This introduction covers El transporte — Getting Around within Travel, transport and holidays for GCSE Spanish. Revise Travel, transport and holidays in Theme 3 — Communication & World for GCSE Spanish with 13 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. Use this page as part of a wider topic revision path rather than treating it as an isolated fact. It is section 1 of 4 in this topic. Use this introduction to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
🚂 El transporte — Getting Around
Almost every mode of transport uses ir en + transport. The only exception is going on foot: ir a pie — never "ir en pie", which does not exist in Spanish. Memorise this exception and you will not lose easy marks.
| Transport | Spanish phrase | English |
|---|---|---|
| train | ir en tren | to go by train |
| plane | ir en avión | to go by plane |
| bus | ir en autobús | to go by bus |
| car | ir en coche | to go by car |
| ferry | ir en barco / ir en ferry | to go by boat / ferry |
| on foot | ir a pie | to go on foot |
| underground | ir en metro | to go by underground |
All transport uses ir en + transport EXCEPT on foot: ir a pie (never "en pie"). This exception appears regularly in AQA gap-fill and translation tasks.
Practice questions for Travel, transport and holidays
Quick recall flashcards
¿Cómo se dice 'by bus' en español? Da un ejemplo.
en autobús — e.g. Suelo ir al colegio en autobús. (I usually go to school by bus.) El autobús (masculine) — note the accent on -ú. Also: el bus (informal). Plural: los autobuses. Remember the rule: ir en autobús (never 'ir a autobús').
¿Cómo se dice 'by car' en español? Da un ejemplo.
en coche — e.g. Mis padres prefieren viajar en coche porque es más cómodo. (My parents prefer to travel by car because it is more comfortable.) El coche = the car (masculine). Also: el automóvil (formal). Pattern: ir en coche.