Whether you’re a digital nomad on a non-stop vacation or someone who goes away once a year, most of us think of enjoying ourselves abroad as an important – and normal – part of our lives. And for the most part, we can go anywhere in the world by a plethora of means – bus, train, plane, boat… we’re spoilt for choices.
But that wasn’t always the case. Throughout history, from the Ancient Romans to the hippies of the 1970s, the concept of a vacation has evolved as trends and technology developed. Were our ancestors backpacking around Southeast Asia and bungee jumping in New Zealand? We dusted off the history books to find out the top vacation destinations throughout history.
Ancient Romans Top Vacation Destination: Countryside Villas
Trailblazers in more ways than one, Ancient Rome is where the concept of the vacation for pleasure started (vacations AND shovelling large quantities of food in their mouths? These people knew how to have a good time).
Vacations were mostly for the rich (and this remains the case for a long time throughout history) and the Romans mainly indulged in countryside villas – similar to what we look for today when we want to experience a secluded getaway in the hills of Tuscany or the south of France.
Best villages in Tuscany in 2017:
- Cortona
- San Gimignano
- Lucca
- Montepulciano
- Barga
- Suvereto
1800s Top Vacation Destinations: Europe & Africa
This was a huge period of change with the Industrial Revolution and therefore more ways to travel became available. For example, the 1830s saw the beginning of steam trains in the US, which enabled Americans to flock to Florida and California for beach vacations. Although this started out solely for the wealthy, by the 1900s a growing number of people could afford short vacations.
This era finally made destinations further afield more accessible with the use of the steamboat (a lot of steam was involved back then). Travellers could now go to Egypt and visit the Pyramids – even climbing on top of them, now outlawed – and Africa to ride zebras (not advisable now) and visit native tribes. The route from New York to London was a popular one, and took 9 days.
Women started travelling, and although it was very restricted and often had to travel with men, they still had the beginnings of guide books written for them. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is said to be inspired by her travels in Switzerland and the beginnings of the book was written in Geneva.
Best cities in Europe/Africa in 2017:
- London, UK
- Paris, France
- Rome, Italy
- Cape Town, South Africa
- Essaouira, Morocco
- Lamu, Kenya
1920s/1930s Top Vacation Destination: Caribbean
This is where things get wild. 1928 was when the first ever commercial flight took place, from Germany to the US (New Jersey). It wouldn’t be until some time later that flying entered the mainstream as a way to travel.
In the 20s and 30s, more people were using boats and trains for mass travel to foreign places. With more people travelling, societal trends changed – a suntan became popular and the sought-after look (previously, the pastier skin you had, the more upper class you were). Ocean liners were used by business men meeting overseas clients; entertainers on tour; emigrants (lower class); and tourists taking vacations (upper class).
The 1920s is often considered the real start of vacationing for more than just the rich. Henry Ford was a big name in mass production, meaning people received higher wages and had the time and money to go abroad, as well as the means, with automobiles becoming available and affordable to the masses.
Popular vacation spots in the 1920s and 30s included plenty of Caribbean destinations like Cuba (after all, it was Hemingway’s favourite place), Jamaica, Nassau and Mexico.
Best Caribbean destinations in 2017:
- British Virgin Islands
- Guadeloupe
- St. Lucia
- Curacao
- US Virgin Islands
- Puerto Rico
1940s/1950s Top Vacation Destinations: Corsica, Sardinia, Palma
In this post-World War Two era, the idea of family was seen as a symbol of security and togetherness after the upheaval and uncertainty that the war brought.
As the airplane/aeroplane became more commercial and successful, it allowed people to explore more of Europe, and destinations on the Mediterranean became popular, like Corsica, Palma, Sardinia and Costa Brava.
Air travel to us today is the go-to way we travel, and we often complain about the conditions we’re in, whether it’s people reclining their chairs back for the entire flight, cramped seats or screaming babies. But back in the 50s, air travel was the most glamorous way to travel – what we’d consider now to be celebrity-level treatment. You would get dressed to the nines to fly.
Then, a ticket from Chicago to Phoenix would cost $138 return trip, which now would equate to (taking inflation into account) $1,168. And keep in mind, American’s salaries were less than they are now.
Best European islands to visit in 2017:
- Santorini, Greece
- Ischia, Italy
- Hvar and the Dalmatian Islands, Croatia
- Crete, Greece
- Azores, Portugal
- Skye and the Hebrides, Scotland
1960s/1970s Top Vacation Destinations: India/Nepal
Air travel became even more streamlined and popular in the 60s and it’s in this era that we began the routine of turning on a continuous stream of movies, as in-flight entertainment was introduced.
The travel industry developed leaps and bounds in the 60s and 70s. The growth of non-bank foreign exchange providers gave budding travellers an easy way of getting hold of foreign currency when going abroad, making travel a much more viable option. IDs to board a plane was finally introduced in the 1970s and travel agents became very popular and the easiest and sometimes only way to book a vacation.
In terms of destinations, Europe remained popular, but other destinations came into the mix. 1968 is when The Beatles took their infamous trip to India, and it was at this time that India and Kathmandu in Nepal was a huge hippie traveller spot.
Best places to visit in India/Nepal in 2017:
- Munnar, Kerala, India
- Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya, India
- Agumbe, Karnataka
- Annapurna Region, Nepal
- Kathmandu, Nepal
- Bhaktapur, Nepal
- Pokhara, Nepal
The Middle East was relatively peaceful and it was entirely possible to travel overland by bus from Europe through Turkey, Syria, Jordan and Israel – which seems mad to us now, but was simply part of the exciting places to explore in the 60s and 70s. It was more that Vietnam and China were avoided because of the Vietnam war and Mao’s rule in China.
