The Victorian era was a time of sweeping change. Advances in science and medicine, industry, commerce, transportation meant life was constantly changing. One of the advances eagerly embraced was the advent of travel and tourism. Of course, people traveled before this time, but never in such numbers nor so easily.
British aristocrats and wealthy Americans had already been sending their sons on Grand Tours of Europe for years with the thought of expanding their educations. But both the US and the UK had been opening new routes on their rail lines, and with the end of the Napoleonic Wars, France was able to do so as well. With a short steamer ride from Dover to Calais the British traveler could board a train to the French Riveria, and find themselves on the beach in no time. Queen Victoria spent many a winter in Nice due to the milder temperatures. Edward, Prince of Wales was a regular visitor to Cannes from the mid-1870s until he ascended to the throne in 1901.
While the south of France was still reserved for those with money and time, average Victorians were finding themselves with more leisure time and a desire equal to their wealthy counterparts to get out of the city and hit the beach. Seaside resorts in towns such as Brighton, Scarborough, and Blackpool could be a short train ride away, and if you only had a day or two to enjoy your holiday, they offered the perfect destination. In addition to sea bathing, visitors could walk along the promenade, attend a concert, or enjoy a boat ride.
In the 1840s Thomas Cook began offering tours around the British Isles, arranging the travelers’ accommodation and travel, and charging them a single rate. In 1855 he took a group to Paris for the Great Exhibition, and following the success of that tour, he led groups around Europe, to the Middle East, and to America. In the 1880s he chartered large, opulent steamships and took his clients steaming up the Nile.
By the turn of the century, Deauville on the Normandy coast was emerging as one of Europe’s most fashionable sea-side resorts. A short train ride from Paris, Deauville attracted elite travelers with its pristine beaches, luxurious hotels, vibrant social scene, and horse races. But travel was no longer for the upper-class alone. As a burgeoning middle class emerged the industry, the resorts, and tours had to expand to accommodate them. The era of modern tourism had taken hold.
