Travel and tourism, including places of interest

Q: Which Spanish prepositions are used to express travelling by a vehicle versus travelling on foot?

Use en for vehicles (e.g. en tren , en avión , en coche ) and a for walking ( a pie ).

Q: What are the key Spanish nouns for common holiday accommodations and places of interest?

Accommodation: el hotel , el albergue juvenil , el camping , el apartamento . Places: los monumentos , los museos , la playa , la montaña , el castillo .

Q: How do you choose between ser and estar when describing holiday accommodation and places of interest?

Use ser for permanent characteristics and descriptions ( El hotel es grande ), and estar for locations ( El hotel está en la playa ).

Q: How do you combine the preterite and imperfect tenses to describe a past holiday?

Use the preterite for specific completed actions (what you did) and the imperfect for background descriptions, states, or weather (what it was like).

Q: Which grammatical structures should you use to describe future holiday plans versus ideal dream holidays?

Use the Near Future ( ir a + infinitive ) for planned future holidays, and the Conditional tense (or me gustaría ) for dream holidays.

Q: What is the correct Spanish phrase for saying you are "on holiday"?

Estar de vacaciones (e.g., Estoy de vacaciones ).

Q: Why are words like el clima and el día common gender traps in GCSE Spanish?

Although they end in -a , they are masculine nouns and must take masculine articles and adjectives (e.g. el clima es agradable , un día caluroso ).

Q: What phonics rules are essential when reading aloud travel vocabulary in the GCSE Speaking exam (Paper 2)?

The Spanish "h" is always silent, while "j" and "g" (before e/i) produce a throaty sound; written accents show where to place stress.

Spanish 8692 · AQA GCSE · 7 min read · Updated: 7 Sept 2026

Welcome to Theme 3: Travel and Tourism, Including Places of Interest

Welcome to your complete revision guide for Theme 3 (Communication and the world around us), Topic 1: Travel and tourism, including places of interest for the AQA GCSE Spanish (8692) specification! Talking about holidays, describing past adventures, booking rooms, and planning dream trips are central to mastering GCSE Spanish. Don't worry if this topic feels broad at first—we will break down all the essential vocabulary, core grammar structures, and exam strategies step by step.

In your AQA GCSE Spanish course, this topic is tested across all four exam papers, each worth \(25\%\) of your final grade:
• Paper 1 (Listening): Understanding travel announcements, holiday opinions, and itineraries.
• Paper 2 (Speaking): Includes a Role-play, a Read Aloud task with short follow-up questions, and a Photo Card conversation.
• Paper 3 (Reading): Reading travel brochures and articles, plus an authentic translation from Spanish into English.
• Paper 4 (Writing): Includes a grammar gap-fill at Foundation Tier, extended writing, and an English-to-Spanish translation.

1. Core Vocabulary: Your Travel Toolkit

To succeed in the AQA 8692 specification, you must know the core lexical items (a minimum of 1,200 words for Foundation Tier plus an extra 500 words for Higher Tier). Here are the most essential words for this topic.

A. Modes of Transport (El transporte)

• el avión – plane
• el barco – boat / ferry
• el coche – car
• el tren – train
• el autobús – bus
• a pie – on foot

Top Tip: Remember that when saying you travel "by" a vehicle, Spanish uses en (e.g., en tren, en avión, en coche), but when you walk, you use a pie.

B. Accommodation (El alojamiento)

• el hotel – hotel
• el albergue juvenil – youth hostel
• el camping – campsite / camping
• el apartamento – apartment

C. Places of Interest (Lugares de interés)

• los monumentos – monuments
• los museos – museums
• la playa – beach
• la montaña – mountain
• la zona histórica – historic area
• la plaza – town square
• el castillo – castle

D. Holiday Activities (Las actividades)

• hacer turismo – to go sightseeing
• sacar fotos – to take photos
• tomar el sol – to sunbathe
• ir de excursión – to go on an excursion / day trip

E. Describing Your Holiday and Accommodation

• barato / barata – cheap
• caro / cara – expensive
• ruidoso / ruidosa – noisy
• tranquilo / tranquila – quiet / peaceful
• acogedor / acogedora – welcoming / cozy

Key Takeaway: Master these core words first. Being able to combine a transport word, an accommodation type, and a place of interest gives you the foundation for almost any holiday speaking or writing task.

2. Grammar Toolkit for Travel

To access higher marks, you need to use accurate grammar. Here are the four key grammar concepts required by the AQA specification for travel and tourism.

A. Ser vs. Estar (Description vs. Location)

Both verbs mean "to be", but mixing them up is one of the most common student errors!

• Use SER for permanent characteristics and descriptions:
El hotel es grande y barato. (The hotel is big and cheap.)
El castillo es antiguo. (The castle is old.)

• Use ESTAR for temporary states and locations:
El museo está en el centro. (The museum is in the centre.)
La playa está cerca. (The beach is nearby.)

Memory Trick: Remember the rhyme: "For how you feel and where you are, always use the verb ESTAR!"

B. Preterite vs. Imperfect (Talking About Past Holidays)

Examiners love to see you combine two past tenses in a single holiday account:

• The Preterite Tense: Use this for completed, specific actions in the past (what you did).
Example: El verano pasado, fui a España y visité un castillo. (Last summer, I went to Spain and I visited a castle.)

