FCE article example: how to travel on a budget
Here you will find an original Part 2 article task about travelling on a budget, a top answer (19/20) and a solid answer (14/20) with comments on every criterion. It is part of the B2 First Writing guide; for more technique, see the FCE article guide.
By Eleanor BennettLast updated:
How to approach this task
The task asks for a trip you have taken and your best tips. A good structure is "story + tips":
- Opening: a short, impressive fact about your trip to hook the reader.
- Three tips, one per paragraph, each with a mini-example from your trip.
- Closing: why budget travel is worth it.
Signposting the tips (First, Secondly, Finally) is fine in an article like this, but make the topic sentences lively, for example "First, forget planes."
Top answer (19/20)
The task
You see this announcement on a travel website for students.
Travelling on a budget: we want to hear from you! How can young people travel without spending much money? Tell us about a trip you've taken and share your best tips.
Write your article in 140–190 words.
Top answer183 words · estimated 19/20
Seeing the World on a Student Budget
Last summer, four friends and I spent two weeks travelling around Portugal, and we came home having spent less than many people pay for a single week at a beach resort. Here is how we did it.
First, forget planes. We bought rail passes, which let us hop between cities whenever we liked, and we took overnight buses for longer journeys, saving the cost of a hostel at the same time. Not exactly luxurious, but you soon learn to sleep anywhere!
Secondly, eat like a local. Tourist restaurants charge a fortune for average food, whereas small family cafés just one street away serve generous lunch menus at half the price. Supermarket picnics on the beach were cheaper still, and far more memorable.
Finally, say yes to free things. Many cities offer walking tours where you simply tip what you can afford, and museums often have a free day each month.
Travelling cheaply takes a little more planning, but it also forces you off the tourist trail. In my experience, that is where the real adventures begin.
Examiner-style comments
- Content5/5
- Both parts of the task are covered: the trip (two weeks in Portugal with friends) is woven into three practical tips about transport, food and free activities.
- Communicative Achievement5/5
- The opening comparison grabs attention and the imperative topic sentences ('forget planes', 'eat like a local') sound exactly like a travel website. The tone is friendly and confident throughout.
- Organisation5/5
- A very clear structure: hook, three tips, conclusion. Each tip paragraph uses an example from the trip, and the final line gives the article a satisfying ending.
- Language4/5
- Good collocations ('charge a fortune', 'off the tourist trail') and accurate grammar, including participle clauses ('saving the cost of a hostel'). Range is good, though not exceptional.
Practical, lively and well organised: a model of how to combine experience and advice.
Marks are our estimate using the public B2 First writing criteria, not an official Cambridge mark.
Solid answer (14/20)
The task
You see this announcement on a travel website for students.
Travelling on a budget: we want to hear from you! How can young people travel without spending much money? Tell us about a trip you've taken and share your best tips.
Write your article in 140–190 words.
Solid pass184 words · estimated 14/20
How to travel with little money
Do you want to travel but you don't have much money? Don't worry, it is possible! Last year I went to Italy with my sister and we spent very little.
The first tip is to look for cheap flights. If you book many months before, the tickets are much more cheaper. Also it is better to travel in the low season because everything costs less and there are less tourists.
Another tip is the accommodation. We didn't stay in hotels, we stayed in hostels and one night in the house of a local person who we found on a website. It was very interesting because he showed us his city and recommended us typical restaurants.
The last tip is about food. Don't eat in the restaurants in the centre, they are very expensive and the food is not so good. It is better to buy in the supermarket or eat street food.
To sum up, travelling with little money is possible if you plan your trip carefully. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bag and go!
Examiner-style comments
- Content4/5
- The tips are relevant and well chosen, but the trip itself is only mentioned in one sentence and some details about it, so this part of the task is less developed than it could be.
- Communicative Achievement4/5
- A good attempt at article style: the opening question, direct advice and the energetic ending ('Pack your bag and go!') suit the website's readers.
- Organisation4/5
- Clear organisation, one tip per paragraph. 'The first tip… Another tip… The last tip' is repetitive but effective, and the conclusion is well linked.
- Language2/5
- Several errors: 'much more cheaper', 'less tourists' (fewer), 'recommended us typical restaurants', and comma splices ('Don't eat in the restaurants in the centre, they are…'). Vocabulary is everyday with little precise collocation.
A reader-friendly article with good structure, let down by repeated grammar errors.
Marks are our estimate using the public B2 First writing criteria, not an official Cambridge mark.
What to copy from the top answer
- Combine story and advice. Each tip in the top answer comes with a detail from the trip, so both parts of the task are covered at once.
- Use imperatives as topic sentences. "Forget planes." "Eat like a local." They are short, punchy and natural in this genre.
- Contrast with whereas. "Tourist restaurants charge a fortune…, whereas small family cafés…" shows range in a simple way.
- Watch comparatives. Never "more cheaper"; and use fewer with countable nouns like tourists.
Check your own answer
Write your own article for this prompt before you look at the answers again. Then go through the B2 First writing checklist and paste your draft into the writing checker and word counter to make sure you are between 140 and 190 words. More marked answers are in our FCE writing examples.
Questions about this task
Can I use imperatives in an FCE article?
Yes. Imperatives such as 'Eat like a local' are natural in advice articles and help create a friendly tone.
How many tips should a tips article include?
Two or three well-developed tips are better than five short ones. Each tip needs an example or reason.
Is it OK to use exclamation marks in an article?
One or two can add energy. Avoid using them in every paragraph, or the article starts to sound like a social media post.
What is the difference between 'less' and 'fewer'?
Use 'fewer' with countable nouns (fewer tourists) and 'less' with uncountable nouns (less money). Examiners notice this at B2.