Traveling Before the Internet

I was born in the 70s, so I can't relate to things like travelers checks or travel agents, but there's definitely something to be said about the simplicity and spontaneity of travel back then that made it much more fun and pure. On one hand, there were a lot more barriers to travel: really expensive plane tickets, information availability, perceived fears driven by all sorts of cultural and political factors such as the Iron Curtain/Cold War, etc., much greater formality of getting on a plane, and economic circumstances of citizens in many countries all over the world that prevented discretionary spending on travel. The upside of all those barriers was a lot less crowding at major sights because the universe of travelers was much smaller than now, and lots of sights were either undiscovered or un-advertised. Obviously, we're living in an opposite world now where low budget carriers, the internet, heavy-duty marketing, and improved economic conditions really brought travel in reach to millions who haven't had that opportunity before. I grew up in Poland at a time where travel to "the West" was straight up forbidden for most people...comparing that to now is like "night and day". I would also never underestimate the availability of having airline connections to certain places and ease of entry (lack of Visa restrictions) as "drivers" (no pun intended) of travel to those very places...a common currency really helps as well. An airline hub or a cruise port really opens up an area enormously and puts it on the travel map. If travel someplace is made logistically or economically easier, people are more likely to partake of that option.

Lived and traveled in Europe in the mid 60's and continue to do so as often as possible. I remember going to the TI to locate a room -- not a hotel -- just a room in a private home. Calls back to the states were made at the post office and cost a lot. Border crossings meant you always had to "have your papers". No credit cards at all and most of the money (what little I had) was in American Express Travelers Checks. So few tourist that Americans really stood out. Back then it was all new, exciting, and different even though I was basically poor as a church mouse. Being more affluent today does allow me to revisit places from my youth with fond memories and still do new, exciting, and different places. Each time period had (or has) advantages so I'm not sure which I'd say I like better. But everything changes (as my body reminds me every morning) so I just try to seize the moment and travel on.

Even travelling for us in the early-mid 90's (I was born in the 70s) was 'primitive' compared to now.

Paper maps (which we still do use at times)!! Having to get guidebooks or pamphlets mailed via snail mail!! Yes - even traveler's cheques! And for us - just waltzing into a motel/hotel and hoping for the best, because long distance calls were so expensive I can't recall us ever booking anything in advance.

I remember - must have been 2001 as that was our 1st trip to Boston - I had directions I printed off MapQuest (Yes, we had internet by then and could book ahead) for a hotel outside of Boston...and we missed a turn on one of the on ramps and ended up in a shopping area - luckily, there was a book store, so we went in and found a map and asked some random person where the heck we were on the map so we could find out where we got lost. No GPS to guide the way. Fun times.

We didn't travel to Europe until 2008, so we never experienced border checks and whatnot. But do remember just using our driver's license to cross the border into the USA.

I do miss the days of being able to hop on any train, at anytime and going wherever you wanted to go without a reservation. I wish the Eurail pass was still around. Another thing that I remember from back then is the way people handled money. When purchasing items you would put your money in a little dish and your change would be put in that little dish. For some reason you never handed your money directly to the merchant. Just one of the little quirky things that made Europe different and fun. And, although it is definitely easier to communicate now with so many Europeans knowing English, it just seemed to make your journey more exotic when it was more difficult to make yourself understood! Do not miss having to carry lots of rolls of film around and most definitely don't miss having to carry that bundle of travelers checks around and having to keep track of them. As you say, there are pros and cons to the past and the present.

I was born in the 60's. I used travelers checks one time in 2002 and that was the last once atm/debit thing came out.
I remember seeing travelers from Japan but not as much from China like there is today. Two hotels in italy I stayed at last year were Chinese owned or operated.

I did not get my first digital camera until 2013. And in 15 years of international travel I would still say that some of the best photos (in Egypt and Brazil) I've taken were while using disposable Fuji Film cameras that i used to carry on each trip. Also a lot more travelers today are more self absorbed, no sense of what makes a good photo e.g. opting to take selfies instead asking other tourists to take one of them.

Moreover,It was not until 2016 that I got my first tablet that I used to send emails and share photos daily while I'm away. It was always fun coming home and getting together with friends after I developed the photos but it is equally enjoyable sending them each day and hearing comments.

Finally, the Eurail pass seems outdated but still well marketed and confusing on how to use; there are always people on the forum asking questions after having bought one; I have never used one as there are lot more options to get you places in Europe inexpensively e.g. Easy Jet, Transavia, Ryanair, Ouigo[ French budget high speed train} Izy [Thalys low budget train].

Ah, yes, I remember it well. It was great then (you don't miss what hasn't been invented)

Just thought of other interesting fact. When I traveled to Italy the exchange rate was unbelievable. I don’t remember exactly what it was, but it seemed like $10 got you 20,000 lira. I know that is not correct, but I got a lot of paper currency that more than filled my wallet. Rather than getting change (coins), the merchants often gave you change in candy as the coins were more valuable to them for the metal content. At least that was what I was told.

Memories of a 1972 trip came flooding back! Thanks!

Yes "Europe on $5 a Day" was our Bible and we managed to average that. Switzerland was way over budget, but Spain was under and 4 or 5 free nights sleeping on trains (in a 7-week trip) helped, too.

