Why do bad trips make the best stories?

Answer and give a real example for each one.

1. What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you on a trip?
2. Have you ever missed a plane, train or bus?
3. Do you get stressed when things go wrong when travelling?
4. Have you ever lost something important on holiday?
5. Who is the best person to travel with when things go wrong?
6. Which travel disaster story from a friend do you remember?

For each word or phrase, say one true sentence about a trip that went wrong (yours or someone else's).

Choose the word or phrase that fits.

1. We the last train and had to sleep at the station.
2. The flight was by six hours because of fog.
3. All flights were because of the storm.
4. My suitcase didn't arrive, so I went to the desk.
5. Because of the strike, we in Paris for three extra days.
6. We didn't have a map and we in the forest.
7. Our rental car on the motorway.
8. The taxi driver charged us €80 for a 10-minute ride. He !

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

1. a very bad experience =
   a nightmarea blessing in disguisea souvenir
2. something bad that becomes good =
   a blessing in disguisefood poisoninglost luggage
3. very far from any town =
   in the middle of nowhereoff the beatenstuck
4. to enjoy a bad situation anyway = to make the
   best of itmost of badgood of it
5. The hotel sold too many rooms. It was
   overbookedoverpaidoverslept
6. Someone stole my wallet. I was
   pickpocketedrippedbroken down

Use each phrase to tell a real or imagined travel disaster story.

• You won't believe what happened...Ти не повіриш, що сталося...You won't believe what happened on our trip to Greece.
• It all started when...Усе почалося, коли...It all started when we missed the bus.
• While we were..., suddenly...Поки ми..., раптом...While we were having lunch, suddenly the lights went out.
• By the time we..., the... had already...Коли ми..., ... вже...By the time we arrived, the train had already left.
• To make things worse, ...На довершення всього...To make things worse, it started to rain.
• Luckily, ...На щастя...Luckily, a kind woman helped us.
• In the end, ...Зрештою...In the end, we had a great time.
• Looking back, it was actually...Озираючись назад, це було насправді...Looking back, it was actually quite funny.

Read the article. Hover over the dotted words for help.

1. "Type 2 fun" is fun while it's happening.
   TrueFalse
2. We often laugh later about travel disasters.
   TrueFalse
3. Difficult experiences are easier to forget.
   TrueFalse
4. Some people feel closer to their travel companions after a disaster.
   TrueFalse
5. Experts suggest keeping important things in your checked suitcase.
   TrueFalse

1. What is your best "Type 2 fun" travel story?
2. Do you agree that every good story needs a problem?
3. Has a disaster ever brought you closer to someone?
4. What do you always keep in your hand luggage?

Useful time words: when, while, as soon as, by the time, before, after, suddenly, then, eventually, in the end. By the time we found a taxi, the shops had closed. Careful: ✗ When I arrived, the train already left → had already left.

1. We
   were havinghad
   dinner when the fire alarm went off.
2. When we got to the airport, our flight
   had already leftalready left
   .
3. It
   was rainingrained
   heavily, so we stayed inside.
4. I
   realisedwas realising
   that I had forgotten my phone.
5. By the time the bus came, we
   had waitedwere waiting
   for two hours.
6. While she
   was sleepingslept
   someone stole her bag.
7. I
   had never beennever was
   abroad before that trip.
8. We
   gothad got
   lost, then a kind man helped us.

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

1. When we arrived, the train already left. →
2. While I walked to the hotel, it started to rain. →
3. I realised I forgot my passport. →
4. We were missing the bus, so we took a taxi. →
5. By the time we got there, the shop closed. →
6. She was never flying before. →

Tell real stories in detail. Use the narrative tenses.

1. Tell the story of your worst travel experience. Use Past Simple, Past Continuous and Past Perfect.
2. Describe a time you got lost. What were you doing when you realised?
3. Tell the story of a journey where something had gone wrong before you even left home.
4. Talk about a trip that was a blessing in disguise.
5. Describe a time when you made the best of a bad situation.
6. Retell a travel disaster story you heard from a friend or family member.

Choose a story and tell it in the first person, as if it really happened to you. Add details: what had happened before, what you were doing when things went wrong, and how it ended.

Speak for about two minutes.

1. Now tell a real travel disaster from your life (or a friend's).
2. What happened before? What were you doing when it went wrong?
3. How did you feel at the time? How do you feel about it now?
4. Was it Type 1, Type 2 or Type 3 fun?

1. How do you react when your flight is delayed?
2. Have you ever been ripped off as a tourist?
3. Have you ever had food poisoning on holiday?
4. What is the longest you've ever waited for transport?
5. Have you ever been pickpocketed or lost your wallet?
6. What do you do to avoid travel problems?
7. Who in your family panics most when travelling?
8. Have you ever had to sleep somewhere strange because of a problem?

1. Should airlines pay more compensation for delays?
2. Are some countries better at dealing with travel problems?
3. Who is the most stressed traveller you know?
4. Should tourists be charged more than locals?
5. What should hotels do if they are overbooked?
6. Is it better to travel with a tour company to avoid problems?

1. Do bad experiences make us stronger?
2. Is it possible to have a perfect holiday?
3. Why do people love telling disaster stories?
4. Is travel insurance always worth it?
5. Should we plan everything or leave room for surprises?
6. Do problems show who your real friends are?

"Organised tours are better than independent travel."

Round 1: give your real opinion for 1–2 minutes. Round 2: defend the opposite side for 1 minute. Use: When I travelled to... · I had never... before · Looking back... · To be fair...