Holiday Planning Then vs. Now: A Nostalgic Throwback
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It’s hard to believe how we and our parents booked holidays only twenty-five years ago.
Horrifyingly, there was no TikTok, Instagram, or endless travel blogs to obsess over. The Gen Z crowd would probably need therapy just thinking about it.
Back then, we had holiday brochures, Wish You Were Here?, and trusty old Teletext.
For those who don’t know, Teletext was basically the internet’s prehistoric cousin. My dad would spend Friday nights scrolling through tiny blocks of text, Bowie on the record player, trying to figure out if he was booking paradise or a nightmare.
It was often a gamble—but, somehow, it paid off 90% of the time.
Let’s take a nostalgic look at how we booked trips back in the day and just how lucky we are now with today’s tech.
Holiday Brochures: The Pinterest of the ’90s
Back then, you couldn’t just Google “best beach destinations.” Instead, you popped into the travel agent, grabbed a pile of glossy brochures, and spent the weekend circling dream spots with a biro that you’ve pocketed from Argos or Index.
For the truly dedicated, you might even raid a few weekend newspapers for their endless inserts…much to a newspaper boy’s delight.
Weekends were horrendous…
The papers often had pretty incredible deals as well. The only time my father bought The S*n was when old Richard was offering Disney World packages for £399, 14 nights and passes included. It was a steal that even my old man couldn’t resist because that’s not my parent’s thing! Not at all.
Each holiday destination was summed up in about 150 words and a couple of photos, with captions like:
- “Benidorm 7 nights from London Luton £179pp”
- “A hidden gem for families and couples alike!”
And you trusted it. Those little paragraphs had the power to seal the deal for your next summer escape, even if the reality was less “golden sands” and more “pebbly surprise.”
Teletext: The Original Last-Minute Deals
Teletext. It was slow, glitchy, and an absolute lifesaver. If you wanted a cheap deal, you’d spend hours watching the screen refresh like it held the secrets of the universe.
It’s mad to think, we’d sit around on a weekend as a family waiting for the football results to update with the radio on. It was a really simple time but cherished in memories.
My dad was an expert at Teletext. He’d sit there, squinting at the TV, muttering, “Just wait—it’ll come back around.” The suspense was unbearable. You could blink and miss the £199 week in Benidorm, only to see it replaced with a skiing trip in Austria.
The catch was that you had to call there and then. None of this adding things to a basket or comparing reviews.
It was all or nothing, baby. Holiday roulette.
Travel Shows: Our Window to the World
For inspiration, you’d tune into classics like Wish You Were Here? These shows were basically the YouTube travel vlogs of their time, with charismatic presenters and icons like Anneka Rice (the OG influencer) hyping up destinations you’d never heard of but suddenly had to visit.
The best part? Watching them with your family, passing judgment on every hotel room they showed. “Why are the curtains so awful?” or “That pool looks tiny!” Sound familiar? Some things never change.
But there was more than just TV. Back in the day, the holy grail of travel inspiration was the annual real-life travel shows. These events may still exist in some form, but back then, they were the ultimate source of insider info. Once a year, they’d roll into your local town, complete with resort reps, detailed brochures, posters, and actual maps of the destinations.
I still miss you Sandra from The Medditerrean Beach Hotel. She ensured my teddy bear ‘Spot’ the dalmation dog got home. I was completely distraught I left it in Cyprus.
And the freebies? Top-tier. Me and my brother couldn’t get enough. We’d stock up on branded pens, notepads, coasters, badges, sweets—you name it. For a couple of young travel enthusiasts, it was absolute heaven. They really went all out to make you feel like you were already halfway to paradise.
Cockpit Days
This one’s an unfortunate loss for kids today—they’ll never get to experience the thrill of visiting the cockpit mid-flight. The 360-degree views, the glowing controls, and pilots who were always happy to have a chat.
I’m hedging my bets that my dad loved it more than I did, but it was an unforgettable experience. I was lucky enough to step into the cockpits of 747s, DCs, Airbuses, and plenty of old-school iconic aircraft. There’s just something magical about seeing how the magic of flight came together, up close and personal.
My dad was that guy who booked the last row on a 747 because it had more a lift and ‘you feel it’ and it had space behind. I have no idea where he got this info from but it was spot on.
How Far We’ve Come
Today, we’ve got it easy. Want to know if a hotel’s any good? There are reviews, vlogs, social media posts, and even virtual tours. Need ideas? A few swipes on Instagram and you’re swimming in endless inspiration.
But there are some downsides.
Sometimes, having too much information can be overwhelming. It spoils the surprise when you’ve watched every reel and practically memorised your destination. And don’t even get me started on overplanning…because obviously, you’ve got to be organised, right?
Yet, the best memories often come from the unexpected. The discovery, the spontaneity, the “what if we just…” moments are what make travel special. Have a plan but be loose with it.
Honestly, though, there’s something magical about how holidays were booked back in the day. The excitement of flipping through brochures, the thrill of snagging a Teletext deal, and the blind faith in a few lines of text. It was chaotic, but charming chaos.
I was lucky that my family valued travel and holidays so highly, even as a working-class bunch. We had some great trips, despite booking them the old-school way. In fact, we only ever had one truly terrible holiday in Ibiza and a pretty “meh” one in Tenerife. That’s a solid strike rate for Teletext and brochures if you ask me.
Final Thoughts
It’s wild to see how far we’ve come from the days of brochures and Teletext. Sure, technology has made travel planning easier, but there was something magical about the simplicity and surprises of the old-school way.
Popping into the travel agent was an experience in itself.
The promise of good vibes ahead and something exciting to look forward to. If you were lucky, it might even mean a stop at the bakery for a slush puppy and a Belgian bun, while your dad’s eyes lit up at the sight of pasties.
We’re all for pro-tech in this corner, and it’s fascinating to imagine how travel will evolve in another twenty-five years. Hopefully, for the better—and not the worse.
Here’s to the OGs who booked holidays blind and created memories that lasted a lifetime. Sometimes, the real magic was in the chaos and the element of surprise.
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