“Travel” vs. “travels” [closed]

Question

My question is about formation of plural form of the noun travel. I have a folder on my PC that contains a photos from my different travels (France, Germany etc.), I want to create a folder structure: Travels → France/Germany/etc → Photos.

So, now I'm confused, how to name this folder correctly in English — "Travel" or "Travels"? Should I add an -s in order to show plural form in case of the word travel?

Answer 1

I believe you should use Travels for your root folder name. The folder is a photographic chronicle of your travels, as you would say, and the pluralization reflects the further division into different locations.

I think this would be more correct than calling the folder travel, although travel could also work if you looked at the collection of pictures as a single entity.

Answer 2

Travel or travels would be correct, but travels would sound more natural. Travel is only used singularly when it refers to the act or conduct of traveling.

We have discovered space travel.
Travel between Honshu and Hokkaido is possible by train.
Time travel is cool.

The plural "travels" is used when referring to an account of ones own travels.

I've learned a lot from my travels.
He is weary from his travels.
I have photos from my travels.

Answer 3

Edit:

With the question changed it can in my opinion only be "travels", at least when you did travel more than once.

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Original:

"To make (a) travel" sounds thoroughly awkward to me[1]. I would use "This year I travelled (to) Europe (several times)". "Travels" I would use only in constructions like "the Travels of Christopher Columbus".

[1] I am not a native English speaker, though, my mother tongue is German.

Answer 4

I want to create a folder structure: Travels → France/Germany/etc → Photos. So, now I'm confusing, how to name this folder correctly in English — «Travel» or «Travels». Should I add «s» in order to show plural form in case of word «travel»?

I agree with Phoenixheart6 - either term is suitable BUT Travels is superior.

BUT, while you can use either term, the meaning is somewhat different in each case

To achieve travels you travel.
Travel is effectively movement or journeying. A folder headed "Travel" would imply an emphasis on the actual journeying. while it would be understood if the contents included all the other related activities there is a subtle but definite emphasis on the journeying aspect.

Whereas, the term 'travels' tends to include all the activities that are undertaken during the course of a journey. If you go to Xian, stay in a hostel, travel (!) by bus to see the Terracotta warriors, accept a ride by car to the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, view the pagoda, travel back into Xian by bus,buy an evening noodle meal, and walk back to the hostel in the snow then ALL those activities are very much part of your "travels". The bus ride, the warriors viewing, the noodle eating and the walking through the snow.

The above distinction is not one that would normally be consciously made. But its real.

Answer 5

Both are correct. Either Travel or Travels can be an appropriate name for a collection of your trip memorabilia.

The noun travel has more than one meaning. Here are the first two meanings given by Google [ define travel ]:

1. The action of traveling, typically abroad “I have a job that involves a lot of travel”
2. Journeys, esp. long or exotic ones “perhaps you'll write a book about your travels”

When you use the noun travel individually to mean a journey, trip, adventure, or holiday (definition 2, as in “my travel to Paris” or “my travels to various places“), then when you are referring to multiple such trips it will require the plural (travels).

But when you use the noun travel to mean your practice of taking trips (as in “I love travel”), in that case, it does not require a plural form.

Either one could apply in this situation, so you have your choice.