What does 'only takes you so far' mean in the last but one sentence in this conversation?
Do young people and older people benefit differently from travelling?

I think younger people tend to enjoy adventure and having fun. And older people value
relaxation more because they have so many responsibilities at home that what they want
more than anything is to 'switch off when they go away. Of course, that's a generalisation
and only takes you so far. I know it's true of me, though.

Question

What does 'only takes you so far' mean in the last but one sentence in this conversation?
Do young people and older people benefit differently from travelling?

I think younger people tend to enjoy adventure and having fun. And older people value
relaxation more because they have so many responsibilities at home that what they want
more than anything is to 'switch off when they go away. Of course, that's a generalisation
and only takes you so far. I know it's true of me, though.

Answer

In this context this expression means that you cannot rely on this generalization as a rule that will apply in every instance.

The phrase "it will only take you so far," is usually used to describe something which is incomplete in some way.

For example, we would say that "You can try to learn English by studying grammar books, but that will only ever take you so far," - in other words, if you try to learn English solely by studying grammar books, then you are unlikely to do as well as somebody who also spends time reading newspapers and talking to native speakers.

Verpassen Sie nicht die Gelegenheit, bequem von zu Hause aus eine Sprache zu lernen. Stöbern Sie in unserer Auswahl an erfahrenen Sprachlehrern und melden Sie sich jetzt zu Ihrer ersten Unterrichtsstunde an!