Trundholm Sun Chariot by UnknownNational Museum of Denmark
There’s nothing like getting away and seeing a new place, but vacations haven't always been as easy or accessible as they are now. Scroll down to tour the history of travel.
Travelling Boat being RowedThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
1. Ancient Travel
Recreational travel in the early days of human history was restricted to only the very wealthy. Even then, the limitations of transportation technology made far-away lands difficult or impossible to reach.
Boats, carts, carriages, horses, and walking were the primary means of transport for the bulk of human history, so visiting a foreign land required both time and plentiful resources.
Portrait of John Talbot, later 1st Earl Talbot (Front, stitched composite)The J. Paul Getty Museum
2. The Grand Tour
Although vacations were still restricted to those with exorbitant means, the 17th century saw the foundations of holiday travel – a tradition known as “The Grand Tour”. Pictured here is John Talbot during his stay in Rome, painted in 1773 by Pompeo Batoni.
Wealthy young European men began a traditional pilgrimage through various locales to experience the contributions of antiquity and the Renaissance. The so-called Grand Tour often consisted of stops in Paris, Geneva, Florence, Rome, and other European cities.
Pompeo Batoni was renowned for his portraits commemorating the Grand Tour travelers, and often painted his subjects among famous landscapes and artworks.
The Gare Saint-Lazare: Arrival of a Train (1877) by Claude MonetHarvard Art Museums
3. Trains and Tracks
All aboard! Train travel, made possible by steam-powered locomotives in the 1800s, allowed common people to go wherever the rails did, opening up a new era of recreational tourism.
The first steam engines were meant for commercial transport, but soon the advantages of passenger railways became apparent. It wasn’t long before middle class citizens were able to travel easily between destinations.
Guarding The St Louis (1939-06-17) by Three LionsGetty Images
4. Steam Ships
The same technology used to power trains began being used for boats, too, which meant tourists could cross oceans in several days, rather than several weeks.
Similar journeys are still popular in modern times, although the engines have relied on fossil fuels since the combustion engine replaced its steam-powered forerunner.
Modern cruise ships are meant solely for vacation. They often feature theaters and casinos, and may not even have a destination!
LIFE Photo Collection
5. The Road Trip
The combustion engine led to the automobile, first patented by Karl Benz in 1886. This image shows the Benz Patent Motorwagen, the predecessor of everything on the roads today!
MERCEDES BENZ mod. 500 K (1936) by Mercedes BenzMAUTO - Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile,Torino
Since then, cars have become synonymous with the road trip, and they remain one of the predominant forms of transportation today. Unlike this supercharged 8-cylinder Mercedes from 1936, modern cars are trending toward smaller sizes and renewable fuels.
United Airlines Dc-4 Cockpit (1947-03) by Sam ShereLIFE Photo Collection
6. Freedom of Flight
Holidays were revolutionized once again with the inception of the passenger jet, and now almost anywhere you want to go is within reach.
Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air FranceSmithsonian's National Air and Space Museum
Where will your next vacation take you? What do you think the next big breakthrough for travel will be? Is space tourism next?
Floater 66 (Collection of D. Rebecca Davies and Jeremy Kramer) (2018) by Derrick AdamsHudson River Museum
Modern technology makes vacationing easier than ever before. Even if you’re not able to visit new places in real life, virtual travel allows you to see the sights of the world from home! Try it out with 4 Ways to Have a European Holiday Without Leaving Home