• The Imperfect Tense: Use this for background descriptions, ongoing states, or the weather in the past (what it was like).
Example: El hotel era antiguo y hacía buen tiempo. (The hotel was old and the weather was good.)

Putting them together: Cuando fui a la playa, hacía mucho calor. (When I went to the beach, it was very hot.)

C. Looking to the Future: Future Plans and Ideal Holidays

• Near Future (ir a + infinitive): Perfect for describing your upcoming holiday plans.
Example: El año que viene, voy a visitar Madrid. (Next year, I am going to visit Madrid.)

• The Conditional Tense: Fantastic for expressing your dream or ideal holiday.
Example: Si tuviera dinero, iría a una isla tranquila. (If I had money, I would go to a quiet island.)
Example: Me gustaría alojarme en un albergue juvenil. (I would like to stay in a youth hostel.)

D. Adjectival Agreement

Remember that adjectives in Spanish must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they describe:
• el hotel ruidoso (the noisy hotel - masculine singular)
• las playas hermosas (the beautiful beaches - feminine plural)
• los monumentos caros (the expensive monuments - masculine plural)

Key Takeaway: Use estar for places, ser for descriptions, blend the preterite and imperfect for past holiday stories, and use voy a + infinitive or iría for future plans.

3. Watch Out! Common Traps and Pitfalls

AQA examiner reports highlight several recurring errors in the Travel and Tourism topic. Make sure you avoid these common mistakes:

• Preposition Mistake with Holidays:
Incorrect: Estoy en vacaciones.
Correct: Estoy de vacaciones. (Always use de vacaciones for "on holiday".)

• Location Errors with Ser:
Incorrect: El hotel es en la playa.
Correct: El hotel está en la playa. (Location always takes estar.)

• Accent Matters:
Watch out for the accent mark on está (it is / location). Without the accent, esta means "this" (feminine singular).

• Gender Traps Ending in "-a":
Words like el clima (the climate/weather) and el día (the day) end in "-a" but are masculine.
Correct: El clima es agradable. / Un día caluroso.

• Mixing Tenses (Routines vs. One-off Events):
Do not confuse what you usually do on holiday (Present Tense: Normalmente tomo el sol) with what you did on a specific holiday (Preterite Tense: El año pasado tomé el sol).

4. Applying Knowledge to the 8692 Exam Papers

A. Paper 2: Speaking (The New Read Aloud Task)

In the AQA 8692 specification, the Speaking test includes a Read Aloud task followed by short questions. This assesses your knowledge of Spanish phonics and Sound-Symbol Correspondences (SSCs). When reading a travel text aloud:
• Pronounce the Spanish "j" and "g" (before e/i) with a soft throaty sound (e.g., albergue juvenil, viajar).
• Remember that the Spanish "h" is always silent (e.g., hotel, hacer).
• Stress words correctly by looking out for written accents (e.g., avión, está).

B. Paper 4: Writing and Translation Standards

• Foundation Tier: Practice the grammar gap-fill tasks carefully by checking whether the missing word is a verb, adjective, or noun.
• Higher Tier Translation: The English-to-Spanish translation passage is at least 50 words long and tests a minimum of 5 different tenses. When translating a travel passage, ensure you can accurately produce the present, preterite, imperfect, near future, and conditional tenses.

5. Quick Topic Review and Summary

Before moving on, test yourself against this quick checklist:
• Can you name four modes of transport using en and a pie?
• Can you describe where your accommodation is using está and what it is like using es?
• Can you write a sentence combining fui (I went) with hacía buen tiempo (it was good weather)?
• Can you state what you are going to do next summer using voy a + infinitive?

Keep revisiting these vocabulary tables and grammar patterns. Regular, short practice sessions will build your confidence and help you master the Travel and Tourism unit for your GCSE Spanish exam!

Quick check

Can you answer these now?

Open each question to check the key ideas from this chapter.

Which Spanish prepositions are used to express travelling by a vehicle versus travelling on foot?

Use en for vehicles (e.g. en tren, en avión, en coche) and a for walking (a pie).

What are the key Spanish nouns for common holiday accommodations and places of interest?

Accommodation: el hotel, el albergue juvenil, el camping, el apartamento. Places: los monumentos, los museos, la playa, la montaña, el castillo.

How do you choose between ser and estar when describing holiday accommodation and places of interest?

Use ser for permanent characteristics and descriptions (El hotel es grande), and estar for locations (El hotel está en la playa).

How do you combine the preterite and imperfect tenses to describe a past holiday?

Use the preterite for specific completed actions (what you did) and the imperfect for background descriptions, states, or weather (what it was like).

Which grammatical structures should you use to describe future holiday plans versus ideal dream holidays?

Use the Near Future (ir a + infinitive) for planned future holidays, and the Conditional tense (or me gustaría) for dream holidays.

What is the correct Spanish phrase for saying you are "on holiday"?

Estar de vacaciones (e.g., Estoy de vacaciones).

Why are words like el clima and el día common gender traps in GCSE Spanish?

Although they end in -a, they are masculine nouns and must take masculine articles and adjectives (e.g. el clima es agradable, un día caluroso).

What phonics rules are essential when reading aloud travel vocabulary in the GCSE Speaking exam (Paper 2)?

The Spanish "h" is always silent, while "j" and "g" (before e/i) produce a throaty sound; written accents show where to place stress.

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