Ready to conquer the world? You can’t do better than seize your parasol, a pair of kid gloves and a somewhat overfilled trunk for your garments. Tucked under your arm, you’ll need this travelogue of hints and tips for the intrepid traveller, available for your convenience at only 2d 5s. Victorian lady travel tips were all the rage in 1889 and who wouldn’t want to walk in the footsteps of Isabella Bird?
Some practical hints and advice upon the wide subject of wanderings abroad may be useful and welcome to those whose experiences are less varied than those of their sisters.
The best way of ensuring comfort in your temporary abode will be to speak to friends and well-heeled acquaintances. As any woman of the world may know, the exterior may not match the interior. Should this not be possible, the Victorian lady traveller is advised to write to the postmaster or stationmaster of their intended destination with a stamped evelope addressed to the woman explorer.
CC- State Library Queensland 1 166831 Unidentified woman on a camel, circa 1880
Landladies may be perfectly honest and should be considered so till they prove themselves unworthy of the trust.
Among the fascinating array of extras that will be charged in lodgings include; fires, boot cleaning and the cruet stand (!) and fashionable travellers are cautioned never to get into a strange bed without being sure that it’s well aired, for fear of congruent diseases.
Take heed that travelling baths are highly convenient receptacles for packing a lady’s belongings and ladies are assumed to carry their own bath with them for whenever it might be necessary. All lodgers know to check their leftovers, as if the staff claim their meals have been eaten up to the last morsel the remaining treats may have been collared by hungry serving staff.
With these advices in hand, femmes can be certain for an engaging journey to the lengths of the known world. Stay tuned for more Victorian Lady travel tips in the Vintage Wayfaring series. Which Victorian lady travellers inspire you?
Sources: Hints to Lady Travellers At Home and Abroad- Lillias Campbell Davidson 1889, find more inspiring female travellers of the past behind the link.
Keen to read more from the vintage travel series? Take a look at Melbourne’s pop up pin up parlour.
Cover image credit: ‘Parasol’ CC Paul Townsend @ Flickr and CC-BY-2.0 John Hoey @Flickr
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Love this! It’s so important that the bed is well aired! Thanks for sharing!
Very interesting and unique. Enjoyed traveling back in time. The pictures have their own quaint allure.
This is a real fun way to give tips haha! Enjoyed your post 🙂
Um, this is hilarious… and I now have a new phrase: well-heeled acquaintances. Love it.
Haha yes, I plan on using that one too!
I wonder if our descendants will find our ideas and suggestions just as humorous? What we consider quite adventurous, they may find hilarious.
This is priceless! I love the part about airing out a “strange bed.”
Well there is something you don’t see everyday… or anymore! Can you imagine traveling like this?