In this session, you need to read real figures about the time and money spent on commuting, say prices and numbers correctly and compare cities with comparatives and superlatives.
London is more expensive than Paris. New York has the cheapest single ride of the three.
The US Census Bureau publishes official figures every year.
| Workers aged 16 and over who did not work from home | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Average one-way travel time to work | 26.8 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Workers who travel 60 minutes or more one way | 8.9 % | 9.3 % |
Source: US Census Bureau, United States Commuting at a Glance, American Community Survey 1-year estimates.
Adult prices, official websites.
| City | Ticket | Price |
|---|---|---|
| London (Zones 1 and 2) | Daily cap (contactless or Oyster) | £8.90 |
| London (Zones 1 and 2) | Weekly cap, Monday to Sunday | £44.70 |
| London (Zones 1 and 2) | Monthly Travelcard | £171.70 |
| London (Zones 1 and 2) | Annual Travelcard | £1,788 |
| New York | One subway or local bus ride (OMNY) | $3.00 |
| New York | Most you pay in seven days (OMNY) | $35 |
| Paris region (all zones) | Navigo Semaine (one week) | €32.40 |
| Paris region (all zones) | Navigo Mois (one month) | €90.80 |
Sources: TfL, Adult rate prices 2026, OMNY, Fares, Île-de-France Mobilités, tarifs 2026. Prices in different currencies: check the exchange rate of the day before you compare.
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a fare / a price | what you pay | The fare went up in March. |
| to cost | to have a price | A ride costs three dollars. |
| to spend (time / money) on | to use time or money for something | Americans spend about 27 minutes on each trip to work. |
| on average / an average | the usual figure for a group | On average, the journey takes 27.2 minutes. |
| one-way | in one direction only | That's the one-way travel time. |
| a percentage / per cent | a number out of 100 | 9.3 per cent of workers travel one hour or more. |
| to go up / to rise | to increase | Travel time rose in 2024. |
| to go down / to fall | to decrease | The price didn't go down. |
| a pound (£) / a dollar ($) / a euro (€) | three currencies | Twenty pounds, thirty-five dollars. |
| weekly / monthly / annual | every week / month / year | A monthly pass is cheaper than daily tickets. |
| expensive / cheap / affordable | costs a lot / costs little / you can pay for it | The Navigo pass is affordable for workers. |
| worth it | good value for the price | Is an annual pass worth it? |
Quick check. Correct: The annual pass is more cheap that the monthly pass.
Read the prices and figures to your partner.
Use documents A and B. Write the answer in a full sentence.
Write a superlative sentence with each adjective about document B or your class survey (session 2).
Possible answers: The annual Travelcard is the most expensive ticket in the table. One New York ride is the cheapest ticket. Marie has the longest journey in our class. Hugo has the shortest journey: he lives next to the school. For me, the bike is the best way to commute.
Use the results of your class survey (session 2). Calculate the average journey time of your group. Then compare it with the American average: Our average journey is longer / shorter than...
Model: In our group, the average journey to school is 31 minutes. That's longer than the American average one-way travel time (27.2 minutes in 2024). The longest journey is 55 minutes and the shortest is 5 minutes.
In pairs: you work in London, in Zones 1 and 2, five days a week, all year. Which is the best choice: pay as you go with caps, a monthly Travelcard or an annual Travelcard? Discuss and decide, with figures.
Model: If you work all year, the annual Travelcard is the best choice: it costs £1,788, whereas twelve monthly Travelcards cost £2,060.40. But if you have holidays or you work from home sometimes, pay as you go with caps is more flexible.
Write a short report of 120 words: The cost of commuting. Present one figure about time and two about money, compare them, and give your opinion: what is the real cost of commuting for a worker? Think about time, money, tiredness and the environment.
Commuting has a cost in time and in money. In the United States, the average one-way journey to work took 27.2 minutes in 2024, so about four and a half hours a week. In London, a monthly Travelcard for Zones 1 and 2 costs £171.70, whereas a Navigo Mois pass in the Paris region costs €90.80 for all zones. With today's exchange rate, London seems to be the most expensive city of the three. In my opinion, the real cost is higher than the price of the ticket: long journeys are tiring, and driving alone pollutes. That is why the best commute is short, cheap and green.