100 Mistakes #22 - Journey, Trip and Travel

Jeff has just arrived in London.

Me: How was the journey, Jeff?
Jeff: Oh, not too bad. There was a bit of traffic coming into London but apart from that...

Jeff has just been on holiday.

Me: How was your trip, Jeff?
Jeff: Amazing! The temples in Cambodia blew my mind.

Jeff is in an English class.

Me: So Jeff, what do you do in your free time?
Jeff: Well, I enjoy reading, going cycling in the mountains, music - mainly rock - and travel.

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In the above examples, journey, trip and travel are all nouns.

journey = from A to B (by train, plane, bus, car etc.)

trip = the journey + everything you did at your destination

travel = the field of interest; the category (in a bookshop, for example)

We don't say the travel or a travel because travel is a category and categories do not have an article: music, rock, travel, psychology, linguistics...

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travel is also a verb, so Jeff could say:

I don't like travelling by bus; it makes me feel sick.

trip is a verb too but it means experiencing the effects of psychedelic drugs:

Jeff: Wow, look at the lights. They're like tubes. It's beautiful.
Me: You're tripping, Jeff.

Now over to you:

Which of these is journey, trip, or travel?
(You may have to change the form if it's a verb.)


After the disastrous ________ last summer, _________ is the last thing on my mind.

I wasn't really expecting the _________ to take this long. I thought we'd be there by seven.

I've ________ to over 30 different countries.

I never thought we'd actually get to ride an elephant. This is the best _________ I've ever been on.

I don't like to take too much with me when I _________ .