No rolling suitcases then, either. I ended up sending home a lot of stuff to lighten my load and traveled most of the summer with 2 sundresses, one pair of slacks, a tee shirt, sweater, and light coat, one pair of clogs, which was as much weight as I could lug around. I did manage to fill the case with gifts on the way home, though!

No digital cameras. Carried lots of film and as a poor college student it took me awhile to afford to get it developed when I got home.

First trip to Europe in 1985-no security of any kind! Next trip 1990-tour in different city in different country every day with different currency-no Euro! No rollaboards-pulled big suitcase by a strap! Getting postcards everywhere a big thing. Fewer locals spoke English so harder to travel independently. No Kindle, no cell phone, no laptop or iPad. Frommer was only tour guide I ever saw.
And when I was in elementary school in the 60's, there were no scheduled international flights out of Hartsfield in Atlanta. When people from Georgia went to Europe, they had to fly to Kennedy and take an international flight from New York.

everthing has pro and con. I do not miss the 30hr plus plane flights with multi plane changes. I do not miss doing alot of flying by propellers. But that is what it was, travelers checks, travel agts who wrote letters to get your reservations etc. Taxis were the norm , no bus shuttle, hotel shuttles , rare limo rides.
Everything moved slower. And that was ok.
But I saw and did alot just differently. My guide bks were frommers, fodors etc.
With internet access we can go anywhere with little planning. But interestingly i still enjoy the planning process and rarely fly impromptu.
And I try to travel within a strict budget often, and it can be done.
That makes it even more fun.

My first trip to Europe was 1962, so yes a lot has changed. I would never go back to a film camera. Digital is so much better. But the spontaneity is dead. Because of the internet you need to make your hotel reservations months in advance. No, more lets get out of here and go somewhere else. Today you would never find a hotel room in any half way popular area. Back then I never traveled with a reservation. Just found a hotel where ever we stopped.

As much as I do like booking accommodation in advance, in bigger areas, the internet can actually help you to be spontaneous (if you’ve got your tablet/phone and some wifi)...because you can go on booking.com or Expedia or Hotwire and look for an available hotel in your price range for the next night or even that night. No having to drive or walk around and hope the place isn’t a dive or super expensive...you can check reviews.

In 2013 when we went to California, there was one night we weren’t sure where we would be along the coast, so I didn’t book. The evening before, safely ensconced in our hotel room, we looked at the map, decided to stop ‘there’ and I went on Expedia and booked a room for the next night. No wasting time trying to find something in our budget.

I suppose my answer is that I sometimes miss the way we used to travel in the "old days", but I probably wouldn't want to go back to that. Planning travel was a lot more work in those days involving paper maps, trips to the bank to get traveller's cheques, phone calls to hotels, etc. However all the work was often a lot of fun and it added to the anticipation of the trip.

Some of my travel has been spontaneous, but not all of it. Although not Europe, I made a road trip to L.A. many years ago to take the kids to Disneyland and I spent months planning every last detail with great precision. At that time, BCAA would prepare a Triptik for members, complete with maps, hotel brochures and all kinds of useful information. I used a semi-spontaneous approach for a trip to England in 2004. I put the trip together and departed within a week, and for the most part it all worked out well.

Travel with film became more of a problem once airports started routinely using X-Ray scans of carry-on luggage. Many photographers travelled with lead-lined pouches to ensure that film wouldn't be ruined by the scanners, especially exposed film. On the trip to England mentioned above, I travelled with both a film and a digital camera. By the end of the trip I was using the digital camera also exclusively, and that was the last time I used film.

One thing that I do think is a huge advantage with travel these days is smartphones. I've travelled with a mobile phone for many years, including the trip to Disneyland mentioned above. In those days the only option was the Motorola Brick but it worked well for basic communications. After that I progressed to a Motorola flip which was certainly easier to carry, but again very basic. I was eventually able to have E-mail during travels using a device called PocketMail, which was basically an acoustic MoDem connected to a Palm PDA (anyone remember those?). It had to be held against the phone receiver so a bit awkward, but despite the cacophony of "squeaks & squawks" it worked surprisingly well. After being injured in Italy on a past trip, I believe smartphones are especially important for solo travellers.

My trips to Europe these days are very well planned, which I believe is a good idea given the large numbers of travellers these days. At my age, I prefer to have some choice in which hotel and which part of town I'll be staying in, and know where I'm going to be sleeping each night. It's essential to arrange some things in advance these days, such as tickets for budget airlines.

The old spontaneous backpacking travel ways were kind of an adventure, but I don't think I'd want to go back to those days.

Hi,

"...living in the past." Bravo!

What you describe is very accurate (95%), don't forget writing home using aerograms (gone too), (Luftpostleichtbrief) plus postcards.

" in the early 70s"...,my start too. At 21 on June 17, 1971 I landed in at Gatwick from OAK on a charter flight lasting 12 weeks to start my first trip, and I've been going over ever since.

It was exciting,... going off solo as a college backpacker, got used to staying in hostels (HI) in dorm rooms with 3 to 19 guys, ie, ten bunks lined up on both sides of the room. If all ten were occupied, including myself, 20 guys slept in that "ward." That many guys in one room I think I encountered once or twice....Cologne and maybe Nürnberg.

No money belt ( I was careful), didn't get pickpocketed), never thought about loneliness, issues with one's esteem, jet lag, being afraid of getting lost (got lost a lot in the cities, no big deal), Fortunately, I was able to go 3 times in the 1970s...1971, 1973 and 1977.

