History of holidays

People are very lucky to take holidays nowadays. In the past, only wealthy people took trips. The idea of a holiday came from the Romans. They created a large empire, with lots of roads and an army to protect them. Because it was safe, Roman citizens started travelling all over. They were the first people to travel for pleasure . This created the world’s first inns, restaurants and tour guides. The world’s first guidebook was Pausanias’ Description of Greece . It described the geography, religious art, architecture and beaches of ancient Greece. When Rome fell in AD 476, the Dark Ages of Europe began. The old Roman roads broke apart, and it was dangerous to travel. Only the very rich, like Kings and the aristocracy , could travel. Technology made holidays possible for ordinary people again. In the 1830s the first steam trains transported people all over America. People who lived in cold places travelled to California and Florida because there were beaches. In the early 1900s, the cheap Model T car made it possible for more people to travel. At the same time, the Orient Express and steam ships made international travel more affordable . Finally, the invention of the jetliner in 1952 meant people could travel around the world in less than a day. The 20th century was when the modern holiday began.