Travelling:

Every day hundreds of people travel from one place to another. They travel to work, to school, or on business. Many people travel for pleasure and travelling has recently become one of the most popular hobbies. Travelling is also an interesting way of spending holidays. In every season of the year the airports, railway stations, seaports and bus stops are full of people travelling for long or short distances.
When people travel a long distance they usually travel by air. Travelling by air is exciting, fast, comfortable, relatively safe but rather expencive. In the 20th century it has became one of the most important means of transportation. In such countries as the USA, where the people have to travel long distances to get from one place to another, travelling by air has become quite common. It takes nearly six hours by plane to get from the western to the easten coast of the USA. There are several hundreds American airlines, all of them private. They include the most popular and biggest airline companies such as Pan American, Trans World Airlines, Delta and others.

At the airport the passengers travelling with international or intercontinental airlines have to show their flight tickets and passports. An official weighs their luggage as each passenger can take only 20 kg of luggage free of charge. The passengers must also go trought the customs where both people and luggage have to be checked and metal objects have to be detected. Then the passengers can go to the waiting room. When the aircraft is prepared for flight the announcer calls passengers to get ready and board the plane. In the plane the stewardess shows them their seats. Before the aircraft moves the notices flash up – „Fasten Your Safety Belts“ and „No Smoking“. On the runway the aircrew make the last checks and when they get permission from the control tower for the flight ahe aircraft takes off. During the flight the stewardess offers the passengers some meals, refreshements, drinks, cigarettes and sweets. The passengers can also read magazines supplied on the board or just sleep. From time to time they can hear the informations about altitude, speed and approximate location of the plane.

Travelling by train is the most common form of travelling. In our country trains are used daily by many people to and from work or school. They are cheap, less polluting, safe, but no very clean and comfortable. This refers especially to slow trains which stop at every station. It can also be an advantage as the people have enough time to enjoy countryside. Fast trains and trough trains do not stop at every station. They are more comfortable for longer distances because they have also sleeping car and dining car.

Coaches are buses for long distance travelling. They are fast, comfortable and the prices of tickets are quite reasonable. In our country many people prefer coaches to trains. During holidays the travel agencies offer many coach trips to the mountains or seaside rasorts. There are regular coach lines connecting Slovak towns with most of European cities including Paris and London. Travelling by coach to London, the passengers have an interesting experience of Channel crossing by a big ferry. Coach and car drivers drive their vehicles aboard the ferry and after landing they continue their journey to London. The shortest sea crossing by ferry from Calais to Dover takes one hour and a half.

Many people consider car the most comfortable means of travelling and seeing places. Other think it is just a necessity because it is quicker than public transport. But for many people motoring is a pleasant. They enjoy driving a car at a high speed and do not think of the dangers of fast driving. It concerns especiallythe young drivers who contribute much to the accident rate which is very high in our country.
Many young people of all countries of the world like travelling by bike. Some go to school by bike, others prefer cycling as a sport or a hobby. In recent years many young people go fer holiday trips by bike which is both healthy and exciting. This type of travelling dependsmuch on weather and therefore summer is the best season for cycling tours.