Travel Before the Internet?

It's before 1990 and you want to travel the world. The big, scary, internet-less world. To a young mind in today's day and age, this concept may sound unfathomable or maybe even exciting and freeing, but how did they do it? From planning their adventure to contacting their family, even sharing memories, let's take a look at how it was done before the internet.

Booking That Trip

Today, there are so many different ways to book your trip around the world. Yet, before the growth of online booking platforms and comparison websites that allow flexibility and even some dollar savings, how did anyone book that trip?

As a backpacker, before the introduction of the world wide web, a local travel agent was a good place to start. Whether it was an organised tour or an around the world ticket, dealing directly with people was just a matter of getting things done. If a travel agent was not easily accessible, or even if a backpacker was brave enough to take matters into their own hands, booking that trip around the world could have begun with a single flight booked directly with an airline. This bold character, could have been armed with only word-of-mouth, recommendations and a travel guide.You may have even signed up as a member of the Youth Hostel Association, allowing you to use their addresses in major cities when arriving to a new country. It is with this Association you would plan in advance to get that well deserved first nights rest.

Now, in the age of DIY travel, people can book and manage their travels on multiple online platforms, finding all the information you could ever want in one place. You can plan every second of every day and further in advance then ever before. You don’t even need to physically talk to person to plan an incredible journey. Many of the same options still exist in today’s world as they did before the internet, there are just more ways of going about booking that trip.

Your Travel Guide

What should we do? Google has the answer. How do I get from A to B? Google has the answer. Don't understand what someone is saying? Google can translate that for you. Need directions? Get your phone to tell you where you are and which way to go, literally TELL YOU. Growing up with immediate answers to almost all of my questions has been the epitome of luxurious convenience, yet, I can't help but try to imagine what it would be like travelling without it and relying on a book, a map and my brain.

A hard copy travel guide may be something you take with you on your travels. Just in case you don’t have access to WiFi, your phone runs out of battery, or maybe you are trying to emulate what it was like before the days of the internet, because back then, this was the closest thing to a search engine for all those travel questions.

What better way to explore and get lost in the world than a simple map picked up at the airport or hostel, accompanied by a book of all things to do with 'travel' in your location. These guides did come with a down side. Imagine, arriving to a location expecting to see what your guide book had told you, was a hostel, to find a decrepit building with no sign of life. This is when you realise your copy of the guide is 2 years old and that hostel is long gone. This story is indeed, a real one.

Other locations offering you information on what to do could be found on youth hostel public bulletin boards and the invaluable telephone directory. Of course, you could always ask for advice from a local or fellow traveller on what to see and do, granted they spoke your language.

Calling home

Thanks to technological developments, we can send instant messages to our loved ones we have left back home on our travels, no matter where in the world we are located with the right tools. A simple message to say, ‘I am alive, I am safe, and I am having a great time’ can be received in seconds, but how was anyone to know any of this when you were travelling before we had access to this technology?

Postcards, letters and a pay phone, where the only forms of communicating with anyone outside of your direct vicinity. A postcard, although a little souvenir to send home, meant that whatever you could fit on that little section to write on, could be read by anyone. A letter was certainly the way to go.

But how did they receive mail? A little gem called poste-restant. As long as you timed it well and let whoever was sending you mail know where you were going to be, you could find posted items or letters at the cities GPO collection point. There were also other organisations that would hold your mail for you in main cities, such as AMEX. Ultimately, this just required A LOT of coordination.

Although, if you could afford it, a quick call home from a pay phone was possible, generally via reverse charge calls on a backpackers budget.

Making Memories

Film cameras are a bit of a novelty these days, but could you imagine relying on them to produce those perfect holiday images. Going to a beautiful location you have anticipated seeing all your life, in all its glory and wonderful visual satisfaction, only to get the photos developed and find your big ugly thumb ruined any chance of physically capturing that moment. WHAT A LET DOWN!

Not only this, but you wouldn't even know what you captured until you got them developed with a years expiry before the film went bad. That image was a one shot wonder, for better or for worse. These were times where you relied on your memory more then technology, to consolidate your life experiences. Not quite like today's instant and limitless capabilities for your perfect travel snapshots. Needless to say, these captured memories before the internet would not be posted on the non-existent social media for the world to see. Physical copies would be made to share with family and friends and the only likes and comments you'd receive is from the appreciation they'd share in person.

With enormous developments in the way travel is conceptualised and executed, the internet has been a major player. The element of convenience has captivated today's world, but is it possible that we have lost a sense of freedom, adventure and elements of connectivity?

What world would you prefer to travel in?