español · A1 · vocabulary · 4 minutes
Transport
Choose how to travel and use the right transport phrase.
Understand the choice
Name common ways to travel around a city and between cities. Practice them with ir, venir, volver, and the fixed transport prepositions.
Core rule: Use en + transport for by bus, train, car, or plane; use a pie for on foot.
Notice it in context
Voy al trabajo en autobús y vuelvo en metro.
I go to work by bus and return by metro.
En autobús and en metro describe the means of travel without articles.
Vamos a Madrid en tren.
We are going to Madrid by train.
The destination takes a; the transport takes en.
Ella va a la escuela a pie.
She goes to school on foot.
A pie is the fixed exception to en.
What to remember
- Coche is standard in Spain; carro and auto are common in parts of Latin America.
- Get on transport with subir a and get off with bajar de.
Common trap: Do not say por autobús for by bus; the basic means-of-transport pattern is en autobús.