What did concern me mainly, especially the first time over was getting my " stuff " stolen./ransacked in the hostels, on the trains, and initially the "safety" factor, ie, getting jumped in the streets/ getting jacked a la american.. Those personal safety concerns, very soon afterwards, I saw were groundless.

When I went to the travel office in the Zentrum in Hannover to buy the air ticket to west Berlin, ( No way would be I in Europe without going to Berlin.), I expected the young woman ( she was older than I was) helping me would switch over to English upon seeing US passport, obviously for ID. I had been told that quite often here prior to the trip...did not happen period. That "they" want practice their English with you as an American, I concluded from the trip as myth. If that didn't happen with a travel agent , odds are not with any one else. In the 70s-80s she would not be the only travel agent in Germany would deal with...none switched over after seeing the passport.

This first 12 week trip I spent 4 nights in London, a full 2 weeks in North Sweden, 7 weeks in (west) Germany (incl Berlin), visiting Bonn, Lübeck, Hamburg, Hannover, Lüneburg, Düsseldorf, Münster/Westf., Munich, Osnabrück, Bremen, Heidelberg (obviously), Sigmaringen an der Donau, etc.), a full week in Vienna ...real broiler in that oppressive heat., 3 nights in Amsterdam.

Paris would wait until the next trip in 1973

I was born in 1954, lived in London from 1969 to 1973, and have since been to Europe many times. What I remember, besides everything mentioned above, is no running shoes in the olden days and being able to get on an earlier flight if you got to the airport early. Oh, and people were smoking on the planes and everywhere else.

Those were the days of real borders. I remember well the train from Amsterdam having a special platform at the Paris Gare du Nord with those intimidating French policemen, checking for drugs.
Everything was cash. Every few days you went to a local post office to get fresh money with your postal cheques.
And I'm not sure how I got to B&Bs in the UK. I do remember a wool shop in Bradford, which doubled as the tourist office, but in those dozens of other places I've stayed? Not the faintest.

Taking pictures was more challenging as you had to carry rolls of film and prints were very expensive. Most people took slides to save money. You never knew if the picture you took came out until you got home.

That was still true for my first two trips to Europe in '95 and '99. ;-) I actually think digital cameras and uploading photos to the cloud as you go is my favorite travel advance since that time.

My first trip to Europe was in '95, and I wasn't alive yet for all of the 60s and most of the 70s, but when I read travelogues from that era I am jealous of the spontaneity and the sense of wonder. I think we may see too much on social media and Google Street View before arrival to achieve quite the same sensation. What gives me pause about a return to those days is that those same travelogues, while fascinating, are almost all written by men. I get the sense that solo female travel in those days was not as common as it is today--of course, it could just be that only the guys found publishers.

I am loving reading all these reminiscences!

Its hard to separate fond memories from being youthful. The access to good information and ability to research and book your own flights and hotels makes travel easier. But its a different experience being older. People cut you less slack.

My first trip was 1981, with a BritRail pass and a Let's Go: Britain guidebook. I recall staying at a B&B in London for £9 in the rather seedy Earls Court area. It was harder to travel, but I felt I had really accomplished something and learned new skills. But no way would I want to travel that way now.

Your post describes precisely how I used to travel in the 1970's. I recently was thinking about how we used to plan our trips pre-Internet, and I can't really remember. I guess it was guidebooks and maps, and phone calls for reservations. I prefer the way I travel now, although I find that there's now so much info that I start planning so far in advance and spend so much time doing so.

we missed a turn on one of the on ramps and ended up in a shopping area - luckily, there was a book store

Now you'd be hard-pressed to find a bookstore.

What a great thread.

One part I definitely notice different is how I plan a trip now. I have a travel trunk at home that keeps all my old travel planning documentation (I consider these souvenirs) and just looking at it now I'm amazed at the volume of pamphlets, hand annotated calendars, typed up lists of hotels and attractions, photo copies and maps, maps, maps that I used to collect before a trip. Now I keep everything on a google doc.

The internet has definitely lowered the bar on travel as well by reducing cost through competition for transportation and lodging (who remembers how difficult it was to compare ticket and room prices before the internet) which has opened the door to travel for more people. To me this is a good thing to get people out of their comfort zones!

DJ

Robert...ain’t that the truth! I think it was a Barnes and Noble...they still around down there?

Oh gosh, I remember planning a trip to UK in the early 1980's. I was working on my Master's degree and was doing some research in a nearby university's Graduate Library. I discovered they had International phone books (this was not part of my research so I must have been walking around on a break, lol!!!) so when I planned my trip I photocopied PAGES of London hotel listings and wrote to hotels for reservations. It was agony waiting for a reply by mail! The rest of the time we did the TI thing.

My parents lived in Brussels in the mid-70's and my Mom had envelopes of various currencies. When they would hop on a train for the weekend, she'd grab the relevant envelope - French Francs, Marks, Guilders etc. and off they'd go.

I like being able to make reservations by computer. So much easier to check reviews, compare prices and look at the outside with googlemaps!

Another thing I remember when checking into a hotel in the 70’s and 80’s was that you were expected to look at your room before you agreed to taking it. If you didn’t like the room you either asked to see another or you went to another hotel. I also remember negotiating how many nights you wanted to stay. The hotel was always trying to get you to stay 3 nights, but as a minimum 2 nights unless you started to walk away and then they would except one night. I remember one hotel in Rome where they said they wouldn’t change the sheets from the previous person unless I stayed 3 nights and they were serious. Fortunately, I liked the hotel and agreed for 3 nights and I watched them put on clean sheets. Also the hotel had an elevator, but to make it work, you had to put coins in it.

