I love travelling and just recently got back from a trip to Colombia (Bogota & Cartagena) and it was an absolute amazing vacation (1 100% recomend it)!

When heading out on a new adventure, one of my favourite things to do is the planning. I’m not a “figure out when I get there” kind of gal, I’m a planner. I really enjoy browsing the web and see what people are saying about my country / city of choice and I always pickup my Lonely Planet travel book for more ideas. It adds to the excitement of the trip.

These days it’s super easy to get travel info right from the web, but before the internet one would visit a travel agency to get travel brochures on locations they wish to travel too. For today’s post, I’m going to show off some of the cool looking 1950s travel pamphlets that showcase travel destinations for destinations all over the world.

Let the fun begin!

Vintage 1939 travel brochure for Greyhound Bus featuring an illustration of a couple in late 1930s fashions heading on an adventure.

1939 Travel Brochure (I liked the imagery) Source: Etsy


Disclosure: Some of the links on my blog from Etsy , eBay are Affiliate Links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. 

Note: If you click on a product link and it is no longer available, don’t fret! Etsy & eBay are updated daily with new vintage items so you are bound to find something else you will love just as much.


Vintage 1950s Travel Brochures & Pamphlets

1953 Happiness Tours brochure – Over 40 vacation suggestions.

Vintage 1950's Travel Brochure -Happiness Tours Vacation Guide - 1953 featuring an illustration of a man holiding luggage with travel brochures behind him.

Visit places like the Canadian Rockies, Yellowstone, Nassau and so much more!

Vintage 1950's Travel Brochure -Happiness Tours Vacation Guide - 1953. Visit places like the Canadian Rockies, Nassau and so much more! Brochure features 2 women and a man in 1950 swimsuits running in the water.

Source: Etsy

1950s travel brochure for visiting Central Ontario for your Canadian Vacation (avail as of May 2023 HERE).

I live in Ontario (Toronto) and so I always love seeing vintage content like this on my home province.

Vintage 1950s Central Ontario Travel Brochure

Fun map of Central Ontario (Toronto is in the bottom right) and my family is on Lake Huron to the left (but in Southwest Ontario).

Vintage 1950s Central Ontario Travel Brochure featuring a colourful map of Ontario.

Source: Etsy

Let’s Talk About Your Trip to Europe. – 1953 published by Pacific Motor Sales – Covers what a tourist should know about traveling there. How to plan an Itinerary, how much money to bring and what’s wrong with Europe.

See Spain by Motor Coach – early 1950s inclusive or package or tours. Published by Autotransporte Turistico Espanol S.A. Madrid. Several package tours by bus with hotel and meals included. First Class and Luxury level.


Traveling Economically in Great Britain – 1954 published for the British Tourist and Holiday’s abroad in London. Great color graphics along with what to do and not to do in England (avail as of May 2023 HERE).

Visit Europe! 1950s Travel Brochures for Spain, Great Britain and Europe. Vintage Travel Advertising.
1950s Travel Brochure for tips on visiting Europe.
1950s Travel Brochure-Traveling Economically in Great Britain - 1954 published for the British Tourist and Holiday's abroad in London.
1950s Spain Travel Brochure -See Spain by Motor Coach - early 1950s inclusive or package or tours.

Source: eBay

1950s Brochure: What to see and do in Fabulous Los Angeles! (avail as of May 2023 HERE)

1950s What to See and Do in Fabulous Los Angeles Brochure-features an illustration of a 1950s couple.

Source: eBay

Trip Through Italy, circa 1954.

This vintage tourist brochure promoting travel to Italy is written in English and was compiled and edited by Roberto De Gasperis of ENIT (Ente Nationale Industrie Turistiche (National Tourist Industry Department).

The content prepares the traveler with what they need to know both before and during the trip, including what clothes to pack, advice about hotel facilities, import information, tourists’ assistance, motorists’ and railroad itineraries, guarded camping sites, specialized repair shops, and more.

When completely unfolded the inside has two maps of Italy, one showing airlines and highways, the other showing railway lines and maritime routes.

Trip Through Italy 1950s Vintage Travel Guide / 1950s Travel Brochure featuring an illustration of a train and a car.
Trip Through Italy 1950s Vintage Travel Guide / 1950s Travel Brochure featuring hotels you can stay at and Esso gas to fill up your car.

Source: Etsy

1952 Hawaiian Islands Travel Brochures for Inter Island Air Cruises and United Airlines (avail as of May 2023 HERE).

1950s vintage travel brochure: 1952 Hawaiian Islands Travel Brochures Inter Island, United Airlines. The brochures feature beautiful illustrations of people visiting Hawaii, people playing on the beach and flying.
Visit the Hawaiian Islands -1950s vintage travel brochure featuring illustrations of the Islands, and people having fun in Hawaii.

Source: Etsy

Time to visit Champagne – Ardennes – France.

When I was in Paris a few years back, I wanted to visit the Champagne region so bad but we just did not have time. Another Time! (avail as of May 2023 HERE)

1950s vintage travel brochure for Champagne - Ardennes - France featuring an illustration of woman picking grapes.

Source: Etsy

1958 vintage travel brochure for a Pan American trip to Bermuda & Nassau (avail as of May 2023 HERE).

1958 vintage travel brochure for PAN AMERICAN - Nassau & Bermuda featuring an illustration of a woman in Bermuda shorts on a bike.
1958 vintage travel brochure for PAN AMERICAN - Nassau & Bermuda

Source: Etsy

Visit the French Alps! Travel brochure for The French Alps, with vintage maps and travel information (avail as of May 2023 HERE).

1950s travel brochure for the french alps
1950s travel brochure for the french alps featuring youth hostels you could stay at

Source: Etsy

1950s Key West, Florida vacation guide from the Chamber of Commerce .

Further Reading: Vintage Photos of Key West, Florida

1950s Vintage Travel Brochure for Key West Florida
1950s Vintage Travel Brochure for Key West Florida featuring illustrations of things you can do when you visit.

Source: Etsy

I am going to end this post with a fun little brochure for Hotel Rates in Cuba from 1955 before America left the country. I love the font.

1950s Vintage Brochure for 1955 Summer Hotel Rates for Cuba - Island Wide

Source: eBay

I hope you enjoyed checking out these fun vintage travel brochures & pamphlets. Let me know in the comments section below which ones you enjoyed the most!

Further Reading: Collection of my Vintage Travel Posts

Thanks for dropping by!

Here are a couple of photos from our visit to Bogota, Colombia in April / May 2022.

View of the city Bogota Colombia
Mountain view of all of Bogota, Colombia
Walking thru the historic part of Bogota Colombia
Walking thru the historic part of Bogota

Liz

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