Travel is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve

travel by foot,bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and
can be one way or round trip.[1][2]Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive
movements.
Contents
[hide]

1 Etymology
2 Purpose and motivation
3 Travel safety
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

Etymology
The origin of the word "travel" is most likely lost to history. The term "travel" may originate from
the Old French word travail.[3] According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the first known use of the
word travel was in the 14th century. It also states that the word comes from Middle
English travailen, travelen (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old
French travailler (which means to work strenuously, toil). In English we still occasionally use the
words travail andtravails, which mean struggle. According to Simon Winchester in his book The Best
Travelers' Tales (2004), the words travel and travail both share an even more ancient root: a Roman
instrument of torture called the tripalium (in Latin it means "three stakes", as in to impale). This link
reflects the extreme difficulty of travel in ancient times. Also note the torturous connotation of the
word "travailler." Today, travel may or may not be much easier depending upon the destination you
choose (i.e., Mt. Everest, the Amazon rainforest), how you plan to get there (tour bus, cruise ship,
or oxcart), and whether or not you decide to "rough it (see extreme tourismand adventure travel).
"There's a big difference between simply being a tourist and being a true world traveler," notes travel
writer Michael Kasum. This is, however, a contested distinction as academic work on the cultures
and sociology of travel has noted.[4]

Purpose and motivation

Train travel Passengers on a train on a bridge of the Nilgiri Mountain Railway,

between Mettupalayam andOotacamund, in Tamil Nadu, India

Reasons for traveling include recreation,[5] tourism[5] or vacationing,[5] research travel[5] for the
gathering of information, forholiday to visit people, volunteer travel for charity, migration to begin life
somewhere else, religious pilgrimages[5] and mission trips, business travel,[5] trade,[5] commuting, and
other reasons, such as to obtain health care[5] or fleeing war or for the enjoyment of traveling. Travel
may occur by human-powered transport such as walking or bicycling, or with vehicles, such aspublic
transport, automobiles, trains and airplanes.
Motives to travel include pleasure,[6] relaxation, discovery and exploration,[5] getting to know
other cultures[5] and taking personal time for building interpersonal relationships. Travel may be local,
regional, national (domestic) or international. In some countries, non-local internal travel may require
an internal passport, while international travel typically requires apassport and visa. A trip may also
be part of a round-trip, which is a particular type of travel whereby a person moves from one location
to another and returns.[7]

Travel safety
See also: Air safety and Automobile safety

Travelers in a British Airways 747airplane. Air travel is a common means of transport.

MS Skania ferry in the port of Szczecin

Authorities emphasize the importance of taking precautions to ensure travel safety.[8] When traveling
abroad, the odds favor a safe and incident-free trip, however, travelers can be subject to difficulties,
crime and violence.[9] Some safety considerations include being aware of one's
surroundings,[8] avoiding being the target of a crime,[8] leaving copies of
one'spassport and itinerary information with trusted people,[8] obtaining medical insurance valid in the
country being visited[8] and registering with one's national embassy when arriving in a foreign
country.[8] Many countries do not recognize drivers' licenses from other countries; however most

countries accept international driving permits.[10] Automobile insurance policies issued in one's own
country are often invalid in foreign countries, and it's often a requirement to obtain temporary auto
insurance valid in the country being visited.[10] It is also advisable to become oriented with the drivingrules and -regulations of destination countries.[10] Wearing a seat belt is highly advisable for safety
reasons; many countries have penalties for violating seatbelt laws.[10]
There are three main statistics which may be used to compare the safety of various forms of travel
(based on a DETR survey in October 2000):[11]
Deaths per billion journeys

Deaths per billion hours

Deaths per billion kilometers

Bus: 4.3

Bus: 11.1

Air: 0.05

Rail: 20

Rail: 30

Bus: 0.4

Van: 20

Air: 30.8

Rail: 0.6

Car: 40

Water: 50

Van: 1.2

Foot: 40

Van: 60

Water: 2.6

Water: 90

Car: 130

Car: 3.1

Air: 117

Foot: 220

Bicycle: 44.6

Bicycle: 170

Bicycle: 550

Foot: 54.2

Motorcycle: 1640

Motorcycle: 4840

Motorcycle: 108.9