Travel way back when allowed for more spontaneous travel given then worthwhile train passes and booking services at train stations. Travel now requires more itinerary forethought and booking more desirable accommodations. The Internet and improvements in economies around the world lead more folks to travel and plan for their trips. I recall gaining access to the Internet way back when by signing up for a class at a community college and being a registered student. Ha.

I was in Europe in 1968. I was with a group that studied in the (then) Soviet Union for the summer. The group flew out of Kiev, and we had free time before reconnoitering in Amsterdam. I went to Vienna and Munich. I don't think I had $10 in my purse. I did have an enormous Samsonite suitcase. It wasn't as heavy as it could have been, because we had to dump a lot of stuff in Kiev. The plane was taking off from a short runway, and whoever was in charge said there'd be no way we'd get off the ground with our full suitcases.

Someone on the tour gave me sheets torn out of "Europe on $5 a Day." I stayed in youth hostels in Vienna and Munich, and lived mainly on the free hostel breakfasts and the occasional sandwich. I remember being very impressed with a hamburger that came with a fried egg on top of the meat. Protein! And I learned to love European breakfasts. Still do.

A girl I met in Vienna said I had to have a piece of Sacher torte before I left. I had never even heard of it! Of course, I couldn't afford anything at the Sacher, so she bought me a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. (I was underwhelmed.)

I shared a sleeping compartment on the train to Munich with another girl I met at the hostel and a guy we met somewhere. :-)

In retrospect, that was a great trip, but all I could think about at the time was how much money I didn't have. And the guy I left at home; we got married two weeks after I got home. Happy ending!

Re: Looking into your room before deciding on it.....

In the 1970s and '80s there were a few places where I stayed in Pensionen in Germany or Austria most of the accommodation was hostels. I went solo, asked for a single (EZ) just like now, was never asked about seeing the room first (usually not the custom in Germany). If it was on a drop-in basis, it was always on a take it or leave it .

My first trip to Europe was a tour to Amsterdam with my sister. We were supposed to go to London but the travel agent called to say the charter was cancelled but she had a charter to Amsterdam for the same price and dates. Sure, what the heck, we already had paid. Our tour consisted of the airfare and hotel. Nothing else. Went to the local TI to see what was what. Saw the museums, windmills, etc. took the train to Brussels for a day, had a blast.

Next trip was to visit an old boyfriend (and future husband) in Yugoslavia. His family was here on a work visa and had to leave when it was up. We were both 19. I saved my money and vacation time and off I went, alone, for one month. Stayed with his family. I remember giving all my cash to his mother and she gave me back local currency and some Lira for a day trip to Venice, by bus. Also, before I came he had written and asked me to bring Marlboro cigarettes, chewing gum, Bayer aspirin, crest toothpaste and Johnny Walker. His mother bartered with them. His mother and her friends would take me to Trieste on the bus or by car at the ungodly hour of 5 in the morning to shop for Western items. On the way back through customs, I would show my American passport and claim the 10 bottles of laundry soap and other various household products as mine. No duty. I was very, very popular to say the least. They would bring sandwiches and drinks, no extra money or time to actually eat in Trieste. I did this for four summers while he finished University and a stint in the Navy - it was mandatory. Each trip would be longer till the final year when we got married and I stayed for 6 months. That was in 1980. We visited friends on an American army post in Germany for 4 weeks and traveled around with them. We went to Vienna, Nurenberg, and a few small German towns with them. No crowds, no reservations, no worry.

Believe me, very few people in Yugoslavia spoke English. I had taken Serbo-Croatian at Berlitz so I knew a little, enough to muddle through. We travelled to Dubrovnik by ferry to visit his father's family and there were no tourists there, American or otherwise, only pigeons on the Stradun. There was no charge to walk to wall. We didn't have much money, no credit cards, so we really just lived like locals, staying with relatives. He had one aunt and uncle who spoke English so they were my life line. She is widowed now so we visit as often as possible. It was a little scandalous, us traveling together not being married, me having to sleep with his aunts, literally in the same bed, but we had so much fun. Great memories.
Was it better? Different. We don't have too many pictures because many pictures didn't come out well and you couldn't buy more film. We travelled slower and really saw the country, not just sights.

What great stories. I wish someone like Rick would create a book where people could publish their experiences of their travels in Europe, especially early travels so everyone could learn what it was like before the internet. I really enjoy watching the movies that were filmed in the 50’s in Europe. It is so unlike today.

We lived in Germany 1957-1962, when I was 5-10. Of course, being a small boy, I didn't do anything on my own. I do remember:

1) sledding in the Taunus mountains near Frankfurt
2) going on trips to Norway, Italy, and France.
3) going with my family and my grandmother (born in Budapest) to Yugoslavia. Her father was born in N Serbia now (Vojvodinja), in the Donau Schwaben ethnic group. We went to the small town my great-grandma was born in. They were not happy to see Grandma, who was there as a prosperous (comparatively) Western person. At one point, we were told by a policeman to pull off the main road, and watched a long line of black cars proceed down that road. Tito? Perhaps. We have a picture of Grandma looking in the cemetary for family graves.
4) drinking lemon soda
5) We took the train to Berlin in 1961. This was about 3 months after the wall went up. I was kind of aware to the situation but with 9 YO understanding - limited and not real complicated. We did take the bus tour through Checkpoint Charlie into the East zone.
6) We toured Dachau. Seeing the ovens was pretty amazing. Of course, again, a 9 YO can say "that's where the bodies were cremated", but we didn't really understand the scale.
7) We toured some WWI and WWII battlefields. In one, there is an ossiery, a large building in which the bones of formerly interred bodies were stored. You could see inside thousands of bones.

