During this period civil aviation became widespread and many daring and dramatic feats took place such as round-the-world flights, air races and barnstorming displays. Many commercial airlines were started during this period.
1900s. The 1900s was all about that horse-and-carriage travel life. Horse-drawn carriages were the most popular mode of transport, as it was before cars came onto the scene. In fact, roadways were not plentiful in the 1900s, so most travelers would follow the waterways (primarily rivers) to reach their destinations.
People also forget that well into the 1960s, air travel was far more dangerous than it is today. In the 1950s and 1960s US airlines experienced at least a half dozen crashes per year – most leading to fatalities of all on board.
The 1950 and 1960s have become known as the Golden Age of flying. It was a time of glamorous air hostesses and gourmet meals, and of great leg room for all. Skyscanner Australia uncovers what it was like to fly in those days compared to flights today.
You might have paid up to 5% of your salary for a ticket.In the 50s, a flight from Chicago to Phoenix could cost $138 round-trip -- that's $1,168 when adjusted for today's inflation. A one-way to Rome would set you back more than $3,000 in today's dollars.
In the 1920s, plane windows were just open holes, and airports were more like garages. During the Prohibition era, cargo trains were searched for alcohol. Traveling by cruise ship was a black-tie affair.
Ancient RoamThe first people to indulge in what we would consider traveling for pleasure did so over 2 000 years ago in Ancient Rome. A period of prolonged peace and prosperity, coupled with a fantastic road network, set the stage for the first summer vacations.
1860s Steamship-Railroad-Steamship: 25-30 days.The New Orleans-San Francisco trip took twenty-five days, while the New York-San Francisco trip took 30 days.
In 1800, a journey from New York to Chicago would have taken an intrepid traveler roughly six weeks; travel times beyond the Mississippi River aren't even charted. Three decades later, the trip dropped to three weeks in length and by the mid-19th century, the New York–Chicago journey via railroad took two days.