Intermediate · B1 / B2 · Travel

Buses, Trains & Taxis

Your goal: buy tickets, deal with delays and refunds, and give or follow directions for local transport.

1

Survival Phrases

Buying tickets

  • Two adults to Brighton, off-peak, please.
  • Is there a cheaper return after 9:30?
  • Can I use contactless on the bus, or do I need a ticket?

Delays & refunds

  • The train's been cancelled — am I entitled to a refund?
  • How long's the delay likely to be?
  • Can I use this ticket on the next service?

Directions

  • Which platform does the 8:15 leave from?
  • Is this the right bus for the museum?
  • Where do I get off for the harbour?

Taxis

  • Could you take me to this address, please?
  • Roughly how much will it be?
  • Keep the change, thanks.
2

Model Dialogue

Read the dialogue aloud twice — once for each speaker. Notice how B picks up A's words and adds something.

Diego: Hi — two returns to Brighton, off-peak, please.

Clerk: That's eighteen forty, please. Travel after nine-thirty, yes?

Diego: That's right. Quick question — if I miss the return, is the ticket still valid?

Clerk: Off-peak returns are flexible — you can take any train after nine-thirty the same day.

Diego: Perfect. And which platform do I need?

Clerk: Check the boards — it's usually platform 4, but it can change. Listen for the announcement.

Diego: Got it. If the train's delayed, can I claim anything back?

Clerk: Over fifteen minutes late, you can apply for delay repay online. There are leaflets by the gate.

3

Register: formal vs informal

SituationMore formalMore informal / natural
Buying a ticketTwo returns to Brighton, off-peak, please.Two adult returns to Brighton, after half nine.
Asking about a delayCould you tell me how long the delay is expected to be?Any idea how late it'll be?
Asking directionsCould you tell me which platform I need?Which platform's mine?
In a taxiCould you take me to this address, please?Can you drop me at this address?
At B1/B2 the line between formal and informal is often tone and softeners (just, a bit, possibly), not different words. Soften requests when the stakes are higher.
4

Typical Mistakes (B1/B2 & Portuguese interference)

  • Two tickets to go to Brighton. → Two returns to Brighton. ((ida = single; ida e volta = return))
  • The train is with delay. → The train is delayed. ((com atraso = is delayed))
  • I will catch the bus number 5. → I'll catch the number 5 bus. ((ordem das palavras))
  • Where I get off? → Where do I get off? ((falta auxiliar))
  • Can you refund me? → Can I get a refund? / Am I entitled to a refund? ((refund como verbo soa incomum))
  • I took a taxi until the hotel. → I took a taxi to the hotel. ((until = tempo, não destino))
5

Culture Note

  • Off-peak tickets are cheaper but tie you to travel after a set time — miss the window and you may pay the difference.
  • Bus drivers in many cities don't carry change; have the exact fare or tap contactless.
  • In London, you tap in and tap out — forgetting to tap out charges a maximum fare.
  • Tipping taxi drivers is optional and small (round up) in most of Europe; expected (~10–15%) in the US.
6

Practical Task

  1. Rebuild the dialogue for a different route and a cancellation instead of a delay.
  2. Record both roles, rising intonation on questions.
  3. Write two polite questions a tourist would ask at a ticket office.
  4. Real-life mission: find a real train/bus timetable in English and read three abbreviations (dep, arr, plat).

Before you finish, can you…

  • ☐buy an off-peak return and check validity?
  • ☐ask about a delay and a refund?
  • ☐find the right platform?
  • ☐ask a taxi for a fare estimate?
Bring your dialogue — the teacher plays the clerk and announces a platform change mid-conversation.