At that time, it was $1 for 4 DM. We lived well on the salary of a US high school teacher. We didn't use hotels, since the money did not go that far. Instead, my dad bought a VW CamperVan, and put a lot of plywood in it to make beds and such. The family was Mom and Dad and 5 kids (9,8,6,4,1), but we could all sleep in the van. That was the usual approach - camping in the van.

My first trip, 1963, three weeks on a moped in France including a week in Paris. Armed with "$5/Day" I found a hotel in the Latin Quarter for $2 a night -- including hot water in the room, quite a luxury. Traveler's checks and picked up mail at American Express near the Opera (the only Opera then). I knew enough high school French to get by, had some great conversations mostly improved by alcohol. No camera, I bought postcards showing the places I'd been. I still have them somewhere.

That was great at 19, now I prefer ensuite rooms and an actual car if I'm going to drive. I don't need a helmet now! The internet makes planning much easier. Credit and debit cards make spending much easier. Luckily there is something in the bank to make those cards work. Instead of Frommer I have Rick Steves, much more entertaining and equally useful. But that Paris hotel now charges at least 10,000 percent more. My digital photos are never as good as the postcards I used to buy. My French is rusty, Spanish rudimentary, but I've learned a lot more English words.

Good thread, Yosemite, thanks. Bottom line, it's better now. Except of course for my energy level.

On the exchange rate US $ to the DM:..... On the day I arrived in Germany on July 9, !971 at Lübeck-Travemünde, I didn't have any DM, so after taking the short train ride to Lübeck Hbf. (it was still too early for banks to open),

I went to a German bank to cash a $ 20 Amer. Ex. TC in Lübeck's Zentrum (It was not one of the big four in Germany, that would come later.)

The official exchange rate on July 9, 1971 US $ = 3.49 DM. Every week thereafter the $ would show a little slippage against the DM.

I wanted to plan a grand rail tour across Europe. Starting in England and ending up in Tavira (Algarve), where friends had a villa. So I needed to find the train details. I knew my local station would not be much help, so I went to the nearest big town, where the intercity trains stopped and the station had a travel centre for queries.
So I went in and asked how much it would cost to buy a ticket to Faro (the main town in the Algarve, I thought they were more likely to know about that than Tavira). She looked puzzled, started looking through a few books behind the desk, then came back and asked "Faro, is that in Scotland?". When I said it was in Portugal, the reply was I had to go to the foreign travel office in London to answer that query. What!! I had to go to London just to find out train prices!!!

When we finally booked everything, we were getting the first boat train of the day out of London Charing Cross at 09:00 (pre-tunnel days). This connected with a hydrofoil at Dover Docks, and at Boulogne a French boat train was waiting for the Hydrofoil. Arrival in Paris 17:00. Just time to get to Gare de Montparnasse for the sleeper to Lisbon leaving at 18:00 (we were spending time in Paris on the way back).
But, rough weather in the Channel, the hydrofoil could not get up to speed, and had to cross the channel without getting up on its foils. Arrive Boulogne 1 hour late. ½ hour made up by the train, we had just 30 minutes to cross Paris. Just made it, jumped on the sleeper train as the doors were closing.

Woke up the next morning, opened the window blinds and we were crossing the vast Spanish plains. Made up for everything.

The best thing about traveling before the internet was the sense of freedom outside my daily comfort zone and safety net. It was a sense that life exists outside my bubble and it is wonderful, thrilling, and wonderfully survivable. Traveling with no reservations was a wonderfully fluid way to travel, and exciting. Where will I end up? I would return home with a renewed sense of the wonders of life and my ability to handle life on my own.

That's true Wray. There wasn't that lifeline of cellphones and email to tether you to home. You did really feel like you were out there on your own, and if you had no fixed itinerary, no one knew where you were.

Wray and stan, I too found it exciting, but also scary sometimes. We were cocky little so-and-so's though, weren't we?

I much prefer the modern benefits of traveling.

Memorable comparisons:

I traveled to Europe, plus Hungary & Russia in 1975 with the 4-H Ambassador program (just graduated from high school). We couldn't bring jeans because we were representing our country and needed to dress "respectfully" - just dresses and slacks. I remember that we had to stop at each country to show our passports - sometimes 30-45 minutes waiting in line, and then it was off to a bank to exchange money with Travelers Checks. Each countries' food was very distinctly unique. By the time we reached London at the end of our trip, we saw a McDonalds and celebrated finding some fast food - ha!

My suitcase was a red American Tourister - checked the luggage back in the day, but it was the size of a carry-on.

Possibly the biggest change: the Des Moines news reporter came to the airport to interview four of us when we arrived back home!

Wray, so true about the freedom. When I would travel to Yugoslavia my mother would say, don't worry about calling, I will know you got there safe. How would she know, if there were no plane crashes, I made it safely. I would actually send a postcard. It was too expensive to call and you had to go through the post office and wait for a connection. We didn't have a curfew and his parents both worked so we were free all day.

