OALD gives an idiom:
Get started
meaning: to begin doing something.
example: It's almost ten o'clock. Let's get started.
In this example, can I say "let's start" instead?
Both can mean we start doing something.
But I guess "let's start" may mean "let's begin our journey" while "let's get started" does not have such an option.
Please help clarify this.
Best Answer
By itself, you can say either one. I would say that "Let's get started" means "Let's get underway," whereas "Let's start" means "Let's begin." For many activities, those two phrasings are pretty much interchangeable, but not always.
When specifying what activity will be started, though, whichever option you choose might affect how the rest of the sentence is structured:
For example:
Other times, though, the wording won't change!
It's tricky; I can see how a non-native speaker might be unsure about this.