Get a dose of nostalgia before your next trip.
So, what was it like to travel at the turn of the century?
In the early-to-mid-20th century, trains were steadily a popular way to get around, as were cars.
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By 1960, airports had expanded globally to provide both international and domestic flights to passengers.
Air travel went from a purely luxury industry to accessible to the average Jane and Joe.
1900s
The 1900s was all about that horse-and-carriage travel life.
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Horse-drawn carriages were the most popular mode of transport, as it was before cars came onto the scene.
1910s
Cross-continental travel became more prevalent in the 1910s as ocean liners surged in popularity.
In the ’10s, sailing via steamship was the only way to get to Europe.
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The most famous ocean liner of this decade, of course, was the Titanic.
1920s
The roaring ’20s really opened our eyes to the romance and excitement of travel.
Most notably, travelers would cruise to destinations like Jamaica and the Bahamas.
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Flying in the 1930s (while still only for elite business travelers) was slightly more comfortable.
Flight cabins got biggerand seats were plush, sometimes resembling living room furniture.
Use of the Douglas DC-3 was picked up by Delta, TWA, American, and United.
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The ’30s was also the first decade that saw trans-Atlantic flights.
From convertibles to well-made family station wagons, cars were getting bigger, higher-tech, and more luxurious.
The 1950s brought the Interstate system, introduced by President Eisenhower.
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1960s
The ’60s is the Concorde plane era.
However, because of noise complaints from the public, enthusiasm for the Concorde was quickly curbed.
While they were retired in 2003, there is still fervent interest in supersonic jets nearly 20 years later.
The United Aircraft Corporation TurboTrain during a test run before it was put into service on the Chicago-Milwaukee and Saint-Louis-Chicago lines, operated by the North American company Amtrak in 1975.Photo12/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Amtrak initially serviced 43 states (and Washington D.C.) with 21 routes.
In the early ’70s, Amtrak established railway stations and expanded to Canada.
The Amtrak was meant to dissuade car usage, especially when commuting.
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The 235 new carswhich cost $313 million featured overnight cabins and dining and lounge cars.
1980s
The ’80s are when long-distance travel via flight unequivocally became the norm.
Toyota had sold 1 million Priuses around the world by 2007.
Toyota unveiled its Prius hybrid powered car at the LA Auto Show in the LA Convention Center, a car that has an engine that is part electric and part gas powered. The car is in production in Japan but is not expected to be released in the U.S. for at least a year. Toyota introduced the car at the LA Auto Show because of the heightened interest in environmentally friendly cars in Southern California. Toyota’s concept electronic car, the ecom, is visible, left. Photo taken 12/30/97.Bob Carey/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
It’s been impactful not only for the road trippers but for the average American commuter.
The ’10s taught the luxury traveler that private jets weren’t the only way to fly in exceptional style.
Courtesy of Qatar Airways
Sir Richard Branson flew into space aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel, a voyage he described as the “experience of a lifetime” at the Spaceport America in New Mexico, United States on July 11, 2021.Virgin Galactic / Handout/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
