Up until 1957, holidays were in Cornwall - and the sun always shone! Into the family Zephyr, then down the A30 via Exeter and across Dartmoor to Mullion. In later years, traffic was so bad that we would drive down through the night - a great adventure that was!
Then we went to 'The Continent' in 1958 - France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Denmark - and a day trip to Sweden. Even then, the ravages of war could still be seen. Every country had a frontier and you queued up for currency exchange and passports. Crossing the Channel was an interesting experience; no ro-ro ferries and loading took ages. We went to Expo 58 in Brussels on the way home via Oostende - Sputnik replica in the Russian pavilion and colour TV in the American pavilion were of note!
1959 was a holiday in Brittany. We were initially snubbed by some snobbish people at the hotel (which was very like the one in 'Darling Buds of May'!) when the saw the family Anglia - until my father let it slip that it was actually our second car. Then they treated us like royalty, the shallow graspers.
1960 was a holiday in Sweden - Tilbury to Gothernburg in an ancient 1929 ship, then down to Bĺstad. The Swedish Air Force still flew the J-29 from nearby Angelholm.
1961 we went to the Norfolk Broads. The cruiser was rammed and sank, so we came home early!
1962 we went to Ireland - the last time I ever went there. Friendly people, but it seemed very old-fashioned.
In 1963 we went by train to Spain. Or rather to Cerbére, then a wild taxi ride in an old Citröen
traction avant across the border to Port Bou, then a prehistoric Spanish train to Llansa, where we were met by the agent who drove us to Puerto de la Selva. Quite an adventure!
The first time we flew was a couple of years later. Mid-week Tourist Class in a BEA Vanguard to Gibraltar, ferry to La Linea, bus to Malaga, then on to a holiday villa in Almuńécar. It was much cheaper to fly to Gib in those days, then to Malaga - something to do with the 'Sterling area'.
After that came the package holiday era. Usually a BAC 1-11 from Hurn to Palma, then a taxi to the hotel. The earlier holidays had been rather more adventurous, but quite a few operators and airlines let customers down in the late '60s and early '70s. Invicta Airways folded, Clarkson Hoidays collapased..... But we'd discovered the 'flight only' method and often flew with Dan Dare on a Marshall Sutton holiday to Menorca, before my father eventually moved there.
Passengers travelling on holiday charters back then were treated pretty well, on the whole. The seat pitch was reasonable and in-flight catering was pretty good. And as for the lovely 'Caledonian Girls'.....
People still 'dressed up' to fly, rather than wearing some inappropriate track suit or the like. But society was rather more 'correct' in those days, I guess?
UK customs was still an utter pain though!
When I was first in the RAF, to go home I'd usually take the train to London, stay overnight in the RAF Club, then off to the BrompWest London Air Terminal and the bus to the airport. Until, that is, I found it easier either to drive or to take the train to Gatwick.
Despite having to be frisked by some bottom-fondling failed wheelclamper and generally treated like a criminal at UK airports these days, travel is an awful lot simpler now than it was in the 1970s! Although the ridiculous situation whereby it is cheaper to fly with some LoCo than it is to park in the airport car park probably won't last for ever.