reizen

Reizen is a Dutch term that refers to travel or journeys. As a verb, reizen means to travel; as a plural noun, reizen can mean travels or journeys, while the singular reis denotes a single trip. The concept covers the movement of people from one location to another and the activities associated with that movement.

People travel for a variety of reasons, including leisure, work, study, pilgrimage, migration, or exploration. Travel can be short local trips or long international journeys. Transportation modes often include walking, cycling, cars, trains, ships, and airplanes, with choice depending on distance, cost, time, and personal preference. The organization of travel frequently involves planning accommodations, transportation schedules, and visas or other entry requirements.

Historically, travel has been central to trade, culture, and science. Early routes linked regions through caravans and ships, while the modern era saw the rise of railways, steamships, and aviation, enabling faster and broader movement. The growth of mass tourism in the 19th and 20th centuries transformed economies and landscapes, followed by digital technologies that facilitate booking, navigation, and virtual experiences.

Economic and cultural impacts accompany travel. It supports jobs and exchange of ideas but can also pose challenges for environments and communities, including emissions, resource use, and cultural disruption. Sustainable travel aims to reduce negative effects through responsible planning, carbon awareness, and respect for local practices and ecosystems. In Dutch usage, reist and reizend are common forms of the verb, while reis remains the associated noun for a single trip.