My first trip abroad - to Spain from Britain - was by Douglas DC6, which had just had the seats put back in having done a stint transporting oil in barrels to Zambia at the height of the Rhodesian (now Zimbabwe of course) oil and independence crisis. Yes, I'm that old! We flew from Manston in Kent to Perpignan in France and did the rest of the trip by bus. So a three hour flight followed by a three hour plus bus ride - now you'd do the the trip from a much more local airport direct to Spain in a little under a couple of hours and you wouldn't have to wait three days for your hearing to recover! So It's fair to say I don't miss the travel, sixties style!

I still insist in sending myriad postcards from abroad, although it takes up an increasingly large part of the holiday budget and if we stay in a hotel that provides its own headed stationery I always write a letter home, usually to my Mother who has now got an extensive collection of letters from various hotels around the world.

I don't however miss trying to get my transparency films - unexposed and exposed - through security in their protective lead lined bag (in some countries although they said otherwise, their 'X-ray' machines could fog films if not protected).

I've also made it a point of principle never to argue with somebody with nominal authority who is armed with a sub machine gun, no matter how unjust their request of me appears!

Generally though I think it's never been easier, or more comfortable, to travel and I think we should all count our blessings a little that we live in a time when global travel is much more the norm and within reach of many more people than it has ever been.

Ian

My international travels didn't start until 2001 so the internet and cell phones were already in daily use. I love the planning ahead of time on the internet, and as we have all discussed many times before, for me planning the journey is almost as fun as the trip itself.

I do think the internet makes spontaneity easier -- when traveling to London last year, upon check-in we weren't too fond of our hotel, so I spent a few minutes online and found another one at a reasonable rate (on a Friday afternoon!) . That is remarkable when you consider the old option of having to traipse around on foot looking for a suitable alternative or a stop at the TI.

I am fascinated though about the idea of picking up one's mail at the American Express office. How did that work? I've seen it in films, and Dick's post above intrigued me. Would people writing to you just send mail to "Joe Blow, c/o American Express, Paris" ??? Was there only one American Express office per city?

Todd, by the 90's, we did use street addresses for the American Express offices. They were published in guidebooks and AmEx materials. You could also have mail held at the main post office for a city, under General Delivery; details are foggy.

People who wanted to know train schedules in advance would buy the Thomas Cook European Timetable, over 500 pages and lots of footnotes. The editors [still haven't given up](www.europeanrailtimetable.eu) even though their original publisher did.

Re: the "sense of freedom" connected to traveling in the 1970s....so very true!!

Certainly NOT the same feeling traveling nowadays. I definitely did not plan to the level then as a I have to nowadays.

One of the materials I brought along on all the trips in '70s and '80s was the little book published by Amer. Exp in which all their offices were indicated... ...Heidelberg, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Hannover, etc. I still have that little book.

This is one of the most interesting discussion threads I've read! Thank you.

One thing I do not miss about travel in the 1970s is smoking being permitted on aircraft. The smoking section was in the rear of the jet, but on an overseas, flight, there was plenty of time for the smoke to waft throughout the entire jet.

Todd, on my first few trips to Europe we used American Express to pick up mail. Prior to leaving you would decide which city you wanted to pick up mail and would notify all friends and family of the American Express office address and the estimated dates you would be there. Then, you simply visited the office when you arrived and Oh, you can't imagine the thrill of getting letters from loved ones back home!! Sometimes there would only be 1 or 2 letters, but sometimes there would be a whole stack and it was so much fun to find a park bench and sit and read them. One time my sister and I decided to cut out one of cities where we were going to pick up mail. I forget where we were when we decided this, but we still wanted our mail (we were on a 2 month trip and a bit homesick). It was a rainy/windy day where we were and we decided to hop on the train, go to Basel, pick up our mail and go back to the city we were staying in! It was a 3 hour trip each way! Loved that Eurail Pass!!!

Todd, my recollection is that I asked my parents and others to write me "c/o American Express, Rue Scribe, Paris, France" (maybe there was a postal code). When I got to Paris I went over there and picked up their letter(s) at a window. I must have had to show my passport or some ID. I wrote back from my hotel and also sent postcards as I moved around the country (Loire, Brittany, Normandy, 40mph tops).

Never considered phone calls, I guess they were possible in an emergency but very expensive. This was not long after area codes and zip codes started in the US. E mail and Skype would have been insane fantasies. These newfangled internet-type thingies sure make it easier to stay in touch, whether with family or the next day's hotel or the godawful news cycle. But that's not necessarily why we travel, is it?

I am surprised no one has mentioned Schengen which did not exist until quite recently. I was able to stay as long as I wanted in Europe as there was no 90 day limitation. My first visit to Europe was in 1973 and I was 19 years old. I had a Eurail pass and BritRail Pass and did not have to worry about reservation fees as there were none except for a few trains. The trains went slow but I could actually look out the window and view the countryside or cities. Life moved slower and the locals were kinder. I never had a problem finding a place to lay my head at night. Major tourist spots only required purchasing a ticket and walking right in. In the Sistine Chapel I actually was able to lay down on the floor and look up to view the ceiling. Hardly anyone around. Yes, there were border checks between countries and each country had their own currency. This differentiated each country and made each one come much more alive with its own personalty. When in Italy, I too received candy instead of a few smaller coins when I purchased something. Shops were ma and pa establishments. I felt like I was investing my money to help the locals out. Just too many good memories. I enjoyed the days bygone. For me, today's Europe lacks authenticity and is way too crowded. With over-population, things are only going to get much worse. Give me the good old days!

