# Was Travel Better In The Old (Pre-WWII Days)? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063 "2012-03-28T17:10:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/21 "2012-03-30T23:45:07Z")
> [@Daylate](#): > > If it were available today I would choose it in a heartbeat over the horrible sardine tubes we have now. I’d do it to, for the adventure. I can tell you I much prefer a Bombardier Q200 (de Havilland Dash 8) to a Boeing 737. Better view, for one thing. Of course you could buy your own vintage flying carpet. 😉 [1943 Douglas DC-3](http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/DOUGLAS-DC-3-C-47/1943-DOUGLAS-DC-3-C-47/1227793.htm?) [1956 Beechcraft Twin Bonanza](http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/BEECHCRAFT-D50-TWIN-BONANZA/1956-BEECHCRAFT-D50-TWIN-BONANZA/1218617.htm?) [1938 Beechcraft Staggerwing](http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/BEECHCRAFT-17-STAGGERWING/1938-BEECHCRAFT-17-STAGGERWING/1228895.htm?) [1946 Beech 18](http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/BEECHCRAFT-D18S/1946-BEECHCRAFT-D18S/1219125.htm?) [1941 Lockheed 12A](http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/aircraft-for-sale/LOCKHEED-12A/1941-LOCKHEED-12A/1229487.htm?) ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/22 "2012-03-31T04:47:24Z")
> [@wheresmymind](#): > > …Air travel in the pre-jet age was a similar story. Planes were small and noisy, and comparatively slow with short ranges. Capacity was limited. The engines weren’t as reliable, so delays would be common. They couldn’t fly above the weather, so flights were very rough. They were also very expensive. A round-trip Pan-Am clipper flight from Miami to Rio cost $665 (between $10,000 and $20,000 in today’s money) in 1941, and took about 5 days each way… > [@BMalion](#): > > My fantasy was always travelling around the world in luxury, on a Zeppelin in 1935. My great aunt used to say that aside from being faster air travel went downhill after the Hindenburg crashed. She came back from her junior year abroad on it and said it was the best flight she was ever. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/23 "2012-03-31T22:53:25Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > 'Course, all those guys likely just came from their white-collar office jobs. No, in the days when most people worked blue-collar jobs, people dressed up for social events. Casual clothing only became popular when white-collar jobs became the norm. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/24 "2012-04-01T00:43:38Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I suppose now you get pre-made sandwiches and little bags of chips, if anything. Not hardly. The Amtrak dining cars really do serve very decent, restaurant quality food that is cooked prior to serving much the way it would be done in a stationary restaurant, allowing for the fact that time and space constraints limit the total options available. If you have sleeping accommodations you are a first class passenger and the meals are included with the cost of the compartment. It is expensive though; last I checked it was a lot more expensive than an advance purchased economy class airline ticket, but probably not as much as first class air. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/25 "2012-04-01T01:03:55Z")
I took [The Canadian](http://www.viarail.ca/en/trains/rockies-and-pacific/toronto-vancouver-canadian) from Winnipeg to Vancouver ten years ago and the diner service was tops - including a fully staffed kitchen. Apparently they still maintain one. I traveled roomette but there were day coaches as well. Don’t know if they got to eat in the diner. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/26 "2012-04-01T01:12:22Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > She came back from her junior year abroad on it and said it was the best flight she was ever. I’ve recently become fascinated by passenger travel on airships. As an aside, I’ve always been disappointed by fan sites for airships, submarines, trains, etc., that don’t discuss living conditions for the crew and/or passengers. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/27 "2012-04-01T01:13:35Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > I traveled roomette but there were day coaches as well. Don’t know if they got to eat in the diner. If it’s like Amtrak, yes, but they have to pay for it. As mentioned above, Amtrak includes meals with a room. Did The Candadian? ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/28 "2012-04-01T01:13:45Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > It is expensive though; last I checked it was a lot more expensive than an advance purchased economy class airline ticket, but probably not as much as first class air. You inspired me to check. I can get a round trip with roomette – Minnesota/Seattle – for $388 (plus tax, probably). It appears that with Amtrak, **when** you want to travel is the key. The same trip cost me $1100 two years ago, but I didn’t know then that I could have changed my schedule and saved a lot of money. As for travel in the old days, in a car, cross country, finding vacancies was an issue. I suppose if you planned ahead (maybe using AAA?), you could make reservations ahead of time. But if you weren’t sure how far you were going to drive, or if construction and detours or weather or car trouble held you up, you’d be taking a chance on finding a place to sleep. There’s a reason Marion Crane ended up at the Bates Motel. