The History of Coach Travel & Holidays

People have been enjoying coach holidays for many years, which is really not surprising when you look at all the benefits they offer, including convenient pick-up points, travelling in comfort, visiting a range of destinations and making new friends.

But when did this type of holiday start becoming a popular option for so many people?

We thought it’d be interesting to take a look at the history of coach travel and see how it all began…

Horse-Drawn Stagecoaches Started to Appear on Our Roads…

It actually all started way back in the early 16^th century, when horse-drawn stagecoaches started to appear on our roads.

With their origins in England, they got their name as they would travel in ‘stages’ of between 10 and 15 miles. At the end of each ‘stage’, travellers would have an opportunity to enjoy a meal or a drink, whilst the horses were changed. Or, they would have an overnight stay before continuing their onward journey.

Back then though, travelling by stagecoach would take some time as they could only reach speeds of around 5 miles an hour - and of course the roads were nothing like they are today.

Introduction of Stagecoach Routes

By the early 17^th century, we were starting to see the introduction of stagecoach routes, with the first one running from Edinburgh to Leith. You had to be a patient traveller though. As an example, in 1673, travelling from London to Exeter would take 8 days!

Other routes sprung up though over time and the stagecoach was also being continually developed. By the mid-18^th century, there were services taking passengers from Manchester and Liverpool down to London, with a journey time of 3 to 4 days.

Developments During 19^th Century & Early 20^th Century

Many developments in the design of coaches and road construction happened during the 19^th century, particularly during the Regency period between 1811 and 1820. Coaches were now starting to reach speeds of around 12 miles per hour and becoming a popular way for people to travel.

In 1826, the first purpose-built passenger railway was authorised, running from Manchester to Liverpool. Whilst a stagecoach would take 4 hours to complete this journey, the train was taking under 2 hours. Operators of horse-drawn coaches knew they would have to compete with the trains and this resulted in the purchase of the first motor coaches in the early 20^th century.

By the end of World War 1, independent coach operators were starting to appear, with many coaches being maintained and driven by ex-soldiers. At this time, there were also many train strikes, resulting in more people travelling to their destination by coach, up until the temporary suspension of services during World War 2.

The Heyday of 1950s & 1960s

In the post-war years of the 1950s and 1960s, coach holidays were really becoming incredibly popular. With few people being able to afford a car, they instead travelled to holiday destinations by coach – it was also seen as a cheaper and more flexible alternative to the train.

Workers were now entitled to paid annual leave, thanks to the Holiday Pay Act of 1938, so breaks away were becoming much more affordable. In addition to this, many industrial towns had local holiday weeks when factories would close for maintenance, giving all the staff the opportunity to take their paid annual leave.

Holidaymakers started to enjoy trips to UK seaside resorts such as Blackpool, Scarborough, Filey, Brighton, Torquay and Margate. These holidays were seen as a much-needed escape from daily life, packed full of fun and laughter. And travelling by coach was all part of the experience, with singalongs, joke-telling and regular pub stops - people didn’t mind how long it took as they were enjoying themselves so much.

The 1960s also saw the development of motorway networks, as well as the closure of 2,000 train stations, which only increased the popularity of coach travel – this period saw the coach industry go from strength to strength.

And the Rest Is History…

Coach holidays continue to be a popular choice for so many people, allowing people to travel in comfort and explore many different destinations.

And not only that, coach travel is now described as one of the greenest ways to get around - so why not Go Greener and Travel by Coach?

At Caledonian Travel, we’ve got a wide range of coach holidays for you to choose from, all with local departure points and excellent value for money, thanks to our Price Match Promise.

Why not take a look at the destinations we visit throughout Britain, Ireland and Europe and see what takes you fancy?