I think the prior poster is simply responding to globalization. Since there has been more interaction, trade, travel, university studies, and working abroad among members of the EU, the "differences" between countries get less stark. I don't think that makes Europe "lack authenticity" - what does that mean when applied to such a diverse landmass of millions? Things change and people respond new historical forces and economic realities, nothing is static (should it be?). The former Iron Curtain countries (one of which I grew up in) are trying to catch up to their wealthier neighbors. But there are plenty of corners of Europe where time has stood still. Try going to Maramures, Romania or Bulgaria (or Bosnia) where things are still done the very traditional, manual way without mechanization in the rural areas and the old labor and gender norms remain. Unfortunately, those folks are fairly relatively poor as a result because they're not plugged into the global economy and their goods only have a local market. I think most countries do try to preserve their historical traditions but, yes, the lines are blurring because different cultures (including immigrants) are inter-mixing. There are still a good number of countries that are quite monolithic (again due to being "cut off" from the West for so long). There is no "overpopulation" in Europe - the European birthrates are not even at the replacement rate and they keep falling in most countries (except Iceland). The "crowds" are simply more people being able to travel there.

No doubt that Schengen and common currency made a huge difference. Prior to being on the Euro, many countries were very inexpensive, much more so than now (Spain, Italy, etc).

This thread brings back lots of memories...thank you. 1971 my mom was able to realize a delayed dream and took me with her to Paris & England. She took out her college French and wrote letters to reserve our hotel room. Airline seats were much larger in those days, so the flight wasn't the ordeal it is now. There were companies other than Travelex in those days to access foreign currency, because without ATMs, you needed some currency when you landed. Traveler checks were used instead of credit cards, which were relatively new. I remember the exchange rate as being 4 francs to the dollar. I got to meet my French pen pal, although communication by letter was easier than conversing in person. I don't remember worrying about pick-pockets, although street scams were there and a I have a picture holding a lion cub to prove it (can't imagine how much that must have cost my mother!). Do I long for travel the way it used to be? Not really....I don't stress as much about the details because there are so many safety nets in place, ATMs, so many people speak English, if I'm lost I have a cell phone and now I am comfortable enough to get off the beaten track if crowds get too much for us.

Interestingly, to me at least, was finding my grandparent's European itinerary from 1953 and realizing that WWII had only been over 8 years. I wish I had the sense to ask more questions about that trip.

I did exactly that, ie staying in a hostel in one city in Germany, then taking the train to another city (r/t) using my 1971 Youth Pass (absolutely fantastic with its flexibility ) just to hit the American Express office, not to cash any of the Am. Ex TC but to see if my folks had written me, a la The Beatles version (1964), " Please, Mr Postman."

Of course, you were asked ID, so I showed the passport. How else is the Am Ex staff person able to recognise your name. They were not Americans.

I was in the Air Force from 1984 - 2009. In the late 80s I was in the Philippines, the 90s was Southern Italy & Panama. Each base had a travel office and still do. They offered tours through local companies you could sign up with, they had listings of hotels & their phone numbers (no emails then) in the major cities as well as information on sites and of course maps. Rome even had a USO a few blocks from the Vatican where we could get additional information & exchange money.

"...today's Europe lacks authenticity...." That is certainly a valid assessment.

Traveling in pre-internet, cold war commie days, I'm glad I did the trip to Prague in July 1973 when it was part of the CSSR and also to East Berlin in '84, Potsdam in '87, both of which were done on tours from west Berlin, then solo to east Berlin in '87 and '89.

Even the showcase of east Berlin, with the police everywhere, you had the real feeling that somewhere one of them, some Vopo, had his eyes on you. once you crossed over. The contrasts in Prague and east Berlin one could feel, more stalinist in east Berlin than was the case in Prague. The lingua franca in Prague then was German. That was blatantly clear when I saw sign pointing the exchange office written only in Russian , Czech , and German.

I love reading these posts because I didn’t start traveling to Europe until 2007. I was born in the 60s and got too busy with college, then marriage and 3 kids. Europe was always intimidating to me to the point where I didn’t think I could travel there. I did live vicariously through my sister who backpacked her way a couple of time in the 90s when she graduated college. We took trips to the Caribbean, East coast and Hawaii with the kids and we always meant to take them to Scotland where my ex is from.

Fast forward to 2007 and divorce and teenage kids- my sister took me to London, Paris and Amsterdam and I was hooked! I've been back 5x and planning my first solo trip this May. I also celebrated turning 50 and my divorce by taking all 3 kids with me. To me, the advent of the internet and smartphone have helped allay my fears of the unknown. I definitely could not travel without these crutches. I also like to say that I waited to travel to Europe after the nonsmoking ban inside buildings have taken effect!

PS. Great thread Yosemite who I noticed is from Placentia. Please consider coming to our premier LA/OC meeting on Sat Feb 17, 10 am, at the Corner Bakery in Manhattan Beach.

Ya this is a great thread. I have been traveling the planet since the 1970s. And I remember the Europe of many who have posted of American Express Offices, border checks and different currencies, of post cards and real film, of more spontaneity and of SURPRISE! Yes it's the surprise of arriving and seeing a place for the first time.

