interested in traveling. It’s pretty expensive and takes up a lot of time. But I know a lot of people who like it.
13. No, I don’t. I think traveling is dangerous. The world is a dangerous place and it’s much safer to stay in my own country, which I know well.
14. Since the pandemic started, I’ve lost interest in traveling. I don’t want to wear a mask on a long plane journey and take lots of Covid tests and stay in quarantine. It’s too much of a hassle.
15. No, I don’t like traveling because I don’t really see the point in going to another country full of strange people eating strange food and speaking a strange language.
‘Kind Of’ Answers
16. Well, yes and no. I like traveling because it’s fun and relaxing, but when I travel I also get behind on my work. I always feel like I’m wasting time and want to get back home as soon as I can.
17. I used to enjoy traveling a lot, but now that I’m older, traveling has kind of lost its appeal. These days, I’d rather just stay at home and watch documentaries about other countries on TV.
18. To be honest, I haven’t been to many places so I don’t really know if I like traveling or not. Maybe I’ll find out one day.
19. I guess I kind of like traveling. It’s a hassle preparing and getting to your destination. But once you’re there, it’s usually a lot of fun.
20. Yes, I do like traveling, but I simply don’t have enough free time or money to travel much. So I’d rather save my money and spend vacations in my hometown.
Your Turn To Answer
There you have 20 good answers. See if you can borrow some ideas from them.
And now it’s time to give this question a go yourself.
Set up the recorder on your phone and ask out loud, “Do you like traveling?”
Afterward, listen to your answer, and repeat it again. Try to improve a little each time.
This is one excellent way to prepare for part one of your IELTS Speaking test.