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/29 "2012-04-01T02:07:09Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > Edit: my definition of “golden age” is rather different from the OP’s, at least in terms of mini-skirts. I guess 1950s and 1960s, and maybe even into the 1970s, counts, before package holidays took over. Dude, package tours date back to [1841](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook). ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/30 "2012-04-01T19:57:18Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Lots of people talk about how cool it was to fly back then, with real silverware and plates, real food to put on the plates, and great service all around while flying. But as mentioned, the planes were really loud, they vibrated, shook horribly in storms, stunk of oil and gas and it cost a fortune to go anywhere and could take days to get from point A to point Z. But by about 1960 most of those problems had been forgotten. Postwar transport planes, especially with the advent of jets, eliminated nearly all of the physically unpleasant experiences associated with air travel. The term “first class” didn’t exist because that was the standard. What we think of as standard today started out as a discount travel option for the budget-minded. It was only since about the mid 1960s that “coach” or “economy” became the default, but for some time to come it was still considerably more luxurious than today in terms of meals and other amenities. Contrary to popular belief I don’t believe the seats were particularly more spacious, though. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/31 "2012-04-01T21:59:39Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > You inspired me to check. I can get a round trip with roomette – Minnesota/Seattle – for $388 (plus tax, probably). > > It appears that with Amtrak, **when** you want to travel is the key. The same trip cost me $1100 two years ago, but I didn’t know then that I could have changed my schedule and saved a lot of money.. This inspired me to check too, right back at you as it were. I was surprised to learn that two adults sharing a compartment can travel by Amtrak from L.A. to NYC, round trip, for a little over two grand all told. That’s far lower than the lowest first class airline fares I found, although at the same time it’s clearly not competitive with typical economy class air. On the other hand, if it’s a leisure trip, and you happen to like trains, it can be an attractive option. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/32 "2012-04-01T22:04:27Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I was looking at some old travel books, and it seems that travel was a lot more formal in the old days. For example, Egypt in 1935-tourists wore white suits, and were escorted by guides. Nowadays, western tourists go about dressed in cutoffs and sneakers - That’s because world travel was once only possible by the very wealthy, who dressed that way all the time. Now, even the middle class can take an international trip, and they wear what they are comfortable in. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/33 "2012-04-01T22:15:27Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > This inspired me to check too, right back at you as it were. I was surprised to learn that two adults sharing a compartment can travel by Amtrak from L.A. to NYC, round trip, for a little over two grand all told. That’s far lower than the lowest first class airline fares I found, although at the same time it’s clearly not competitive with typical economy class air. On the other hand, if it’s a leisure trip, and you happen to like trains, it can be an attractive option. Oh, definitely. I was amazed at how quiet it was – I had no trouble sleeping. The car attendants were friendly and helpful, and the engineer (or somebody) alerted us when we were passing through scenic/historical spots. I loved it. Didn’t have to take my shoes off, nobody searched or x-rayed my bags, no running to make connections, the food was fine, the other passengers (lots of train fans) were friendly. The roomettes are a bit tight but the windows are huge. There are observation cars – nothing but windows and small tables. Even if you don’t have a room, you can use the shower facilities. I won’t fly anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/34 "2012-04-02T05:19:34Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Oh, definitely. I was amazed at how quiet it was – I had no trouble sleeping. The car attendants were friendly and helpful, and the engineer (or somebody) alerted us when we were passing through scenic/historical spots. I loved it. Didn’t have to take my shoes off, nobody searched or x-rayed my bags, no running to make connections, the food was fine, the other passengers (lots of train fans) were friendly. The roomettes are a bit tight but the windows are huge. There are observation cars – nothing but windows and small tables. Even if you don’t have a room, you can use the shower facilities. > > I won’t fly anymore. We did the Coast Starlight run from Seattle to L.A. I think it’s the slowest long distance train in their system, but who cares when the food’s that good and with free wine tastings to boot? (That was 2005, but now they charge you for the wine tasting, I understand.). Particularly for leisure travel, if part of the goal is to be away from home X number of nights, well, you’re going to have to pay to spend them somewhere, and the train with accommodation is a better deal than just about any ordinary hotel and restaurants three times a day. My only beef is that the compartment for two, which is what we had and what I quoted between L.A. and NYC, is set up so that you and the other person sit facing each other in the daytime. Which, hopefully, isn’t a problem per se, but they don’t give you quote enough room for the two of you to really be comfortable. I kept having to put my feet up on the arm of m wife’s seat. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/35 "2012-04-02T08:52:16Z")