There was of course no google earth or photos of every hotel, beach and restaurant on the continent as there is today so when you went to dinner it was all new, your first sight of the real thing. Now everyone has seen it all online before ever arriving. (and they probably have reservations) Then they instagram photos of their dinner to friends 8,000 miles away and get an immediate response. While these things are great in their own way I believe that you lose something now. People did a lot of planning back in the 50's 60's and 70's too it just took more diligence and effort...but it was well worth it. Then our friends came back home and used language to convey what they had done and experienced. They painted mental pictures for us aided by some black and white photos. And those of us listening enraptured decided we had to go too. And so it began and so it has always been.

My take on the biggest difference from now to then is the level of fear I hear from so many who have read dubious things online with no way to put the information in context. I think we have become a nation of fraidy-Cats, startled at our own electronic shadow, gorging ourselves on the naysayers and nabobs of negativity (Thank You Spiro Agnew and Patrick Buchanan) we cower in our homes behind gated communities afraid of nearly everything. Much less travel to a FOREIGN country! I despair for us at times. So I am especially encouraged by this discussion and it's outspoken "get out there and travel" attitude.

Go. Live, Enjoy...and Instagram me a photo of that great meal in Burgundy...

I curious how many many of you flew Laker Airlines to Europe in the 70’s. Laker was a low cost airline. I can remember that you could only book your flight 24 hours in advance. You could not book a round trip so trying to get your return flight home was stressful as you didn’t know if you were going to be on a plane or not. They only had one airplane that flew between LAX and Gatwick and if anything mechanical problem happened to the plane, you were stranded. The ticket prices were unbelievable. I flew from LA to Gatwick and back for $299. I don’t think I would do that again now that I’m older. I can remember telling my boss that if I wasn’t at work the next day, I was successful in getting on the plane and my return to work was dependent on me getting a flight back. Fortunately, he was very understanding.

I like reading people's early travel experiences and thoughts on how things have changed. My first European travels were in the early 90s. That was a long study abroad with lots of travel.

What I liked then:
Buy one EurRail pass and just get on a train; no reservations. Writing letters and postcards - there is something lost with instant communications. Receiving letters from family and friends - what a thrill to get mail and hear how things were at home. I liked getting my passport stamped at each border. Trains with compartments. Meeting people (both other travelers and locals) - as a college kid I think it was easier to meet others (not sure if that was because I was often a solo college kid or things were different then). Seeing Eastern Europe (just after the wall came down). I liked going to the American Express office every couple weeks - it was a social thing in a way. Overnight trains (though my older body is done with that sort of travel). Crowds didn't seem so bad, especially in many cities that now seem overrun with people (Barcelona and Prague for example). Paper maps - I still use them.

What I like now:
The convenience of getting cash and communicating instantly is very nice, even if something is lost. Reserving hotels online to avoid spending half a day wandering town to find a hotel. And knowing you are getting a decent hotel before checking in. Not having to change money all the time (though I do miss the individuality of each currency). High speed trains. Digital cameras to avoid all that film, cost of printing and "ruined" photos because someone walked in front of you just as you snapped the shot. Electronic books to lighten the load. The tourist industry is certainly more professional and provides a lot of support - though I miss the novelty of being a rare tourist or American in some places.

I only started traveling internationally in the internet age, and I'm glad it keeps getting easier with further advances. I can understand people waxing nostalgic about their younger days, but I can't really see anything that makes pre internet travel more appealing.

Even from my pre internet domestic travel, I don't miss a thing about it (except for prices!) It's so nice to know exactly where your hotel is and get reviews. Hotels can be very misleading with their names, kinda similar to how Air Bnb listings are now. I can remember a Santa Monica hotel that was nowhere close to the water and a Disneyland hotel that was several miles from the park. And, of course, the people at the 1 800 number reservation center in Omaha aren't going to know anything more than you do. And, I sure don't miss the days of showing up at a hotel and finding out this it is always used by large wedding parties or school soccer teams.

I know people reminisce about the golden age of flying, but aside from today's cattle car experience, it sounds boring. All you can do is eat, drink, smoke, read, or do crosswords. The inflight movie is likely to be something you saw 3 months ago and didn't like it the first time.Yes, modern day economy sucks with the constant nickel and diming, but overall prices are lower. And, there's probably something good about the guy next to you not being able to slam martinis nonstop.

Also,back then you tended to have two types of guidebooks, those aimed at students and backpackers and those aimed at the affluent. There really wasn't anything in between. And, of course, the guidebooks were only updated once a year at best. Obviously , restaurants close frequently, but hotels can also get sold or closed. Peer reviews aren't perfect, but they can provide a lot of good information, especially if a place is undergoing renovations. Leisure travelers don't want to be woken up with loud construction at 8 AM.

And yes, digital and cell phone cameras are a godsend. Easy enough to delete pictures that didn't turn out right. And, it's easy to send a few select pictures to friends and family without the old fashioned hour long slide show.

Finally,, currency is much easier. It's quick and easy to check an exchange rate now rather than have to dig up a newspaper with a decent business section that listed currency exchange rates.

Yes, Freddie Laker ...that is one carrier I might have used in 1977 in my third trip over. I think he was only flying to London. My aim then was going to Paris, so I ended up flying Air France from LAX, arriving for the first time at CDG...amazing.

Those were the days in European traveling.