For many Victorians, the only opportunity to "get away from it all" was the short holiday. This might be a day or half-day, or as much as a week. Fortunately, the Victorian traveler had a host of opportunities within an easy day of train travel. The most popular holiday destination was the beach, and beach resorts and spas sprang up all along Britain's coastlines. There, you could stay in a boarding house or rent a cottage and spend your day on the sand. More adventurous Victorians might take a walking tour, or go to the mountains, or take a fishing holiday. Later in the period, camping became a more common form of recreational travel, and companies set up tent camps (particularly along the Thames) with an amazing array of amenities. (One often reached one's campsite by boat or canoe!) Here's a general look at the short Victorian holiday.

Your Bank Holiday (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1877)

"There are two great causes of failure in holiday enjoyment: leaving everything to the last and trusting almost to inspiration of the moment, and trying to do too much--and doing it." This article then goes on to suggest ways to avoid both errors and enjoy a bank holiday in the country.

The Annual Holiday: How to Benefit by It (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1880)

The Holiday: How to Make the Best of It, by Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N. (Girl's Own Paper, 1881)

How to stay healthy on one's holiday.

How to Earn a Summer Holiday, by Gordon Stables, M.D., R.N. (Girl's Own Paper, 1886)

"Presuming now that I am addressing work-a-day girls, and happily their name is legion, I must tell them that one of the first things to be done to earn a holiday is to save money to pay for it." The article the proceeds with a variety of tips on how to do just that -- chiefly by adopting a healthy, simple diet.

A Novel Holiday (Girl's Own Paper, 1888)

In which four girls decide to rent a cottage for a week's holiday and "do for themselves" without any outside help.

To Holiday-Makers (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1888)

How to Enjoy a Holiday (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1889)

Getting Home from the Country, by Helen Jay (Ladies' Home Journal, 1892)

Tips on what to do when returning from a relaxing vacation.

Holidays in the Green Country, by Gordon R. Stables (Girl's Own Paper, 1897)

Tips on places to spend one's holiday in Britain.

A [Walking] Party of Two, by One of Them (Cassell's Family Magazine, 1894)

An account of a young couple's holiday walking tour.

See also

• Camping, Picnics & Outdoor Excursions

• The Seaside