> [@chacoguy](#): > > Are you old enough to remember a summer vacation in a station wagon that didn’t have air conditioning? No station wagon, but the year we went to Valencia will always be remembered as The Year We Were Stuck In Traffic For Five Hours. People were leaving the cars with all doors open and sharing drinks and food so the little kids would stay more or less calm. And then there was the year we stayed in Segovia. One day, my parents took out the road map and started planning the day, but I nabbed it and said “no way, today we’re visiting Segovia! You two can do whatever you want, but us kids are staying here, visiting here, and not spending another day roasting in the back of the car :mad:” My mother refers to that incident as Takeover Day. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/36 "2012-04-02T09:22:00Z")
I don’t think that being obliged to dress up adds to my enjoyment of an experience. I had entirely too much of dressing up when I worked in a dress shop. If I never have to wear stockings/hose again I’ll die a happy woman. And don’t ask me what I think about girdles (REAL girdles, support garments are all right in my book). Now, I do think that if you’re going to be seen in public, your clothes should fit, be clean, and in good repair. However, wearing a silk dress and your best pearls to fly in is a mistake. Travel clothes should be low maintenance (NOT dry clean only), should not wrinkle easily, and should breathe. Also, you need to consider the weather. It’s better to wear a light shirt and have a jacket or coat available when flying, rather than wear a heavy sweater which is comfy outside, but which you will broil in when you’re in the plane. Now, if you just want comfort, then probably a polo shirt and casual slacks are the way to go, because a T shirt and sweat pants are just a tad too informal for flying, if you’re an adult. The thing is, flying is going to be uncomfortable. Why add to the discomfort by getting into stiff formal clothes that are going to look worse than informal clothes at the end of the flight? ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/37 "2012-04-02T15:20:20Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Dude, package tours date back to [1841](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cook). I appreciate that. I meant mass-market affordable-to-plebs package tours, which really only took off in the late 1960s, at least in Britain. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/38 "2012-04-02T16:02:31Z")
My grandparents would like to take driving vacations in the States back in the 30s and they still bitched about the quality of pre-war tires and roads 60 years later. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/39 "2012-04-02T17:58:50Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > …My only beef is that the compartment for two, which is what we had and what I quoted between L.A. and NYC, is set up so that you and the other person sit facing each other in the daytime. Which, hopefully, isn’t a problem per se, but they don’t give you quote enough room for the two of you to really be comfortable. I kept having to put my feet up on the arm of m wife’s seat. The pre-Amrak ancestor of the Roomette was the same size, but only intended from 1 person. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063/40 "2012-04-02T18:29:59Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > My only beef is that the compartment for two, which is what we had and what I quoted between L.A. and NYC, is set up so that you and the other person sit facing each other in the daytime. Which, hopefully, isn’t a problem per se, but they don’t give you quote enough room for the two of you to really be comfortable. I kept having to put my feet up on the arm of m wife’s seat. My wife and I rode in a similar compartment on Amtrak during our honeymoon (from Chicago to Denver). It was close enough during the day, but the night-time set up of that compartment was horrible. The seats folded down to create a bed for one person, and then the second bed was a bunk which unfolded from the ceiling. Said upper bunk was _very_ close to the ceiling, and, when I tried to sleep in it, I had an attack of claustrophobia. So, my wife went up there, and found she couldn’t sleep, either (though that was mostly from the bouncing of the train, and feeling like she was about to be pitched out of the bunk). We’d love to take the train again, but we’d have to get a bigger compartment without that silly upper bunk. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/was-travel-better-in-the-old-pre-wwii-days/617063.md?page=3)